George Foreman and I Have a Great Relationship

Dumpster diving sometimes pays off. A couple of years ago while visiting an aunt in Houston I offered to carry her trash down to the parking garage. Her posh, University area condo often housed wealthy college students and when they graduated, well, they just left everything piled high downstairs in the trash closet. On this particular day my eyes glanced over an appalling amount of trash that included several near perfect smaller kitchen appliances. One was one of the first George Foreman grills—the Champ.

As so often happens, it begged me to take it home and I did. My relationship with this grill was a love hate affair. I loved the way it cooked, but hated the mess and the awkward clean up.

When I first learned about the Next Generation from George Foreman and that my indoor grilling could be mess free, I said it’s time to be unfaithful and run off with a newer George, the one with the removable grill plates.

A little over one year later here’s my story about the George Foreman GRP99 Sandwich Maker.
Over Christmas 2004 my husband made it possible for me to run off with this cuter, newly altered George.

Most products have a few lemons in the batch. Perhaps someone on the line was sniffling the day your lemon went through. Or, perhaps someone’s expectations of the product are of something that it isn’t. Or, the directions weren’t thoroughly read. I’ve been known to skim the directions a time or two and found myself later regretting not reading everything.

My version was not a lemon! My George has performed wonderfully for more than a year of fairly heavy use. I love it, and it loves me (as much as any kitchen appliance can).

What I won’t do with it. Cook barbecue on it. Living in Texas introduced me to some mighty fine barbecue and there is only one way to really cook barbecue—and that’s not on a little sandwich maker grill. My outdoor gas grill takes care of that need.

What I will do. Two nights ago I cooked four pork tenderloins, sliced slightly more than one inch thick, surrounded by slices of red onion and fresh mushrooms. I served the tenderloins with a little jalapeño jelly. The meal was excellent and I had no problems with overcooking. Although I used the grill to brown the pork’s surface, the clean up was painless.

I have cooked brats, Italian sausage, grilled chicken, sautéed vegetables; I’ve grilled simple ground beef burgers and specialty burgers that combined ground lamb, feta cheese, and chopped spinach. Everything has been cooked to my expectations.

The variable heat control allows me to manage the temperature. The timer helps me monitor the cooking time without forgetting to return and check on the food. The cooking surface is large enough for six burgers or four pork tenderloins and eight mushroom caps sliced in half with two small quartered red onions. The sloped and grooved grill surface guides the fats away off the plates onto a separate drip tray. The hinged top makes it possible to cook thicker pieces of meat and still have even cooking.

I like the fact that both surfaces heat evenly. I really like the ease in cleaning by simply removing the grill plates, washing them with warm soap and water, and snapping them back into place when done. Although the directions advise against placing them in the dishwasher, I will occasionally put them in and have had not problems with oxidation or with the surface being altered.

The accompanying cookbook provided instructions with cooking tips, length of cooking times for most meats, and directions for using the George Foreman GRP99 Grill. Again, I found this easy to use. After preparing a few of their suggested meals I launched into some of my favorites.

How to Use
The directions advise users to pre-heat the grill plates to your desired cooking temperature. If my meal recommends a cooking temperature of 350 degrees, I set it, and generally within five minutes it announces that it is hot, ready, and waiting. On goes my meal, and I pull the top down and set the timer for what might be three to six minutes, depending upon what is sizzling. The grill came with two drip pans, and I’ve been known to use both, also a function of what I'm cooking. (My feta burgers tend to be really juicy and almost always require two.) I place my drip pan under the front lip, which is appropriately contoured and those nasty fatty juices flow over the lip as drip. I keep the second one close by in case the drip pan fills. (The drip pan could be a little deeper.) When done the timer calls for my attention. If I want to extend the cooking time I simply adjust the timer for another minute or two, otherwise it keeps the food warm until the meal is served.

One additional plus. When preparing a meal that requires tortillas, wraps, or buns, I find it convenient to warm them on the top (outside) of the grill. There is just enough heat coming out to warm the hamburger buns. Because I store those in the refrigerator (a habit I developed in Texas), they tend to be cold and I prefer the buns warm and soft.

The grill seems to draw a lot of energy and in my old house, with its sometimes inadequate wiring, I can blow a circuit while simultaneously using the grill, microwave, and an under-the-counter light. That’s not the fault of the grill; that’s the fault of the people who used to live in my older house. I’ve learned to make a few adjustments.

Do I Like My George Foreman Grill?
Oh yeah! Has my dumpster diving treasure returned to my kitchen? No chance, it was a complete divorce. I’m happily married to the Next Generation of George Foreman grilling and in all honesty, I can’t make any recommendations for changes.

When I want home-cooked barbecue, the meat goes outside on my gas grill, but when I want low-fat, creative, healthy meals, without sacrificing flavor, I use this grill. While I have been known to create some excellent meals outside on my gas grill, the convenience provided by the smaller George Foreman grill suits my sometimes busy schedule. It rests in a very accessible, ready-to-use location in my kitchen and is one of my most favorite kitchen tools (next to my husband).

P.S.-------------------------------
January 6, 2008...Sometimes it's valuable to know how well a product performs over time. I still love this George. The interior surface looks the same as the first time I used it. There have been NO problems with heat control, nor any other part of the grill. Would I buy one for a friend or as a gift--you bet!!