George Foreman Next Generation Grill - GRP99 - Saying Yay to Removable Plates

I received this George Foreman GRP99 Next Generation Grill probably going on close to 2 years ago now as a gift from my husband one year for Mother's Day. Not the most romantic gift, but one that I had asked for. Our former George Foreman XL GR26BW grill had seen much better days and was the older style with fixed heating plates. The model that my husband picked out was this GRP99 and though I am not sure exactly what he spent on it but it was under $100. As of writing this review this model sells for around $70, and it is worth every cent of that.

My Experience with the George Foreman GRP99 Next Generation Grill

I absolutely loved my previous George Foreman grill but it had a few shortcomings. The GRP99 Next Generation model served to be the perfect replacement for our family of four, and here is why.

First of all, the biggest reason to purchase this grill which is the removable plates. I loved cooking with my former Foreman but I hated the cleanup. They provide a Nylon scraper tool to help clean up the plates but scraping isn't enough. To really get the plates clean you need to wash it and sometimes scrub with a non-abrasive sponge, soap and water. With my old model this was unwieldy because the plates were fixed and heating element could not get submerged or wet. With the GRP99, once you are done cooking and the plates are cooled down (I usually do this after our meal is done) simply remove them and then wash them in your sink. I believe that I read they are dishwasher safe but I don't recommend putting non-stick items into the dishwasher if you want to keep the non-stick surface up to par. The plates wash up rather simply though they are a bit heavy and bulky (taking up close to my entire sink). Once washed and dried they can be mounted back in place on to the grill. The top plate and bottom plate are shaped differently so you can't put them on incorrectly. The only "tricky" part is that the grills don't give an audible click to confirm that they are indeed secured in place.

Next, the size of the GRP99 grill is substantial. I can easily fit several cuts of meat - usually chicken or beef to make more than enough food for my husband and myself. It has a "floating hinge" so that you can cook thick cuts of meat and cook both sides evenly - even if the grill cannot completely close due to the thickness of the meat. It is stated that this grill has 96 inches of cooking surface, for whatever that means to you. The grill itself is about 17 inches wide by a foot or so deep and 7 inches high. Sizewise it is a biggie and takes up a considerable amount of space on my counter. So much so that it doesn't have a permanent home. I keep it tucked up and out of the way on the top of our pantry when not in use. However, because it weighs 15 pounds getting it down I usually delegate to my husband. Now that the weather is cooler and we aren't grilling outdoors this grill will see more cooking time and less storage time. If I had the space I would keep it out all of the time, but I just simply don't have it.

Lastly, using the GRP99 is easy now that George Foreman has included electronic controls on it. My old grill you literally plugged in and it cooked, and you unplugged it to turn it off. Now, this model has an on/off button, a timer, and a temperature guage. Simply plug it in, turn it on and then set your temperature. Once it reaches your desired temp it beeps and you can put your meat onto the grill and set the timer. When the time is up, it beeps again and voila... your meat is done. Because of the design of the grilling surface the fat drains off and into the plastic drip tray (2 of them are provided). The grill came with a recipe book and suggested cooking time, but I usually just wing it. Most meats cook up quickly in just a matter of minutes.

All in all, I couldn't be any more pleased with this indoor grill. I love it so much that last year when someone gave us an indoor Griddler grill from Cuisinart I didn't hesitate to re-gift the Cuisinart and stick my our George Foreman. If you are looking for an indoor grill that is a solid performer, then look no further than the GRP99 from George Foreman/Salton.