Yes. The George Foreman G5 is Worth Every Cent.

The George Foreman G5 is definitely a step up from the old George Foreman grills. Though I really like my small Foreman with a bun warmer, the new George Foreman with lift out grill plates is a huge step up.

When I got my mini George Foreman grill, I’d heard that it was super easy to clean if you cleaned it right after cooking. That was not really true. I had to wait a little bit for it to cool, so I didn’t burn my hands. With the groves, the attached grill plates were seriously not all that easy to clean. I ended up keeping a toothbrush in the kitchen to clean the Foreman. It was a dedicated toothbrush, and it stayed pretty yucky. That was my main issue with the lean, mean grilling machine.

With the G5 by George Foreman, clean up is, indeed, easy. The grill plates come off. They can be hand washed or put in the dishwasher. This is a huge step forward. It just stands to reason that anything that is going to be greasy needs a pretty good scrubbing. That’s not possible with an electric appliance that can not be taken apart.

Having multiple grill plates also means more versatility with the George Foreman grill machine. The original GF had grooved grill plates top and bottom. That was fine for many foods. The G5 by Foreman has the grooved plates plus two waffle plates and a pan type plate. It’s pretty obvious how the grooved plates go together and the waffle plates. The deeper plate is topped by one of the grooved plates to make five plates total with this set.

Since this low fat cooking system has more options for cooking foods, it can be set flat or tilted. The tilt is for cooking as on the original Foreman. The fat rolls off into the fat catchers provided. If you’re cooking waffles, though, the cooker will sit flat. No one wants waffles with the batter all thick on one side and thin on the other. Same with the deeper pan. If you make cookies (recipe in the included booklet), you don’t want a tilt and the cookies sliding to the front of the grill.

Another new feature is the heat adjustment. On the basic George Foreman grills, it’s all or nothing. Hot or off. The G5 has low, medium and high. It also turns off without pulling the plug out of the socket. That was a nice upgrade and also means more versatility.

I’ve heard that GF had a model that had a timer and shut off. I’ve never seen that one. My small model and this G5 do not. It would be nice to be able to set times, but the George Foreman cooks so fast that I’m not sure I’d want to start doing something else during the cooking time. I do use a kitchen timer, since I can lose track of time. That works out fine. I set the time and clean up as the food is cooking.

This really isn’t a huge grill. While my small model would cook 2 hamburgers (if they weren’t too big), this one will do four at a time comfortably. With waffles, it will do basically enough for two people to eat at one cooking. That works for a lot of families (including mine mostly), but George Foreman cooking can end up being in shifts.

Most foods cook really well.

We especially like the grilled chicken breasts. Unless they are left on too long, they come out really flavorful and tender. We sprinkle the chicken breasts or strips with various herbs and use Zesty Italian dressing the last minute or two of cooking time. The dressing is a little messier, but it does add a lot of flavor. We also like chicken strips sprinkled with taco seasoning and served wrapped in soft taco shells. Instant fajitas.

As far as grilled sandwiches, the George Foreman tends to smash the sandwiches. Some people like that. I do not. Basic white bread mashes. Thicker breads do better. These are more like Panini sandwiches which are hot right now. Go with French bread sliced by hand or by the loaf for better results.

Another tip I’d give is that it’s a good idea to spray the plate with Pam. With some foods this is pretty essential. The chicken with Italian dressing definitely calls for some extra stick proofing. Other foods like hamburgers are OK, but the Pam does make it easier to clean up the grill plates. Even though they lift off and can go in the dish washer, it’s a good idea to spray them and wipe them with a paper towel rather than sticking them in the sink or the dishwasher covered with grease. That’s just not good for the pipes.

I turned my nose up at the George Foreman grills for a long time. I tend to be early on with new products. But, I didn’t get a small Foreman until my doctor said I needed to cut back on fat. I wasn’t thrilled that the mini Foreman was a bear to clean, but it was easy to use and convenient. My boys even cooked their own food on the Foreman. Had to love that. With the G5, the few issues (mostly cleaning) with the older Foreman grills were eliminated. While I wouldn’t call the George Foreman G5 perfect, it’s pretty darn close.