Read First Before Buy George Foreman GR0742S Griddle Cooking
I got this grill as a gift two Christmases ago. I love everything about it. I literally use this grill at least two or three times per week sometimes more.
I love making chicken, grilled cheese, sausage, even burgers on this grill. It is quick and easy to use and even easier to clean up. The removable plates are so nice and are definitely one of the best features of this grill.
The only thing that could be a setback to this grill would be if you have a lot of people to cook for. I can easily cook dinner for two or three, but more than that you would have to do more than one round of cooking. This may not be a problem though, because it grills the food so quickly!
I use mine all the time and have bought four as gifts. Everyone that sees me use mine wants one! I would absolutely recommend this product.
As usual, fast shipping from Amazon. Unit was well packaged both by Amazon and by the manufacturer. I have only used it for panini's so far, but they came out perfectly! Please note in the instructions that it mentions to NOT use a spray non stick cooking oil. I didn't heed this warning on my older George Foreman grill and, over time, the non stick surface deteriorated. Actually, it is not needed at all. The interchangeable plates is a great idea. Overall, great bang for the buck. One downside, the AC cord is very short...maybe 18". My guess is the amp draw on this unit is rather high, so you might be careful with the size of the extension cord if you have to use one. I didn't notice the AC cord getting all that warm during operation.
BalasHapusI don't have an outdoor grill, so thought I would pick up this GF grill. It's a nice small size and can be used indoors or out (with electric plug-in). The first thing I grilled was not Panini, but zucchini and eggplant. I simply cross-cut the veggie's about 1/4-inch, brushed on some olive oil and salt/pepper, heated up the grill for 8 minutes and then cooked on medium-high for about 6 minutes, turning to get cross-hatch grilling. It was so easy and yummy!
BalasHapusI also grilled a large piece of Oregon Salmon to go along with the veggies. I created a marinade and let the salmon soak it in for about 20-minutes. See my easy recipe below. I used the suggested high-heat for 9 minutes, turned half-way though to get cross-cuts. The Salmon cooked perfectly and evenly.
In addition, the clean-up was very quick and easy. Just pop-out the plastic tray that collects the juices and soapy-sponge clean the two grill plates. Read the short instructions thoroughly before starting and remember to click-in the grill plates and use the buttons to release the plates. There are useful charts included in the manual that give suggested temperature and time settings for various dishes: Sandwiches, Meats, Poultry, Fish, Fruits, and Vegetables. (You can cook so much more than just panini's on this kitchen appliance.)
There are only 6 recipes included in the manual and you can also get more recipes on georgeforemancooking dot com's web site and also check the food network for lots of other grilling ideas.
At 80 dollars for the grilling unit it's well priced, easy to use for all your grilling needs. Added bonus, it includes a 3-year warranty. Use your creativity to create some wonderful foods!
Here's my favorite grilled Salmon on the George Foreman Grill:
2 Tablespoons EVOO
2 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 Shallot, grated
1 Clove Garlic, grated
1 Small Piece Ginger, grated
Juice of 1 Lime
Lots of Black Pepper and Paprika
Mix marinade and let Salmon soak for 15 min or up to 2 hours. Place Salmon on hot grill, close top and grill for 4 minutes. Open grill top and spoon on more marinade, close top and grill from additional 4-5 minutes to your liking.
This is a wonderful grill. It can be used to make Paninis (AKA grilled chesse sandwiches in my house). The grill surfaces can be swapped out for alternatives when using it to grill hamburgers, etc. It can also be opened up to make pancakes, etc, since both sides have heating elements.
BalasHapusThe grill does take up a fair amount of counter space, or a lot of room in a cupboard, so bear that it mind if you are debating buying another kitchen gadget.
If, however, you want a portable, versatile cooker, this is a good one to look at. I used it out on our deck to grill chicken, and it did a super job!
That can appropriately express how pleased I am with this purchase. Not only does it have more grilling space than my last model, it also has two sets of grilling plates.
BalasHapusI am very happy.
I have wanted to get a panini machine for some time now and when I saw this one, and all the extra features it had, I just had to purchase it. I can even get rid of three old kitchen appliances that have been taking up a lot of cabinet space because of the features this machine has.
BalasHapusEverything in our kitchen is stainless steel so I like the look. I would have not left earlier Foreman Grills out. But this one has a dedicated spot in our kitchen, and reminds us to upgrade our turkey and cheese sandwhiches to grilled hot lunches. I love Panini and this unit makes it easy. It also opens up to a to side by side griddle, and so it will be accompanying us on camping trips as our kitchen. Easy to clean. Quick to heat up. Easy to use. And this 3 in one, is more affordable then just a basic panini grill.
BalasHapusThe George Foreman 3 in 1 Panini Press, Grill and open Grill with Double Cooking Surfaceis the second grill we've had that has the grill/panini plates/and open grill. The first one was a Cuisinart which was quite a bit heavier - I'm not really sure why. The only other difference was that the plates were heavier, and the grease collection was a bit more cumbersome, making cleaning more difficult. It also had 3 heat controls, as opposed to the one control on The George Foreman 3 in 1 Panini Press, Grill and open Grill with Double Cooking Surface. The first one had a bit larger grilling surface, and was a bit more solid, but this is neither good nor bad - it just is what it is. We've been able to use this grill to make hamburgers, panini's, and pancakes. I'm sure many more things can be made on this, these are just the things we've made so far.
BalasHapusThe features I like about this grill are a single grease collection area - whereas other grills sometimes drain grease from the outer corners of the grill, this one drains grease from the inside center of the grill into a drain plate underneath the grill. Having a central draining area makes the grill easier to clean. The plate underneath is made of plastic, and cleans up easily. Another feature I like, but my husband isn't sure about is that this grill has only one heat control. I like having 1 control - I know if the grill is on, and what it's set on. The other grill had 3 controls - 1 for temperature (200-425 degrees)- which was called the "griddle", the central control called "selector" which chooses between the griddle, or grill/panini, and then the control on the right hand side called "Grill/Panini" and the controls are warm, low, med, high, and sear. I never knew if the grill was on until it got hot. There was no indicator light or anything else to indicate the grill was on and heating. My husband preferred the grill with 3 controls because he felt it gave him more control over the heat. I don't agree. Even though there were 3 controls, the only one that really mattered was the Griddle control - which actually set the temperature of the grill/griddle.
Both the Cuisinart grill and the George Foreman grill have heating elements on both sides - the top and the bottom, which is necessary for open grill or griddling. Both grills plates attach the same way - there are clips on the inside, middle of the griddle, and is released by means of two buttons that can be pushed to release the plates. Inserting the plates, as well as releasing them is easy, and there are no problems. Releasing and cleaning the plates is easy as can be. On both grills there's a place to wind and store the cord.
The George Foreman 3 in 1 Panini Press, Grill and open Grill with Double Cooking Surface is a great choice in a moderately priced grill.
BalasHapusI got this grill as a gift two Christmases ago. I love everything about it. I literally use this grill at least two or three times per week sometimes more.
BalasHapusI love making chicken, grilled cheese, sausage, even burgers on this grill. It is quick and easy to use and even easier to clean up. The removable plates are so nice and are definitely one of the best features of this grill.
The only thing that could be a setback to this grill would be if you have a lot of people to cook for. I can easily cook dinner for two or three, but more than that you would have to do more than one round of cooking. This may not be a problem though, because it grills the food so quickly!
I use mine all the time and have bought four as gifts. Everyone that sees me use mine wants one! I would absolutely recommend this product.