Read First Before Buy Sanyo HPS SG2 Barbeque 120 Square Inch Nonstick
I bought this grill after reading the reviews and have now had it about 1 1/2 months and I absolutely love it-It's a perfect size for 2 people. I have used it about 8 times so far, and I spray the removable grill rack with no stick spray,set the dial for about 300 degrees and it only takes about 10 minutes to heat up (the dial indicator light will go off)and the grilling times are comparable with my outside grill.
I think the key whether grilling outside, or inside with this grill is the seasonings and after researching the reviews I bought some Mccormick Montreal Steak Seasoning on Amazon (it's also available in most grocery stores)-but you mix 1/4 cup of olive oil, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, and 2 teaspoons of the McCormick seasoning and brush this mixture on steaks or other meats about 10 minutes before grilling or while grill is heating, and it is GREAT !! I am not exaggerating, the taste is as good as my outside grill. (I will not use the outside grill again unless grilling for more than 2). TIP--you can get a aluminum baking tray for about a buck in a dollar or grocery store to fit over the top of grill for those recipes that call for closing the lid while cooking, but for steaks, chicken breast etc, you don't need it.
I cook on top of my stove that has a vent above it and rarely have to turn on the vent so smoking is not a problem--the removable grill and water pan are about as easy to clean as a dinner plate (only use a warm dish rag with no scrubbing, but I use cooking spray. I don't have a lot of cabinet space, so I just store it in my oven when not in use.
You can't go wrong with this grill--you will love it.
BalasHapusHave used and enjoyed this product.My wife is very pleased with it and uses it on top of the stove under the hood/vent and have no problem with smoke or oder in the home. May have to order another one or two for friends in the very near future. Also thanks for the very excellent service..
BalasHapusYears ago when I was a struggling actor I had a small unit which had a small grill and an electric Burner. I would make a small pot of rice on one side and grill meat on the other. It only fit 2 pieces of chicken but it was delicious when marinated or with brushed on BBQ sauce.
BalasHapusIts been twenty years and finding this great grill brings back the memories and grilled flavor I've missed. I live in a large city so BBQ is usually takeout or expensive restaurant fare. With this Sanyo Grill you not only get the dependable Brand name of Sanyo, but grilling shishkebab, steaks, ribs, vegetables and more, a healthy and easy project. I put a large roasting pan or aluminum foil over food for a smoky taste.
As another review suggested, after grilling I lay a wet paper towel over the grill. When it cools the grill wipes clean. As for the back I use a regular pot and pan pad making sure not to touch the top grill part. Keep the plug in part out of the water.
Enjoy.
Update:
Well here it is, July 2011. Summer in the City. While other city dwellers are lugging 20 lb. bags of charcoal and BBQ equipment to BBQ park areas, I am still enjoying this Sanyo grill at home. My Barbecue Chicken, ribs and Tofu was a hit at our neighborhood block party. No one believed I made this at home in a Studio Apartment.
August 2012: Grill is still working well.
My husband ordered me this grill for Christmas after I saw it on America's Test Kitchen. For $40 I didn't expect alot. It is easy to assemble and disassemble for cleaning, heats up quickly and has minimal smoke. I put the drip pan in the dishwasher and spray the cook top off in the sink and use a little scrub brush. I can get it clean in a couple of minutes, but I will try the paper towel trick. I keep mine next to the stove so I can turn the exhaust fan on when I cook. So far, I have grilled chicken, shrimp and pork chops. Another review was correct in that it isn't exactly a true grilled flavor, but still does a good job especially on the shrimp. My goal it to lose a little weight and thought an indoor grill would help me cut down on oil and keep my husband from complaining about "bland food". I do wish it had a lid, but will try using those disposable aluminum pans. Overall, it was better than I expected.
BalasHapusTHIS IS AN EXCELLENT GRILL, VERY PRACTICAL FOR INDOOR AND OUTDOOR USE. LIGHT WEIGHT, EASY TO CLEAN AND TEMPERATURE CONTROL REALLY NICE. ONE OF THE BEST THAT I HAVE USED.
BalasHapusI've used this twice and it seems to work as advertised. If you cook at a fairly high tempature,it will leave nice grill marks. Heats and cleans up fairly well-
BalasHapusAt 120 square inches, we wondered if the larger, 200 inch model might make more sense. But we're two people and rarely serve guests; so, the size and energy savings are perfect. We loved the grill we wore out before we ordered this, but this has a lighter weight cook surface, which makes for faster heating (more energy savings! :-)) and easier handling for cleaning. The non-stick surface is gr8 - washes up easily; whereas, we used our pressure washer on our last grill. We like the removable drip pan, which is easy to wrap in foil to avoid that nasty cleaning job. We did not believe that we could possibly like anything as well as our previous unit, but we like this grill sooooo much better that we don't even remember who manufactured the last one. We hope this lasts as long!
BalasHapusI have the larger Sanyo electric grill and it is great, just a little too big for my kitchen counter. (it is out in my RV, working great) But this baby is just right for my kitchen.
BalasHapusIt has a little less wattage than the bigger model but actually seems to heat up a little faster. I like the design of the grilling surface better than the design of the bigger unit (deeper grooves, and a good lip around the edge). I like the water tray that is black instead of aluminum in color, and it is easier to remove and pour the little amount of water out (1/2 cup of water is used to keep the smoke down).
My cooking routine is to set it up, pour a 1/2 cup water into the tray, spray a little canola oil on the grill, turn the control up to high to pre-heat for about 3 minutes, then slap the seasoned steak, burger, chicken, ribs, etc. on the grill. I sear in some good grill marks on each side, then turn the heat down to medium and finish cooking at a slower pace, depending upon thickness of the piece being cooked. My first try was a T-Bone steak, and it was great!
After the food is done, I turn the heat control off. For cleanup, I place a couple of dripping wet paper towels on the grill surface, turn the heat control back to high for a minute or so. When the steam starts rising of the wet towels, I shut of the power, and just wipe down the grill with those same paper towels, then dry, it cleans very easily.
Nothing is quite like the burning and flames of a good charcole fire, but indoors or out, this cooks very, very well, with bare minumum of effort.
I do recommend aluminum foil to cover the grill and the food to speed pre-heating and to keep splatters down. I think I may get some disposable shallow metal foil trays that match the grill size, to use as lids, they look like they should work well.
On the day we received the grill the actual outdoor temp. was minus 25 degrees.(yes-below zero!) Used it to grill chicken breasts that turned out exactly as they would have on an outdoor grill without the need to be outside. There was very minimal smoke-(no more than from a frying pan on the stove)-and no splattering. The size is just right for 2-3 people and clean up was a breeze. We are very happy with this product and will now be retiring the hassle of cleaning the George Foreman forever!:)
BalasHapusI bought this grill and it arrived last week; I have made grilled chicken several times since, and I LOVE this grill. It makes it so easy to get healthy, great-tasting chicken.
BalasHapusThe grill surface is small enough to fit well on my counter, but big enough to handle three large chicken breasts cut up in pieces. (I have marinaded chicken after cutting it up in pieces because I like to serve it that way with veggies or over salad. I know it can handle them not cut-up, but I love how quickly the pieces cook on the grill.) The grill gives the meet deep grill marks which is cool, and though of course it's not the same as an outdoor grill, it still tastes way better than just baking. Oh, and even though I forgot to pour in the half-cup of water in the bottom (which helps even cooking) until half-way through the first two times, it still turned out great. I always cover the whole thing with a sheet of aluminum foil (some people have recommended those disposable roasting pans, but this is cheap and I don't have to store it) and that seems to keep any smoke in, no splatters, and helps it to cook.
Clean up is easy. One reviewer recommended that you turn it off and throw two drenched paper towels on there. I do that, and then everything wipes right off. The three pieces come apart easily, and I know you can throw it in in the dishwasher but hand-washing it only takes a second. I spray Pam for Grilling on there, so maybe that helps.
I hoped that this grill would live up to all of the positive reviews, and for me it really has gone beyond what I expected.