Electric Grills

Archived Q&A and reviews ▼

Archived Q&A and Reviews

Questions

Do I need a panini maker?

Sept 2009

Looking for an recommendation for a panini maker as there are so many brands out there. Are they as useful as some claim and good for many things besides sandwiches, or is it just another potential dustcollector? Foodie who loves crispy foods

No :)

I have had several over the years because I, too, love crispy food. But after an initial burst of sandwich making the panini maker ended up gathering dust. And because the surface gathers grease (duh) and can be really tricky to thoroughly clean I was even less inclined to use it over time.

Better: make your sandwich, butter the bread on the outside, toast it in a frypan on medium heat, flip and press with a panini press -- like this: http://www.chefcentral.com/-P9767C693.aspx?utm_source=froogle -- or even the back of a small frypan if you're in a pinch.

Quicker, cheaper and just as delicious. anon

You can make good, crusty paninis in a waffle iron if you already have that. Makes a fun ''waffle'' pattern on the paninis too! panini lover

I just use my waffle maker.

I, too, love paninis! I gave some thought to buying a panini maker, but then thought about trying to make them in my George Foreman grill. It works perfectly. I think that panini makers might have a heavier lid, so I push down hard on the G.F. lid to smash the sandwich a bit, but it really does work well! I'm glad to have avoided buying yet another unitasker.

In Grilled Meat and Gooey Sandwich Heaven

I think a George Foreman grill is much more versatile. You can make sandwiches in them as well as grill meat, chicken and fish. We use our George Foreman grill all the time. It is also great for teens and tweens to use to cook real food when they are home alone without using the stove. I suppose you could google recipes for both the George Foreman grill and the panini maker and see which recipes you would be more likely to make. -- cooking mom

Where to get Foreman grill repaired

July 2004

I've had a George Foreman grill for about a year. It suddenly stopped working in the middle of cooking dinner one day. Has anyone had one fixed? Who did you deal with? Thanks! Rebecca

I'm a big fan of Appliance Sales and Service Company, 840 Folsom Street in San Francisco. Phone #s are (415) 362-7195 and (800) 424-6783

George Foreman Grill - useful for making dinner?

June 2002

I'm curious about this product and wondering if it will make it any easier to get dinner on the table. I'd appreciate hearing from anyone who has one and likes or doesn't like it. Thanks. Nancy

I LOVE my GF grill! However, I wish I bought a smaller size (I have the largest) since it would be easier to take in and out of the cabinet and clean after use. I would probably use it every day if it were smaller. I have made fish, vegetables, steak and hamburgers. All perfect and easy. Unless you have lots of counter space to store it, I would buy the medium or small size. Nicole

My roomate has a George Foreman Grill, and it is very easy to use and clean. We've used it to make large dinners for get togethers, but it is also really good for whipping up a quick dinner. It doesn't take very long to preheat, and the food that I've had cooked much quicker than the oven but wasn't dried out. I was skeptical at first, but it really is good for a quick chicken dinner or other quickies. anon.

I have one and LOVE it. I didn't believe my mother-in-law when she first told me that the delicious chicken she'd brought over for us just about everyday when I was on maternity leave was placed FROZEN SOLID on the grill until I tried it. It mostly works for meat, but I also make grilled cheese sandwiches. We clean ours by just wiping it down and soaping it every so often. It's a hassle to soap it down everytime you use it. Christina

We've had one for over a year and love it!! It truly does take a lot less time and all the grease drips away so it is a healthier solution than pan frying. You can get burgers, garden burgers, pork chops or steaks done in less than 15 minutes. I recommend the largest version for a family any larger than 4 people. The design is nice and it isn't too difficult to clean up. If you scrape it with the scrapers that come with it, when it is still warm the rest of the clean up is easier. Good luck! Janeen

My parents gave us one of these for Christmas, and I thought it was the dumbest thing I had ever seen. THEN, one day, several months later, we tried it out. It's great! You really can cook meat in just a few minutes, and make grilled cheese sandwhiches in one minute flat. There is nothing to clean up, either. We cook in it a lot, and it does make dinner time a lot faster and easier. Worth the money, for sure! Happy Cooker

I bought the Hamilton Beach indoor grill (similar to the George Foreman but a rectangular shape that I like better) after using it at my mother's house. We LOVE the grill and use it at least 2x per week esp. for fish - salmon, whole trout with the head on that my girls love - and chicken breasts. It has enhanced our dinner routine dramatically. I bought ours through WalMart online. Laura

I always thought this product looked silly. My inlaws got one as a gift, and I thought it was silly that they used it. Then we got it as a white elephant gift, and I have to admit I really like it. It's not as tasty as barbecuing, but it beats using the broiler because it cooks quickly and it cooks things on both sides. I've done turkey burgers, turkey dogs, steaks, grilled cheese sandwiches, melted cheese and salami sandwiches and boneless chicken breasts on it. (We just had brunch over at my inlaws' house, and they cooked sausages for 20 on it.) My only complaint is that the grilling surface is kind of small, so I would go for the new larger size grill. I'm sure you can live without this product, but it's been handy to have around. You do need to allocate some counter space to it, but it's light enough to put it away in between uses. And it's fairly easy to clean. Gwynne