George Foremans

Bob Z

does anyone here use a george foreman? i was thinking of getting one but we had one a long time ago and if i remeember the food wasnt that nice. are they all the same or is there good alternatives?

The Sweeper

It's just an electric double-sided griddle pan, so if the food isn't nice it could be more to do with what you're cooking.

Saying that though, there are some things that in my opnion work better on a grill. An elemental heat source does a better job of anything with a line of fat on it - a rasher, a lamb chop, a steak - because it melts most of the fat away and what little remains turns into a crisp edge. On the George Foreman, I found that the fatty edge remained, crisped up a little but didn't render and melt off the way it would on a grill.

However I think they're good for lean meats or mincemeat recipes - a skinless chicken breast, for instance, or a piece of fish, or best of all, burgers. They're definitely the business for home-made burgers, cooking them quickly and evenly while at the same time allowing much of the fat to run off. I'd prefer if it got a little hotter and cooked the burger more quickly though - because you also lose a lot of meat juice.

The alternatives would be use your grill more, or buy a cast iron griddle pan (or a non-stick, but the cast ones get hotter). The advantage of a pan is that you can deglaze with wine or stock or whatever takes your fancy after cooking, and create a pour-over sauce for whatever you've cooked - which you can't do with an electric griddle.

corblimey

I use my George for exactly 2 things these days, toasties and burgers. The burgers are easy in that you can just slap them on, go do something else for 10mins and come back. Add the buns, onions, cheese, etc for a minute or so and it's all done. Simple.

I find everything else taste better fried, baked, grilled as normal.

olaola

My parents had a George Foreman - I used it once when cooking a load of steaks, thought I do a few on this to get them all done at the same time. It ruined them completely. It didn't get hot enough, so it just kind of 'steamed' the steaks and they came out tasteless (in oppsoition to the steaks that were done on the griddle and were yummy, same batch).

I'd say limited use. Better off getting a griddle, smaller and easier to find a spot in the press for.

all_smilz

they ROCK for sausages too and turkey burgers...... nyom

DenMan

George is great for doing burgers alright. However don't put steaks down on him. George has a tendancy to strip away all life from it. When we did them they turned out grey and lifeless. The zombie equilvalent of steaks. They haven't been put on the George since.

arse..biscuits

I cook eggs on mine, perfect everytime.

superhooper

DenMan wrote: »

When we did them they turned out grey and lifeless. The zombie equilvalent of steaks. They haven't been put on the George since.

Grey and lifeless food. That just sums up George perfectly. Stay away from them.

rubadub

I don't like the GFs, the ridges are far too deep on the one I have, and it cannot press down on thin things.

I have a brilliant one in work though, the elements are "sprung", so the plates actually squish together so there is FAR better heat transfer, think of frying a burger and using a spatula to forcefully press it onto the pan. It also has removable plates for easy cleaning (I know some GFs do too). It has plates that are like regular toasted sandwich plates, but I much prefer toasted sandwiches done on regular plates so the edges are not rock hard.

Dunno the brand of the one in work though.

neuro-praxis

arse..biscuits wrote: »

I cook eggs on mine, perfect everytime.

How do you do this? I am intrigued.

I use mine, as said above, only for toasties and burgers. And you have to watch the burgers, that they don't become too dry.

The odd time I'll char some peppers on it.

Seaneh

I think he had one of the ones with two parts on it, like a flat part and the duoble sided grill, we have one in my mums house and i use it to make fried egg sambos with all the time,

rubadub

I used to do eggs in sandwich makers, the ones that squash the bread putting a diagonal line down the middle. I just crack them into the little dish shape.

Those GF grills tend to be tilted so it would run off, I put mine up on a bread board to keep it level sometimes, since often I do not want the fat running off.

arse..biscuits

neuro-praxis wrote: »

How do you do this? I am intrigued.

I use mine, as said above, only for toasties and burgers. And you have to watch the burgers, that they don't become too dry.

The odd time I'll char some peppers on it.

It a regular george with groves top and bottom.
Prop the front of the George up so its horizontal or the egg would just pour off before it sets. Wait till its hot. Crack the egg on near the back, close the top of the george down, this will cook it from the top so no need to flip the egg. I lke runny eggs so it doesnt take long, lift it off with the plastic thing you get for cleaning as it fits nicely between the groves.

Think I'll go have one now

Bob Z

[quote=rubadub;61318468I have a brilliant one in work though, the elements are "sprung", so the plates actually squish together so there is FAR better heat transfer, think of frying a burger and using a spatula to forcefully press it onto the pan. It also has removable plates for easy cleaning (I know some GFs do too). It has plates that are like regular toasted sandwich plates, but I much prefer toasted sandwiches done on regular plates so the edges are not rock hard.

Dunno the brand of the one in work though.[/quote]


Could you find out?

rubadub

Bob Z wrote: »

Could you find out?

Morphy Richards, it is model 44710.

It is higher power than my GF at home too

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Morphy-Richards-slimming-family-health/dp/B0000C6XOF

gets mixed reviews and says it is discontinued.

I bought this as it was on sale - big mistake. The grill has hardly any slope so water drains out easily enough but fat just burns and congeals on the hot plate, forming a barrier which prevents further fat and water draining away so the food invariably cooks in its own fat and water, leaving a soggy, unhealthy mess. Unlike the George Foreman grills, the grooves are far too shallow and this in turn contributes to the fat burning and congealing on the hot plates. I know this model has been discontinued but even if someone offers you it for free, my advice is to leave it well alone, it is a dreadful product.

All his minus points are why I like it! the GF drains far too much for my liking and dries out food since it takes so much longer to cook too. Fat is excellent for heat transfer.

This grill can get a bit messy though, the fat can go over the sides a little and not all down and out where it should.

NewFrockTuesday

I had a GF and it was the coarting coming off the griddle bit that I found a bit disturbing. I also found it not to be hot enough to seal any food properly. As has been mentioned, chix breast, burgers and toastde sarnies are the 3 things I ended up using it for - till I chuck it.

Normal grill and pans get my vote. Although could see its uses in say a bedsit or small dwelling for older folk who havent got the sleigh of hand anymore.

LimeFruitGum

I had one in the last house I lived in, but found it a bit fiddly with the oil drip catcher - it was always getting misplaced around the place.
I didn't find any big difference in terms of taste, so I didn't bother with it much.

brick tamland

Mines currently residing at the back of a kitchen press. Food wasnt as nice, it was taking taking up too much room and it was a bastard to clean ( although i believe you can get ones with removable plates now ). I use the normal grill and pan now. The only thing i miss it for are for the above mentioned burgers and Toasties.

Eviledna

I gotta say...I love my George. I have the one with the flat griddle beside the grill, it's huge, but I use the griddle more than anything to cook stuff you'd cook on a pan, but evenly and without/with little oil.

The grill itself is great for burgers, especially homemade turkey/tuna burgers, and fishcakes. Anything you'd have to flip on a pan cooks great without breaking up!

Jaysus, you'd swear I'm selling the damn things!

Bob Z

Eviledna wrote: »

I gotta say...I love my George. I have the one with the flat griddle beside the grill, it's huge, but I use the griddle more than anything to cook stuff you'd cook on a pan, but evenly and without/with little oil.

The grill itself is great for burgers, especially homemade turkey/tuna burgers, and fishcakes. Anything you'd have to flip on a pan cooks great without breaking up!

Jaysus, you'd swear I'm selling the damn things!

This one?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/George-Foreman-11761-Grill-Griddle/dp/B0002Q9J36

Eviledna

That's my baby! Infinitely more useful than the standard george. I have mine 5 years and still going strong!

valarie001

use my gf every day you just have to watch that the food dosnt overcook then its horrible

superficies

Funnily enough I use mine all the time too, although I wouldn't dream of putting something delicate like steaks of beef/tuna/venison etc in it. I use it for skewers all the time--esp. if you want to make something healthy like turkey and to flavour it with a very small amount of something unhealthy (like chorizo)...the skewers on the GF are the thing then. The fat goes and the flavour stays esp. from sausage to turkey

Also use it for paninis, burgers, chicken breasts (esp. for salads) and vegetables (esp. aubergine) although all of those things could also be done on a griddle. GF is best if you're watching weight and eat a fair bit of white meat, which cooks quite well on it. Red meat you're generally better off with a good, non stick, heavy bottomed pan.