Help, please re: George Foreman grill

[foodfiend]

My brother just gave me his George Foreman grill. Unfortunately he can't find the instruction manual. It seems straightforward to use, but are there any tricks/traps I should know about? Thanks.

[beckms]

Basically, just put the grease catcher in front of the grill, and then it's just a matter of playing around with cooking times to figure out what works and what doesn't. The GF is great for fatty meats, like burgers, ground lamb/pork, sausage, hot dogs, etc. But be careful about drying out cuts of meat, especially chicken.

Also, don't submerge it in water. Clean it with a warm damp cloth. It can be kind of a pain to clean.

[AndreaU]

I got my George last year and use it mostly for fish and veggies. I came across this resource from Better Homes & Gardens about grilling times: http://ww4.bhg.com/bhg/story.jhtml?storyid=/templatedata/bhg/story/data/16273.xml&catref=S3

As for the cleaning, I've never really had too much trouble. After it cools, I wipe off what I can with a damp paper towel and whatever is stuck on comes off with a scrubber (not a metal/steel wool one, though).

Happy grilling!

[DmOrtega]

Has anyone used the grill for sandwiches? I really love grilled sandwiches and would like to know if it would be worth my time to invest in a grill for this purpose. TIA.

[Chefzhat]

DM Ortega - I've done grilled cheese and grilled ham and cheese. I imagine any sandwich would work well. Use sturdy bread.

Once you buy one for the grilled sandwiches, you'll use it for almost everything else. I like it because you don't have to thaw anything, just toss it on the grill and set the timer and the chicken, burger, or fish comes out yummy. Very convenient during soccer season!

Don't, and I mean, don't forget the drip tray!!!!!

Debie

[finelauren]

We use our George Foreman grill all the time for veggies, hamburgers, fish, chicken etc. Alot of times we put a little bit of cooking spray on it and do not forget to put the grease catcher under it.

It is easy to clean... after it cools just wipe it down with a damp cloth.

You will love it :) :D

Lauren

[KristinK]

Another thing - be careful not to scratch the surface with forks or anything. Use the plastic spatula that comes with it.

Originally posted by beckms
It can be kind of a pain to clean.
I don't use it often for that reason - the time you save cooking, you end up spending cleaning it :rolleyes: For grilled sandwiches, there's not much clean-up, but watch out for leftover marinade from chicken or meat! Oh and you don't need cooking spray - I think that would only leave unnecessary sticky residue.

Originally posted by finelauren
It is easy to clean...
Am I missing something???

[Chefzhat]

I don't find mine to be hard to clean - just wipe down right away. JMHO.

[beckms]

The reason I said it's a pain to clean is because no matter how careful I am when wiping it dowm with a damp cloth, there's always grease residue left on it. I know this because the next time I use it, I can smell the grease cooking while the grill is preheating. IMO, you just can't clean grease effectively without soap, because of the chemistry involved. LAtely I've been cheating and scrubbing it very carefully with a soapy towel and then wiping it thoroughly.

Hasn't stopped me from using it, though! :)

[tripletone@hotm]

I have had mine for years now and simply love the convenience of it, we used it just last night. The big hint here is definately don't forget the grease catcher.

[AmyO26]

Everyone else already provided good tips...the only other thing I do is let it "preheat" for about 5 minutes before cooking the food. DH and I love the grill. In fact we're using it tonight to cook our New Year's Eve steaks!

[BeachBum]

I just wanted to say that I use mine A LOT for grilled sandwiches and quesadillas. I think it works great!

[JenniferDV]

Here's a tip that I think came from this board for cleaning...

After you're done cooking, before you sit down to eat, take a few paper towels, wet them, put them in the grill and close the lid. MAKE SURE IT'S UNPLUGGED!!! This will steam away any stuck on gunk. Then when you're ready to clean up, just use the paper towels to wipe things out. You might need another few dry ones to finish up. But I find this is the least mess producing way to clean the grill. You can just throw out the paper towels, instead of dirtying up another dish cloth.

Usually I don't clean with paper towels (save a tree!) but I think this is the best way to go with the George!!

Happy grilling!

PS--grilled veggies are really good.... with a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar... peppers, onions mmmm

[rachel b]

I still have the instruction booklet that my grill came with and there is a suggested cooking chart. Basically the recommendation is to sent the temperature to MIN for things like fish, turkey and scallops, Medium for burgers, pork, sausage and chicken, and MAX for beef, onions and peppers. Of course, you will find what works best for you, but sometimes it helps to have the guidelines.

Also listed in the FAQ section of the manual is the question of how to remove the smell of garlic from the surface and the response is to make a paste of baking soda and water, spread it on the surface and allow it to sit for a few minutes. Then wipe away with a damp cloth.

If you find that you are really enjoying the grill and want more ideas there is a cookbook called The Indoor Grilling Cookbook published by Fog City Press. I have not tried some of the more interesting recipies but there are ones for Cheddar-Potato Cakes, Grilled Pineapple Sundaes, Crab Cakes, Southwestern Pumpkin Patties, and even a Calzone. Basically things that are a little out of the ordinary but might be fun.

[sunberst]

Originally posted by beckms
The reason I said it's a pain to clean is because no matter how careful I am when wiping it dowm with a damp cloth, there's always grease residue left on it. I know this because the next time I use it, I can smell the grease cooking while the grill is preheating. IMO, you just can't clean grease effectively without soap, because of the chemistry involved. LAtely I've been cheating and scrubbing it very carefully with a soapy towel and then wiping it thoroughly.

Hasn't stopped me from using it, though! :) okay, i admitt that i tossed out the instruction book (on accident) and so i never read up on cleaning procedures. i have the silver indoor/outdoor one (the kind of the stand, that you can remove to bring it inside).

well i always remove the whole grill unit (it is quite big & heavy on this model- holds 10 burgers) and i wash it with soap & water using a non abrasive sponge or towel. i just have to be careful to keep the plug in part out of the water. well a few times i didnt wash it right away. i had company over so i left the lid on and let it sit outside overnight & washed the next day.

i do not know if it is because i let the grease sit on there too long or what, but there is a light grease residue left on it now. it doesnt seem to want to come off with hot water & soap. it is slightly "tacky" when you touch the grill surface, more so in certain parts than others. and when i heat it up, you can smell the grease heating up on it.

what do you think i should do?

i just feel that it is so "dirty" now.

[beckms]

Sunberst, I tried the wet paper towel method mentioned above just the other day, and it seemed to work nicely. Try heating up the grill again so the grease residue gets warm and loose, and then unplug and layer some wet paper towels on it and close the lid. After a few minutes, wipe it off with dry ones.

Hope you get it clean!

[kima]

Can anyone in Canada tell me where you can buy a GF Grill or do you have to buy one from an infomercial.
They look quite fun!

[DmOrtega]

Which grill will work best for sandwiches?

[Melman]

I discovered that the smallest GF is tougher to clean than the larger ones. I have the small one and used to have a tough time cleaning it. BTW, I like that idea of putting the wet papertowels in it as soon as the food is removed...I'd been using wet papertowels and cleaning it before I even sit down to eat.

My parents have a larger sized GF. It is SO easy to clean! I think the little 'grill marks' are harder to clean in the small one...it's just so tiny. There was absolutely no problem cleaning the larger one.

[sunberst]

the small one is better for sandwiches.

the larger one is good for those apartment dwellers that cannot use a charcoal grill on their balconies or do not want to deal with a gas grill.

i like my big one. i pretty much replaces my regular grill. you can cook big thick steaks, chicken, porkchops, pizza, whatever. i love it.

and it looks pretty stylish in silver & black. :)