RANT George Forman grills are just rubbish

whitegoods_engineer

We used to have a GF grill, a family sized one and gave up on it as it simply cooked too hot, the thermostatic control being pretty much non-existent (and I know what I'm talking about).

Well we persevered with the thing but eventually packed it away never to be seen again... Or so I thought.

Well at Xmas, Stepson and G/f bought us a small 'George Formby' and we decided to do a few chicken breasts just now.

Needless to say, the thermostat is just as useless, cooking far too hot, and we are left with chicken breasts dry and hard on the outside.

Why don't they put a variable thermostat on these useless things and then maybe, they might just do the job!

seafarers_wife

ive never had a problem with mine cooking food. yes it does cook food very quickly but after about 7 mins chicken breasts are fully cooked and remain moist. the only time food it dry and burnt is when i leave things in a bit longer thinking it needs it, but i learn and next time reduce the cooking time slightly.

loislane999

I have a cheapo supermarket onw - I love it. I dont eat meat (so chicken not a problem) but I cook loads of vegetables on it (aubergines,sweet potato, mushrooms, squash....) i just make sure that everything is sliced to the same width. I also do my frozen veggie burgers in there - does them off to a T and no faffing around with pans or ovens.
DS also uses it to make toasties. It's used pretty much every day. Perhaps you should look past the chicken breasts and cook griddled veggies to to in risotto or curry or pasts or side dish....
Long live the griddle pan.

Lip_Stick

Had one of these and I agree it cooks the outside way too fast so is either burnt or dry and hard. I'd rather cook on a griddle so I can adjust the heat. Chicken breasts are cooked on the inside, and moist but the outside is like eating leather.

paddyrg

It may better suit escaloped breasts - halve them along the thin axis, or hammer them flatter before cooking for a shorter period?

I have to say the current infomercial favourite halogen fan ovens in a glass bowl are great for meat, and assuming you're not daft enough to order from jml etc by phone, but look at cheapo electrical shops, £29 can get you excellently cooked chicken breasts plus pizza and veggies too!

Swan_2

I love my GF

as the others have mentioned, grilled veg & toasties are excellent & 'butterflying' chicken works really well, cooked through but still moist & tender, only takes 2-3 minutes, lovely

it also makes wonderful bruscetta, complete with those lovely griddled lines, paninis, toasted wraps ...


just don't get one with removeable plates, they never get properly hot

oh & steaks too :drool:


Edit ... mine has variable heat, but I only ever use it on full power unless I'm keeping something bready warm on it when it's open

hoyles10

Never had a problem with our GF grill. We just keep an eye on the food to make sure it doesn't burn like we do with the oven, pans or toaster.

Sharon87

I've got one with removable plates, heats well enough. It's much better too cause you can soak it afterwards so you don't rub off the not stick but when cleaning.

I do cook nice chicken in it, but cut up chicken for salads. It cooks them in a few minutes and the outside doesn't get too dry. My GF cook more from the top than the bottom, so sometimes I rotate them!

GF are brilliant for bacon, terrible for sausages, great for toasties and paninis.

*max*

I used to have one, never again. What a lot of faff to clean it! If I didn't wipe it soon enough, the fat/juice from the meats would dry on it and end up lodged everywhere, near impossible to remove without making a big mess. As I couldn't clean it in the sink because it's an electrical item, I never felt I could clean it properly. How do people do it??
I use a griddle pan now, much better!

notsorichandnotsofamous

I got a GF grill last week for the first time and am really impressed with it.
I butterfly my chicken breasts and it cooks them quickly and perfectly.

A_Name

*max* wrote: »

I used to have one, never again. What a lot of faff to clean it! If I didn't wipe it soon enough, the fat/juice from the meats would dry on it and end up lodged everywhere, near impossible to remove without making a big mess. As I couldn't clean it in the sink because it's an electrical item, I never felt I could clean it properly. How do people do it??

I wrap whatever i'm cooking in baking parchment. It means for the majority of things, no cleaning is required at all!