We bought this model after dropping and breaking our ($[...]) George Foreman "Champ" grill.
Pros:
- The removable grilling plates come off and go on easily, and cleaning them in the sink or dishwasher is a breeze. The base unit doesn't even get dirty!
- Non-stick grilling plates are sufficiently large to cook hamburgers for three or four people.
- Fat drips into the provided tray with no leaking out the back or sides.
- Floating hinges allow varying thicknesses of food to be held tight on the top and bottom.
- Total time to cook, once unit is fully heated, is faster than broiling the burgers in our electric oven and the grill uses far less power.
- Light enough to hold with one hand, for easy storing.
- Unit lacks a thermometer and temperature control, neither of which is needed for most things. Price is lower as a result.
- Easy, fast, and inexpensive method to cook many foods (chicken breasts, burgers, hot-dogs, grilled cheese sandwiches, etc.).
Cons:
- The first time we used a Grilleration to cook hamburgers, we put them on when the temperature light said the grill was hot (around the 7 minute mark), as per the instructions. Instead of grilling the burgers, it slow-cooked them. We suspected this was happening, since there was no "sizzle" sound while cooking. The worst of it was, the burgers had almost no taste, as though they had been baked. Next time, we let the grill heat up for a full 15 minutes before putting the meat on. The plates got much hotter, and, as a result, the burgers sizzled. They also tasted much better.
- Even pre-heating for 15 minutes, this model doesn't get as hot as the $[...] George Foreman Champ model. Further, the plates don't stay as hot during the cooking cycle as the cheaper unit, especially if the grilling plates are covered with food (e.g., 4 hamburgers). This is easily discernable as the "sizzle sound" dies out as the cooking progresses. There are two reasons the Champ gets hotter:
1. The Next Grilleration heating coils heat the sealed base unit, and transfers heat to the removable grilling plates, which are touching the base unit. The Champ system is more efficient, as its heating coils directly heat the non-removable plates.
2. The 760 watt Champ cooking area is 42 square inches, or 18 watts per sq. inch. The 1000 watt Next Grilleration cooking area is 72 square inches, or 14 watts per sq. inch. (That's 1000 claimed watts. According to a Kill-a-Watt meter, our Grilleration actually draws 955 watts.)
The Grilleration would need to be in the 1400 watt range to cook as hot as the Champ.
Summary:
- Foods needing high heat to grill taste better with the hotter operating Champ model.
- Champ's cooking area is 42 sq. in. versus 72 sq. in. for the Grilleration.
- The Champ is a pain to clean since you can't submerge the base unit, whereas cleaning the Grilleration plates is simple.
Recommendation:
If taste is most important, get the Champ model, or, if it's too small, buy two Champs (for less money than one Grilleration).
If ease of cleaning is most important, buy a Grilleration or other [larger] unit with removable grilling plates.
When our small original George Forman gave out I bit the bullet, and decided to spend the money on one with more bells and whistles. GREAT DECISION! My husband uses this almost every day to make a burger, chicken breast, etc. I used it tonight, to make fabulous Tilapia filets which took no time and almost no effort (sprinkle w/ Emril's seasoning and grill for five minutes). THE BEST PART.... REMOVABLE GRILL PLATES! I've put these in the dishwasher and washed by hand. No problem and worlds better than the old model with the fixed plates. I'll use this appliance even more now that clean up is no longer a chore!
I'm a college girl just getting into cooking, and I've made salmon, burgers, and even bacon on this grill. Having someone say "This salmon was seared perfectly!" the first time you've ever made it is a great feeling! You really can't mess up with this thing.
Pros: The removable plates make clean up pretty easy. My burgers come out perfect every time.
Cons: I wouldn't call this non stick. Everything you make leaves something on the grill, and you really need to get scrubbing to get it off the hot plates when you're done (I find scrubbing the grime off the plates when it's hot is a lot easier than waiting for it to cool). It's also hard to clean the crevice where hinges are (but it's an open hinge, so solid thing that aren't sticky usually fall through).
To the reviewer below: The reason why everything comes out scorched is because you HAVE to wipe down the HOT plates with something to clean off the grease from your last batch--if you don't clean it off, it just transfers BURNT to your next one.
I really don't mind the cleaning so much, and the convenience of having a grill in my small apartment to cook on outweigh the cons for me. I certainly couldn't get a charcoal BBQ up and running.. now imagine cleaning that! - George Foreman - Grill - Indoor Grill - Cookware'
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