Happy Birthday George... have a chicken burger on us (George Foreman 14053)

Member Name: blissman70

Product:	George Foreman 14053
Date:	08/08/09 (93 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: easy to use, healthier cooking and easier on the purse

Disadvantages: cleaning can be a chore..???

When I first heard that George Foreman had put his name to a grill which claimed to be a healthier way to cook meat my instant thought was why an old bloke who plays a ukulele would want to promote a cooking device, then I realised that it wasn't the slapstick comic from the old television movies but the ex boxer from the 1970's era, probably most famous for the 1974 'Rumble in the Jungle' fight against Muhammad Ali Or maybe his surprise comeback in 1987, regaining his title in the mid nineties.

The 'Foreman Grill' range, which started its life in 1994, is quite extensive with many different sized units to cater for all tastes, but all the 'grills' can cook many foods, even from frozen, such as Burgers, fish, vegetables and more, including toasted sandwiches. It cooks the food in half the time, using the top and bottom grill at the same time, and it leaves the finished product with the minimum amount of fat and grease, the fatty deposits being held in the drip tray rather than your body.

Anyway, I was still a little wary about the claims that the Foreman 'lean mean Fat reducing grilling machine' would help cook a nice enough burger without the fat and unhealthy stuff seeping through my arteries.... But I had heard a lot of good things about them, so I eventually jumped on the band wagon and bought one.

The machine I bought, and am reviewing is the 'George Foreman 10th Anniversary special Edition', which is a bit of a beast in itself.

As I said earlier, I was a little dubious at the claims around this machine so I was in two minds whether I should spend my hard earned cash on the 10th anniversary edition, which came out in 2004, (obviously).
When I eventually bought one and got it home I wanted to give it a test run straight away, what with me being a man and having a new toy. So I cleared a space on a kitchen worktop, as this 'beast' of a machine needs a bit of room, measuring in at 430 by 520 by 180mm, and plugged it in, taking some frozen burgers from the freezer whilst the 'beast' warmed up, the little amber light on the top of the machine going out when the temperature was reached.
Once the amber light went out I placed the burgers onto the bottom plate, the two little 'patties' looking very lost on the massive grey base. Then I lowered the top plate gently onto them, closing the lid so to speak, listening as it hissed like a gargling python with tonsillitis.
With-in minutes the aroma coming through the thin smoke was beginning to make my mouth water as the burgers gently cooked away inside the 'beast', the grease and fatty deposits seeping into the drip tray which I had placed at the front of it, (per instructions, because if you don't you'll have one messy worktop).
Anyway, after a few minutes I opened the lid and was amazed at how 'cooked' the burgers seemed, so flipping them over with the little plastic fork like spatula that come with the machine, I closed the lid again and waited a few more minutes before checking on the progress of my much wanted burger.
But by the time I had prepared the buns and cut up an onions the George Foreman had cooked my burgers, expelling a lot of grease and 'crap' into the drip tray.
In fact, the burgers were cooked that quickly that I had to slice them open to make sure they were cooked thoroughly, and, to my amazement, they were perfect.

** TECHNICAL DETAILS...

* Double none stick coated plates, top and bottom.
* Floating hinge for the perfectly cooked food
* Large cooking space, capable of holding up to ten burgers
* Black cool handle
* Sloping channels so grease travels away from the food.

Also comes with...

* Two grease holding drip trays, which sit under front of machine
* Two plastic utensils for turning the food, also helpful for cleaning the plates.


** IN CONCLUSION...

What a fantastic invention, although nothing really that new, but this massive beast, with its sloping sides and hinged lid, is an ideal way to cook a healthy burger without the worries of blocking up your arteries.
The casing my look a bit dull and grey on top, and it does get a little warm when in use, but the looks are nothing compared to the speed that this cooks the food, (saving you money on fuel bills), and the quality of the finished product.
The amount of fat and grease that seeps into the drips tray from the food as it is cooking is remarkable, if a little sickening when you realise that the majority of this , what can only be described as 'crap' ends up in you body, but this doesn't seem to dry the food out at all, giving you a tasty, meaty morsel that wont stick to the roof of your mouth.

I have cooked many different things on this beast of a machine, including home made burgers, frozen burgers, chicken fillets, onions and more and I have never had anything which has come out 'uncooked' or dry.
And yes, I do realise that cooking meat on a normal grill tray allows a lot of 'crap' to fall away from the meat but, with the Foreman, it seems that the pressure from the two plates gently pushing together squeezes a lot more of the 'crap' out and onto the drip trays, leaving juicy food without the worry of clogging up your arteries.
You can fit a lot on this Anniversary edition, I have managed to get eight good sized burgers on in one go, still leaving room to cook a few onions on the side, so it can be used in place of a standard grill or even a barbeque, (as I do believe that special stands are available for that very purpose, although I do not own one as yet).

As for cleaning the beast, well, some of the George Foreman range come with removable plates, which really do help in the cleaning process, but sadly the Anniversary edition does not, so it does take a bit of time to clean after use, but this is not enough of a negative to spoil the enjoyment and tastiness of what this massive beast conjures up
To clean it you simply use the plastic spatulas to scrape the excess 'crap' into the waiting drip trays, easiest when the beast is still warm, and then simply give the plates a good wipe out with a damp cloth... Do not use anything abrasive as this may damage the none stick plates... That's it, the cooking plates are now clean.
I have had mine for a few years now and tend to use it quite regularly, cooking many different dishes in a shorter time than a traditional grill/oven, thus saving me money on electricity/gas bills in the long run. The beast is well made and totally reliable, plus, after many burgers and chicken fillets later, it is still running strong, even after five years, so they are built to last, which is a good thing in this day and age.

If I recall correctly I think I paid around £50.00 for my 'grill' five years ago, which, as I now know, was a complete bargain, and nowadays, after a quick web search, I find the prices for this massive cooking machine vary, the cheapest being just under the £40.00 mark, although the prices do go up and up. ( I found one at nearly £120 from a catalogue company... WHY..?).
So at the 40 mark you will be getting a bargain and you will soon realise that the time saved in cooking will save you in money on your bills at the end of the day.

In all, a great healthy way to cook your burgers or chicken fillets with the knowledge that you're helping your body stay a little healthier. Once you start to use this, or even any of the Foreman range, you will wonder why you haven't been using it for years

NOTE:
Even though the George Foreman range gives you a healthier option to cooking your favourite burgers and the like you should still stick to a healthy lifestyle, including exercise and the odd bit of salad stuff, maybe an apple or two as well.

Summary: Is McGeorge the new McDonalds...????