I'm in love with my George (George Foreman Grills)

Member Name: Sci_aj

Product:	George Foreman Grills
Date:	28/04/06 (1393 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Compact, Rapid cooking temperature ready, non-stick. Fat reducing cooking!

Disadvantages: Grill plates aren't removable.

Let me introduce you to George… he is the new love of my life!

Quite simply the Baby George that I purchased on impulse from Tescos for £13.99 has been the best spur-of-the-moment purchase I have made!

What is it?
The George Foreman 11319 Baby George is a stylish silver baby George ideal for those with limited space but is has all the benefits of the ''Lean Mean Fat Reducing grilling Machine''. In addition for those that are gadget and fashion conscious amongst us it has the added benefits of style and a compact design.

Opening the box.
When you open up the baby George box you will find 3 items and 3 booklets.

The items are:
1 – Your new baby George
2 – The drip tray
3 – A specially designed spatula to aid cleaning and turning food

The 3 booklets:
1 – Manufacturers warranty
2 – Basic cooking times guidelines
3 – Other recipes

First use.
First off clean remove George from his box! And remove ALL polystyrene, there is also a cover on the plug… remove this.

Now you are ready to get the George ready for first use. Using a non-stick cleaning cloth/pad and warm soapy water carefully wash the non-stick plates. These need to then be cleaned and, as you would with a non-stick pan, seasoned. I used a little coconut oil on mine, but any oil will do – simply spread a very thin layer on using a piece of kitchen paper.

Plug in George and you are ready to cook… turn on the switch and you will see an orange light come on at the front of the unit, when this turns off the unit is ready to cook food! Cooking times are reduced as this unit cooks from both top and bottom at the same time. It has a floating hinge at the back which means that it is the weight of the unit which hold the top down onto the bottom cooking plate.

As with any grilling plate you need to be careful this gets VERY hot!

Simply put the drip tray at the front of the George and pop your food on when the light goes out. The food will then take between 1 and 10 minutes to be cooked, depending on thickness and type of food.

This is the healthy way to cook as you can see all the fat running down the groves and out into the drip tray. The manufacturers claim a 50% reduction in fat and I can well believe it. I only eat lean meat and I have seen this release a lot of fat on cooking – way more than in a griddle pan!

Cleaning the unit:
When you have finished cooking, and the unit is still warm but not hot, wipe over the grill plates with a damp, soapy, non-stick cleaning cloth and then again with a clean damp one. This will remove the majority of the grease and food remains. If you are still having difficulty the spatula included will allow you to give the grill plates a gentle scrape. The manufacturer recommends wiping with an oiled cloth – but I found that this did little to remove the dirt.

Storage:
As this George is very small and he is in constant use I haven’t yet put the unit away. But with a very small volume/area (realistically little more than a sandwich toaster) it is easy to store, even in the smallest kitchen.

Tips…
Try a toasted sandwich – no need to butter the bread! (My favourite: cheese, pesto and ham.)
Baguette has a habit of drying out – pop it on George to toast… YUM!
Gammon steaks… better than steaming, succulent and tender.
Bacon – wonderful!
Tuna and other fish: I would suggest marinating before to ensure the fish doesn’t dry out.
Vegetables: pick carefully, meaty style ones are best e.g. courgette, large flat mushrooms.
Burgers: Watch the fat run out… It is quite scary

Conclusion:
Quite simply the best £13.99 I have spent and he has done wonders for my waistline!

Other features:
Boxed weight: 3kg
245cm grilling surface
Contact grill design cooks food evenly
Thermostat controlled Indicator light
Non-Stick coated cooking plate
Grill channels carry run-off grease/fat
Has a floating hinge for even cooking
Special cooking plate and latch design
Drip tray to catch run-off fat
Specially designed spatula which fits perfectly into the grooves of the grill plates

Manufacturers Guarantee Period: 1 Year Manufacturers Warranty
Recipe book: Included

Summary: Quick, simple, healthy cooking!

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