| Product: |
George Foreman Junior Health Grill |
| Date: |
25.08.05 (740 review reads) |
| Rating: |
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Advantages: Easy to clean, halves cooking times, healthy.
Disadvantages: A bit small even for the two it claims to be for, gimmicky features, no timer.
The George Foreman Junior Health Grill is such a gimmicky piece of kit. George claims, "I'm so proud of it, I put my name on it". Maybe, but considering his degeneration from lean mean, fighting machine to a stereotypical overweight American then it is obvious he does not use it! Despite my annoyance my wife found a used one on ebay for £4 and can never resist a bargain so it was reluctantly purchased.
Nonetheless, despite my pre-amble the Junior Health Grill is a decent piece of kit. On arrival its Junior status is indicative of its size. Slightly smaller than a sandwich toaster, silver with a green top this looks more CD player than health grill and will take up little room on your kitchen worktop. Operating instructions are as complex as plugging it in and switching it on so in this respect it certainly has an ease of us compared to other health grills. There are not temperature dials and you know it is hot enough to use when the light on the top of the grill goes out much like a household iron. Opening the loosely hinged grill reveals two griddle style hotplates top and bottom. Several deep ridges and a gutter on the bottom that runs tilted slightly downward are what gives this grill the health element. Whatever the item of food you put on the grill, it is slightly raised from the bottom so that the juices and fats are able to run into the drip tray attached below.
Having already mentioned the small size of this grill you will not be surprised to learn the George Foreman grill fits very little in the way of food on it. This is not a grill suitable for the family and will not fit more than two burgers, chicken breasts or four sausages comfortably on it. I would say this grill is ideal for the single man or woman or the student as you can do a meal for one on it but that is about all. However, the food that does fit on the grill cooks quickly and it is indeed healthier in both appearance and taste. Food is cooked quicker than normal grilling due to the top and bottom hotplates sandwiching it together thus halving cooking times. Meats such as burgers no longer need turning. Foods such as sausages can be an irritant though, as they need turning often due to its speed. You may find yourself having to check every few minutes to avoid burning. Due to its griddle style food on the George Foreman grill are seared in appearance and taste a little like barbecued food with the bonus in that they retain the moistness yet get rid of the fat. Of course meat is not the only thing that can be cooked on the grill and I find grilled vegetables cook beautifully and within minutes on the grill.
Cleaning the grill is easier than I thought it would be. The scraper/spatula that comes with the appliance is pretty useless but if you leave the grill to cool I find it the plates clean very easily with warm soapy water and a cloth. The drip tray fully detaches and is easy to clean again in warm, soapy water.
Of course this grill has its problems and limitations. A rather gimmicky bun warmer is hidden beneath the green lid of the grill but this tends to make buns wet rather than warm. The hot plate is dangerously close to the lid and I have burnt myself a few times. Similarly, the hinged lid has to be loose to close over food properly but can close without warning when raised leading to a serious burn possibility. Cooking wise this grill cannot cook items that are not uniform in shape. As such ribs, drumsticks etc are a no-no as it just burns them. This is not an all encompassing grill, it has no timer so food cannot be left unattended and the lack of an actual on/off button is an irritant. It cannot cook everything and as such you may find yourself using it alongside your hob and oven rather than instead of. However, if you are looking for a healthy way to cook simple food this grill is ideal and I consider it a great little addition to our kitchen. Despite my wifes insistence on calling it "The George Formby".
Cheapest price found: £27.86 Tesco via kelkoo
Summary: A great addition to a kitchen although not without its limitations.
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