We are thinking about getting an "indoor grill" like a George Foreman grill. I'd like to hear from those of you who have them. Are they worth the money? What do we look for when buying one? Pros and cons? Thanks, Dee

-- Dee (bdforce@theriver.com), February 15, 2002

Answers

Yes, we have a George Foreman Grill. My son uses his a lot because he is a steak and hamburger eater. I don't use mine much. I have a lot of really cool kitchen things I don't use much.

-- Rose with every kitchen gadget (open_rose@hotmail.com), February 15, 2002.

I have an "indoor grill", but not a George Foreman,(Grill-mate) we wanted to try one that was cheaper to see if we would like it, just little bigger than small hamburger size, got it at Wal-Mart and it drains most of the grease from a cheaper buy of hamburger, great for chicken breasts and one son uses it for grilled cheese. I also tried potatoes cut lengthwise and those take very little time. We like it and use it daily around here. I forgot, onion sliced thick also grill nicely. Just keep track of the time carefully or food will overcook. Jenn

-- jenn (normaj3@countrylife.net), February 15, 2002.

The wife likes hers more'n me.

-- charlie (charliesap@pldi.net), February 15, 2002.

I have one and love it. When I was working full time there was hardly ever a day I didn't use it. One of the benefits of the grill is that you are cooking on both sides at once and so it goes REALLY fast.

One tip I can give you is to go with the largest one you can afford. By largest,I mean "cooking surface". I started out with the small one and it didn't take long before I moved up. You will find that you will start using it more and more and for a variety of differant things (I love veggies on it) and you need a larger cooking surface. Think of it as skillet size -- if you only had one skillet, what size would you want. Remember, sometimes you have company!

Another plus is that nothing sticks to it! Clean up is so easy and here's a clean up hint: Use a sponge or rag wrung out in warm water and wash it down while it is still hot. Anything stuck on will come right off and it is so much easier to clean while hot.

You will also be absolutely amazed at how much grease you get that flows away from the food. If you are cooking something really lean or veggies, brush the grill with some cooking or olive oil for a little extra flavor and the fat will drain away.

I can tell you that it is like any other kitchen appliance. If you leave it on the counter you will be more likely to use it. Put it away in a cupboard and you get so it is too much trouble to haul out - - kind of like the food processor (use it everyday if out...if not, just chop that onion by hand).

One last thing. The last one I bought (I have 3 of them by the way!) was one with a bun warmer on top. I was sure this would be great when doing burgers--- it is a waste of money. You can't fit all the buns in there at once and the top just gets in the way and flops open when you lift the lid and is harder to clean. It is VERY annoying. Go with a large grill with no bun warmer!

-- Karen (mountains_mama@hotmail.com), February 16, 2002.

I got my daughter and son-in-law one for christmas and the just love it. They have used it so much I think they almost have it worn out!

-- Jo in Pa (farmerjo02@yahoo.com), February 16, 2002.

My brother got us one for Christmas last year, and we love it. We marinate chicken in Zesty Italian dressing then cook it on it. It is so good, and doesn't take much time at all. This year he gave a George Foreman rotisserie, boy is it nice.

-- Cindy (SE. IN) (atilrthehony@hotmail.com), February 16, 2002.

I bought one after christmas and it took some time getting used to but am using it more all the time the kids use it for grilled cheese, french toast, monte cristo's. we use it for steaks, chicken breasts, and hamburgers I also ground up a half a package of bacon and mixed with my hamburger for bacon burgers DH and kids liked them. the trick is not to overcook anything as it will dry out. As for the bun warmer I don't have that feature but if you stack your hamburger buns on top of the grill while cooking hamburgers and cover lightly with a piece of foil larger than the grill the buns will steam you do have to move them around some and the microwave works just as well. good luck with yours Ronda

-- ronda (thejohnsons@localaccess.com), February 16, 2002.

I use mine to grill my veggies----it is wonderful--use it all the time!!!!

-- Sonda in Ks. (sgbruce@birch.net), February 17, 2002.

I just purchased a Grill Mate at a garage sale. Has no booklet of directions with it. Where can I find one? What is average time of cooking a hamburger or pork chop or steak? N.J

-- N.J.Driscoll (ldriscoll@skyenet.net), May 28, 2002.