NOW CLOSED: Join the review thread for George Foreman Grills - share an idea for what you'd cook on one - you could win your own grill worth £40

[AnnMumsnet]

George Foreman Grills recently gave ten Mumsnetters the opportunity to try out a selection of their grills at a demo day in Manchester, where they got to experience the versatility and simplicity of cooking with a George Foreman.
Another ten reviewers were also sent grills to try out.

The four different models used in the demos were:
~ 18603 Grill & Griddle
~ 14525 Grill & Melt with Removable Plates
~ 14181 Grill & Melt

and the extra 10 testers are trying the 19570 Family Grill

Testers: This thread is for you to share your experience with the George Foreman grills, and to start you off we would love to know:

1. What have you learnt to cook with a George Foreman Grill? What would you like to learn to cook in the future?

1. Are there any features of your Grill you would like to know more about? What's the best feature you've discovered so far?

1. What would make you use your Grill more regularly? How many times a week are you using it?

1. How long do you spend cooking for your family on an average day? How has the grill helped with this?

1. Generally speaking, which is more important to you: healthy eating or quick preparation time?

1. What have you and your family thought of the meals you have created? What's been a success? And what's not been quite so good?

1. What would you say was the best feature or benefit of the George Foreman Grill you have used?

And if you attended the George Foreman demo day, please also answer:

~ What was your perception of George Foreman Grills prior to the demo day?
~ How did your perception change from what you experienced on the demo day?
~ What did you most enjoy about the day?

If you're not an official tester, but would like the chance to win a new George Foreman Grill (RRP: £40) then all you have to do is - on this thread - please share your ideas for a quick and easy meal which you could create with one. Once you've commented you'll be automatically entered into the draw to win a George Foreman Family Grill & Melt with Removable Plate.

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

Non-tester, been having a read through some of the things you guys have been cooking on your grills - there's so much variety I thought it'd just be things like sausages or chops that you did on there!

Not a tester but my old flat mate had a George foreman and I loved it, the only way to cook salmon I reckon. Recipe:
Marinade salmon in soy sauce and garlic for a bit, then bung it on the grill.
Stir fry veg and noodles, stir through wee packet of sauce.
Put salmon on top, and yum.
I'm a hopeless cook but even I can manage that and it's lovely!

It would have to be grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches. I love using brie but can't at the mo as I am pregant; I'd have to settle for some swiss cheese, heritage tomatoes, & a grainy bread.

Non tester here.... I would do a brie, cranberry sauce and lettuce ciabatta toasted sandwich. Delicious!

Not a tester but would make the following:

Corned beef and onion toasties
Chicken stuffed with soft cheese, wrapped in bacon
Chilli chicken and courgette kebabs
Cod and parsley parcels

Pork or chicken on grill. Salad and crusty roll or new potatoes steamed.

Non-tester, but I would like to try making quesadillas on one. Take a flour tortilla, spread over some tomato puree and grate cheese over half. Add some chopped up ham/cooked chicken, fold the tortilla in half and grill.

Non-tester.

I would like to do a mixed Mediterranean vegetable platter- sliced aubergine, courgette, mushrooms, onion, tomatoes grilled then topped with melted brie, served with crusty bread, salad, olives and wine.

Fish or chicken could be added for people like DH who have to have a meat/fish option or he doesn't consider it a proper meal.

I have also seen a George Foreman used to do frankfurters and crispy onions for the hotdogs at a BBQ to ensure the kids were fed quickly so everyone could relax.

Non-tester

Grill peppers and tomatoes, can also use mushrooms on the grill. Grill some pitta breads (in grill or in toaster) Split them, put in peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, add mayonaise!

Tuna steaks, tomatoes, chilli flakes..... (can put in foil in grill), these make fish parcels.... or tuna, spring onions/leek cut in strips, cream.....

All very yummy!

Non tester receive idea.

Grill pork chops/loins. When the are just about cooked add some apple sauce then mozzarella on the top. Delicious!

We're currently doing the 5:2 duet so a GF grill would be a great quick and easy way to cook the chicken breast to go with our salad on fast days!

For something savoury I'd grill some fish or prawns with veggies such as mushrooms and asparagus.

What I'd really be interested in trying is sweet toasties - bread or brioche filled with strawberries/bananas with some chunks of chocolate or maybe apple, sultanas & cinnamon.

Non tester.
Sounds like it would be good for making quesadillas so that's my meal suggestion. As I love Mexican maybe all the fajita stuff like chicken, peppers and onions can go in there. Sounds like it would be less messy and much quicker.

Oh what about calzone. Can you do those on there. There is another then. Make pizza dough. Stuff it with tomato, cheese, meat balls, pepperoni then fold and cook. Never made one but love prezzo ones.

1. What have you learnt to cook with a George Foreman Grill? What would you like to learn to cook in the future?

Pancakes - made with butternut squash! I am making them for one of the videos, with crispy bacon and maple syrup. All done on my grill for 10.

1. Are there any features of your Grill you would like to know more about? What's the best feature you've discovered so far? I really like the griddle part of my grill. We discovered on the day that you can't fry an egg on the grill (the demonstrator tried), but you can on the griddle. Ace for doing a full english - which I will be doing when I take it away camping.

1. What would make you use your Grill more regularly? How many times a week are you using it?

I used it twice today, DS2 (10) made his pre-cricket snack of stuffed pittas on it. I make quite a lot of toasted sandwiches. Its quick.

1. How long do you spend cooking for your family on an average day?

How has the grill helped with this? Between 30 - 60 minutes. I plan what I'm cooking and when - depending on when they have to eat inbetween activities. It really helped today when I hadn't started cooking in time for DS2 to eat before cricket, so we got some pitta breads and he stuffed and grilled them.

1. Generally speaking, which is more important to you: healthy eating or quick preparation time? Healthy eating.

1. What have you and your family thought of the meals you have created? What's been a success? And what's not been quite so good? I haven't created any meals as such. Mainly because I haven't got my head around it. I need to get used to it (I usually use an Aga so I tend to put it in and leave it, although its much like cooking on the lids)

1. What would you say was the best feature or benefit of the George Foreman Grill you have used?

The speed in which it cooks - I will definitely use it more in the future.

And if you attended the George Foreman demo day, please also answer:

~ What was your perception of George Foreman Grills prior to the demo day?
I have an old one, but stopped using it as it was too small. I'm pleased with this one as I can do breakfast/snacks for everyone.

~ How did your perception change from what you experienced on the demo day?
I was impressed. The food was tasty - lots of favourites, inside out burgers, chicken fingers - things I'd make but would take longer. If I could find where I put those recipe cards, I'd make more.

~ What did you most enjoy about the day?
It was good fun, we were well fed, the demonstrator was lovely - very funny and entertaining, lovely to see some familiar MNers and meet some new ones - but most of all, meeting my long term MN buddy in RL!

Idea for a quick and easy meal - Flatten a chicken breast between two bits of cling film. Sprinkle with cajun spices and cook in the grill. Fill the gaps with chunks of Mediterranean vegetables - courgettes/peppers/onions.

Yum yum!

non tester - first thing i would think of with these is grilling chicken, but could also do loads of vegs, halloumi, falafel. and make into wraps or a salad

non reviewer here
my GF grill has just broken and I really miss it! Sausages just aren't the same cooked any other way.
I used to do omelette on mine! Good way of cooking it with no fat. Cook the bacon first, chop it up, throw on some onions and then the egg. You've got to watch that the egg doesn't go down the back though,
It doesn't look brilliant once it's done, but it tastes lovely.

Would love to try making pancakes on it

Non-tester here

I would make Calypso Chicken. Simply make a marinade with oil/hot pepper sauce/garlic/paprika/fresh coriander/salt & pepper. Slash your chicken breasts and marinade for at least a few hrs. Serve with rice, salad, coleslaw .....

Or make Tandoori Kebabs. Again you need a marinade for the chicken, this time it is plain yoghurt, onion, chillies, garlic, ginger & garam masala. Blitz and sieve the ingredients, add chicken and leave for 24hrs in fridge.

Make up skewers with chicken and different veggies (courgette/tomato/onion/peppers) Yummy!

Not a tester, but I'd love one!

I'm vegetarian, so I'd cook slices of aubergine, halloumi, butternut squash, asparagus. Basically, all the things I'd love to cook on a BBQ, that we never have the weather for.

Or, I wonder how it would handle MoogDroog's patented Halloumi and Beetroot burger?

Non tester here - We used to have a GFG but the coating wore off for some reason. I am lusting after a new one cooking for me is a struggle at the moment and I really loved using the GFG as it is so simple.

I also got rather addicted to just watching how much fat comes out of food - a morbid curiosity!

One thing it did really nicely is Mediterranean veg - slice things like baby aubergine and courgette lengthways and just stick it in the GFG - comes out looking really fancy like you'd get in a restaurant.

Recipe Idea - inside-out cheeseburgers
Use mince to make burger patties but squish them so they are about half the thickness and therefore wider. In the middle, place some grated cheese. You can also put really finely chopped veg, garlic, herbs, whatever really! (feta and spring onion is particularly nice) Then fold over the edges of the mince patty and squish it until there's no gaps, so the cheese is inside. Put in the GFG until the meat is cooked, when you cut/bite into the burger all the cheesy yumminess oozes out. Kind of like a chicken kiev. :)

Wow just read the whole thread and it is very inspiring. When I did have the GFG I clearly wasn't making the most of it!

I would also like to try doing French toast on it - serve with bananas, berries or cinnamon sugar.

Ooh, and brioche with marshmallow fluff and Nutella in the middle - I make these but with malted milk biscuits instead of brioche - not sure how biscuits would fare on the GFG though?

Also you can do tortilla parcels, just use a bit of butter to stick the edges down before putting them in (I found they came apart otherwise)

1. What have you learnt to cook with a George Foreman Grill? What would you like to learn to cook in the future?

I've learnt to cook marinaded meat which I didn't know you could do as I thought it would be too messy.

1. Are there any features of your Grill you would like to know more about? What's the best feature you've discovered so far?

The best feature was the independent heat between grill and griddle. It's very simple so there isn't really anything to ask about it's features.

1. What would make you use your Grill more regularly? How many times a week are you using it?

I've used it about every other day. I don't think I would use it more as sometimes I like to do different types of dish. I don't think I could cook a cottage pie or curry on it.

Oops. I'll finish in a second. Posted by mistake.