George Foreman GRP4 Next Grilleration 72 Square Inch White Removable Plate Grill
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of George Foreman GRP4 Next Grilleration 72 Square Inch White Removable Plate Grill
Customer Review: Much nicer than the previous model
Summary: 4 Stars
This newer grill makes some definite improvements from the original model. I had the previous countertop model for years, and the main drawback was that you couldn't remove the grills. Eventually that older model overheated so much the non-stick coating bubbled and flaked off, and obviously wasn't safe for food.
The handiest improvement of this model is that the grills are removable and dishwasher safe. Also, this model doesn't seem to get as hot, and I hope will prevent the eventual overheating that caused the problems with my first grill. It's still hot enough to cook food well and have it turn out tasty.
There are a few quirks and cons to this grill that keep me from rating it 5 stars. First, the grill plates are a bit fussy in the dishwasher. I use powdered dish soap and there's always a white residue on the bottom of the grill plates. When the plates are washed, you have to still rinse the residue off and let them dry before using. Not a big deal, but a bit of a hassle.
The grill plates also don't clean up as nicely as I'd like. There's usually some food still stuck to them, even when washed in the dishwasher on the bottom rack. I find the trick I used with the old grill helps loosen the food before washing, and gets them cleaner: when you're done grilling, unplug the grill, and let cool for a minute. Then place a stack of 4-5 soaking wet paper towels in the grill, and close it. (The towels MUST be soaking wet!) Let the towels sit on the grill for a few minutes to loosen any stuck food bits. Do this before washing in the dishwasher and it should help get the food off.
Also, the plates, because they're removable, are sometimes tricky to get into place. The top grill plate is fussy and doesn't lock in tight without a fight, at least on my grill.
Finally, the non-stick surface of the grill isn't very non-stick. When I open the grill to check on the food, half the food is stuck to the top grill and I have to pry it off and put it back on the bottom grill. This can be combatted by spraying non-stick spray on the food before heating (don't spray it on the hot grill, though!)
I use this grill for casual foods, and it's just fine for that. Grilled cheese, hamburgers, fajita meats, veggies, and more. As long as it's relatively thin, the grill works great, and the food is very tasty. I don't recommend it for really good cuts of beef - you want a "real" grill or cast iron for expensive cuts.
Customer Review: Well Done my review with heavy use
Summary: 4 Stars
I own one other George Foreman grill without the removable plates.
I loved the concept of the grill, but hated cleaning it. Hence this purchase. I live in an apt, so counter space is precious. I cook almost every night, and this gem has earned a permanent place on my counter. I use it as least three times a week.
Pros-
Overall, a simple easy way to cook. I cook burgers, steaks (often with a dry rub), lamb, chicken, grilled cheese, fish, you name it.
Easy cleanup. The product does come with a sponge, but I find that running hot water, then wiping it down with soapy water hot water and a final rinse, usually works well. For stuck on (dry rubs, fatty meats) the sponge works well. I avoid putting the removable plates in the dishwasher, but I have before when I felt lazy, the plates came out fine.
Good cooking weight. I was worried the "Lean Mean Machine" would be to heavy on the meats and dry them out. Not the case. Burgers come out juicy, and the easiest meat to dry out, chicken, comes out juicy and delicious. I buy Tyson frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts. I let the grill heat up for about 10 minutes, season the frozen breast, 10 minutes later, perfect chicken. I use that time to make my side(s).
Cons--
The grill lost a star from me because of the uneven heating from the top grill and the bottom. On my grill, the bottom grill is hotter than the top grill. I don't mind one flip halfway through cooking, but that's not what the product is designed to do.
Conclusion- I'm elated with my purchase. The one con is a small problem, that I know how to fix. It is still cooking after all. I'm a bachelor, and of all the kitchen "gadgets" I have, my George Foreman is by far the best I have. I wouldn't want my small kitchen without one.
Customer Review: not great
Summary: 2 Stars
yes clean up is simple, but if you care about the taste and appearance of your meats, poultry and fish this doesn't do a good grilling job. If you like dry hamburgers, steak and chicken, etc., then this grill is for you. Why spend 60-bucks if you can't achieve grill marks without turning your food into a compressed and thoroughly dry piece of cardboard. I prefer juicy and tasty burgers, steak and chicken, and expect that when I grill a thick, $10 Halibut steak that it won't turn into a tasteless dry pancake! Now, I paid attention to the timing in the instruction booklet--waited 7-minutes to let it heat up before use--and found that the top grill doesn't heat well. Problem with this is uneven cooking and you need to turn the meats over...kind of pointless considering it's supposed to grill on both sides at the same time. I'll try the 15-minute warm up to gain the sizzle recommended by another reviewer. The grooves on both plates aren't deep enough to leave grill marks and what's more is the weight of the top not only renders the fat out, but it also squeezes the moisture out of the food. If you want temperature control (I can't believe reviews that say it's unimportant because control of heat is the prime element in an electric grill) you have fork over 100+ bucks to step up to the next generation. Nice trick, George! (BTW: mine didn't come with the advertised TWO drip trays.)
Pros are: it's quick, has nice cooking space and easy clean up.
Customer Review: Very nice grill, but ...
Summary: 4 Stars
I had a Foreman grill before this, but was not able to remove the grills to clean them, so I found myself not using it as often as I would have liked to. This unit, with the removeable grills, seems to have solved this problem, but there was one surprise I was not expecting waiting in the owners manual.
If you're like me, you don't read these things very often, but there's a note in the book telling that you should set the grill on a non-plastic liner if you wish to use it on a kitchen countertop. I don't remember the exact words, but something about the color of the plastic bleeding onto your countertop surface.
I bought a rather inexpensive glass cutting board at a local mega-mart, and it's working fine. I don't see any reside on the board, but I didn't want to take the chance it would stain my countertop, so it was worth the few dollars it cost --- just for peace of mind.
As for the grill itself, it works great and I have no regrets buying this. But I did have to mention what I found in the owners manual, just in case there are others who generally don't look at these things.
Customer Review: Great upgrade!
Summary: 5 Stars
I have owned a large Foreman grill for years and love to use it but hate to clean it, so I decided to upgrade to the removable plates. I honestly don't know why they even bother selling the other ones anymore, there's simply no comparison. The GRP4 is great grill, the grills pop right out and right into the dishwasher. I usually pre-treat them with Dawn Power Dissolver before I put them in the dishwasher that way they come completely clean with no scrubbing on my part. The only downside for this item is that the grills are pretty small, literally only 4 small burgers will fit on this grill. It's not enough cooking space if you're cooking for the whole family. I thought there would be more cooking area based on the size of the closed unit. Also, unlike my larger grill, there is only one temperature setting on this grill--on. My old larger one had a slider to adjust the temperature. Despite the lack of adjustable temperature, I still highly recommend that if you buy one of these grills, do not settle for one without the removable grill plates, it is worth the few extra bucks.