George Foreman 10782

There is a lot of pressure on the public to become increasingly healthy nowadays. This means eating properly, which isn't always easy on a budget and in a fast paced world. That's what this little machine was invented for! I'm going to review the small George Foreman, which you can buy from most electrical retailers. The model GEORGE FOREMAN 11757 can be bought currently at Comet for £29.99.

Basically it's a small grill, with a floating hinge, which means you don't have the problem you get in sandwich toasters of squashing the filling! It makes wonderful 'café style' sandwiches, and you can put in as much or little filling as you need, as it will not ruin the asthetics of your sandwich. You also get those nice to look at stripes across the bread, and it toasts to a perfect golden brown with very little need for butter/spread.

EASE OF USE

I have cooked vegetables, burgers, steaks, chicken breasts and crumpets to name a few on here. You simply plug it in, there are no dials, no switches, no buttons, just a plug! It heats up itself and has a thermostatic device built in so that it won't overheat. It is therefore so simple to cook on, it comes with a little booklet that tells you how long certain foods take, and if you're not sure you can lift up the lid and check as the food is cooking. Because there are no catches or hard to reach areas, it is simple to stop cooking when the food is done, without the risk of burning.

TASTE

When using this, the fat drains into a drip tray from the deep grooves in the surface, so you get a less unhealthy steak or whatever without losing the flavour. The food remains moist and succulent, and if anything looks nicer because of the chargrill type marks on the surface. Vegetables come out nicely grilled without losing their shape, so you can do really juicy kebabs! I have never had food come out dry or losing flavour, obviously it's not for stewing or baking, but it's perfect for barbeque type food!

CLEANING

There are no hard to reach spots when it comes to cleaning this baby. You basically wipe it down with a cloth and then coat it with a little oil to keep the non-stick coating doing its job. You can't put it in the dishwasher but there is no need, the little drip tray can be cleaned this way though, so every part of it is hygenic.

AESTHETICS

These grills come in a variety of colours and shapes. Mine is brushed silver and black, it is not too large and looks great in a modern kitchen. Most of the models are unimposing and serve their purpose without looking tacky. The lead is long and flexible, so you can move it around easily.

OVERALL VERDICT

I would recommend this size grill for 2 people if you're doing burgers or steaks. If you have a family, it would be better to choose a larger model. They tend to be more expensive, around £40-70.

There are few disadvantages to these things. If you enjoy greasy food cooked in lots of oil, this is not for you, but even for fatty meats like sausages it is ideal to make them slightly healthier!