Unlike so many buyers who have purchased George Foreman health grills and eventually other brands’ versions to “get healthy”, my original requirement for a health grill wasn’t. My first experience of a health grill was as far back as 2004 when I had purchased a tiny Breville G'rilla and it stopped working 2 years later. But it was just so much quicker, cleaner and cheaper to use this type of appliance for grilling meats, fish and even apple rings for a low fat dessert without burning a pan, having to switch on a cooker just to use the grill pan facility and without the need of having an oven or deal with the fuss of cleaning afterwards - and in some of the student accommodation I had to live in didn't even have an oven, let alone a full size cooker!
Nar2’s Quick Skip Product Spec
- Ability to cook 2 pieces of food prep.
- Compact size 24cm by 24cm, almost square.
- Original price in 2008: £14-95, 2011, £19-95, 2012 £20 at private sellers.
- Sloping grill angle with dishwasher safe deep oil tray.
- 800-Watt power.
- Permanent non-stick plates (2).
- Plastic cleaning spatula included.
- Fast heat up time.
- 2.4 kg weight, can be stored in the upright position.
The Price, The Product & The Promise
The only store where I could test and feel the products by sight and touch appeared to be John Lewis where a number of different George Foreman products sat on the shelves as opposed to Currys and Comet who at the time in 2008 didn’t have many health grills on sale. There were two George Foreman products; the Baby 13631 model priced at £14-95 alongside the same priced 13818 Baby model.
Confused.com? I certainly was at the time, even if this model is older. 2012 pricing these days reveals this particular model is really difficult to find as it was replaced, but it can be found in privately owned hardware shops and it was only a year before last in a BN store in Edinburgh, I saw this model on sale for £19-95.
The 13631 model is however recognisable as being fashionably rectangular against the more curvy and organic models that have now replaced this wonderful model, although both health grills are painted and made in silver metallic metal and both have the same type of Neon light on the top to show when it is heating up. So despite the fact that it has been replaced, the model still looks modern and new. Just like a toastie machine, when the grill plates have reached their cooking temperature, an LED light goes out and the promise here is a compact gadget designed to relieve and end days of oil filled frying pans and larger oven based grill pans.
Power & Accommodation of food prep
Both grills also have 800 watts, which by my reckoning is just about enough power to heat up two non-stick grill plates sufficiently and quickly enough. Although this model has a square foot area of 270cm squared whilst the other model has 106cm squared more, totalling 386 squared cm. It was the general design of this Baby model 13631 that impressed me, despite having a smaller field of the non-stick plate to place food in - neither model has the flip up bun warmer though - but that's beside the point.
If I want heated bread I have my Toastabags!
The bigger surface area on the more organic model wasn't as impressive even if it has more of a horizontal space compared to the vertical shape of the plates on the grill I had my eye on. The slightly smaller shape was one of the redeeming features of this model as well as the fact that the 13631 has a thick, durable and substantial feel about it, with slightly raised walls on the base of the non-stick plate as opposed to a taller and narrower set of grids that could make cleaning awkward once cooking is completed.
Back home, out of the box, damp cloth washed down and dried before plugging in, I found this Baby grill can manage 2 fillet steaks in terms of size, or chicken breasts, salmon fillets or 3 rashers of bacon at a push but for consistent cooking you’ll always be looking at cooking 2 of everything at the most. The 13818 model that is curvy and more organic in shape had several downsides despite its slightly bigger surface area and thicker grids to clean. For a start my Baby grill has 5 easy to clean flatter mounts that are spaced out and hold food produce in before the main plate markings give food that seared in/grilled look.
Performance / Results
When its being used, one of the first disadvantages of this model and like a lot of basic priced GF grills is the omission of a manual power function. No buttons or dials here – you simply plug in, switch on at the plug and the model starts to heat up, identified by quiet clicks before the red light on the top of the lid goes out to indicate the grill is ready, and mine only requires a minute to heat up before food can be added.
Now, a lot of reviewers and owners of ANY George Foreman grill point out that you have to add oil to the plates before you start – not quite! This is an option given in the user manual to add flavour to the food and my grill seldom sees any oil added before hand, unless I want to add extra seasoning or a coating to whatever I’m cooking at the time. The design of the grill with its sloping angle is supposed to let meat juices and oils run, so if you don’t add oil you could find that the finished product is rather dry. Where fillet steak is concerned for example I don’t tend to add anything other than a little salt, pepper and just a little splash of oil – the beauty of having two plates is that you don’t really need to turn anything over, either - and fillet steak always comes out succulent, tender and juicy, but if you don't add oil, fillet steak can get overly dry unless you put slices into the flesh before placing it and splashing oil on top. Though the grill will drain most of the oil, it won't get all of it leaving you with a piece of produce that has had most of the nasties taken out but not overly dehydrated.
I've found that raw fresh meat in general can take up to 5 to 10 minutes cooking time which is quite extraordinary, as my Breville grill could never do it this fast! It all depends on the thickness or thinness of whatever you are cooking.
The user manual however suggests that salmon fillets take 3 to 4 minutes but I found that there was a longer cooking time of 8 minutes to sufficiently remove all the oil from the fish as it cooks - and that's before I lift the lid half way through the cooking time to add any herbs or salt for taste.
You can't put frozen products on this gadget, it is only designed to cook raw, or fresh produce.
Like all George Foreman products, this Baby grill has a floating hinge that means it can accommodate most foods where most of the time food with equal sides, no matter how thin or thick the product is can be cooked; if the plates can touch both sides then obviously the grill can be of use. When I have cooked healthy bacon medallions with the fat removed beforehand, the cooking process has been extremely quick and beneficial as the oil and grease roll off into the drip tray underneath. Their widths however are wafer thin, but the Baby grill has had no problems in cooking them despite their thinness.
So far I have produced vegetable kebabs, chicken, steak and fish fillets on this grill, with the result each time being perfect tasting and cooked thoroughly. The user manual does suggest that when liquids run clear this is a good indication that meats have been cooked properly. Although this is a good indicator I still prefer to cut the meat in the middle just to check!
External Design
If there’s another surprise this Baby grill excels at other than its quick performance and ease of cleaning down afterwards, it is the weight compared to its same priced larger squared foot brother. Simply the lightest in the shop, it was one of the benefiting factors to why it appealed to me. The power cord is around 35 cm long, which isn't very much, but the points on the base look as if they can accommodate the cord to be wrapped around it. However it makes sense to keep the rubber coated cord away from the heating element, as the base and top do get quite hot in use. For storing and carrying out of the way, this Baby model is very compact and lightweight to move even though you have to keep the lid down with one hand as there is no internal lock which can lock the plates together for ease of transporting.
Cleaning / Maintenance
Firstly, the user manual for this model is unclear; it gives no indication of the model number and the user pages start straight away the moment you open the paper booklet. There are more recipes added to this booklet than an actual user manual. In its defence at least Salton, the company who produce these grills under the GF name have wisely added a diagram picture of the model with the most basic of information. The user manual also suggests that oven gloves be used at all times to lift the lid and when touching the machine in use. That's all very well but the actual pull up lid to this model is mostly cool to the touch and in use remains lukewarm - so I haven't really needed to get the oven gloves out!
Externally, the drip tray underneath ensures that no drips ever splash or leak by the sides because of the nature of the angled "down" design of the bottom plate and the fact that drip tray clips under the main lip.
The oil catcher drip tray is also top-rack-only dishwasher safe, but it’s just as easy and small enough to put into the sink with hot soapy water.
Another issue that owners have with their grills is cleaning afterwards – and now 4 years later after purchase, there’s a reason to why a bottle of vinegar is placed nearby to my grill each time it is used! Here’s Nar’s tips on the fastest way to clean your grill – and it is safe, hygienic and remarkably good with only one downside;
1) After cooking meat, splash clear or malt vinegar on the plates. It will sizzle quite happily even after you may have switched the grill off. This will remove any fat that sits on the plates and in between the grills. With the lid left open, you can additionally “throw” the vinegar onto the corresponding plate since it is vertical.
2) Take a boiled kettle and pour a little water onto the plates – this will allow the vinegar and mess to drip into the oil tray. If you’re not happy about this, go to option 3 and forget this!
3) Using a damp cloth, wipe the mess that the vinegar picks up, immediately afterwards. I use damp kitchen towel and my plates are have never scratched even if I use kitchen towel or softer Napkins. A damp cloth works just as well but it will have to be washed immediately afterwards.
The only downside to this “alternative” cleaning method is that vinegar has a much stronger smell. You can alternatively add a drop of lemon juice OR tea tree oil as well so that the scent isn’t as acidic when the vinegar burns on the plates. Also, avoid "chip shop" vinegar as this will give your kitchen the smell of a chip shop as well as being fishy!
Also avoid washing up liquid - it means when the grill is used next time, you may get a bit of meat with an underlying taste of soap!
Downsides
My Baby grill gets extremely hot during and just after cooking, with the only inevitable external part that’s cool to touch is the drip tray and the top lid.
A plastic cleaning spatula is also supplied but it doesn't look or feel as if it is made with this model in particular because the plate slats are very wide whilst the spatula isn't and is obvious that it is made and probably a free accessory for all George Foreman products that have the narrow slats against the wider ones here.
Needless to say because the heating element is permanently attached to the bottom of the grill, this is not an item you can put in a basin or dishwasher but rather cleaning ad hoc on the shelf or worktop where the grill has actually been placed.
Cleaning the body is also very easy since it is made of metal and being silver in colour means that it is easy to see stains that can be wiped off using just a damp cloth. The black plates inside are slightly greyish looking and clearly non-stick whilst the surround walls around the plates ensure that if any grease or food drops off the design enables most droplets to be caught on the plates rather than anywhere else outside the main grill plates - a problem which most toastie machines tend to suffer from.
Clearly being non-stick in design it makes common sense not to use metal implements; I have wooden tongs and spoons for example which I prefer to so-called heatproof plastic implements.
Final Thoughts
So for a little grill that doesn't look as if it does very much, the George Foreman Baby grill is perfect for one person or a couple that says what it does on the tin. Simply styled and efficient it should suit anyone looking to buy a health grill, which won't take up half of your kitchen worktop or burn a hole in your pocket! Crucially though my model has lasted for 4 years and still goes without a hitch. It is a superb model to look out for despite the fact that it has been replaced – and the model that took over is less than successful, a fact that I had to find out myself when my mother took a liking to my 13631 and was forced to buy the new model. Thanks for reading! ©Nar2 2012
Compact Grilling Without Feeling Guilty! 
