George Forman Grill

When the George Forman Grill first came out I was skeptical.  It seemed like another “seen on TV” sham; some sort of worthless kitchen appliance that suckers would buy and never use.  It would join Salad Spinners and Magic Bullets in the back corner of kitchens’ shelves, gathering dust and waiting to be thrown out, sold off in the next garage sale, or donated to charity when the corner of unused appliances filled up to the brim.  The George Forman Grill looked a little chintzy, and I didn’t see any reason to trust an ex-boxer when deciding what kitchen appliances to purchase.  What did George Forman know about grills or cooking?  Maybe I’d consult him when deciding to buy boxing gloves or a punching bag, but when it came to the kitchen I’d trust Betty Crocker before I’d trust George.

Eventually a friend of mine moved in and became my roommate; he brought with him a futon and a George Forman Grill.  I’ve always fancied myself a bit of an amateur chef, so I finally gave in and gave the thing a try.  I had problems with pan frying meats and vegetables in the apartment; since the exhaust fan merely vented smoke back into the apartment smoky dishes tended to set off fire alarms.  After a couple of conversations with our fire warden I was ready to try something new.

The George Forman Grill was a blessing.  It let me grill steaks, hamburgers, and chicken breasts quickly and without smoking out the apartment.  The grill heated up quick and cooked both sides of meats or vegetables at once, cutting down on cooking time and getting food in my belly quickly.  Though the fat draining system was a big selling point for many, I’m not sure that it was something to get worked up about.  Sure, excess fats drained out into the specially-designed dish, but in a regular grill these fats would just burn off anyway.  Also, I’ve seen other models of the George Forman Grill come with hot dog bun roasters or other such attachments; these seem superfluous as well.  The grill itself, however, surpassed my expectations by a long shot.  The grill doesn’t sit buried in the back of my cabinets; it’s on the counter ready for the next time I decide to grill something up for dinner.  I don’t use it quite as much as I do my microwave or my coffee maker, but the George Forman Grill is handy, especially in a cramped apartment where we don’t have enough room for an entire couch, much less a patio with a gas or charcoal grill.