Buying Guide For Best George Foreman Grills
Grilling is a healthy, tasty way to cook a wide range of meats and other foods. But if you dont want your grill use to be affected by the weather, an indoor grill is a must-have. And when it comes to indoor grills, the models from George Foreman arent just the best known theyre also some of the best.
A George Foreman grill is usually a countertop appliance that features two grill plates that open and close along a hinge. You place a steak or other food item on the bottom plate and close the top plate over it, so both sides are cooked at the same time.
George Foreman grills are available in a wide range of models, but which one is right for you? Our buying guide can help you determine the size, features and options that best suit your grilling lifestyle.
Other Products We Considered
With so many George Foreman grills to choose from, you shouldnt have any trouble finding a model that suits your grilling needs. The George Foreman 15-Serving Indoor/Outdoor Grill is an ideal option if youre looking for a grill that you can use both inside and outside your home. It has a 240 square-inch round grilling surface that fits up to 15 burgers, so you can easily cook for a crowd on a patio, or in your kitchen.
We also like the George Foreman Grill & Broil 7-in-1 Electric Indoor Grill. Versatility is this grills forte. Not only can it grill and broil, but it can also do waffles, paninis, and baked goods. A truly versatile model.
How Many Guests Will You Serve
One of the biggest factors that determine a grill size is the number of guests. Basically, this means the number of people you plan on serving in a single day of grilling out.
The larger the number, the bigger the grill needs to be.
For example, a family of four will need a grill that is at least 14-1/2 inches in diameter. A grill this size will provide enough cooking space for four hamburgers or hotdogs and vegetables.
Do not make the same mistake, as many of us have, by getting a grill that is inadequate. If the grill does not have enough space to cook the food for all of your guests simultaneously, you will definitely run into some trouble, and be wishing you got the correct size to begin with.
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Durability And Quality Of Construction
If youre looking for a grill that offers eye-catching style and high durability, a pellet grill is an ideal option. Since your grill will be outside, youll want it to continue to look great and withstand the outdoor elements.
While the inside of a Grilla Grills pellet grill has high-quality stainless steel grates, the outside construction of the pellet smoker is what makes this type of grill strong and durable. The exterior of a pellet smoker features:
- Strong and high heat-resistant powder coating to protect against the weather and retain heat
- Welded and caulked seams for extra protection against the elements
- A metal thermal jacket to retain the most heat for optimal cooking
- An incredibly sturdy stainless steel lid
- Wheeled products with strong, solid rubber wheels
- A tough stainless steel frame
Your pellet grill will thrive outside and will operate well in various outdoor conditions.
Camp Chef Woodwind Wifi 24 With Sidekick
Fuel: Wood pellets | Cooking surface: 811 square inches
- Easy to use sear zone
- Expensive
The Woodwind WiFi 24 is an attractive, versatile grill that fits better in tight spaces due to its vertical legs and small footprint. During testing we found it more convenient to maneuver and reposition where we had issues with other grills. A nice propane-fueled griddle attaches to the side and runs independently of the pellet grill controller. Heat distribution was even, as evidenced by our white-bread test. And the sear zone was perhaps the easiest to use, with a slide that pulls out to expose the center of the cooking grate to the direct heat of the flame. The color LCD control screen allows you to set the temperature and the amount of smoke produced. We appreciated all the features, but they add to the costthe Woodwind WiFi 24 runs $800 without the Sidekick.
EDITORS CHOICE
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Best Overall Gas Grill Best Under $1000
- Heavy-gauge steel grates are preferred to Weber-standard iron grates
Cooking Space: 669 square inchesGas Type: Propane or Natural GasMax Temperature: ~800° F
There are cheaper grills with most of the features and cheaper grills with comparable build quality and cheaper grills supported by healthy warranties and strong customer service but there is no grill that matches the Webers Genesis E-330 complete package.
Other than a mess of heavy-gauge, enamel-coated steel, plenty of storage, a side burner, foldaway warming racks and north of 500 square inches of cooking space, its also a part of a rare class of gas grills that can climb temperatures above 800 degrees, thanks to a built-in infrared burner that effectively double the heat potential of the grill. Theres enough cooking space and burners to successfully employ the two-zone grilling technique, which effectively makes any grill a smoker, or at least close to it. Its an all-around grill and a specialty grill in one.
Our only qualm is the use of enameled cast iron grates. In testing, the grill reached 650 degrees over the standard burners and nearly 900 degrees over the infrared “Sear Zone” burner. This is plenty of heat the grill doesn’t need tedious, heavy cast iron grates. If you’re up for it, we recommend replacing them with GrillGrates’ anodized aluminum set, which bring greater heat balance, increase grate-level temperatures and further reduce flare-ups.
Calculate Grill Surface Area
When deciding what size grill you need, its better to pay attention to the grill surface area rather than any abstract measuring factors.
Measuring by other factors, such as the number of burgers that can fit on a grill, is very dependent on external factors and should be avoided.
Instead, you would want to pay attention to the cooking surface area.
Cooking surface area
The cooking surface area is equal to the width of the grilling area multiplied by the length. This gives you the measurement in square inches.
Most gas grills will measure in between 400 and 500 square inches. This is a common size for the average household.
For those with a large family or want to host guests, choosing a larger grill up to at least 600 square inches is a good idea.
What about half shelves?
When calculating or reading grill surface areas, make sure to check if the number includes any half or top shelves in the calculation.
These shelves add extra cooking space, but they grill much differently than the lower shelf. In short, they are incredibly useful for two-heat cooking or indirect cooking.
Since most people will use each area of the grill for different things, you should know how much space is devoted to each section.
Without this knowledge, you might accidentally plan to cook too much at once on direct heat even though the space is unavailable.
If you need a grill with 400 square inches of active, hot grilling space, models with a top-shelf might not be ideal unless you go bigger.
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Royal Gourmet Cd1824e 23
Best barrel charcoal grill
Reasons to avoid
If you want to do more than sling hot dogs and burgers on your charcoal grill, the Royal Gourmet is ideal. It has a crank that lets you raise and lower the charcoal pan to help control the heat. When you want to quickly grill brats, move the coals right below them. To slowly smoke a side of salmon without flare-ups, lower them.
Theres even a door underneath the grates that makes it easy to keep adding charcoal as the hungry crowd thickens. Plus youll find you need a lot of charcoal to keep the Royal Gourmet burning, so make sure you stock up before the party starts.
Unlike on a kettle-style grill, this model has side tables to hold your tongs and trays and platters. Youll also find a thermometer in the lid to give you a rough idea as to how hot it is under the grill, a warming rack thats helpful for heating buns, and an easy to remove ash tray. Below the grill theres a bottom shelf to keep extra charcoal or a roll of paper towels.
Should I Get A Two Or Three Burner Grill
This is a lot like asking if you need a sedan or an SUV. If you rarely grill for more than two to three people, a two-burner grill is plenty of space most of the time. But if you have a larger family or have a lot of backyard get-togethers, then a three-burner grill is important so you have the space to cook more food at once. When sizing up a grill, remember to think about all the things you might want to regularly cook, including browning buns and heating side dishes.
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Selecting The Right Grill
Its not difficult to select the right grill. The most important thing you can do is think about what you want to cook and how you want to cook it. If all you want to do is grill a few hot dogs and hamburgers at the campsite, theres no sense in getting carried away. Buy an inexpensive grill and use some common sense in preparing that food. If thats where you are now, but you want to, say, move on to grilling seafood or smoking brisket, youre going to need a grill that has the capacity to take you where you want to go. The most important thing for making more sophisticated food on any grillgas, charcoal, or pelletis the ability to control the heat source. For charcoal grills, that means plenty of space for fuel and the means to either add more charcoal, raise and lower the cooking surface, or mound the charcoal up on one side for indirect cooking. For gas grills, you need two or more burners. For pellet grills, its a bit easier, because they have automated temperature control systems.
All of these grills are mobile to one extent or another. However, if mobility is one of your main needs, pay close attention to the portable grills we tested. These are ideal for tailgating and do double duty to expand your firepower in the backyard when your main grill doesnt have enough surface area to cook everything you need when company is expected.
Watch: Dave Joachims best grilling tips.
Your Ultimate Grill Buying Guidetested And Approved
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We often hear that things were better decades agothe food was fresher, the sky bluer, and all you needed was a big brick barbecue in the backyard. But patio cooking has been reanimated. Across this great land people are searing, roasting, braising, and smoking. Grills have proliferated. When it comes to buying your next grill, theres no shortage of product to chose from in terms of price and features. Check out quick reviews of five of the top models belowfrom homeowner-grade appliances to gourmet options. Scroll down for in-depth reviews of these and others, plus buying advice.
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Best Grills Of : Gas Charcoal Combination And More
All products featured on Epicurious are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
The best grill isn’t just for professionals or people with sprawling backyardsanyone whos looking to up their cookout game can find a standout grill that fits their budget and space parameters. And while any variety you pick up from the hardware store will absolutely do the job, the world of grills is wide and the options are seemingly endless knowing the features that are right for you and your style of outdoor cooking will help you make the most informed decision. After all, the real best grill is the one you’ll use, over and over again.
To me, grilling is the most primal, primitive, fundamental way of cooking, says Edward Lee, award-winning chef, cookbook author, and grilling expert. We’ve been grilling for thousands of years, and on a very rudimentary level, you can set up some bricks in your backyard with wood and skewer and you have a grill. Or you can go with the Ferrari version that comes with a thousand-dollar price tagit’s a personal choice! The most important thing is to remember is that great food will be the result of your cooking, not your equipment.
Size: How Big Does My Grill Need To Be
Yes, size does matter. And when it comes to grilling, the bigger, the better.
Bigger grills take longer to heat up and use more fuel, but you can cook more food with them.
The size of your grill depends on what you want or like to cook. And the number of people you’re cooking for.
If you want to cook an entire meal on the grill, you need to have enough space as the average dinner plate per person. That’s about 104 square inches per person.
That’s using the direct heat cooking method. If you want to cook indirectly, you’ll need twice as much room.
For instance, if you want to cook bone-in chicken pieces, they need to be cooked by the indirect method for most of the cooking time. This means you put the chicken on the cooking grate, but not directly over the fire, or the chicken will burn.
You need room to put the chicken on the grill and space for the coals or lit burners next to the chicken.
This also applies to larges cuts like whole birds, chickens, turkeys, ducks, game hens, etc… As well as large whole fish and roasts.
Generally, if what you’re cooking takes 25 minutes or less, use the direct method. If it takes longer than 25 minutes to cook, use the indirect method.
When looking at grills, the specs will give you the total cooking surface area. This includes the warming rack. Look for the size of the main grilling area. You can’t cook on a warming rack.
Next, on how to buy a grill, you want to consider…
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Another Recommended Portable Gas Grill
Cooking Space: 226 square inchesGas Type: Propane Max Temperature: ~375° F
The Nomadiq Mini is a lighter, more spacious portable gas grill than the Weber Q-series. Its temperature range is similar , it almost one-third what the Weber does and it boasts more cooking space . It’s the perfect day-at-the-park or car camping grill, though still not light enough to warrant carrying on a hike.
We have one main quibble with it. While forgivable given the price and portability, the flip-out base isn’t quite as sturdy as you’d like it to be and will wobble if you don’t balance where you’re putting meat on it.
Weber Q2200 Gas Grill
Weighing in at 42.5 pounds and sporting two folding side tables, this small grill is easy to take on camping trips or tailgating adventures but still has enough cooking space and power to prepare a delicious meal for four. It has a heavy-duty cast-aluminum cook box, providing an even convection heat inside it, said Phan. The cooking grates are porcelain-coated cast iron, which not only maintains many features of cast iron, such as great searing, but also includes a porcelain outer layer for easy cleaning and rust resistance.
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How Much Should I Spend On A Pellet Smoker Or Grill
Prices for pellet smokers and grills are all over the place and its tough to just look at numbers and say, Yeah, thats a steal! or Way too much. Dont do it! It really depends on what features you want, how important a name might be to you, where its made and how big and pretty you want it to be.
This is what I will say: Dont let $50 or even $100 keep you from getting the pellet grill or smoker you really want! This is a long term investment in great grilling and smoking experiences. You dont want that irritating reminder that you should have gotten that smoker with the neat bull horns or direct flame grilling or whatever you really wanted. Its far better to get that ONE you really like and ENJOY it for years and years.
For me, I started with a Traeger Lil Tex Elite. I dont think they make that model anymore, but it was perfect for me just starting out. Later, I upgraded to a much larger Pit Boss Austin XL. This is a great looking smoker grill with direct flame grilling, and the window in the hopper. The downside is that its bigger than we need most of the time, it doesnt have a shelf .
Later, I got a Pit Boss Series-3 Copperhead Vertical Smoker. Its the perfect size for us and I love the big door for loading and unloading. Vertical is the way to go for low and slow smoking.
Do your own homework, decide on which features are must-haves, and bring it home or have it delivered. Youll be glad you did!
How To Choose The Best Gas Grill
For gas grills, look for models with at least two burners, which can allow you to master grilling over indirect heat . Confirm that the grill has a large, deep, and easy-to-empty drip pan for collecting grease, as well as a gas gauge so you always know how much propane is left in the tank. A built-in thermometer is key for knowing exactly how hot your grill is. And finally, for those interested in smoking, a smoker box with a separate dedicated burner.
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