Good Grillin'

A few years back I had a roommate who owned one of the small George Foreman Grills. I'm not one for extra appliances and so I wasn't too impressed by something else to put on the counter. Well my opinion began to change when I saw how quick it cooked, when I saw the fat run off into the catch tray and when I saw how versatile that little machine was. After a few last minute grilled dinners I was hooked on the machine. Thankfully I always had roommates with this little appliance and so I just used theirs.

The day finally came when I had to decide if I were going to buy my own and even though I knew I like the George Foreman, something made me think I needed to check out what options I had. I did a little research and discovered that little machine had evolved into quite a selection of appliances for a variety of cooking needs. I came across the G5 and immediately zeroed in because of the many options it promised to provide. After my careful research and deal hunting I found one for the very inexpensive (comparably) of $79 and took the plunge. After owning it for several months there are somethings I have learned to enjoy about this G5 of mine and some other features I am not so pleased with.

THE GOOD

-It heats up fairly quickly and certainly saves energy. I'm a single gal and I would rather use one small appliance as opposed to the whole oven.
-It is versatile. I can bake, grill, or use the waffle iron. I didn't buy three appliances to do that and so my G5 only takes up counter space for one.
-Easy to clean. This is my favorite. Pop those plates into some soapy water or set them straight into the dishwasher.
-One inch hinge lets me cook thicker items and cook them with a flat, top surface.

THE BAD:

-The plug in cord is very short and so I can only put it on a few spots on the counter. If its a wide counter then the appliance is kind of an awkward reach.
-The extra grills take up extra space and don't stack super well. They are just awkward to store.
-The grill was designed to stay open I think but if you do that (for cooking eggs or pancakes) then you lose heat and it cooks at too low of a temperature. If you cook with it closed then you risk mashing your food plus you have to open it to flip your pancakes and its hard to watch pancakes that are in a closed container.

THE GRILL:

Honestly I think the George Foreman is a good appliance and I know I'll use this one a lot but I don't think I'll use all five of the plates that often. I'll grill and I'll use the waffle iron. The average going price is $125 and so that would mean I spent $60 on a waffle iron and $60 on a George Foreman Grill. Thankfully I got it for quite a bit cheaper but I'm still not sure I came out on top. I think its overkill on the features and overkill on the price. Get a regular, family-sized, George Foreman Grill and save the extra dollars to get some high quality steaks to grill on there.