Grill Reviews

I was very intrigued when I saw the Weber Q grill. Had to have it. I have owned Charcoal and gas Webers in the past. I recently purchased a travel trailer, and had to have a portable for the RV.

Had previously used the "Grill and go" and was not impressed at all. If a man is going to grill, he needs fire down below. The first use of the new Q was on a boys camping trip with my church. Cooked 10 burgers with ease. Grilled 30+ hot dogs with out breaking a sweat. Have 2 camping trips on tap in the next 30 days. Looking forward to some serious food being grilled. Don't waste your time with the 14oz. torch bottles, except for emergencies or space.I purchased a universal adapter for a 20# tank. You get more consistent volume and higher heat. A definite must. Have ordered the cart and duffle bag as well. The Q has impressive space and TRUE big grill character while maintaining portability.

The clean up was easy as well. A piece of foil, shiny side down, and high heat for about 15 minutes does trick after cooking a large volume. Otherwise a grill brush during preheat will take care of debris.

Flat griddles, and "non-stick" closed grates have no place in true fire grills. Seasoned cast iron grates are the way to go.
I look forward to many camp meals being grilled to perfection, for many years to come. "Q" ON!!!

This is my third Weber grill and first ever gas grill. I've been considering a gas grill for more convenience during the week, but didn't want one that took up much room. The Thermos and Coleman portable models that have come out in the last year interested me at first, but really just seemed to be outdoor grillpans/griddles. Then I saw the Q...

The Q is a good looking, stylish grill. Added to that are clever design features (folding trays, ultra-light composite shell), a high quality regulator, and a cast iron cooking grate that weighs more than the rest of the grill. Weber has also designed accessories that add to the functionality of the Q. Out of the box, assembly is a breeze. A useful Owner's Guide and a nice recipe card booklet are provided.

I've cooked one meal so far. The food cooked evenly across the whole surface. Once it was preheated, the medium gas setting was plenty to keep the heat up. I was very impressed with how well it cooked. Also, don't be fooled by the thought of a portable grill being small -- the Q can handle a lot of food. I had 4 sausages and 12 large shrimp on it and there was plenty of room for more.

As a longtime dedicated charcoal guy, I find that gas grilling just doesn't provide the same flavor. But the Q has won me over for quick, clean, and convenient weeknight cooking. The idea of being able to take it on the road adds to the value. It may even prove to be a handy double-burner for weekend barbecues. Thanks, Weber, for another great grill.

(Update: I've now grilled potato planks, chicken breast, pork chops, pizza, polenta, pinwheel skirt steaks, garlic bread, eggplant, mushrooms, and beef skewers. All have turned out pefectly. Can't say enough about the cooking grate and evenness of cooking across the entire surface.)

Purchased the Q at Home Depot. Removed the propane tank guard/holder so the wider tanks would fit. Can do no wrong! Setup and startup are amazingly simple. The only complaint is not purchasing it sooner. It's crazy to see all of the 5-star ratings, but it's really true.

This is our first day with our GF grill, but we've already made grilled vegetables (zucchini, mushrooms, bell peppers, onions) and Boca burgers. Everything turned out very well, and it was quick and easy. I think it's pretty easy to clean, too (much easier than your average broiler pan). This is a good size for two people, but don't expect to cook everything at once (i.e., meat and vegetables together). There isn't enough room, and if the items aren't of uniform thickness, the thinner items won't be as nicely grilled. Also, you may have to turn some items midway to get grill marks on both sides. I don't think the bun warmer does much good on its own, but it can be useful for keeping bread products warmed after you've heated them in the toaster. All in all, I'm very pleased. My husband and I had fun playing grill chefs indoors on a chilly fall day.

This is one of the greatest things that has ever happened in my life I love this grill. its easy to use and clean up, plus it makes even the most time "unconcious" person make everything good and not burned.I still have the one my mother bought when it first came out and its still working like a champ. There is no reason for you to buy this. It makes cooking a snap and it is very quick for those ,OH GOODNESS I'M ABOUT TO FAINT IF I DON'T EAT SOMETHING QUICK, meals.I say this because I sometimes forget to eat.

There are too many great things to say about this little device: It's affordable to anybody, even if you are a student stuck living at school. It's compact, you can store it anywhere--a closet, your car, your office, the kitchen cabinet. It's powerful--I have plugged it in and in just minutes began working on an entire three course meal for six people with only this unit to work with. It's easy to clean--this is one of the few products out there that is every bit as easy to clean as the commercials show it to be on TV. It's is economical, using very little electricity to do a just that would waste electricity in a conventional oven or even an older model microwave oven. It's versatile--I have cooked everything from thin pieces of tempeh strips to thick steaks and it cooks both to perfection. You never would have been able to convince me to buy anything on TV before (and most certainly not from a former boxing champion...) but since a friend both this grill for me I have thanked them time and again (and in turn bought the same gift for many a friend of my own).

This is where it all started. The classic design, superb quality and super ease of use. I've been grilling for a long time now. I have gone thru many low end grills in the beginning.

I find all low end grills: rusty, tiny, and hard to work with.

Thats when I turned to Weber's classic kettle design; and I have been happy since.

Features:
at 22.5" surface diameter, there is plenty of room for your steaks, chicken, chops, ribs. The distance between the grill and charcoal is perfect, the bowl design offers superior heat control. The entire thing is build from high grade steel enameled in procelin which makes it look classy and protects the unit quite well. The crack-resisting wheels and space-aged handle material proves to be durable.

I have not seen a grill shown up in more commercials, movies, cartoons and references. This is a legendary American cultural icon. The kettle is symbolic for hardcore BBQers. And I am proud to own one and receive compliements of my BBQ events time after time.

I recommend buying genuine Weber accessories (gloves, hinged grate, tool sets, beer chicken rack, rib racks, tool holder/hooks). You will not regret it!

Ucipimp of Irvine, CA

My wife and I received a Weber Silver One-Touch grill for a wedding present 20 years ago, and we just replaced it with a new One-Touch Silver grill. I found that it has plastic handles instead of wood, which has its advantages and disadvantages. It doesn't look as nice as the wood, but the old wood handles rotted away a few years ago and I had to fabricate new ones, which won't happen with the plastic ones. The new grill surface uses thinner steel rods, and they are spaced farther apart than the old ones. Since I still have the old one, I just put the old grill surface in my new Weber, and since it has no rust on it (protected by many years' accumulation of grease) it worked out just fine. The new ash tray is much easier to get in and out than the old one, which I am pleased about. It was always a big pain to get the ash tray out without spilling half the ashes on the patio. I really like having a new "one-touch" cleaning system. The old one had rusted out, necessitating a lot of work to clean it out, and adjusting the vent. The "one-touch" system of venting is the only one on the market like it, and is the real key to great, tender, well-cooked barbeque, not black, half-burned coals instead of food. This is especially true for cooking pork, chicken or other poultry, which has to be cooked all the way through. Well worth the price!

I like to say that I grew up upper-lower class, but didn't know it. Our family never did without, and we seemed the same as all the neighbors. But one day I asked my parents, "How come we have a 15 inch barbeque, when everyone else has the 22 1/2 inch Weber? And how come our folding patio chairs have nylon strips (respectably a bit shredded), while the neighbors have rubber tube strips?" My Dad sat me down and said, "Son, sometimes we have to do without. But this is a great country. If you work hard enough and mind your P's and Q's, one day you could be lower-lower middle class, or maybe even lower-middle middle class. Feelin' better? Good! How 'bout a Fresca?" Well, all these years later, I have my very own 22 1/2 inch Weber!!! I've made it!! My Dad's dreams for me came true -- if only he were here to see it. He's not dead, he lives in Southern California, 7-8 hours away. And... I just bought him a train ticket!! Thank you Weber!!!

This fabulous All Clad LTD griddle has become a weekend morning staple in our kitchen. We prepare "big" family breakfasts on the weekends and with this griddle we cook bacon, sausage, pancakes, eggs, hash browns...the works...all together. It fits such large portions, that we can serve hot food all together. It is wonderful!
We have a gas stove top and we find that this griddle cooks evenly across the entire surface. There are no "primary hot zones".

Great cookware. Like all other reviews, I too love this item. It makes cooking breakfast a lot faster and easier. You could make all the pancakes at once, cook eggs and bacons the same time. I really recommend this cookware if you have been thinking about buying a griddle. Forget about buying one single griddle, you need a double griddle (makes cooking a lot faster). Easy to clean also. I normally buy Calphalon's products, but this griddle which is made by Al-Clad is far heavier in weight and nicer design also.

Amazing pretty much says it all for this griddle. I cook everything from pancakes to grilled cheese to crepes to cheesesteaks. Works great for bacon, all of the grease collects on the sides and then easily pours out. Would recommend All-clad products for everyone. The best thing is that at the end of the cooking, all you do is rinse it in the sink, and everything comes off. No awful scrubbing.

THE GOOD: so I must admit this is one pretty cool sandwich maker. It melts cheese puuuuuuuurfectly. My mushrooms are pretty well squished in with the ham and the tomatoes dont come out soggy at all. It's cute and small and has that ever so popular Krups brand on it so you know it's good.

THE BAD: problem is it's too small and cute. One slice of white bread barely fits in there and don't even think about putting Italian bread or real Sourdough bread in there..it just wont fit.

THE UGLY: when it's all over and you just endulged in this great melty cheesy snadwich thats gooey all over your hands, guess what..it's also gooey all over the sandwich maker as well! There are so many nookes and cranneys in this little machine that it's impossible to get all the melted on gunk. And after about 5 or 10 sandwiches you can just imagion the nastyness.

FINAL NOTE: ultimatly if you want to take the 20 min or so (and thats a conservative estimate) to clean this thing up each and every time you use it then it's a gret deal. It makes a variety or deli meat great hot sandwiches that literally melt in your mouth.

I was skeptical of this product because some of the other reviewers said that it was messy and too small to hold many bread slices. I've found that it will easily work with a normal slice of bread, and with fancier loaves you can just trim to the right size. It does occasionally drip grease from the cheese and is a little hard to clean because the plates don't come off, but I didn't find these problems to be too objectionable. For $19.95 this machine is a great deal. We use it all the time. Since we often work late it's nice to fix a quick, creative and healthy meal in only a few minutes, and with a minimum of clean-up.

Just bought this 2 days ago. Love it for making sandwiches for myself and 2 year old. It's great if you're watching your weight because you can't squeeze a ton of junk on it, though a decent amount fits which is good for little one's sandwiches too. I have not found it hard to clean, definitely doesn't take 20 mins like someone said in one review. If you wait till it's just slightly warm and clean it with a dry paper towel over the sink, you can easily wipe the rest out with a damp sponge. 2 minutes tops. Love this thing, glad I bought it, just don't overstuff it.

Although this 12-inch brush and scraper is well made, it's too short (which is important when you're cleaning the back of a hot grill). In retrospect, I would have spent the extra two bucks to get the 18-inch model.

This little scraper is perfect for all grills, the brass brissles are stronger and better than those greeny-meanies, but soft enough for porceline coated grills unlike the steel bristle ones which will scratch. Great tool, but a little short for those on-the-fly !HOT! scrapes.

I purchased a Weber Genesis BBQ two years ago and bought one of these brush / scrapers (and a cover) at the same time. It does a great job cleaning the grill and lasts me a full BBQ season (I BBQ a LOT). As stated below, crank up the heat on your grill, give it a few minutes to get real hot, then scrape off the previous sessions' remnants. The metal tip at the end gets way down between the grates, and the bristles really clean the grill. Just get it (they're cheap) and you're set for another season of delicious adventures...

My wife and I are so fond of our George Foreman grill, we've given it a nickname, something no other home appliance, small or big, has ever inspired us to do. Right out of the box, "The George" squashed our skepticism over the hype of all those ubiquitous TV commercials and turned us into grillin' fools. Especially when time is a factor, oven preparation can't hold a candle to The George, whose speed and efficiency has made late-night suppers, once an unpleasant consequence of our odd work schedules, a thing of the past. The savory grilled goodness of steaks, hamburgers and chicken is mere minutes away when The George does the cooking. Hot dogs, ready in just a couple of minutes, are ballpark-tasty and have become a family favorite. Onions, bell peppers and other healthy veggie sides are delicious, too.

Before I took the suggestion of another Amazon reviewer of placing moistened paper towels between the grilling surfaces to soften cooking residue, clean-up was a horrible onus that took way too much time, elbow grease and cussing, because I had foolishly allowed the stuck-on mess to congeal and harden. The paper towel method is ingenious, it works great, and I can't recommend it enough.

It's easy to see why Consumers Digest named the George Foreman grill a "Best Buy" two years running. For versatility, ease of use and reliability, I also give it my highest mark.

I've had this grill for a year. I use it anytime it is too cold to grill outside. It's great because you can cook different types and thicknesses of food at the same time or you can use only one side for small dinners. You can set each side with a different temperature and the top automatically adjusts to the thickness of the food. So thick meats on one side, vegies on the other. Turn off one side when done, food stays warm and you can continue cooking on the other side. To clean easily, I place a damp paper towel in the grill when I turn it off so the residue gets soft and I can wipe it when I'm ready. Really a great product.

I am seriously cooking challenged, perhaps the biggest moron from any kitchen in North America. In my early 40's, I can barely boil water and have never made a hot meal for myself. I rely on fast food and my dinner generally consisted of Cheerios (literally). Everyone at work have urged me for over a year to get the George Foreman grill. I warily watched George's infomercials and grudgingly resisted taking the plunge to buy this grill. I thought there was no way it could possibly be as easy as Foreman made it seem. Boy, was I wrong.

I have had this grill for over a year and can honestly attest this is the best hundred bucks I have ever plucked down. Already I have made hamburgers in a jiffy, grilled salmon, shrimp and boneless chicken breasts. This may seem like nothing to you, but for someone who regarded Shredded Wheat as a gourmet meal, this grill has put a huge smile on my face, not to mention my husband, who is dancing a jig whenever the cooking aroma wafts his way.

Using the grill really is as easy as the infomercials claim. Grab your hamburger patties, sprinkle on some seasoning, pluck them down on the grill, close the lid and six minutes later you have a perfectly cooked burger. I was in ecstasy the first time I tasted one of my creations. No longer am I the most cooking challenged human being on the planet, I am giving Julia Childs a run for her money. God bless George Foreman, this product is fantastic. If you're a novice cook or a pro, you can't go wrong with this product.

I have owned this Villaware Uno Panini Grill for about a month, and use it constantly. I bought it as a George Foreman substitute, and use it primarily for chicken, fish, and burgers. Although it does a very good job on all of those meats, I have spent an inordinate amount of time cleaning this machine. With meat, as opposed to a sandwhich, cleanup is a bit more involved, and since you can't get some of it wet - complications arise. Could someone please invent a machine just like this one, but with removable grill plates?

The other thing to be aware of is the temperature gage. Paninis seem to require a hotter surface, while meats sear instantly on the lowest temp. Be careful with steaks if you like them rare to med-rare. It is easy to overcook them. At times, i'd like to slow down the cooking a little, but this is not really a major problem.

In this sturdy and heavy panini grill -- appearing to be from the same factory as the similar Krups unit -- I wish to point out some design problems:

The VillaWare #2160 Uno Panini Grill no only cooks quickly, but more importantly, it cooks with almost no fat. The bottom grill is slanted so that fat drips off the surface. This may sound good at first to some low-fat eaters, but this feature leads to quickly cooked, dried-out foods -- meats and fish in particular.

Additionally, the grill is NOT easy to clean as others have claimed. The experts at a local cookware shop warned about this problem, and even encouraged me to purchase another Italian unit instead. The scraper that comes with the VillaWare is essential, but the scraper doesn't do a complete job of penetrating the grooves, leaving one to spend additional time trying to remove fat and food residues from the bottom grill side. I finally lifted this heavy machine above a sink, and carefully sloping it in a particular fashion, sprayed water across its surfaces to loosen the built up substances on it. Probably not recommended, but a necessary procedure in this user's judgement. The top grill's slots are not as deep and therefore easier to clean with a wet wrag.

The Krups unit has more shallow grills, which are level, leaving the cooking oils that you have applied to the food before grilling, on the surface of the grill. This allows moisture to be retained in the food because the outside surfaces can be seared with a bit of fat.

This has got to be the best grill out! I just about bought a Foreman grill, until I happened across this grill in a store. I quickly rushed home to see how it was reviewed on Amazon, and to check Amazon's price.
I used to work at a store that had a deli that made Paninis, and ate them all the time. Love em, love em, love em!
I've had it for 2 months, and still use it 3-4 times a week.
Once you buy this, you will never eat another "regular" sandwhich again!
It's easy! All you do is make your favorite sandwhich while the maker is heating up, spray with a little bit of olive oil (or whatever oil you like), and put your sandwhich in the grill, pushing down on the sandwhich every once in a while to create that melding of the flavors I love so..... mmmmm...
Oh, and what sandwhich isn't made better by bacon!?! It literally takes less than a minute for bacon to cook (just make sure you've got your drip tray in place), and it comes out perfectly flat and ready to put on your sandwhich.
Plus! Look how much cheaper it is to eat sandwhiches made at home, rather than those you buy at McRonald's or BurgerStink. Now, not only is it cheaper, but it tastes soooo much better!!!
Words of advise:
*Make sure temperature selector is at highest setting for the best paninis.
*Wait until after you've grilled your sandwhich before adding stuff like tomatoes, lettuce, or other stuff you don't want to get soggy- they will be heated, too (although, I happen to like the way the lettuce tastes after it's been cooked with the sandwhich).
*Oh-my-gosh, these sandwhiches taste sooo much better with thinly sliced RED onions, red wine vinegar, deli style mustard, and the new fancy smancy mayonases (such as the chipolte or sun dried tomato).
*Use a good bread. I like to get a nice loaf of Italian and slice it on a bias, so as to get a longer sandwhich. The bread will smush down, so I like to cut the slices a little thicker, also. Plus, if you use a crusty bread, it just adds that "little extra" to it.

Well, what are you waiting for!?! You'd be a fool not to get a panini maker! LOL! I almost slapped down a wad of cash (20-30 more than this one, bought at Amazon) on one of the Foremans, but this does all they can do, plus makes THE BEST sandwhiches! We used to eat at the fast food places all the time, but we haven't been to one since we bought this! Even scrubway!! 6 grams of fat?? I can do better than that with tons more flavor!
I haven't seen a better price than on Amazon, either.

I got the George Foreman Contact Roaster for a Mother's Day gift. I love kitchen gadgets and could not wait to add this one to my collection. The first thing I cooked in it was the egg casserole (recipe in the booklet) and it turned out great. The second thing I made was a 3 lb. chicken. The aroma as it cooked was amazing. It was moist, tender and juicy. It took an hour and a half to cook. I would suggest NOT to line your roaster with sliced onions as I did to enhance the flavor of the chicken. The onions carmelized, then burned and got stuck in the drip hole. It was not very easy to clean that out. The roaster is also a bit small. I wish I would have requested the larger model as we are a family of 4 (soon to be 5) and I can see us outgrowing this appliance long before it wears out. I love to create recipes and cannot wait to see what I am able to concoct to cook in this roaster. It is very versetile and does not heat up the kitchen. It is smaller than the crock pot I used to have, and I probably will never buy another seeing how much fat this machine drains from meats. I will never again cook a chicken in a crock pot and let it sit in all that grease! The booklet that comes with the roaster is easy to read, although there are not many recipes in it. The little cleaning tool is great, it works very well and the additional drip tray comes in handy in case you have a very fatty cut of meat or you want to cook a second item right after the first is finished cooking. All in all, a wonderful appliance and highly reccomended.

What I like about this Contact Cooker is that it's perfect for roasting chickens (less than 5 lbs), roasts, and whatever else you can fit in the cooker's cavity. It heats up in less than five minutes and is ready to go when you are.

The cooker comes with a removable insert which I used most of the time so the meat can roast in it's own juices. It also makes it easier to collect the juice for gravy, just make sure to use pot holders.

The only cons I have are:

1. The insert tray handles stick out of the sides of the cooker. It gets hot and can burn you if you're not paying attention. Plus, an unknowing person may accidently try to pick up the cooker thinking their handles for the cooker itself. It can be a potentially very dangerous situation when the cooker is being used.

2. You don't have a choice to the heat settings. Heck, it took me a while to find out what the cooker's heat setting was. It's a permanent 325. But, since you're cooking using all sides of the cooker, the temperature is quite practical for all meats.

3. The cooking cavity is not as big as I would like it to be. It's fine for anything less than 5 lbs and not overly large. Great for family meals of 4 or less - but don't expect to fit a pork shoulder roast or Thanksgiving turkey. It also doesn't allow room for me to slip in a temperature probe very well.

The Pros:

1. Easy to clean. The teflon coating clean up really nice. The insert tray take a little more work to clean, but it's not too bad.

2. Fast warm up. It's ready in less than 5 minutes.

3. Doesn't radiate heat as much like your oven would. A big plus, especially in the summer time.

4. Less mess overall. I use less pots and pans. What a relief.

5. Just about foolproof if you follow directions. Even though I like using temperature probes to keep tabs on my food, it really isn't necessary to do so.

This is a really nice cooker to have. Lots of pluses to having it, especially when you start using it. You'll discover the benefits yourself.

I love this cooker. For a family of 2 or 3 this is great. Just the right size. It easily cooks a 5# chicken. I put a pork roast in the roasting pan and it came out so tender and juicy. Fixed wings first by putting in the bottom part and getting rid of some of the grease then put them in the roasting pan, then added barbeque sauce. Great. Would recommend this to anyone. Especially someone watching not to eat alot of grease.

This is not a bad little sandwich maker. The pockets are narrow so the fillings do squeeze out the side. It is easy to clean. Unfortunately, it is not very long-lasting. One of the plastic light covers came off about 3 days after I purchased it. The other one popped off about one month later. I have had it for about 5 months now and the cord apparently has shorted out. I have to wiggle it for five minutes before I can get the sandwich maker to turn on. Since my kids are hooked on the grilled cheese sandwiches I make in it, I will be heading out to buy another sandwich maker. I just don't think it will be this brand again.

Our friends AJ and Natalie gave us the Snackster as a wedding gift, and boy was Niffy Bateson Rodgerson right--the Snackster sure does make tasty treats! Our favorite snack to make is a pizza pocket. A quick treat to make with jarred pizza sauce, mozzarella, and pepperoni. It's fun to experiment too! We've also tried grilled cheese, jam pockets, and even little cherry pies with store-bought dough and filling. It's lots of fun! The only drawback we've found is that we'd like it if the pockets were deeper so our snacks could have more delicious filling and not ooze out the sides.

I got this a few months ago after wanting one for years. I thought it was going to be another usless thing i would have to store somewhere in my kitchen. I was pleasantly surprised at how helpful i have found it!

It works best on *full* sandwhiches so that there is good contact between the upper and lower plates. The unit automatically cuts and seals each of the 2 full sandwhiches into 2 pieces. (if you turn the sandwhich when its almost done you can make 4 pieces). I tend to use regular to thick style slices of bread. You can cook with tortilla, pitas etc but the result tends to be the best with bread.

The best sandwiches i have made were a combo of meat and cheese with butter or margarine spread on the outside. I hear mayo is a good thing to spread on the outside as well... To reduce the fat, i just give it a extra large coating of non-stick spray altho the results arent quite as yummy.

There are some recipes that come with the unit and some alternative uses to sandwiches.. muffin mix, cake mix... pancake mix..etc. I have found that pancake batter works great altho i use at least twice as much as they suggest to get the best result. I havent had all that much luck with the cake mix/muffin mix thing. I find the outside is pretty stiff (almost a crust feeling) and can have a burned scent or flavor. I have also tried scrambled eggs but they seem a bit rubbery to me (like microwaved eggs) altho i am thinking as a mixed omelet with cheese this might be better.

Food cooks pretty quickly and clean up is easy despite the fact that you cant remove the grill plates. I have found i use this much more than i thought. I would reccomend buying a sandwich maker cookbook with it... it would be much more helpful than just the recipe insert that comes with unit.