George Foreman Steel Grill Medium 25041 review

How easy is the George Foreman Steel Grill to use?

There’s very little set up required with this sandwich maker. Simply unbox, slot in the drip tray at the front, decide whether you want the grill flat or angled, and wipe the plates with a damp cloth. There are no controls either; once the grill is plugged in, it begins to heat up.

It’s quick to heat up, taking just two minutes to do so. The indicator lights are clear too, red signals the grill is on and green means it is ready to use. Like most sandwich toasters, the green light will come on throughout the cooking process – this is normal. Just make sure the green light is on when you place the sandwich down.

The floating hinge is lightweight and easy to engage. It sits evenly on the top of sandwiches, pressing them slightly without squashing them.

Results

This model comes with a very comprehensive instruction manual, which includes 24 recipes and a table of cooking times for meat, vegetables and snacks. There’s a large surface area to play with, but we placed all of our sandwiches in the middle of the grill for the best results.

A classic cheese toastie and our deep-filled toasties cooked quickly. The instructions suggested cooking them for two to three minutes, and after a quick look at the two-minute mark, we decided we’d like a little more colour, so left them for another minute. The sandwiches were warmed through with oozing cheese and a crisp exterior. However, the browning was uneven. Only the bottom third of the sandwich was the deep brown colour we were looking for, and the other two thirds were pale and unappealing. To its credit, the grill lines were better defined on the classic cheese toastie, but we would have liked more browning overall.

On the plus side, panini toasting is where this grill excelled. We made the tomato and mozzarella toastie using a firm sub roll, and after three minutes, the panini had well defined, even grill lines and the filling was warmed and melted to perfection.

The non-stick surface is impressive – nothing stuck to it, so cleaning it was a breeze. The instructions suggest storing this on its side when not in use, and thanks to its depth of just under 11cm, it’s not likely to take up much space.

Conclusion

There's a lot to like about the George Foreman Steel Grill. Not only does it produce fantastic paninis, it also did a good job with toasties. The toasties didn’t hit the mark aesthetically, but they were crisp and perfectly melted in the middle.

It’s a shame that the grill plates don't produce even results, especially considering how established the George Foreman brand is.

The floating hinge, coupled with the lightweight lid, is the most impressive aspect of its design. The lid doesn’t crush the contents, either, so you can get creative and generous with your fillings.

Specifications

Multi-functional: No
Number of sandwiches: Varies
Removable plates: No
Dishwasher proof: Drip tray only
Recipe book: Yes
Dimensions (cm): H: 10.9 x W: 31.8cm x D: 34.8cm
Weight: 3.14kg
Wattage: 1650

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This review was last updated in March 2021. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk