For weeks, I'd had the Red GF G5 on my wish list to buy, but while researching, I came across this one. Boy am I glad! Not only was it cheaper, it included the omelet plates that are normally almost $30 sold separately. I love omelettes and that was one of the reasons I wanted the G5. I ordered it on a Monday and it arrived the following Saturday. Everything was packaged nicely and nothing was missing. It included a recipe book with recipes for breakfast, grilling, baking, deserts, and even sauces for marinades. Central Chef also included their catalog, which has some very cool stuff in it! I'll be buying more from them soon.
For our family of four, this is the perfect appliance for healthy, easy meals. I haven't cooked that much on it so far, but I can see this becoming the most versatile appliance in the house.
The First Test:
Every Sunday, I make breakfast and the first meal I tried with the G5 were omelettes. I added diced ham, cheese, and fresh cut chives and they turned out perfectly and only took about 5-7 minutes on medium. No browning on the bottom and I didn't have to flip them! I normally like my omelettes big and stuffed with ingredients, but I got the G5 to help our family eat better with less fat and portion control. The omelet was the perfect size, tasted great, and literally slid out of the indentation...didn't stick at all, even with melted cheese on it.
For lunch today, I'll try steak and tonight for dinner, either chicken or tilapia with asparagus on the grill plates!
Things to know beforehand:
You might want to think about storage options, because the plates don't stack very well, and some plates will get used more than others. The G5 itself is quite large and is an awkward shape with the protruding handle. It looks great if you want to keep it on your counter, but it will take up some space no matter where you keep it.
It's recommended (and I agree) to use oil or butter on the pates so food won't stick. I use an oil sprayer to lightly coat the plate surface before I add the food and it works great.
Misto Gourmet Brushed Aluminum Olive Oil Sprayer
No appliance is perfect so my only concern with the G5 are the plate handles. They are plastic and seem a little flimsy. I'm sure they are fine in the dishwasher and will last a long time if you take care of them and don't bang them around, but I suspect they may shatter if they were accidentally dropped. And without the handles, the plates won't attach. That's my only concern just from holding the plates and inspecting them up close, but don't let that stop you from buying the G5. The entire set was well worth buying for my family.
I highly recommend this G5 and can't wait to use it more!
Check out some of the G5 videos on YouTube and I also recommend allrecipes.com for great grilling recipes and helpful tips on grilling in general.
G5 Update
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I've had my G5 for about 6 weeks now and I've used it about a dozen times. My wife cooks the majority of the time, so I usually use the G5 on the weekends. So far, I've cooked many omelettes (using both the indented plates and the flat griddle), teriyaki chicken and steak kabobs, tilapia, hamburgers, and boneless chicken breast.
The omelet plates make great, one egg individual omelettes for my kids. I've used fresh beaten eggs and the already made eggs from a carton. Fresh eggs taste better. Each indentation only needs about one egg whipped with a little milk so it's fluffy and I throw in diced ham (you can also chop up a hot dog) or pancetta, shredded cheese, salt and pepper. Note: Place the shredded or sliced cheese on top last so it won't stick to the top plate when it's closed. The heat will melt the cheese as it sits. Also, these plates should stay flat, not tilted as if you were draining fat.
For my omelettes, I use the griddle plate. I whip up 2-3 eggs with some milk and pour it on the griddle set between Med-High (keeping the G5 flat, not tilted). The egg mixture should spread out, using up almost all of the griddle. Close the lid to cook it fast and it will fluff up nice and light in about 5-7 minutes on High. Look at the griddle as if it were divided into 3 equal sections. I put all my ingredients (sausage, ham, green peppers, cheese) in the middle section. Once the omelet is cooked and fluffy, I'll fold the left and right sections over the middle section as if I were closing a book. After I fold the right and left "flaps" over the center section, I layer some cheese on top, turn off the G5 (keeping the lid open), and let it melt. Sprinkle a little parsley or dill to make it look great and taste yummy!
Kabobs are too easy on the G5! I bought them right out of the case at my local deli. Throw them on High and they sizzle up nice and tasty. About 4 will fit on the grill plate at a time. I also rotate the kabobs so all sides get cooked.
My wife cooked hamburgers on the G5, but they are not the same taste coming off our outdoor grill. Not a big deal, but it depends on how you like your burgers.
Tilapia cooked well, too. It gets nice a flaky quick on Med-High.
Chicken breasts seared nicely on High and cooked all the way through.
So far, the grill plates have stood up to multiple hand cleanings and dishwasher cycles. If you take care of them, they should last a long time. I haven't seen replacement plates online, so IF they break, you might have a hard time finding just the plates.
I hope to try some different recipes in the future, but so far, my G5 has been a great appliance and has not let me down.
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George Foreman Grill in Platinum with Bonus Omelet PlatesProduct Description: 84 square inch cooking surfaceInterchangeable plates with exclusive triple non-stick coatingIncludes:1 grill plate1 steak plate2 waffle platesand 1 shallow panOn/Off buttonTemperature controlPower and Ready lightTilt feature1 inch floating hinge84 Square Inch Grill with 5 Interchangeable Plates, Temp control, sponge and cookbook, plus a set of omlete plates
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