3 Comments on “George Foreman GR136B 2-Serving Classic Plate Grill, Black Review
  1. 28 of 28 people found the following review helpful
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    Great for a DORM, Single Person or Busy Couple (UPDATED May 2015), September 13, 2014
    By 
    Stephanie Sullivan (Boston, MA) –
    (VINE VOICE)
      
    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)
      

    This review is from: George Foreman GR136B 2-Serving Classic Plate Grill, Black (Kitchen)
    Vine Customer Review of Free Product (What’s this?)

    When I heard there was a new and more durable non-stick cooking surface on my beloved George Foreman (GF) 2 serving grill I had to try it out. I’ve been a long-time fan of the GF 2 serving grills from the original “Champ” model which debuted decades ago. Through all that time there have been many variations on the venerable GF and I’ve bought most of them for myself or as gifts for friends and family. I’ve cooked on all of them.

    I saw this GR136B model recently at a local retailer for $19.99. It is available for the same price online at the georgeforemancooking web site, so pricing on this listing is not a bargain (as of this review – prices change). Check your pricing!

    Why George Foreman Grills?
    If you haven’t used GF grills before it helps to understand their goals are simplicity and healthy grilling. There are no controls: plug it in and it’s on. When it reaches temperature the light goes out. Put on the food till it’s done and then take it off.

    Cleanup starts with a paper-towel wipe down which usually gets the worst off. Then I’ll wash the plates hanging it over the edge of the sink. (do not immerse!) Easy peasy! The tilted design helps drain grease and fat released in cooking away from the food into the catch tray.

    The small two serving GF Grills are very compact and appropriate to cook for one or maybe two people.

    What’s Changed?
    One of the changes with this model from previous models is the shorter power cord. Compared to the older but still available George Foreman Champ Grill the power cord is about 10 inches shorter at 24 inches to the metal prongs on the plug. For me this unreasonably limits placement on the counter to save Salton what I guess would be 4 cents. This bothers me more than it may many people.

    Cooking with GF:
    The grill takes just about 4 minutes to get up to temp (when the light goes out). This is usually just about what it takes for me to prepare broccoli or asparagus for the steamer and sprinkle meat or poultry with spices. When the GF is ready so am I. The timing works out perfectly and efficiently. When things go smoothly prep, cooking, and cleanup of a whole meal can under about 20 minutes!

    This one has only seen steak and fish so far – I just got this model! So far it seems to cook consistently with the other GF 2 serving grills I’ve owned or cooked on. I always wait until the plates are hot and the light has just gone off before putting my food on the grill. Then it is hot enough to sear and seal-in juices and that is key to the best results.

    Through the years I have cooked steak, lamb, pork, chicken, salmon, tuna, cod, haddock, bluefish, trout, and a bunch of stuff that just isn’t coming immediately to mind on my GF grills. It was all great. The biggest danger is over-cooking because it’s so fast and cooks from both sides at once. This is especially true for fish.

    When I am cooking for one and there is space behind a steak or pork chop I put sliced veggies like bell pepper and onions to cook with the steak. Behind the steak is a steamy spot on the grill and these veggies cook to grilled al dente perfection.

    The tilted design is great to get rid of grease and the hot plates nicely sear the surface to seal in juices and flavor.

    With fish I like to use a very light coating of Mayo which seems to help make pink and white fish even more delectably moist and tasty. Even cooking a whole trout was great, albeit I needed to slice it in two at the ribs so it all fit at once (barely). About 6 minutes between the plates it was done to yummy perfection. I use a plastic spatula to lift off fish as it can be quite delicate.

    With steak and other meats the grill works great with rubs and spices. I really like the Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Magic Seasoning Blends (this link is for Salmon Magic) line of spices. Yum!

    Some complain that there is no temperature control, on/off switch or that it over cooks. As explained near the beginning making this a very basic appliance that does one thing really well is kind of the point. It provides searing hot plates for grilling mostly meats/fish/poultry while allowing fat to run off into the catch try.

    Cooking on the GF is determined by time and the temperature of the food placed on the grill. For example, if you freeze steaks, a 6 oz 3/4″ thick steak frozen solid and dropped on the hot places will be done to medium in just about 10 minutes in my experience. A fridge cold steak of the same size/thickness is done to medium in about 5 to 6 minutes. Timing is consistent and just about second nature…

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  2. 62 of 71 people found the following review helpful
    2.0 out of 5 stars
    **** Updated **** Head’s Up!! Returning the unit., September 10, 2014
    By 
    BarbZ

    Verified Purchase(What’s this?)
    This review is from: George Foreman GR136B 2-Serving Classic Plate Grill, Black (Kitchen)
    Serves 2? Not at all.

    I have an old GF grill which I wanted to replace, owing to the aging of the coating. Although I didn’t want to trade off the removable plates for fixed plates, I was willing to do so with the new coating. My old grill is the “baby size,” and I thought this would be the same.

    I was shocked when I opened the box. The grill is tiny. The useable cooking surface measures less than 7″ across. I put my hamburger press forms on the grill (two different sets in 2 sizes), and neither size would fit 2 burgers on this grill (which I use all the time on my old GF grill). I cannot imagine the size of the burgers they used to photograph this. It’s very misleading.

    Also, the grill is very light (good news), but is now made of very flimsy feeling plastic. My old one felt a lot more substantial.

    If you want to make sliders, this should do. If you want to make decent sized burgers, think one at a time. It’s not for me.

    I hope this helps.

    **** update 9.30.15 ****

    I replaced this unit with: GRP1060B 4 Serving Removeable Plate Grill

    Much better. Check out my review for more info,

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  3. 22 of 23 people found the following review helpful
    3.0 out of 5 stars
    A little small for most families, September 17, 2014
    By 
    TheTerrorBeyond (Tartarus) –

    This review is from: George Foreman GR136B 2-Serving Classic Plate Grill, Black (Kitchen)
    Vine Customer Review of Free Product (What’s this?)
    This unit is considerably smaller than I expected and this will make it a lot less useful for families. This grill is clearly targeted toward either singles or small families, as you won’t be able to cook more than two smallish hamburger patties at once on this grill. I have uploaded a picture that shows two hamburger buns on the grill to show the size of the unit.

    The grilling surfaces are not removable, so you will have to clean them manually with a cloth. The unit CAN NOT be washed in the sink or dishwasher. Do not use any abrasives, as this will destroy the non-stick surface.

    The grease pan is a simple plastic tray that serves the purpose, but it would have been nice to have a way to connect it to the grill so that it could not be accidentally knocked askew, causing a greasy mess.

    Bottom line: only recommended for snacks, singles, or very small families.

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