George Foreman Grill facts for kids
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| Inventor | Michael Boehm, Robert Johnson |
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| Inception | 1994 |
| Manufacturer | Spectrum Brands |
| Available | United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, Australia |
| Website | George Foreman U.S.A. George Foreman UK |
The George Foreman Grill is a popular kitchen appliance. It's a portable electric grill that cooks food on both sides at once. It was made by a company called Spectrum Brands. This grill is famous because it was promoted by George Foreman, a two-time world champion in boxing. Since it first came out in 1994, more than 100 million George Foreman Grills have been sold around the world!
Contents
How the Grill Was Invented
The idea for this grill came from a person named Michael Boehm. He wanted to create an indoor grill that could cook food from both the top and bottom at the same time. Another important goal was to make food healthier by draining away extra fat from things like hamburgers.
Michael Boehm designed the grill with a special "floating hinge." This hinge lets the grill open wide to fit foods of different thicknesses. He also made the cooking surface slanted. This slant helps fat drain away from the food into a separate tray. An engineer named Bob Johnson helped with the technical design.
The grill was first shown as "The Fajita Express." It didn't get much attention at first. Later, the company Salton, Inc. got involved. They sent samples of the grill to George Foreman to try out.
George Foreman's Role
The grill, which became known as the "Lean Mean Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine," was launched in 1994. George Foreman promoted it in special TV commercials called infomercials. People loved his friendly personality and the grill's unique features. This made the grill a huge success!
George Foreman's famous saying, "It's so good I put my name on it!", became very popular. In some parts of Asia, the grill is also promoted by famous actor Jackie Chan.
How the Grill Works
The George Foreman Grill has a "clamshell design." This means it opens and closes like a clam. It heats both the top and bottom surfaces of your food at the same time. This way, you don't need to flip your food over while it cooks!
Each cooking surface has grooves, which are like little channels. These grooves help reduce how much of the food touches the surface. The surfaces also have a special non-stick coating, so food doesn't stick. The bottom cooking surface is angled. This angle allows hot, liquid fat and other juices to drain through the grooves into a removable tray. This feature is marketed as a way to "knock out the fat," making your meals healthier.
The grill comes in different sizes, so you can cook for just yourself or for many people. In 2006, a newer version called the "Next Grilleration" Health Grill came out. It had cooking plates that you could detach, making them easier to clean. Over the years, there have been many other versions with different designs and controls.
In 2014, an updated grill called the "Evolve Grill" was released. This one has interchangeable ceramic plates that are PTFE-free. You can get different plates for it, like traditional grill plates, waffle plates, a bake dish, and even a muffin pan.
Other Grills Like It
Because the George Foreman Grill was so successful, other companies tried to make similar products. Some of these were also promoted by famous people, like the Evander Holyfield Real Deal Grill or the Carl Lewis Health Grill. However, none of these other grills became as popular as the George Foreman Grill. The Jackie Chan Grill is actually the same as the George Foreman Grill, but it's sold in the Asian market and promoted by both Jackie Chan and George Foreman.
See also
- Pie iron / Sandwich press
- Panini (sandwich) § Grills
- Waffle iron
