do we like… indoor grills?
Have you ever used an indoor grill like this one from Williams Sonoma? 
It just landed in my in-box, and has me wondering what they’re really like. I’ve seen a few other models, some made of cast iron with lid. As a city-dweller with no outdoor space, I love the idea of an indoor grill, especially in the summertime when I’m feeling left out of this national pastime. How do they differ from those of the George Foreman variety? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. — Angela M.
We decided to splurge and got the Cuisinart version of the George Forman. Let me run your through the many features. You can open both sides and it lays flat, so you double the amount of grilling surface. Also you can flip the grill pans and have either a flat surface or the ridged grill surface. This is especially handy for brunch time when you fry eggs on one side and grill lovely challah toast on the other. Plus, you can close it to sear things or make paninis. Or you can brush pita bread with a thin coat of flavored oils, close them in the grill and make pita chips. Top all of these features off with the fact it looks stainless steel chicly-sleek on your counter and it TKOs Forman.
we got the delonghi grill from williams-sonoma as a wedding gift. i too am a city-dweller with no outdoor space for grilling. i used it for the first time a couple of weeks ago and loved it. although the cast iron grill was a bit heavy and awkward to wash, the fish we grilled came out really great. there is a drip pan that you just slide out from underneath the grill that catches all the drips. but i do like the sound of that flat surface/ridged grill feature on the george forman.
I have the Delonghi grill and have used it for about a year, and it works really well. Clean up is not easy – that’s true, but it cooks very well. I line the catch tray with foil, and fearlessly grill veggies, steak, fish and pineapple (a little rum, a little brown sugar – heh!). I say – go for this one!
We’ve got one… we love it… the only problem is the cleanup. It takes some seriously serious scrubbing. We’ve started making a foil tent post-cooking (like right after you finish cooking and start plating the meal) that seems to make scrubbing easier.
I went old school and have a le cruset stovetop grill. It’s pretty basic–just a rectangular cast iron pan with ridges for grilling–but it looks cool and works great
Growing up we had a impressive stonewear one that was a massively heavy tub with a heating coil inside and a grill top that fit over it. It was wonderful for burgers in the winter. I second the idea of lining the drip pan with tin foil.
I’m old school. There’s nothing I can’t do with my cast iron fry pans. Grill, saute, even put them into the oven. If you keep them seasoned they take just a spray of oil and very little clean up time.
I say “them” because I have two and I use them every day. Just made grilled ruben sandwiches last night. Delicious.
We had an indoor grill for years that was great.
Now we have what could be called a griddle I guess. It is a non stick surface that you can fit several chicken breasts or a whole pound of bacon on.
It cleans up well because of the non stick.
I have used it 3 or more times a week for 2 1/2 years now and love it.
We have a large family so it is easier to use it than a frying pan.
We do grill outdoors a lot but this indoor one is great for breakfast and inclement weather.
We also have a Foreman grill and I hate it. It dries the food out horribly. Yes it may be healthier but no one wants to eat it!