Hamilton Beach Electric Indoor Grill, 6-Serving, Nonstick Plates

This grill is perfect for sandwiches too. Makes our chicken breast and burgers juicy. We recently traveled with it and it was awesome. I bought this on 7/2023 and use it daily with no issues. Easy to clean.

This grill cooks only just kind of okay, but it could have been a lot better. This unit both runs HOT and does not heat evenly, so food close to the cooking surface’s outer edges tends to end up slightly undercooked, while stuff in the middle ends up overcooked at the same time, meaning you need to rotate and/or flip the food over partway through the cooking process. My George Foreman, on the other hand, for all its faults, ALWAYS cooked evenly. I could just set a kitchen timer and walk away, and get a perfectly cooked meal every time.

That’s really not so bad, all things considered. I mean, you can mitigate that by cooking in two stages, but it does mean having to tend the grill twice as often.

The main problem is that it’s a PAIN IN THE @$# to clean! I mean, wow, I should have heeded others’ remarks about that.

The non-stick surface is not nearly as non-stick as one might expect. I frequently cook burgers with a combination of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder or flakes as seasoning, and I always clean the machine after every use. I have to really SCRUB the top side to get it clean enough for the next use, as the heat tends to bake the spices and the burgers’ juices into a sort of “glaze”. And it’s a fairly hard glaze that has to be broken loose, and which you can feel (and maybe hear) scrape against the grill once it gets deposited onto your cleaning implement.

The bottom side is another story. While it takes less effort to get the post-cooking detritus loose (probably because the grille ridges are much taller than on the top side), that detritus tends to pile up in the crevice at the front of the cooking surface as you’re cleaning, as there’s no way to simply sweep it off loosely (e.g. into a trash can). So you have to push all that crud back and forth from either side and coax it into the grease trap, and while doing that, some of it will get kicked back onto the cooking surface, so you have to wipe it off again. When you’re done, you’re still left with a rather greasy cooking surface.

I use a wet, non-abrasive sponge for cleaning, and that always worked perfectly with the Foreman – I had a completely clean grill, ready to use again in under one minute, every time. With this Hamilton, I’d have to resort to something wasteful like paper towels if I hope to get it completely clean, so I’ve taken to treating it like an outdoor grill, in that I clean the cooking surfaces as best I can, make sure the grille ridges are free of debris, and then rely on the heat to kill off anything might be harmful.

The only reason I bought this grill was that the hinges on my Foreman broke due to a known design flaw, and this looked like it had durable hinges, and it was priced comparably for a similar usable cooking surface area. The hinges do seem like they’ll hold up okay, for what it’s worth.

The only other thing this grill has going for it is that the grease trap is designed better. It docks into the grill, so the grease is well-contained and is kept warm, making it faster to drain than the one the Foreman had (its long, shallow tray was easily to spill and had more surface for the grease to cling to, so I had to prop it up over my waste grease can for a minute or so to get it drained fully).

I’d say it’s best to just buy something else.

 I must say, I’m thoroughly impressed. It heats up in no time, allowing me to start cooking almost immediately. Plus, the cooking process is fast and even, before and during cooking. It’s important to keep an eye on your food because it cooks faster than a traditional skillet. This has saved me precious time in the kitchen.
I also appreciate how nothing sticks to the surface. The grill offers ample space, accommodating 3-4 chicken breasts or equivalent portions of other foods.
However, cleaning the grill can be a bit of a chore. The plates are not removable, so you have to clean it manually with a paper towel and sponge. While it’s not a deal-breaker, it does require more effort compared to models with removable plates. It would be more convenient if I could simply rinse it under the faucet.
Overall, the Hamilton Beach Electric Indoor Grill is a fantastic addition to any kitchen. Its fast and even cooking, along with its spacious cooking surface, make it a winner in my book. Just be prepared for a bit of extra cleaning effort due to the non-removable plates. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a convenient way to grill indoors.

Its the right size for my kitchen, even though I got it to use on the jobsite. It’s easier to make burgers or sandwiches instead of having to stand in line in some fast-food place. Good price for the unit, too.

Excelente capacidad y muy eficiente

I had a smaller sandwich press one and wanted to go bigger but still be easy to put away in the cabinet and this is perfect. I use it just about every other day. It cooks and reheats almost anything. Kinishes to steaks, burgers and wraps. Perfect size for one or 2 people and clean up is easy. I just throw a couple wet paper towels in it when I’m finished and by the time I’m done eating the paper towel steamed and soaked any sticky residue that would be problems to clean off and wipes off easily. Also a great substitute for the BBQ grill in the cold months. Plug it in and it’s hot in less than a minute.

I love the convenience of this grill. It cooks really fast and I can fit about 3 pork chops or burgers on it at once. It is a huge hassle to clean though. I really wish it had removable plates.