There is a growing trend these days toward healthier methods of cooking, made even easier especially with handy home appliances such as contact grills. These are electric types of grills that can be used indoors or right inside the kitchen. They are also called griddles or indoor barbecue grills. However, contact grills specifically refer to those types that have a top grill that can close down, as opposed to open indoor grills that may have only one cooking side or surface, which is the bottom portion.
Contact grills are favored by those who avoid eating too many fried foods. Grilling is a more advisable way of cooking food because less or no oil is required. And natural fats that come from meats being cooked are effectively separated or strained away. Thus, the finished product is relatively less greasy or fatty. Most models of contact grills are designed or constructed to purposely drain away excess fats produced during cooking. They are designed either at an angle or with special devices that collect excess fat and juices away from the food being cooked.
In fact, contact grills shot to popularity in the past decades due to the famous model that George Foreman developed and endorsed on home TV shopping. His indoor barbecue claimed to help cook healthier foods with less fact. Due to its unique elevated design that drained fat away from grilled meats such as steaks and burgers. Since then, a lot of contact grills with similar design and functionality have come out in the market.
Contact grills are pretty versatile since they can grill not only meats but vegetables and fish as well. Some even use contact grills to cook waffles, hash browns, bread, and many other food items.
Those wanting to have their own contact grill at home would have to choose from among hundreds of models and designs from various brands in the market today. Buyers may be confused with all the choices available, so it’s best to start with the basics of contact grills. Homeowners who are occasional grillers only might want to settle for a small-size grill only. On the other hand, large families would benefit from purchasing contact grills that provide more cooking surface.
There are other things to consider such as the design or aesthetics of the contact grill. It is somewhat standard for contact grills these days to feature a non-stick surface. But buyers would best make sure that the model they are looking at includes this. Various models also have various methods of draining and collecting cooking fats. Some are more convenient to use than others.
Buyers can get a lot of help on which contact grill to choose by checking out online shops and websites for product reviews from other buyers. Contact grills are among the most popular types of kitchen appliances, so there is a wealth of information from reviewers of various brands and models. Checking out buyers’ experiences with their own contact grills will provide new shoppers with valuable insight on which models might work for their own requirements.