A health grill, also known as a grill press, cooks your food between two hotplates and drains away the excess fat and oil. You can grill meat, seafood and vegetables, or use it as a large sandwich press if you want to buy a single machine for both purposes.
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Benefits of a health grill
A busy life leaves most of us little time for cooking up a balanced, nutritious meal each night – but what if there was a machine that could help you turn back the clock? Well, we don't have one of those, but a health grill can cook your meal much faster than a frying pan or oven griller, saving you up to 50% of your cooking time. Not to mention saving you a kilo or two on the scales by draining away all that fat.
Choosing the right size
Health grills can be bulky and heavy, so make sure you get one that's the right size for your average cook-up rather than the largest cook-up you'll ever possibly do, and one that suits your cupboard capacity or bench space.
If you can store yours vertically it's going to take up less space on the bench or in the cupboard and keep everything packed up neatly. Look for one with a lock that holds both the grill plates together so it doesn't fall open like an accordion when you take it out of the cupboard.
Features to look for
Temperature control
This lets you adjust temperatures to suit the kind of food you're cooking, such as higher temperatures for searing meat and lower temperatures for toasting sandwiches. Some models have double temperature controls, so one side of the plate can be a different temperature to the other – toast your bacon and your buns at the same time!
Drip tray
Look for a model with a tray that's attached to the grill, but detachable for cleaning. Separate trays are easy to knock over and can get separated from the grill in storage.
Removable hotplates
These allow for easy cleaning, and some are even dishwasher-safe.
Adjustable height for top plate
This lets you control the pressure on the food and also lets you raise the height completely off the food so you can make open-faced sandwiches and melt cheese without it sticking to the top grill plate.
Cord storage
A cord storage feature is a good idea to keep things tidy in the cupboard and to avoid the off-chance that the cord could come into contact with the hotplates – you don't want it to melt!
Cost
Health grills range in price from $20 to $200.
Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
