My husband and I purchased our Hamilton Beach grill when we were living in a small apartment with no outdoor space to grill. We definitely used it a lot and although we now have a house with two grills we still have it because it is so useful that I haven't wanted to get rid of it. It is very easy to use and it does what it does very well. It isn't an outdoor grill so of course it isn't going to give the same results but it cooks well and is really easy to clean. We mostly used our grill to make grilled chicken or steak. I used it sometimes for burgers as well. Food doesn't come out with that "grilled flavor" but it does cook evenly and fairly quickly and I never once had food stick to the non-stick plates, even when I left it on a little long. Compared to indoor grills that friends and family own this is really easy to clean, nothing sticks to the plates and everything just wipes off really easily with a damp cloth or sponge. For people who do not have the space for an outdoor grill or a way to grill indoors in bad weather this is a really good option.

mariecarey

USA

Easy maintenance and easy to use. Performance Very easy to use and lives up to its promise of delivering food with lower fat content. Durability Very durable product! We got it as a wedding gift almost a year ago and we use it at at least twice a week. With all that use its still producing high quality low fat food. It's durability is attributed to its heavy high quality construction! Ease of Cleaning Extremely easy to clean due to its non-stick surface. Ease of Use This little grill is so easy to use its unreal. When we first opened it and pulled it out of the box we knew what to do! Love It!!!!!!!! We were literally using our little grill within 4 minutes of having plugged it in. It's so easy to use and store! This would make a great gift for any college student or newlyweds!

kelliegst

USA

This was the first Table-top, healthy, electric grill that I ever had. I love it. It is simple. No it does not have 100 buttons and lights but it works well and drains off fat. Cleans up easy. My Aunt recently moved in to a retirement community. She has a kitchen but it is a lot of clean-up to cook a meal with different pans for one person. So, she borrowed my grill. She is able to put a chicken breast and some veggies on it and there's her meal. Grilled, healthy and she wipes it clean. She has become a grilling machine. Steaks, chicken hot dogs, sausage, grilled cheese. I don't think I am getting it back. Performance Works great. Heats up fast. Grills meats and vegetables (and fruits). Durability It's definitely durable because it was my first grill and I used it daily for years and My Aunt "borrowed" it when she moved into her retirement community and now she uses it for two meals a day. I don't think I am getting it back. Ease of Cleaning Simple. Just wipe clean. Ease of Use Turn it on. Let it heat up. Put your food on. Take your food off. Enjoy.

PaigeCantrell

USA

I am not the biggest fan of this product. I actually received it from someone who didn't use it all so they just gave it to me thinking I may like it better than they did. I love my george foreman grills a lot so trying this out did not impress me much.The grilling surface is small and oval which makes it difficult to cook pretty much anything on it unless what your cooking is super small. The non-stick coating on it wears off pretty fast. I have only used it a handful of times and it wore off pretty fast which I was not too happy about. Once the non-stick coat wears off then everything sticks and it just gets harder to clean. One thing I do like about this one is the way it catches the fat drippings compared to the foreman. The foreman has a little catch tray and this one has a little drawer which is more ideal. It heats up pretty fast and is pretty easy to use. I would probably love it more if I didn't already have a love for my other in door grills.

princessnicky4e

Oxford, CT

This grill works pretty well, but it can not really compare to certain other grills. I received both for my wedding, and other grills outperforms this one every time. Performance The grill performs OK, but it does not really perform as well as I would have liked. The grill sometimes burns the food, and it does not drain the fat off at all. I prefer a grill that is slanted so that the fat drains off and the food is healthier. Durability This grill is very durable. I use it quite often and it has not worn out. I however have found other grills that perform better. Ease of Cleaning This grill is extremely difficult to clean. It can not be submerged in water and so it must be hand cleaned which is so very difficult. I am injured and I find it so extremely tedious to scrub at the grill with paper towels until I finally get it clean. Also if I forget to spray the grill it is almost impossible to clean. Ease of Use The grill does have a good design that is easy to use. It heats up well and cooks the food evenly. There is nothing complicated about the usage or design.

samemily

USA

This Grill I actually got as a hand me down from my sister in law and I use it ALL THE TIME!! With my fiance not being much of a griller this is amazing to have in my kitchen. I use it to make everything. The size is great and allows for enough food for the two of us to cook a meal at once...the grease tray is also a plus. The grill being on a tilt allows for the grease to run off and down into the tray for a healthier meal which I really like. The clean up is also great. I usually wait for the grill to cool off then just take some paper towel and wipe it clean. I have yet to have anything stick to it that I couldnt get off =) I would recommend this to anyone looking for an indoor grill as it is amazing!

barronsa

Winter Park, FL

I live in the mid-west which means that for at least 4 months out of the year, I am more or less sequestered inside, dreaming about the next time I can have a nice steak cooked to perfection out on the grill. While I do have to wait for that steak, at least I can have a home grilled cheeseburger any time I want one, thanks to the Hamilton Beach HealthSmart Contact Grill. I suppose some would choose to use it for a steak, but that's where I draw the line. While this grill adequately cooks food without giving it that fried texture and taste, it does not sear food and therefore I would deem it less than capable of cooking up a good steak. The unit is designed to draw off all liquids and fat into a small, removable bin which can be easily emptied. This keeps the liquids and fats away from the cooking food and helps give the food the sense of being grilled. I use this unit primarily for making cheeseburgers and grilled cheese sandwiches. Melting the cheese on the burgers can be a little bit tricky with this unit as you stand there holding the lid just above the food and hope the heat conducts far enough to do the job. When closed, the grill has an even heating surface and does an excellent job of penetrating and cooking the burgers. We have had our grill for quite some time. It doesn't even look like the model pictured here, though it does still have the same features. It has endured quite well, still works beautifully, and had we not misplaced the handy little scraper for a long time and resorted to other means of cleaning the grill, would still be holding onto its non-stick surface. But I can't really fault the grill for that bit of human error. It is a bit small for our family of 5 (we got it when we were just a family of 2...so that is over 13 years ago!), but it can cook 3 large or 4 moderately sized burgers simultaneously and is compact enough to be a real space saver.

rusie

Morton Grove, IL

This tiny little grill definitely meets my needs.  I am a single woman in a household of one, so I'm only cooking for myself.  The grill is large enough though, I think, to fit food for a family of two.  Regardless, if you want to cook three or more portions at the same time, this isn't the grill for you.  The small size makes this machine ideal for college students (if grills are allowed in your residence) and those who need to maximize their storage and counter space. Although I am a vegetarian now, I wasn't when I purchased this grill over two years ago.  I have successfully cooked everything from fish and beef to polenta, veggie patties, and vegetables with this machine with no problems at all.  The grill actually cooks on both sides, so if your food is thick enough, you won't even have to flip it over for even cooking.  The best features this grill offers are the no-stick surface, which makes cleaning a cinch (provided you don't burn something on it and leave the grill sitting out dirty for days), and the little drain tray system that allows the excess fat and oil to drip out. The downside to this grill is only that it's not a stove.  There is no way for you to decide how much heat you want it to put out, so you will need to be careful not to burn your food and not to burn yourself when opening the grill (there is a risk of steam burns if you're not careful).  There also isn't an on/off switch so you should make absolutely sure you do not plug in the grill before you're ready to use it or leave it plugged in after you've removed your food.  You should not walk away and leave the grill unintended as there is no automatic shut off safety feature of which I'm aware.

ellaellacarmona

Raleigh, NC

I live in an apartment without a patio, and it's fantastic to be able to grill food inside. The Hamilton Beach grill is compact and very easy to use. It sits at an angle so that all the fat drains into a separate container. This shows how much fat the meat would have been soaking in if it were in a frying pan! It's a great way to cook low-fat meat. It also gives meat that little bit of charring that you would find on an outdoor grill. The Hamilton Beach grill is pretty easy to clean up. I usually wipe it down after it's cooled off and sponge it down if something was especially messy. Besides meat, I've grilled vegetables with just a little spray-on olive oil and some spice. It also makes great quesadillas and paninis. It does suck up a bit of electricity, though, and I've blown a fuse by trying to run it at the same time as the microwave. Additionally, the color isn't the most attractive. Still, a very useful appliance.

r-steiner

Denver, CO

Before purchasing our Hamilton Beach Indoor Grill, we had a George Forman.  The GF grill was TERRIBLE!  My next purchase was this Hamilton Beach Indoor Grill.  This is actually our second Hamilton Beach Grill.  The first one was a slightly different style (with removable grill pieces that could go into the dishwasher), but it finally gave out after many, many years of use (with using it nearly every day).  Hamilton Beach is a great brand and can easily withstand every day use.  We mainly grill chicken breasts (both fresh and frozen), hamburgers and hotdogs, but have tried a little bit of everything on it, including grilled cheese sandwiches.  It does not disappoint.  It has different heat settings and a little removable cup that catches the grease drippings, which easily goes into the dishwasher.  And no flipping required since it cooks the top and bottom simultaneously.  The reason I shorted this review one star is because after a while, the grill becomes more difficult to clean and the stuck food does not want to come off.  I also spray the grill with non-stick cooking spray and although that helps some, there is still burnt and stuck stuff on the grill.  Would love if these grill pieces were removable so they could go into the dishwasher for a good scrubbing, but they aren't removeable.  Overall, a fantastic grill and the only brand of indoor grill we will purchase.

clgordon

Noblesville, IN