My husband and I try very hard not to eat out. With a healthy, gourmet cookbook, fresh ingredients, and the right cooking appliances, we can have a healthier meal that very often tastes better than that found in chain restaurants. That is why I believe it’s important to invest in the right type of kitchen appliances. As a mom, I want to be able to offer my children healthy, home cooked meals. However, I don’t want to spend all my time in the kitchen. If you add up the amount of time a mom can spend for each meal and multiply it by 3, you’ll find that much of her day is spent preparing, cooking, and cleaning up. I’d much rather use some of that time for reading, playing and taking in new experiences.
As you know from reading my blog, my husband and I tend to be foodies. We like healthy (organic if possible), gourmet foods with flavor and flare. We don’t tend to eat out of boxes and cans and prefer fresh over anything else. We also bake, grill, or steam our foods as opposed to frying and microwaving. With Calphalon’s Removable Plate Grill, you can grill chicken and fish, sear steaks, and make your own Panini sandwiches (just like they do at your favorite sandwich shop). Grilling is a great way to prepare foods because you don’t have to add fats and oils to prepare your food as you would if you were frying those foods.
When it comes to appliances, I ask a few questions before making a decision. First, how much use will this appliance get? We eat meat daily in our household (and I’m assuming most families do too, unless they are vegan or vegetarian) so this is an appliance we will definitely get a lot of use out of. We also like to make our own sandwiches (it’s much more affordable than paying $6-$8 for a Panini) so that we can pick and choose which ingredients we want.
The next question I ask is how easy the appliance is to use and set up. We had a grill that did not have removable plates, which meant I had to clean it by hand (a deterrent for frequent use). One of the reasons I like this grill by Calphalon, is the removable plates that can be washed in the dishwasher. I am more inclined to opt for appliances with dishwasher-safe features. Setting it up simply involves washing the plates, snapping them into place, and plugging the unit in. Then, choose your desired temperature setting (the guide tells you what temperature to set the grill at depending on the type of food your grilling) and wait for the unit to preheat (it only takes about 5 minutes). Place the food you desire on the grill and reference the manual for grilling times (so handy for inexperienced cooks like me!). If you don’t want to stand and watch your food cook (perhaps you’d like to work on another dish), you can set the timer. Just remove your food when it’s done and you’re set.
My husband’s first steak in a LONG time!
Calphalon’s Removable Plate Grill utilizes a technology called the Opti-Heat System which ensures your foods are cooked evenly and thoroughly. We grilled chicken the other night and followed the manual’s recommended grilling time of 5-8 minutes. It took a little less than 10 minutes and the chicken was cooked all the way through (remember to defrost meat completely before grilling). I always worry that I’m not going to cook my meats thoroughly. I’ve been known to put chicken in the microwave after cooking it for fear of Salmonella. This grill has an adjustable grill height for various food thicknesses.
The last question I ask is whether or not such an appliance is practical. If I have to spend a lot of time using it to get results, I have to wonder if it’s worth the expense. This grill is much larger than I’ve used in the past. I remember spending a LONG time grilling hamburgers on a certain grill I had in the past. I could only make one at a time and all of us were not able to eat at the same time. With an large grill capacity, the Removable Plate Grill can accommodate up to 6 burgers, 6 chicken breasts, or 4 Panini sandwiches. And since there are only 3 of us (one of which is a toddler who doesn’t eat much), we can all eat at the same time (and that’s important!).
One of the last features that I should mention is the Internal Drip Tray. My experience with grills has been solely with those possessing an external tray (which ends up being slightly messy). While your foods are cooking, excess fat drains away into the drip tray which can be removed and disposed of once the unit cools.
Overall, I’m highly impressed with Calphalon’s Removable Plate Grill. It’s easy to use, easy to clean, and saves us time in the kitchen. I’d love to see a manual with a few more recipes (but that is a very minor detail). You can purchase this grill online or at retailers nationwide.
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I REALLY like this! I may have to ask my hubby for this for Christmas!!
Jill Kathan