We had dinner last night courtesy of the George Foreman skillet. This skillet has a lot to offer but it also has some shortcomings.
Pros:
Large nonstick cooking surface
Clean lines and sleek styling makes it look good on the table
Grease channel helps drain the fat away from what you're cooking
Steam vent helps reduce condensation which prevents your sauces from getting watered down
Heats up super fast (I'm talking just a few minutes)
Skillet doubles as a steamer
Sear setting helps brown meat/vegetables quickly
Easy to use controls
Cons:
Serious hot spots (all electric skillets have them) combined with the super fast heating makes for easily burnt food (I quickly placed 9 chicken thighs in the skillet and by the time the last one hit the surface, 4 placed on hot spots were already burned)
Recipe booklet only contains 4 recipes, none using the steam rack
No instructions for how to use the reversible meat/steam rack-How much water do you add for steaming? What temperature is used for steaming? How long should stuff be steamed? How do you use the meat rack? Do you brown the meat first? Again, what temp is recommended?
The skillet is well made except for an aluminum cover over the heating element on the bottom. It serves no purpose that I can see other than making cleaning more difficult. All electric skillets cannot be submerged in water (you can't get water in the probe receptacle) so you have to wash and rinse them carefully but this aluminum cover allows water to seep under it where you can't reach it to dry it off.
Better info and more recipes would do a lot to elevate the Skillite Searing Skillet to the status of indispensible kitchen gadget.
All this is really is is an electronic frying pan. If you run out of burners on your stove or frequently need to cook in odd spaces without stoves, I can see this being handy. There is a "fat channel" that is supposed to collect run off fat if you are cooking fatty meats but this will be very irritating fast if you're using this to make a sauce or to poach something. You'll need enough extra liquid to fill the channel and then for your dish.
As a "healthy alternative to a traditional frying pan", it's not quite the case.
The lining is non-stick. I'm not going to go on record for or against using nonstick on high heats but you do hear it's not a good idea to use it at high.
The nicest thing is the quick heat response. I wasn't prepared for that and it's a real plus.
It looks fine. Not very sleek but not ugly.
Buy George Foreman SK1403P 16-Inch by 12-Inch SkilLite Searing Skillet with Intelli-Probe Digital Contr Now
The skilLite skillet is a nice fairly large lightweight cooking device that cooks evenly, is easy to clean, and comfortably holds 10 pounds of chicken. These are the reasons to buy it. If you are persuaded to purchase the skillet because of its special features you will be disappointed.
The skillet isn't 12" x 16". It is square, about 13.5 to 14 inches, depending on where you measure. It comes with a 3 foot cord, but that includes the controller box at one end. The cord is much too short. I had to rearrange my kitchen to get the large pan within two feet of an electrical outlet. The writing on the controller is such that it is readable if the electrical outlet is in front or to the right of the skillet. Otherwise the writing is upside down.
The Lite in the name is because of a channel along one side of the skillet's bottom. It is suppose to hold the fat draining from the cooking food. It is too small. Maybe there should be a fat channel on all 4 sides.
The temperature control has 5 settings. Those who are better cooks than I would probably want more options for adjusting the heat. The high setting is a 500 degree searing setting which is supposed to lock the juices (fat?) into the meat making it more favourable and tender. When I used the searing option all it did was burn the fats in the bottom of the pan giving the food a rancid taste.
There is a plastic steam vent in the glass top. As far as I can tell it does nothing. The lid does not fit tight and there's plenty of room for steam to escape along the sides. All the vent does is make the top hard to clean.
For some reason the skillet was designed to snap into a plastic base. There are little legs on the bottom of the skillet so the the whole skillet can be removed from the base and brought to the table. The plastic base does get warm when cooking but so do the skillet's legs. To unsnap the skillet from the base, the skillet needs to be tilted, and in doing so there is a risk of spilling it's contents. A very poor design.
If you want a lightweight skillet,(I have fry pans half the size that weigh more), that cooks evenly and has a nice coating on its cooking surface that makes it easy to clean, this skillet is a good choice.
Read Best Reviews of George Foreman SK1403P 16-Inch by 12-Inch SkilLite Searing Skillet with Intelli-Probe Digital Contr Here
(2008 HOLIDAY TEAM) Oh, this is a good product. I want to first mention the `searing' feature. If you want to cook steaks, pork chops or the like, set the temperature to the cooking time, then press the SEAR button. When the light becomes constant, place the meat on for 1.5 minutes and then flip for another 1.5 minutes. After that, it automatically returns to the lower cooking temperature. It's the best and easiest way to cook a choice piece of meat. In fact, you can use the searing method for fish, vegetables and fruit! I've cooked several filet mignons already.
George Foreman grills are noted for removing excess fat. On one side of the frying pan there is a ½" deep fat collector. If you were cooking even a half-chicken, there would be a lot of grease buildup, so you have to use a bulb baster to remove it all frequently. Less fatty meats are easier. But the grease and oils allow you to keep them off to the side for later basting.
You can easily steam vegetables while cooking meat. The reversible meat/steam rack is great for steaming or even deep frying if you really want to fry some vegetables, tempura or potatoes (anything). I can see where I will use this in the future for stir-fry meals. There is an adjustable steam vent for controlling steam cooking. The heat is controlled from 180 degrees to 500 degrees depending on what you are cooking.
Of course, multiple meat and vegetable dishes are the best use for the "Skillite", but it's usable for singles or families. One word of caution is that you should only use non-metal utensils with the "Skillite". It can scratch the surface. Also, you can only put the lid and the steam rack in the dishwasher. The pan is only hand washable. It's an easy and healthy way to cook with little fuss or mess.
For some great ideas on George Foreman recipes, check out this link:
Great for fried/breaded zuchini, eggplant and more and great for small frozen pizzas!
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First off----the reason I rated it as 4 stars instead of 5 is because apparently, it's not meant to be used like my Mom's old electric frying pan----in other words, you don't pour in a high level of oil and throw your floured chicken pieces in. I would have loved that nostalgia----but the good news is that this skillet does just about everything else, and it does it well. The non-stick surface, like all things Foreman, is excellent. Use your plastic utensils to keep it perfect----but note that I've accidently/absent-mindedly used metal, and it didn't scratch the durable non-stick Foreman uses. You can indeed cook healthier as food doesn't need to cook in oil to avoid sticking----and that grease channel does in fact do its job. This is becoming a workhorse for me----excellent for frying fish, minute steaks, REAL steaks, burgers, chicken breasts---heats up very quickly and the controls help you keep things at the right cooking temps. Buy some frozen Chinese dumplings from your supermarket. Steam them----then throw them on this surface (with a tiny bit of oil) to get authenic pan-fried dumplings every bit as good as the ones from your favorite Chinese restaurant. Finally, my kitchen counters are already too crowded as I'm a small appliance junkie---and as well, everything from mail to my kid's homework pages are all over my counters. I expected to store this and only bring it out once in a while. Instead, it's been sitting on my counter since the first time I used it----because I'm using it frequently and it looks really good----a quality piece that's beautifully designed and fits in with my black granite countertops and stainless appliances better than competitors' skillets do. Kudos to Mr. George Foreman for putting his name on another fantastic product.
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I ordered 4 of these to use as Christmas presents, in part based on the good review. 3 of the 4 arrived with at least one piece broken. They were not packed well in the box, and the plastic tray holding the items was shattered in all cases. I certainly can't use them as gifts any more... I do not yet know how customer service will handle the returns, but the original items certainly arrived as a mess.
