Visiting restaurants every now and then is a pain and it is costly. If you love to have grilled food often, then it is better to have a grill at home. Read our T Fal optigrill indoor electric grill reviews so you can make grilled food of your choice whenever you wish.
We have reviewed both T-Fal Optigrill and Optigrill XL for you.
One-minute review: T-Fal GC7 electric grill
The delicious smoky flavor and the tempting charred marks can anyone resist? Of course, not. Every food, from seared steaks and pork chops, barbequed chicken, and grilled fish to grilled onion, zucchini, and other veggies, and fruits enhances its deliciousness when cooked in high heat. Generally, you cook this delicacy in your backyard on an open flame or outdoor grill, but with the T-fal GC7 Optigrill, do grilling on your kitchen countertop, and you don’t need the backyard anymore. You can even grill sandwiches or burgers in it.
Pros
- Reduce guesswork by auto-adjusting the grill time and temperature.
- Alert the completion of cooking.
- A convincing griller-cum-sandwich maker.
- One push-release detachable and dishwasher-safe plate.
- Affordable and available replacement grill plates.
Cons
- Heavy lids constantly press down on the food.
- Can overcook food if still left inside after cooking.
- Cannot handle raw egg and pancake or waffle batter.
The Bottom Line – T Fal Optigrill electric grill review
The Optigrill indoor grill is perfect for first-timers or inexperienced home chefs. The features bring relief or comfort to beginners, but if you are experienced and confident, go for more features and control.
T Fal Optigrill Indoor Electric Grill Reviews (In Detail)
Design
- Compact and elegant.
- Sturdy housing.
The Optigrill indoor grill has a compact, elegant and impressive design, but if you have or have seen an electric Panini grill, this indoor grill would not surprise you. It has a stereotypical clam-shaped design, having ridged nonstick grilling plates on both sides. The swiveling arm is heavy and sturdy. It also functions as the control panel. With a dimension of 14 x 13 x 6 inches: it always finds a place in the kitchen.
Related: Benefits of Deep Fryers
Features
- Preset option.
- Auto sensor.
- Detachable and washable grates.
Optigrill indoor grill is futuristic-preset cooking options, ready alert, detachable cooking surfaces, and many more. We tested all.
So, let’s start with the control panel, which has almost a dozen buttons- one power button, six preset cooking, a manual temperature control, an LED indicator, and a snowflake button. The preset option is a blessing for the novice. Every button on it is designated to cook the specific food to perfection, eliminating the worry about the unsuccessful result, else you might have as a first-timer. If your food is frozen, as ours was, press the snowflake button first, then select the suitable cooking option. To grill veggies and other stuff– select the manual mode. Toggle the key to one of the four temperature options.
What gives Optigrill its name is the LED indicator at the front, which tells about the level of doneness through color change. For a rare cooked steak: stop the job when the light is yellow. To indicate the medium-cooked meat: the light turns orange, and if you want a well-cooked steak, keep cooking until the signal turns red to indicate completion. It beeps to alert.
Though the grates are nonstick, brush oil before grilling to get the right marks and prevent the least sticking. The grates are detachable and washable. Though you can wash them in the dishwasher, hand washing them is much easier. The grates do not function as griddles- do not cook eggs, pancakes, or waffles. They may either get mangled in the deep ridges or slide down through the angled surface into the drip tray.
Performance
- Impressive result with a smoky flavor.
- No need to hover around.
- Signal overcooking.
Everything has its pros and cons, and the Optigrill is no exception. With 1800-watt power, it heats up fast. The way this appliance handle chicken is impressive. Every bite is juicy, smoky filled with flavors, even if it seems overcooked. The sandwiches also look impressive but squish little because of the heavy upper part. The first stake I grilled was moist and juicy but quickly leaked the liquid. I did it again and followed the advice from the manual, which says to cut the smoking hot steak as soon as it is out on the plate. It is contrary to the professional suggestion, but surprisingly it worked.
The alert tone of the appliance tells about the beginning of every step, but it sounds like a soft chime. You may miss the beep inside a noisy kitchen. One thing, until you take the food out, the beep continues to alert. You may feel nagged, but it is a boon in disguise- the beep alerts you about the chance of overcooking. After switching off, the grill continues cooking while cooling it.
The LED light obediently changes colors according to the level of doneness, but if you are away from it, it becomes tricky to interpret the yellow and orange. The yellow hue is closer to the orange. Moreover, the indicator switches the colors slowly and does not pinpoint with a scale.
You will get impressive grill marks on the top, but the overall prints aren’t so exciting, except on the sausages, because the space between each column on the bottom was pallid. However, it won’t be a cause of worry; after all, no one will flip the food and check the marks on the bottom, nor will it be visible in any way.
Tips:
Follow the audio and video prompts for accurate results.
Price
- Affordable in terms of performance.
The price range of Optigrill ranges from $159-$200, truly more expensive than basic models, but considering its performance, it is not high-priced. You will get costlier versions with almost the same features.
The Final Verdict
If the Optigrill is not something extraordinary, it will not let you down either. It is easy and hassle-free. The features won’t let you hover around while the things are getting grilled.
The grilled dishes are satisfying and smoky with juices intact. And the best part is, no more shelve the idea of grilling or wind up the stuff in a hurry owing to unfavorable weather, as you do with the outdoor grill.
Now, enjoy the beautiful rain with delicious stakes, sandwiches, or poultry made in your kitchen.
FAQs: T-FalOptigrill
Is T-FalOptigrill worth buying?
This indoor grill reduces the guesswork by sensing the internal temperature and adjusting the grill time. The poultry, meat, fish, and sandwich your grill get the desirable grill flavor.
What is the difference between Optigrill and Optigrill plus indoor grill?
Optigrill has 6-preset cooking options with a fixed manual temperature, but the Optigrill plus features 4-manual temperature settings with 6-preset options.
What can you cook on the T-FalOptigrill?
Grill everything you to eat as grilled chicken, meat, fish, Panini, ham, bacon, seafood, veggies, and fruits in the T-FalOptigrill.
How to clean the T-FalOptigrill Indoor Grill?
When it is about cleaning- T-Fal thoughtfully made the process simple and hassle-free. The grilling plates are removable and compatible with the dishwasher. The high-end nonstick coating makes maintenance easy.
In addition, the cooking juices and extra fats do not remain on the hotplates or get absorbed; instead, they drip directly into a drip tray.
How do you reset at T FAL Optigrill?
Press Down Manual + Poultry and Burger and hold for 3 seconds at the same time. The display will show a blue light and a beep sound. After 3 seconds you will hear a beep sound once again and the light will turn green. T Fal Optigrill is completed with the reset function.
How does the Tefal Optigrill work?
You have an auto-sensor cooking system. If you select well done the Optigrill will cook the food and moves into the warming stage, it stops cooking when the food is prepared. In other modes, T Fal Optigrill will indicate every stage of cooking with a beep sound.
How do you reset the T-FAL Optigrill?
- Press-hold the manual + Poultry and Burger button for 3 seconds.
- It beeps and displays a blue light.
- After 3 seconds, it beeps again, and the light turns green.
Is the T-Fal indoor grill suitable for you?- Know through 5 Questions
Are you a novice in grilling?
Do you want to enjoy grilling in your kitchen?
Want to make sandwiches, fish, red meat, poultry, and burgers in a single appliance?
Want a grill easy-to-use and maintain?
Do you have a fixed budget?
If the answer to the above questions is yes, take the leap without hesitation.
