Sunday, October 7, 2012

New Microhearth Grill Pan Review


Kim wrote in her blog about a small microwave grilling dish she got - in fact she and her husband liked it so much she got one for her condo and one for her new 2010 Roadtrek - The Good Deal Bus.  It looked like a nice microwave grill, so I decided to order one, too.

Microhearth Grill Pan with a nice lid that stands up, out of the way.

My first effort was the other night when Ron came over for dinner after working on The Palms most of the afternoon.  He was actually my first dinner guest in The Palms.  I had small salmon fillets in the freezer, and some rice and fresh broccoli and cauliflower, so that was the menu.  Of course I had to try out my grill that arrived from amazon.com that day to grill the salmon.

Honestly, I didn't think my salmon was that good.  Ron said his was good and he ate it all, but his piece was a little thicker than mine.  I think my salmon was overcooked - it was very dry. I should have gotten a photo of the fish, but I didn't think of it at the time.  Even though I did put olive oil on the fish and we preheated the grill, the grill marks weren't very dark.  Maybe melted butter would have been better - so that ended up being a learning experience.  I cleaned the pan and put it away, planning to try it again soon. 

Yesterday I decided to make a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich on Russian Rye bread.  Slathered with mayonnaise and mustard.  One of my favorite sandwiches.

I didn't pre-heat the pan, but I did brush melted butter all over both outside slices of the bread.  When I did the first flip after 2 minutes, this is what the sandwich looked like:


At that point the pan was already hot, so the second side got better grill marks.  I grilled it for 90 seconds, and it was perfect.


This sandwich tasted exactly like the ones I grill in my little frying pan, and the cleanup was almost non-existent.  I wiped the grill pan with a wet paper towel and then dried it with a dry paper towel, and clean-up was done.

This pan is small, as you can see from the second photo - just the right size for me and for my small microwave oven - and it's also very light weight. I'm looking forward to trying out more things.  After my first attempt with the salmon, I wasn't sure if I was going to like it, but after the grilled sandwich, I've changed my mind.

Kim said it makes the best toast she's ever had, and they have cooked other things with it, too, that were very good.  She and her husband really like it, and I think I declare it a keeper, too. :)

Here's Katie waking up in the morning.  Can you see her little nose in there?  She's in her bed, covered with her blanket, poking her head up to see what I'm doing at the table.  Then she laid back down and went to sleep again.  And I think I have a good life!


WELCOME to our new follower, Anita!  Anita has four blogs, but none that are bout RVing, so maybe she's an RV wannabe?  Her blogs are about knitting, her favorite photos, etc.  Thanks for following along with me and Katie, Anita.  We're happy to have you on board!

From Me and Katie, have a great Sunday, everyone!  :)

14 comments:

  1. It looks like a good product, particularly if you are a solo cook.

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  2. Makes me hungry.... Love those little fun things, now if I just can find room! What a cutie she is all wrapped up in the blanket!

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  3. Katie's nose looks just like a bear in a den. *If you use your imagination.*

    That grill looks mighty handy even for two people. We don't have a toaster and this sounds like it would fill the bill for that too.

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  4. Maybe you need to marinate the fish or meat longer?? I think I would try to make some grilled zucchini or other veges. I may have to look into getting one of those pans.

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  5. Teri - good suggestion. I didn't marinate the fish at all, but next time I will. I also plan to grill some veggies, that should be good!

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  6. Looks like a great addition but Jim is a big eater and I'm not sure it would work for us. Me, yes, us, no.

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  7. I certainly wouldn't marinate salmon but think maybe cooking one piece might work better than a couple of different sizes at a time in a microwave. Those things aren't known for even cooking.

    Keep us posted because I may have to have one of those.

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  8. Interesting gadget. Let us know how you like it as you go along. Katie sure is adorable all snugged up in her covers.

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  9. Ok I'm curious since you can't put metal in a microwave what is it made out of? It certainly looks handy especially for an RV. We don't have toaster either and want one from time to time. Great info.

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  10. Well, you had better luck that I did with that little cute grill. I bought something like it that you had to head up before using ..tried a pork chop and then a steak..well I gave mine away..perhaps they've improved them dunno but I'll wait awhile before I attempt another shot..LOL Yeah, I check back again to see what else you try ..but I'm still using George Forman Grill..I know that works LOL
    God Bless
    Zeee and Critters 3

    barbzeee.blogspot.com

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  11. I just got back home and was excited to see your review. But then I felt so bad that the first trial run was a bomb. Especially since you had company!

    Pre-heat the grill till it's sizzling, maybe 2 minutes or more.

    We haven't tried fish yet but plan to soon.

    I only used the grill on this last trip to heat up a hamburger bun (it turned out both soft and crunchy like a good restaurant bun and had nice grill marks) and for re-heating some garlic bread. Ditto.

    Katie - adorable as always!!!!

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  12. Oh - and be sure and spray some oil in the bottom before pre-heating.

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  13. I have both the saute pan and the dutch oven...I haven't gotten the grill pan yet. I absolutely love these pans! The saute pan is round and about 2 1/2 inches deep, and came with a silicone egg/muffin insert and a silicone steam rack....the dutch oven also came with a coated metal rack. It does everything I would need a regular set of cookware to do. Calls for a little experimenting. Great for 2 people. I'm still learning but love them. I don't see why you can't do what the others do with the grill pan too.

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  14. This looks like a keeper. I have to have one. :) love your blog and all news and photos. I have two elderly (like me ) Chihuahuas. So pictures of Katie are enjoyed. Stay safe.

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Thank you for your comments - we LOVE them!