Breville Contact Grill BGR820

Should have bought this earlier – This is a big grill and takes up a lot of kitchen real estate, but it is so worth it. I'd been looking for a health grill for some time and never bought one as the models / brands always lacked something on my "must have" list. This Breville grill had the lot, and the "whizzy bang probe thing" mentioned by another reviewer on this site was the… Read more

cherry on top. I do disagree with the other reviewer though. Breville, please don't drop the probe. I use it all the time when grilling as it takes all the guess work out to deliver the perfectly cooked steak, chicken etc. Love this. We've used for toasted sandwiches / panini to steaks, chicken thighs and whole pork tenderloins. It's earned itself a permanent spot on my kitchen bench.

Pros:

Very easy and intuitive to use

Sturdy (mostly) stainless steel construction

2 non-stick plates (one flat and one wavy for those grill marks)

Both plates removable for easy washing / cleaning

Ability to swop top and bottom plates

Bottom plate has an adjustable tilt to help drain fat

Distance between the top and bottom plates can be locked at different heights to prevent squashing food or for grilling open sandwiches / pizza slices

Able to open flat for double-sized grill / BBQ area

Large, removable drip tray to catch fat

Lock on side to allow grill to be stored upright

Cord storage at underneath grill

Integrated meat probe to check internal temperature of meats (removable, cord storage at side)

Beeps when food is ready (when using the probe)

Adjustable temperature

Built in program for grilling different foods

Cons:

Some plasticky bits e.g. Removable drip tray

BGR840BSS After 2 other grill/presses the best value for money grill for cooking everything – I've had it for a year now and its still as tough as new. It cooks everything well, I've never used the temperature probe thingy, no need for it if you half know how to cook. Washing up plates is easy in the dishwasher though I find they wipe clean really easy after most uses without needing to be removed. The plates lock in solidly too. The… Read more

only thing I can fault is there's still no way to turn off the top plate when cooking with it open, its just wasting power and creating the risk of burning. Breville please save us some money on the next model, dump the wasted whizy bang probe thing and just give us a switch or temperature control for the top plate instead.

Otherwise it is pretty large, it uses a lot of bench space but it can also cook 4 toasted sandwiches at a time.

Buy it now – Love a perfectly cooked steak. Read some great reviews on this product and didn't delay buying it. $235 at HN. Never regretted it. Easy to use, simple digital menu, removable non-stick hot plates (dishwasher safe). Not too big or heavy either, so it's easily stored in the cupboard. Both sides go flat too so it can be used as an elextric BBQ hot plate. Highly recommended.  Show reply

Excellent product, easy to clean – I bought this grill from appliances online, it is a great product, easy to clean and very versatile. The fact that you can use it as a BBQ as well as a two sided grill makes this product very versatile. I do put the plates in the dishwasher and so far that seems to be ok. I would definitely recommend this grill to everyone. Can put the grill plates in the dishwasher, very versatile

Simply the Best – Bought this to replace a previous model which we had used nearly every day for 3 years ! It was looking a bit tired and the plates were getting harder to clean. This model is a vast improvement ! the plates are quite different seems to be a better metal non stick surface and wash so easily, a larger cooking area when closed and a huge barbeque… Read more

type cooking area when open. It is larger and heavier, so I leave it out on the bench rather than moving it, other than that cannot fault it - cooks steaks to perfection, fish gently and vegetables char grilled and breads can we warmed, toasted -almost too easy! Great fat free grilling with easy clean up it is heavy - but hey so is an out door barbeque !

Makes a more efficient kitchen, brilliant – Only have used this grill for a month, but does it cooks up a storm in real fast time. Food can be served up super hot. The excess fats and oils drain away making it a healthy and an effective method of grilling. Having the ability to remove the cooking plates ultimately makes cleaning a breeze. This machine is overweighted, but has more… Read more ·  3

positive features, and come at a price which I feel is expensive. An added feature would be able to switch off power to one element while cooking on one side, for example eggs. Easy to clean, excess fats and oils drain away Heavy, expensive. Not able to switch off one element when not in use

Breville BGR820 – Purchased about 12 mounts ago , for 2 people it gets used alot, 3 or 4 x a week, about 6 months ago we brought 2 replacement hot plates as the dishwasher is quite hard on the non stick surfaces,This works really well. We cant fault the unit to date.Would be happy to reconmend. ability to have both surfaces flat at the same time quite big size Show 2 replies

Love it!! – Only had a few days and I'm looking for reasons to use it!! Great steak,great bacon and eggs, great foccacias.. Takes up a LOT of bench space, especially when opened in bbq mode, so not an idea if you don't have a fair amount of room. Fairly heavy as well, so could be a bit annoying if you had to lug it out of a cupboard too often. I made space… Read more

for it on the bench. Looks good! Clean up is really easy. Quick wipe with paper towel when warm, wipe with soapy sponge after. Plates are easily removable for bigger clean in sink or dishwasher if needed.

Fairly expensive item, but I plan to get my money's worth out of it!

Quite large, better as a permanent bench dweller if you have space.

Breville Smart Grill 800 Collection – Having used this grill for over twelve months, I believe it to be the most efficient and effective tool I have in the kitchen. When emptying the fat tray, seeing the quantity of waste thrown out makes me appreciate it's healthy effective method of grilling meat and vegetables. The speed of grilling is also a great help, from capsicum through… Read more

to chicken halves the process is twice as fast as other metnods. After the cooking is done there is the convenience of being able to remove the grill plates for cleaning and this can't be underestimated either.

So, I can recommend spending a little more on this product, because it is designed well, effective, efficient and easy to clean. Design, appearance, functionality, efficiency, ease of use in both cooking and cleaning. Teflon coatings no matter how the patent holder markets them, don't last.