Cooking foods on a contact grill, also called a dual contact griddler, is one of the most popular ways to prepare grilled foods indoors. You don’t have to stop enjoying the great taste of grilled foods during inclement weather or throughout winter months when outdoor barbecue grilling isn’t feasible when you cook foods on a contact grill. One of the benefits of contact grilling is that this style of grill cooking can be used with a wide range of favorite foods.
These types of grills are also known as panini presses. The best panini press with removable plates has ceramic plates because they do not contain harmful chemicals and cook really faster.
A George Foreman grill with removable ceramic plates is one of the safest contact grills because the plates are coated with ceramic, instead of Teflon. Read this article to learn more about these grills: best George Foreman ceramic grills with removable plates
Meats
Meats such as beef, pork, lamb, and chicken are perfect foods to cook on a contact grill. Because a contact grill has heating elements on both the top and the bottom of the grill, the sliced meat inserted in the grill cooks up quickly to retain moisture and juiciness. A contact grill also allows you to enjoy a healthier meal of your favorite meats because fat is drained away as the meat cooks on the grill. For best results when cooking meats on a contact grill, be sure that the meat variety selected is fresh and juicy, to begin with, and cut into thick rather than thin slices as thinly sliced meats tend to dry out too quickly when prepared on a contact grill. Feel free to season your beef, chicken, or other meat selected before grilling. A contact grill is also perfect for grilling thick cuts of meat that have been marinaded to improve their tenderness. Steaks and hamburgers cooked on a contact grill not only look juicy and appealing, but they also taste divine because the heating surface quickly seals in the meat’s natural juices. Sausages are another great food item that cooks up quickly and fat-free on a contact grill.
Seafood
Seafood is another food category that is made for contact grill cooking. Make sure that when grilling fillets, the fish is a thick slice rather than a thin piece. Chunks of whitefish, haddock, or salmon are perfect for creating seafood kabobs with fish chunks alternating on the kabob stick with chunks of onion, bell pepper, and garlic, then seasoned or brushed with a marinade before grilling. Prawns and jumbo shrimp also cook up quickly and beautifully on a contact grill. Simply brush them right before cooking with a mixture of melted butter, garlic, and diced parsley and the result will be both succulent and juicy.
If you love grilled vegetables, preparing them on a contact grill is quick and easy. Grill thick slices of onion or chunks of bell pepper or make a veggie kabob spearing broccoli and cauliflower florets, onions, garlic, and even pineapple chunks for a tropical accent.