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After doing the T-Fal Optigrill reviews I have to be honest and tell you that I am impressed with the result of the two T Fal optigrill models. The T-Fal GC702 Optigrill and the T-Fal GC722D53 Optigrill plus or t-fal optigrill xl as some people call it.
The t-fal optigrill price is a little higher than other grills and you have to decide if it is worth the extra money. You can make that decision after reading the whole T Fal optigrill grill review.
Like in all my reviews I try to be as thorough as possible and provide you with all the pros and cons of this T-Fal (1) electric indoor Optigrill.
Many people look for the optigrill vs optigrill plus and I have to be honest it was not easy to find, but there are some big differences.
Difference between Optigrill and Optigrill plus
The Optigrill GC702 comes with 6 automatic cooking programs and a fixed temperature setting. The Optigrill Plus GC712 comes with 6 automatic programs and 4 temperature settings.
Part of the T-fal optigrill reviews was to find what the Tefal optigrill vs optigrill plus for differences showed. I have put them all here for you.
Optigrill servings and cooking programs
- Optigrill has 4 servings and 6 cooking programs
- Optigrill plus has 8 servings and 9 cooking programs
Optigrill options
- 4 servings grill surface
- Programs for Burgers, Poultry, Sausage, Red meat, Mammal and fish
Optigrill plus options
- 6 servings grill surface
- Programs for Burgers, Poultry, Sausage, Red meat, Manual, and fish like the Optigrill.
- Extra programs for Sandwich, Bacon, and Shellfish
What Both OptiGrills Have
- Both have the preheating ready indicator lights
- Both have the Sound warning for Rare, Medium, and Well done
- Both have the mode for cooking frozen food and Manual mode with 4 settings
- Both are 1800 Watts
Grill surface and temperature
While doing the t fal optigrill reviews we found that both are 1800 Watts and this is high compared to most other indoor electric grills.
There are no complaints about the Optigrill not getting hot enough. It is recommended to use the pre-heat function since it will take a little time for the grill to reach its optimum temperature.
Measurements of the T Fal Opti Grill
- Optigrill plus measures 14.5 x 15.7 x 9.01 inch
- Optigrill measures 13 x 14 x 6 inch
I have contacted the T-Fal support to find the exact measurements of the grill plates since I was not able to find them anywhere. The plates are made of Cast aluminum and coated with a Teflon non-stick coating.
I received an email back and the sizes of the plates are:
- 12 5/8 inch wide
- 8 3/4 inch deep
Cleaning the t-fal optigrill
Cleaning the Optigrill is pretty straightforward with the non-stick surface. Both the grill plates and the drip pan are dishwasher safe.
A warning I found is that some detergents in combination with the water can damage the non-stick surface. Hand washing is also really easy and not hard to do.
This makes it my recommendation to do a hand wash with the grill plates.
More Features of the optigrill
I am always interested in the length of the power cord since this can determine where you can place an indoor grill.
The cord is 47.2 inches long. I think this is a little longer than average.
Floating hinges and the thickness sensor are two of the main features since they decide on the thickness of the meat and the temperature and cooking time the pre-programmed option uses. The Optigrill can handle meat up to 1.5 inches according to the manual, but I read that people cooked slightly thicker meats on there with no problem.
The manual warns not to use meat with bones since this will throw of the sensor that reads the thickness of the meat. I have read that many people use it anyway with no problem.
The only important thing is to make sure your meat is of even thickness as possible. Pounding or cutting to make it even is highly recommended for the best result.
The option to cook meat straight out of the freezer and cook it got some really good ratings. This opens up the option for a last-minute steak dinner decision and not having to wait till the meat thaws out.
The die-cast aluminum grill plates are non-stick and easy to clean and dishwasher safe. They are also easily removable.
The slightly angled plates will help the grease flow into the drip pan very easily and fast.
The drip pan is very large and easy to remove with a kind of handle and is totally dishwasher safe. But like I mentioned before it is my opinion that hand-washed will make it last longer.
The T-fal optigrill problems are sometimes that it will only stay or go to manual and not want to go to the program mode.
One person mentioned that he found that the plate was not inserted right and that was causing the sensor in the hinges not to register the thickness. Another user mentioned that he contacted T-fal and they helped him re-calibrate the Optigrill over the phone. This means that there are steps you can take if the optigrill only manual mode problem shows up.
Another user mentioned that you should never put the meat on the grill before the grill is preheated and ready to cook. Here are the steps you have to take that will explain how to use the T-fall optigrill.
- Power on
- Select meat or sandwich
- Press OK
- Wait until warms up and cycles a few times
- Put meat or sandwich on the grill and close lid
Opening the grill before the cooking is done makes it turn into manual mode is what I found in the manual.
There is a recipe book included in the package.
Although the programmed options are easy to use and I have read several times that they work pretty well. The Optigrill still has the option to cook manually. This is necessary if you like to grill vegetables on the grill or have your own recipes that need to be cooked in manual mode.
The indicator lights in combination with the beeps for rare, medium, and well done are a nice feature so that you do not have to use a kitchen timer.
Video from T-fal company about Optigrill
I personally am a big fan of using a thermometer when I cook meat, This will help you determine when the meat is at the right doneness. You can have a look at the thermometers reviews I did here
Pros and cons I found in the T fal optigrill reviews
Pros:
Pros
- Great grill marks
- Plates easy to remove
- Gets pretty hot
- Large drip tray
- Easy to clean
Cons:
- Can’t handle uneven thickness of the meat
- Plates have no handle
To be honest I have to mention that most indoor grills can not handle the uneven thickness of the meat.
Customer reviews of the Optigrill by T-fal
After spending a lot of time on consumer websites, the manufacturer website, and some forums reading through a ton of optigrill reviews I think that the average ratings we have found are a true and honest reflection of all the information we used to write this Optigrill reviews.
Price of the Optigrill and Optigrill plus
To find the Tefal optigrill best price we did a lot of searching and found the price is to be a little higher than some other indoor electric grills. But taking into consideration all the options and the ease of use of this indoor grill the price is actually not that high compared to other big-name brands that perform sometimes less well than the Optigrill does. You can click on one of the links on this T-Fal opti grill review and it will take you there.
We can recommend the T-fal Optigrill as one of the best indoor electric grills we have reviewed.
T Fall optigril troubleshooting
I have not found too many problems for the optigrill or optigrill XL, but it seems that sometimes it flips into manual mode.
Here is the way to reset your optigrill according to the T-fall customer service.
- Plug the grill into an electric outlet.
- Press these 3 buttons at the same time (hamburger, fish, and M).
- The steak button will red flash 3 times and then becomes solid red.
- Open the grill and place a (1″ – 1.5″) thick wooden spoon on the bottom plate.
- Close the grill and press the steak button, will red flash 3 times and then becomes solid red.
- Now unplug the grill and wait for 20 sec.
- Plug it again it should be good to go
How do you use T Fal OptiGrill
I have talked about this briefly above and there is not much difference between the OptiGrill or most other indoor grills. Just turn it on and let it heat up at the right setting and wait for it to cycle two or three times to make sure the whole grate is warm.
What can you cook on a Tefal OptiGrill?
You can cook many types of food on the OptiGrill. From meat and fish to sandwiches and anything in between. Have a look at the complimentary cookbook in the box to get even more ideas.
More electric indoor grill reviews
You can read more indoor grill reviews of other brands and models on our top-rated indoor grill reviews page.
Indoor electric grill safety
Although we all think that it is safe to use any indoor grill it is still my advice to never leave it unattended and keep your eyes on it.
- The advice from many fire-brigades is to have a fire extinguisher in your kitchen for emergencies. This is a great recommendation for any household I think.
- Keep young children away from your indoor grill and also make sure that the power cord is not in a place that you can easily pull it.
- Only use a ground fault outlet
- Let it cool off before removing the grill plates
All these recommendations are also valid for the T-Fal optigrill Plus also of course.
T-fal OptiGrill reviews – My Opinion
I hope that our t fal optigrill reviews helped you decide if the Tefal OptiGrill is any good. I think this can be the indoor electric grill for your situation and way of cooking. I can only say that I was impressed with what people wrote about them.
The choice of optigrill vs optigrill plus is yours and also depends on your specific needs.
Share your experience with your T-Fal optigrill in the comments below.
Robert Chill
Robert Chill loves to cook on BBQs and grills and uses all types of recipes and techniques to cook some awesome food. With his experience, he can share many reviews, tips, and ideas on how to use any grill. You can read more about him here