In early April Tefal followed me on Twitter. I might have went Eee! just a little bit. My blog is still in its infancy with regards to product reviews and to get noticed by a big brand like this was really exciting. What could they want?
They asked if I ever grilled anything. I’ve never owned a grill – I mean, I do have one built into my oven that I frequently use, but I have never owned one of those posh ones like a George Foreman. I said I grilled mackerel fillets (it was the first thing that sprang to mind!).
They sent me a DM:
I’m pretty sure I went squeeee! at this point!
A few days later a giant box arrived in the post containing my brand new Tefal Optigrill. I emptied the box, photographed the contents (as you do!) and started experimenting.
I love my Tefal Optigrill!
I’ve been using this grill at least two or three times a week since the day it arrived. It’s not the most attractive of kitchen gadgets, but my it works wonders with a bit of meat, and vegetables, and it makes a crackin’ grilled cheese sandwich!
One of the first things I made with my new Tefal Optigrill grill was the grilled cheese sandwich pictured above. It’s made with local Shetland all wheat bread and Monterey Mild Shetland cheese from Britain’s most northerly cheese producer here on the west side of Shetland. This is the best grilled cheese sandwich I have ever tried, and you can find the recipe over on my post at A Taste of Shetland.
It also makes a wicked toasted sourdough bread for a quick Bruschetta with St. Ninian’s Soft Cheese and Smoked Sea Salt lunch.
I’ve grilled vegetables in it, cut thinly and brushed with olive oil. Chicken fillets, brushed with oil, grill to perfection in this machine, and make for a quick dinner with a salad or perhaps sun-dried tomato pasta, as pictured below with the grilled vegetables.
One of my favourite foods to grill in the Tefal Optigrill are the peppered pork grills from our local butchers. I’ve never been very good with judging how long to cook pork. I fear undercooking it and so I end up feeding the family tough chewy pork. The Optigrill takes all the guesswork out of this, making perfect grilled pork every time. This grilled pork goes really well with my grown up cheesy alphabet pasta recipe. Dinner in less than half an hour!
I also grill sausages, straight from the freezer, on those days where I’ve been absent minded I’ve forgotten to take something out to defrost. The Optigrill has this fantastic frozen food setting – sausages, burgers, chicken nuggets – the cooking sensor adjusts the timing and can cook from frozen. How convenient is that?!
To use the grill you plug it in, switch it on and select from seven different settings: burger, poultry, bacon, sausage, red meat, fish or manual (for toasties, paninis, etc). Press the frozen button if your food is frozen. The grill has a light to show you what it’s doing – at the start it pulses purple/pink while the grill is heating and when it reaches the correct temperature it bleeps at you and stops pulsing. Pop your food in and wait while it cooks. The cooking level indicator changes colour through blue, green yellow, orange and red, bleeping at each stage to let you know what it’s doing. If you want your steak rare, remove it from the grill at the yellow stage. If you want your bacon crispy remove it at the red stage.
The beeps mean you can get on with the rest of your meal preparation without constantly having to check if your meat is ready (or burning!). For a quick summer dinner my five minute bbq sauce works really well with sausages, chicken or burgers, and served with salad it’s no effort at all!
The only downside, for me, is that the style of the machine doesn’t really fit with the style of my kitchen. It’s quite grey and industrial. Also, I don’t care for the flavour of beef steaks cooked in it. Yes, they are tender and cook to the right level, but it’s missing the burnt butter flavour I’ve grown accustomed to when my husband sears the steak (and sets the fire alarm off).
We did attempt to cook a great big piece of meat as displayed on the front of the Optigrill box. The instructions say that meat up to 4 cm thick can be grilled, so we cut a giant 4 cm slab of roast beef. This doesn’t work, don’t waste your meat! The machine kept switching off as the surface area was too large. Stick with regular cuts of steak. Lesson learned!
The Tefal Optigrill is really easy to clean – when the non-stick grill plates have cooled you pop them, and the drip tray, into the dishwasher. No mess! No burnt bits stuck onto a pan to scrape off, no fuss! The drip tray will need to be emptied prior to washing. It’s really quite astonishing how much fat can drip out of the machine, especially from bacon and burgers. It really is a much healthier option to frying.
With an RRP of £150 the Tefal Optigrill can be purchased through several high street retailers and Amazon.
Tefal have very kindly offered one of my readers the opportunity to win their very own Tefal OptiGrill in a giveaway! To enter fill in the Rafflecopter entry form below. Tefal say the OptiGrill will be delivered in time for the World Cup final!
How to Enter
For your chance to win one of TWO Tefal OptiGrills RRP £150 enter using the Rafflecopter form below. Come back and tweet about the giveaway every day for more chances to win!
Terms & Conditions
This giveaway is open to UK entries only. Entrants must be age 18 or over. The winners will need to respond within 24 hours of being contacted; failure to do this may result in another winner being selected.
The prize is offered and provided by Tefal. The prize is one of two Tefal OptiGrills. There is no cash alternative and the prize is not transferable.
If you need some help using Rafflecopter, here’s a quick clip to show you how. Rafflecopter will pick the winner at random from all the entries received. I will be verifying entries and any automated entries or those who have claimed they have made the mandatory blog post comment and really haven’t will be disqualified. It’s mandatory!
Closing date is midnight on Friday 4 July 2014 and the winners will be announced that day.
See my Giveaways page for some fantastic other giveaways!
Elizabeth’s Kitchen Diary was sent a Tefal OptiGrill for review. All opinions expressed are our own. This is not a paid post.
Chocolate Strawberry Pavlova
Burgers – I usually do them in the built in oven grill but because they spit and make a right mess I tend to avoid doing them that often.
Steak
fish and chicken
Steaks – my son is crazy about them!
I would try salmon
chicken breasts
Everything 🙂 I would have mainly gone for meaty things, but I love your grilled cheese sandwich idea too.
I would be very tempted to use this grill first for some nice succulent grilled Salmon. I can almost taste it now. I would think it would be very yummy. I also don’t have anything posh like a George Forman grill so it would be a very welcome addition to our healthy eating regime (going for three weeks) Thanks for the chance to win Elizabeth and good luck to everyone 🙂
a big juicy steak
My quorn veggie sausages because they are very hard to get browned to perfection – but I’m sure the optigrill could manage it.
Tuna steak 😀
Chicken breasts
A nice steak
Sausages 🙂
Chicken breasts
a fry up, the healthy way!
paninis
I’d try some aubergine and courgettes to start with:-)
A nice big steak
Pork Chops 🙂
Chicken kebabs
stteak
A Cajun spiced chicken breast .
Steak for me! Looks great
Tuna or Swordfish Steaks to go with stir fry. Nice health and quick meal
Marinated chicken breast. It would be great to help me keep track of my diet because it’s so easy to use I can just pop something healthy on there when I can’t be bothered.
think i would start with sausages, but over time alsorts, Ive never had one of these ether and would love one, maybe one day 🙂
nice juicy steak
A cheese and mushroom paninni
Chicken, mushroom and mixed pepper kebabs, my husband is trying to lose weight so like to make his food as interesting as possible but cook as healthily as possible too
A nice toastie with marmite and strong cheese
Some nice steaks
fillet steak 🙂
I would cook some chicken breast on it first I think, as I eat alot of it and it would be nice to see if it is easier and tastier x
sweet chilli chicken
Steaks and burgers for start. Veggies like peppers and corgettes too.
A nice juicy steak
Would treat ourselves into a good steak! 🙂
Oh I would make toasted bagels
steaks
pork chops
i could go on and on and on.
chicken and pesto pannini
I’d cook some Steak
I’d cook sausages
bbq pork chops
Some peppered beef might be nice
Like you the grilled cheese sandwich would be first (I do hope the machine settings can be adjusted as some of the food in your photos looks a little too much on the burn side for my tastes)
You would use the manual setting for grilled cheese and you could cook it to your liking. Personally I do like the burnt crispy bits although they’re not particularly good for you! 🙂
Sweet chilli chicken <3
A nice bit of chicken
sweet chilli belly pork or jerk chicken x
All kinds – has to be steak first though!
Spicy Pork Medallions
Has to be steak!!
Everything that I like and it will be happy to cook for me.
Paprika Chicken Breasts
A lovely piece of salmon
A big fat steak for the hubby
I would grill my sausages and bacon, oh and cheese toasties….basically everything i can! xx
Gotta be steak
steak!
A nice juicy steak!
Steak! but I wish I could cook like you!
I would cook some mackerel.
Fillet steak would be my prefererence
Steak with grilled aubergine and sweet potato slices…yummm!
Id try something different like octopus or squid with the ultimate dressing 1000 island dressing
Everything! Chicken, pork, beef, lamb…
Filet steak 🙂
Lamb Chops
Tuna Melt
Steak, I’m not very good at cooking it just how people like it so I’d love to try one on here
steak !
a tuna melt panini!
SAUSAGES!!
Bacon & sausage 🙂
a juicy steak
A juicy steak
Venison Burgers and Asparagus
It always has to be bacon!
chicken breast coated in turmeric, they are so juicy done this way
Griddled courgette and asparagus served with a poached egg. Yummy!
Does it do paninis?
It does, yes! 🙂
Veggie burgers and sausages
Everything I could! But firstly some lovely salmon steaks 🙂
Cheese & ham toasties also sausages
Steak, chicken, sausages, bacon..the list is endless..all the pictures looked so delicious!
I love fish, so would try a nice fish recipe on this
Juicy steak
cheese & ham toasties
got to be steak
Chicken breasts covered in philadelphia cheese and wrapped in bacon; it’s delicious.
I would make steak for me and sausages for my doggie
I would cook my chicken , steaks and everything else that needs it , in the optigrill
Good old bacon butty 😀
Beef Burgers
Rib eye steaks
Oh my goodness, this looks amazeballs. I would cook just about everything in there but I would start with pork and pepper kebabs I think! Thanks for linking up with #TriedTested
Steak and sausages.
I would cook lots of chicken breast and steaks
Grilled cheese and ham toastie. It’s pretty simple but it feeds a certain craving! 🙂
Sausages and burgers and lamb chops.
First I’d grill some bacon on the Optigrill, then use it to make a toasted bacon and brie sandwich !
steak
I would attempt the perfect steak 🙂
tuna steaks – then finish off on bbq
It would have to be Salmon Steaks as we all love Salmon.
a nice juicy steak
Would have to be steak for me
I’d go for some kind of marinated chicken!
http://ninegrandstudent.co.uk/
I think this would be great for cooking steaks and even tuna steaks too
Piri Piri Pork 🙂
Sausages
Salmon
a yummy cheeseburger 🙂
got to try a steak
I’d give bratwurst a go to see if the Optigrill cooks them to my liking.
welsh fillet steak yum
I’d definitely make a grilled bacon bap – yum!
A burger, onions and bacon for a bacon cheeseburger 🙂
cheese toasties to start with
steak for the first use
a sizzling steak
A lovely pork chop would be fab done on there.
Salmon
paninis yum!
sausages!
lincolnshire sausages and steaks!
My wife’s home made burgers
Cheese & onion toasties
Thick and juicy rump steak for me xxx
Kebabs!
Palin old sausages
My husband loves steak and chips so that would be the first thing I would cook 🙂
Barbecue chicken!
I’d have to try a steak first I think!
Sirloin steak
Some yummy chicken
Probably some pannini of some kind, maybe chicken, bacon and cheese.
Steak 😀
A tuna, cheese and onion panini
Everything – we use our basic one so much – it would be fantastic to have an upgrade 🙂
What a fab giveaway! I think grilled sandwiches would be my thing. Maybe a multilayered one with lots of deli meat. Yum.
I would cook chicken as I’m on a diet at the moment and find chicken to be really good
Chicken Breasts!
I would cook grilled chicken!
I think I’d have to try steak – my husband and son both love it – Mummy points for me 🙂
a yummy panini
Grilled chicken breast with pesto and goats cheese 🙂
Ham and cheese toasties – my other half is obsessed with them!
Homemade chunky chips
Tuna Steaks 🙂
Chicken with tomatoes, mushrooms and roasted peppers on the side
I think I’d try out some pork as we often overcook that too! But I do like a nice bit of crispy bacon!
Chilli Chicken for me, served with new potatoes and salad
Pork chops and mediterranean veggies!
I would cook some steaks for the boyfriend 🙂
Steak.
A juicy steak!
Those Toasties look Devine!
Salmon steaks for us
big fat juicy peppered pork chops
Rare steaks for the boys and just cooked scallops for me.
Some tasty salmon steaks
Marinated Tuna Steaks
I’d make aubergine & red pepper tortilla wraps
I’d like to try King Prawns
Having just read your blog I would want to try out so much – I love fish and do not eat enough of it so would be tempted to try out some lovely fish first and as for grilled sandwiches – yummy
I would start of grilling chicken and prawns then I would experiment from there!
I’m going through a retro food stage at the moment so I’d kick off with gammon and pineapple
I’d probably do a grilled cheese sandwich first.
Steak and mushrooms
Steaks!
Steak
Burgers susages,toasted sandwiches all sorts of stuff fab prize
grilled chicken with a bbq glaze to have with salad.
Definitely chicken x
steak
Barbeque steak panini’s
Halloumi for me and salmon steak for Mr H.
Bacon and Chicken to make a NewYorker
Definitely sirloin steak to see if it really does cook it to perfection 🙂
chicken
Steak
I’ve got some lovely salmon steaks in the freezer that would be delicious on the grill
Oooooooh I think it would be prawns. Yummy!
Some chicken as I love chicken
I would make Panini’s with it ! 🙂
I would cook a bacon sandwich for me and my wife to eat in bed on a Sunday morning! Heaven!
a really really good steak
A chorizo, cheese, rocket and tomato toastie, that should keep me going long enough to plan the next meal.
Chicken
Chicken and pesto panini
Would have to be some rump steak
Jerk Chicken. I know it’s meant to be barbecued, but I’ve had some success by tweaking a recipe and cooking it in a pan. This would just make it so much easier and less messy!
Steak and onions
I love grilled chicken ♥
I would go for a cheese and ham toastie. Thick layers of ham, slices of cheese on top – and then my secret weapon – some worcester table sauce on top of the cheese. A cheese and ham toastie is already yummy enough, but the sauce gives it a nice cheeky tang. Try it.
I will! That sounds fab! 🙂
Home made burgers as a special treat
A nice sirloin steak
fillet steak
I’d cook chicken wrapped in bacon, stuffed with mozzarella cheese.
irish beef burgers
Homemade cheeseburgers! xx
Bacon and cheese toasties
A cheese and onion toastie – some good old comfort food
Steak and mushrooms
I would cook some sirloin steak
Sausages!!
Mainlky oasties of all kinds, but meats like burgers steaks also…
Something vege
Chicken
id cook a nice piece of steak
I would start off with grilled cheese sandwiches, then move on to beef. Nothing shuts my husbands mouth like a juicy hamburger!
This made me laugh out loud, thank you! 🙂
a lovely piece of steak and some lamb chops
Hubbies homemade burgers, crunchy salad and garlic new potatoes
Peppered chicken and peppered steaks – lovely 🙂
Some nice steak with mushrooms, peppers and onion
salmon, mushrooms and peppers and serve with cous cous yum
I think I would first try lamb chops as they are a big favourite.
A nice big, fat steak
Teriyaki salmon, mmmmm
Got some kangaroo steaks in the freezer ready to be done rare!
I love grilled chicken with peri peri sauce so would give that a try
Sirloin steak
Sardines, I luv them. In fact any sort of fish woule be nice freshly grilled.
Maura
I’d cook steak
Steaks!
Tuna steaks mmm
Some Honey pork chops 🙂
Homemade burgers – I do pop these under the grill but can be a little greasy (although hubby likes that!) an optigrill would help lower that grease level down
Chilli burgers 🙂
sirloin steak 🙂
Steak for my hubby
A nice piece of fillet steak – to go with my chips and salad
Steak would be my first choice
Paninis and chicken steak!
I would make lots of different sandwiches!
Chunky Chips
Mozarella and pesto paninis first off!
A gorgeous Panini
I’d do my husband a mixed grill as a nice weekend breakfast treat!
I would splash out for my first go with some nice steaks!
Lamb chops on the optigrill with mash, sweetcorn and gravy. Nom 🙂
Not sure, but as much as possible
The first thing I’d def make is a cheese and onion toasted sandwich!!
chicken or steak
I would cook BBQ Chicken Yum!
I had a small style grill in uni that was great for steak or chicken, but would love to try a larger version and see how it gets on for fish and large meals for the family
Steak – never can get it just how I want it by frying or using the oven grill.
Lemon and garlic marinaded chicken thighs for me
Pork steaks!
some steak to make the other half happy 🙂 x
I would love to win this, the first thing I would try out is some grilled fish. Thanks for the lovely giveaway.
Apparently, this device can cook the perfect steak. So I would put that to the test.
A good sized rump steak.
Sweet chilli chicken <3
steak is my all time favourite food so this would be the perfect test to see if it can make me an amazing fillet steak 🙂
Cheese & onion toasties
Bacon butty!
Sausages and steaks.
Tuna steaks and cover them with a garlic marinade and serve with new potatoes and salad! Yum!
I would have to get some steak specially to see how well it grilled
The best steak that I could afford!
Grilled cheese sandwiches would be nice to cook first