This purchase was actually the 2nd one of these I had. The first one lasted for 8 or more years, and just recently started to have problems with the controls.I loved it so much that I wanted to replace it with the same model.This is very easy to use, just plug it in, position the drip cup below the spout, hit the power button and choose your temp (you have a choice of either 350 or 425). If you want to use the sear feature, you then hit the sear button. This makes the grill heat up to 500 degrees for about 90 seconds to do a quick sear, then it reduces to your chosen temperature. I have fixed everything from beef tenderloin steaks to chicken breasts, to burgers, pork chops and even veggies. The grill is very versatile and gives great results. I grilled a steakhouse cut tenderloin steak, using the searing feature. 3-4 minutes for a perfect medium rare steak. I found that the cook times suggested in the manual are a bit long, but you can experiment to see what works for you.I would advise using Pam for Grilling sprayPAM No-Stick Cooking Oil Spray especially for GRILLING with High Temperature Formula, 5 oz - Made with 100% Natural Vegetable Oil ! Great fot less or Fat-Free Cooking! on your grilling plates, it is designed for high temps and doesn't leave a residue.Cleaning the grill is reasonably easy. Note that this grill doesn't have removable plates. The directions tell you that when you have removed the food to turn off the grill and put wet paper towels between the plates while it is still hot. When the steam starts to subside, open the grill and use tongs to grasp the paper towels (which should be somewhat damp) and wipe down the plates. I have found that this gets off 95% of the food residue off the plates..maybe a little less if you are cooking something with a sticky glaze. If your grill requires more cleaning I recommend the George Foreman cleaning spongesGeorge Foreman GFSP3T6 Custom Grill Sponge 6-Pack. They have 2 sides..a scrubber and a regular sponge side, and are ribbed at the perfect spacing for cleaning the grid. a little bit of soap and water and the grill comes nice and clean. You do have to be careful to not get water in the control panel. I usually use the sprayer on my kitchen sink turned low, and tilt the grill so the water flows thru the grease drip spout.The grill stores easily, as it will sit upright and stores the cord under the grill and has a small footprint on the countertop. The finish is brushed stainless steel and wipes clean with a damp cloth.I have used other grills including a George Foreman and this one is far superior in my opinion. I have seen other reviews complaining about the plates not being removeable, but I like the fact that this makes them less wobbly than the removeable grids on other grills. For me, the superior grilling performance outweighs any slight inconvenience of not being able to pop the plates in the dishwasher.So if you want great grilling results, get this grill. You won't be sorry.