In 1994, a man who had once been the most feared puncher on the planet received a package. Inside was a weird, slanted piece of plastic and metal. George Foreman, the two-time heavyweight champion of the world, looked at it and basically thought it was a toy. He didn't use it. For six months, the prototype for what would become the George Foreman Grill sat in a corner of his house collecting dust while George went about his business of being a boxing legend and a preacher.
Honestly, it’s a miracle the thing ever made it to market.
If it weren't for his wife, Mary, the world might never have known the "Lean Mean Fat-Reducing Grilling Machine." She was the one who actually tried it out, cooked a burger on it, and told George he needed to pay attention. He finally took a bite. The rest is business history, but the real story of the George Foreman with grill success isn't just about a celebrity slapping his name on a box. It’s about a massive cultural shift in how Americans ate, a desperate inventor, and a payout that makes most professional athletes' salaries look like pocket change.
The Inventor Holding the Patent in His Pocket
Most people assume George sat down one day and sketched out a way to drain fat from a burger. He didn't.
The grill was the brainchild of Michael Boehm, a Chicago-born tinkerer and general manager at an electronics company called Tsann Kuen. Boehm was obsessed with the idea of a "Short Order Grill" that cooked food on both sides simultaneously while letting the grease slide away into a plastic tray. He’d literally built the first one at home using a heated cast-iron sheet set at an angle. It worked. But when he tried to sell the idea, almost every major company turned him down. They thought people wouldn't buy a grill that sat at a "broken" angle.
Boehm eventually got the device to Salton, Inc., a small appliance company. They knew they needed a face for it. They needed someone who looked like they loved to eat but also cared about staying fit. George, who had just become the oldest heavyweight champion at 45 by knocking out Michael Moorer, was the perfect fit. He was the "big guy" who had leaned out.
That Insane Payout: Better Than Boxing
George Foreman didn't just get a flat fee to be in a commercial. He signed a deal that gave him roughly 40% of the profits. Think about that for a second. In the late 90s, when the grill was selling like absolute wildfire, George was reportedly pocketing around $4.5 million to $8 million a month.
By 1999, the brand was so massive that Salton decided they wanted to own the rights to his name forever.
They paid him $137.5 million in a lump sum (cash and stock) to buy out his interest. When you add that to the royalties he’d already collected, George made well over $200 million from the grill. That is significantly more than he ever made for getting punched in the face by Muhammad Ali or Joe Frazier.
The grill didn't just sell well; it dominated. By 2011, it was estimated that 15% of all American households had a George Foreman Grill. It was the quintessential college dorm tool. It was the "I'm trying to be healthy" New Year's resolution purchase. It was everywhere.
Does it Actually Work or Is it All Hype?
The marketing claim was always about "knocking out the fat." But was it real?
Independent testing eventually backed up a lot of the talk. In 2011, results showed the grill could remove up to 42% of the fat from a standard quarter-pound burger made with 80/20 ground chuck. That’s nearly 90 calories per burger just... dripped away into a little plastic tray.
- The Slant: The 15-degree angle is the "secret sauce" that lets gravity do the work.
- Dual Heating: Cooking from the top and bottom at the same time seals in juices while the fat escapes.
- The Coating: The "George Tough" nonstick coating meant you didn't have to add butter or oil to the surface, which was another health win.
Of course, the downside was always the cleanup. If you didn't have the newer models with the removable plates, you were stuck scrubbing those ridges with a damp sponge while the grill was still warm, praying you didn't burn your fingers. It was a trade-off.
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What Really Happened with the "Hulk Hogan" Rumor
One of the most persistent legends in the world of the George Foreman with grill lore is that Hulk Hogan was offered the deal first.
As the story goes, Hogan’s agent called him with two endorsement opportunities: a grill or a meatball maker (or a blender, depending on which version of the story the Hulkster is telling that week). Hogan allegedly chose the meatball maker, and George got the grill.
The truth? It’s mostly a tall tale. Michael Boehm has stated in interviews that George was always his first choice because of the "George" name and the five sons also named George. It made for better TV. Hogan did eventually launch his "Ultimate Grill," but it didn't have the same cultural impact.
Why the Grill Still Matters in 2026
Even with the rise of Air Fryers and Instant Pots, the George Foreman Grill hasn't vanished. It carved out a niche for "contact grilling" that didn't exist before 1994.
The brand has survived through several ownership changes—moving from Salton to Applica and eventually to Spectrum Brands. Today, you see them with digital timers, ceramic coatings, and even "3-in-1" versions that act as panini presses and waffle makers.
But the core remains the same. It's a piece of 90s nostalgia that actually serves a purpose. It’s also a masterclass in business. George Foreman proved that an athlete's second act could be more lucrative than their first, provided they find a product that actually solves a problem—and that they have a spouse smart enough to tell them when they're sitting on a gold mine.
Actionable Insights for Your Kitchen
If you still have one of these machines or are thinking about grabbing a modern version, here is how to get the most out of it:
- Preheat is Non-Negotiable: If you put the meat on a cold grill, it won't sear. It'll just steam and get gray. Wait for the light to go off.
- Don't Press the Lid: The weight of the lid is enough. If you push down on it, you're squeezing out the moisture along with the fat, leaving you with a literal hockey puck.
- The "Wet Paper Towel" Trick: For older models without removable plates, place a damp (not soaking) paper towel between the plates while they are still slightly warm (but unplugged). The steam will loosen the burnt-on bits, making cleanup 10x easier.
- Beyond Burgers: Use it for asparagus, sliced zucchini, or even halloumi cheese. The high heat and pressure make it one of the best ways to cook vegetables quickly without them getting mushy.
The legacy of the grill isn't just about the millions made; it's about the fact that for a whole generation, "George Foreman" stopped being the name of a boxer and started being the name of a way to cook dinner. That is the ultimate knockout.