The grill was a marvel. It could cook both sides of food at the same time, cutting down grill time. Its 20-degree slope allowed fat drippings to accumulate and come off into a tray.

Mr. Foreman agreed to let Salton, a manufacturer of juice extractors and pasta makers, slap his name on the grill, and by 1996 it had sold $5 million worth. The company would go on to sell more ...