What Can You Cook On Outdoor Griddles
Griddles are great for breakfast food in general. You can make hash browns, french toast, bacon, and stuffed bread dishes on a griddle. There are countless breakfast dishes from all over the world that you can cook on a griddle.
You can cook anything from a simple grilled cheese sandwich to more complex Japanese Teppanyaki dishes on a griddle.
Griddles are better for smaller pieces of meat and smaller vegetables. While a grill can make steak or corn taste better, a griddle is better for burgers and other vegetables.
You can also use a griddle to heat up buns and bread for burgers and sandwiches. You can heat up both the meat and the bread at the same time.
Detailed Test Results For The Big Green Egg
Kamado grills, including the Big Green Egg, are designed to maintain low temperatures for long, slow cooking and produce a roaring fire for searing steaks or grilling pizzas. When we tested the Big Green Egg for both capabilities, it did extremely well, like the other grills in its class.
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Steve Sheinkopf
Steve is the third-generation CEO of Yale and a lifelong Bostonian. He currently resides in Boston, one mile from where he was born. Despite being one of the worst goalies of all time, he is a huge hockey fan of college hockey and the Boston Bruins. The love of his life is his daughter Sophie.
A Note About Pricing
Pricing on this blog is for reference only and may include time sensitive rebates. We make every attempt to provide accurate pricing at time of publishing. Please call the stores for most accurate price.
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Reasons To Buy An Electric Grill
As we covered in detail above, the biggest benefit of electric grills by far is the simple fact that they can be used in places that ban charcoal or gas grilling. But even if that situation doesnt apply to you, there are still many reasons to love what electric grills bring to the table. We picked out some of our favorites below, so read on to see the best ways you can put an electric apartment grill to use whether youre in an apartment or not.
What Are Pellet Grills
Pellet grills use small cylindrical wood pellets as fuel, just as electric smokers use electricity and charcoal smokers use wood or charcoal. Their temperature digitally adjusts through a controller that automatically feeds in pellets into the smoker according to the set temperature.
A pellet smoker enables you to grill easily and with less smoke. Pellet grills also excel over traditional charcoal grills as they give off less acrid smoke, making for a tasty bark.
Because most pellet grills require electricity to function, they need to be used next to a power source. This function limits where they can be used.
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Ember Glo Commercial Gas Char Broiler: $5362
This commercial gas broiler brings restaurant-quality grilling right into your own home literally. The Ember Glo is built to create outdoor flavor with indoor ease, with burners that are designed specifically to generate more natural fuel that requires very little cleanup. Its ceramic hearth promotes radiant heat that gives you the ultimate searing capabilities.
Is It Worth It? If youre a restaurant-quality steak snob, this char broiler gives you perfectly seared and juicy filets, with little energy and charcoal usage. Its also ideal for those who want to grill all year round, but if youre looking for an outdoor model, move on.
Are Outdoor Griddles Really Worth It
With the warm weather returning and the pandemic hopefully ending, many people are grilling food outside. Should you get a grill, or is a griddle a better idea? In fact, with all the hype out there, is a Blackstone griddle really worth it?
A griddle is not the same as a grill and is a better choice for many types of food. Which is better depends on what food you want to cook and whether you prefer the taste of grilled food. A griddle is not one-sidedly better if you know the differences, you might go with a grill after all.
TLDR: Yes! An outdoor griddle is definitely worth it. Between cooking surface real-estate, heat zones, and versatility of food options, an outdoor griddle is worth your time and money as it delivers excellent value to the backyard chef.
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Is An Electric Grill Worth It
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Whats there not to love about grilling food? After all, grilled food is flavorful and easy to do. In fact, one can grill various kind of food such as burgers, meat, and even vegetables. Gratefully, there are plenty of grillers on the market, and they come in different types such as charcoal, electric and gas-powered. Among the most favored kinds of grill is the electric one.
However, those who are in the process of buying a grill often ask, Is an electric grill worth it?From my personal experience, yes, an electric grill is definitely worth it. An electric grill would usually cost less than a charcoal and a gas grill in the long run, since it doesnt required you to buy new charcoals or gas tanks each time. An electric grill is also relatively safer to be used indoor compare other types of grills, which is a great option for apartment residents.
Tips To Maintain An Electric Grill:
Here are some essential tips to clean and maintain your electric grill and thereby make it work out properly.
- Power off the unit and cool it completely before you start any cleaning process.
- Never immerse the entire unit in water. Most models of electric grills come with removable grilling plates, which are washed easily in the dishwasher or cleaned with a damp clean cloth.
- Dont use any metal scouring pads or abrasive cleaners to clean your grilling plate. As they may damage the non-stick surface of the plate.
- The power cord and controller of the grill has to be cleaned with warm soapy water and a damp cloth. But prevent immersing them in water, as it results in total failure of the unit.
- Can skip the cleaning of a heating element. If needed, wipe off gently with a soft cloth.
- Make sure to dry the unit perfectly after you complete its cleaning. Also, never plug in the grill till it dries thoroughly.
- Most electric grills have a removable bowl liner, which allows you to remove the excess oil or grease by using a plastic scraper. Wash it off with warm soapy water.
- Regular cleaning will ensure a perfect and long-lasting operation.
Also Check: How Do You Clean Gas Grill Grates
What People Say Against Using An Electric Grill
First off, lets talk about those who argue that electric grills are not worth purchasing because they are faithful to the old-world style that involves the use of real flame and smoke while grilling. In an electric grill, none of this is used.
An electric grill is primarily a grill pan that does the job but without the soul of more traditional grills. For the connoisseurs, its that smoky flavor and charcoal aroma of grilled food that really creates the magic.
Many people even go to the extent of saying that using an electric grill actually contradicts the very purpose of outdoor grilling that we love so much. So, lets check out some of the disadvantages or downsides of using an electric grill.
How Do I Clean My Electric Grill Heating Element
You dont want to clean your electric grill while it is hot as you would do with your charcoal or gas grill. You want to cool your electric grill till is cool to the touch. Use a vinegar and baking soda mixture to clean the hardened food bits off the grates if you are having problems loosening debris.
If your grill is smoking then there is probably some grease that has leaked down and onto the elements rather than pooling onto the drip tray. Once the drip tray has been removed and cleaned, turn the electric grill on high until all of the grease burns off and the smoke dissipates. Do NOT perform this cleaning method while indoors.
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Bull Little Q Grill Island: $6500
This compact grilling station offers maximum grilling capabilities and entertaining space. It’s equipped with a three-person bar area and built-in refrigeration, so your guests can stand by and watch as you grill up food on 600 square inches of grill space. The grill comes with four stainless steel burners and one infrared burner, offering you some of the latest technology in the grilling field.
Is It Worth It? Bull grills performance cant be denied, but if youre buying this grill for its entertaining space, there are cheaper options on this list.;
Is An Indoor Grill Worth Buying
Our favorite Cuisinart indoor grill can be converted from a contact to an open grill.
If you love grilling and like the convenience of being able to cook that way all year round, we think an indoor grill is worth the $100 or so it’ll cost you. While many models will take up a substantial amount of space on the counter or in a cabinet, contact grills generally fold up small enough to store, and they’re versatile enough that you’ll get a lot of use out of them.
The best electric grills can grill meats and vegetables, press sandwiches, and even make pancakes, bacon and eggs, all without filling your kitchen with unwanted smoke. Indoor grills are also known for being easier to clean than their outdoor counterparts, as some grills have removable parts can go right into the dishwasher.
The Cuisinart Griddler Deluxe is a great, smokeless option for most grilling tasks. It can function as an open grill, contact grill, or griddle, and the temperature is adjustable on different plates, which lets you simultaneously cook multiple things on different temperature settings. If you’re on a tight budget, we also recommend this classic George Foreman grill that goes for just around $25.
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The Third Is Cost To Buy And Operate
First off, if you have a decent gas grill you can achieve some pretty nice quality smoked meat using a 2-zone method and some wood chips.; You dont need to buy a dedicated smoker if you dont want to. There are numerous videos about how to smoke meats using you charcoal or gas grill and and some wood chips.
There are dozens of smoker tubes on the market and they work really well. I highly recommend you give these a try before you make any decisions about a dedicated smoker. The results really are pretty good and you may be surprised to find that this is enough for your needs.
If however, you know you want a dedicated smoker, the cost difference between electric and wood can be significant especially at the lower end of the market.
An entry level electric smoker can be had for under $200. Typically these do a pretty nice job, add a bit of smoke flavor, and produce some nice barbecue. They all work on the same principle a heating element and some form of smoldering wood.
The knock on the entry level units is they tend to be cheaply made, leak smoke, dont hold heat very well and are small requiring racks of ribs and packer briskets to be cut in half to fit.
Stepping up to a nicer level of electric smoker fixes all these issues but prices approach $500 and above for the popular manufacturers.
That said, electric smokers are very cheap to run using only electricity and a minimal amount of wood chips.
How To Clean An Electric Grill
Cleaning an electric grill is very easy. Firstly, you will want to make sure that the pan is cooled off, so you donât burn yourself and want to make sure that the grease is caught by the drip pan. After everything is cool, you can take hot water and let it sit on the dirty pan.
Then you will be able to use a regular sponge or rag to scrub the touch areas. That is, it! You will want to make sure you are not too rough on your pan because that could lead to scrapes that wonât go away. Using hot water and soap with a regular sponge is always the best way to go.
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Falcon Gray Sedona Island Package 36
This Lynx grill offers high performance and sleek design. The 36-inch grill comes with a ProSear infrared burner feature and a built-in side burner. Along with its grilling amenities, the built-in refrigerator and sleek granite countertop make it anything but an eye sore.
Is It Worth It? Youll find cheaper options for island installations, because the majority of your money is spent on the brand name and quality performing grill.
How Does An Electric Bbq Work
You plug the BBQ in, adjust the temperature dial, and the heating element will start to emit heat. You can set the heat with the continuously adjustable temperature dial. Since you’re not using charcoal, gas, or open fire, there won’t be any smoke development. That’s why an electric barbecue is very suitable for balconies or boats. In some cases, this is the only kind of barbecue that residents’ associations or landlords will let you use on balconies.
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How We Test Barbecues
When it comes to finding a top-notch barbecue, the proof is in the pudding or, rather, the perfectly cooked pork sausage. To find out how well each grill works, an independent chef cooks three sausages, a marinated chicken thigh and a pork-and-vegetable kebab on each barbecue. These are rated for the evenness of the cook, how tender they are, the level of smoky flavour and the appearance.
Because we know that you dont want to spend the beginning of a summer party faffing with a fiddly barbecue, we also assess how easy each model is to build.
We also light each barbecue to see how long it takes to reach a perfect cooking temperature, and how long each type of food takes to cook so you can be sure that your guests wont be left hungry for too long.
Lastly, to ensure the barbecue is safe and well-built, we assess construction and durability, and also check how easy it is to move or store.
How Does A Traeger Wood Pellet Grill Work
A motor turns a screw-like device, an auger, to feed the burn pot. The pellets are then ignited and exhausted by the chimney.
Traeger also has air convection. A 4-inch convection fan feeds the burning pellets air allowing them to burn hot and efficiently while circulating the heated, smoke-filled air around the food.
Wood Pellets for Traeger Grills;
The grill moves the heat around the meat, just like convection style cooking in an oven.
This air induction system allows the grill to be “sealed” underneath, which means you can use it when it’s windy to smoke, roast, bake, and grill.
The last thing to note is the grease management system. It has a slanted grease tray moving the grease out of the grill into a bucket.
It’s recommended to line the tray with tin foil for easy cleanup. This system also prevents flare-ups leading to burned and overcooked food.
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Techwood Bbq Electric Grill
We have yet another electric grill from the renowned Techwood brand.
This electric grill is a versatile product that can be used for a variety of purposes including outdoor parties, picnics, campings, and indoor barbecue activities. It has a 240 sq. in. cooking rack that allows you to make 15 servings in a single cook.
Special Features
Pros
- Comes with 36 months warranty
Cons
- Cooking area is not large
You have to disassemble the parts to clean them
Tips For Using Your Indoor Electric Grill
#1: If your food keeps sticking to the grill, try oiling your food.
Note we didnt say to oil the grate. Oiling your food lightly can keep it from sticking to the grill, without adding too many calories or mess.
#2: Always avoid using non-stick cookware on your grill.
This is because the models on our list can reach incredibly high temperatures, which can seriously ruin the cookware.
#3: If you miss the taste of smokiness, you can always add in liquid smoke.
Liquid smoke is just a liquid where the flavor compounds from real smoke have been suspended. Adding just a bit of this can give you that authentic taste that youre looking for.
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Size Footprint And Space Required
In this category, were really not comparing apples to apples. Electric grills all lean towards the small size, with the very largest approaching the very smallest gas grills in size. You may require as little as 2 square feet for one, perhaps a little more to include a stand with wheels and side shelves.
Gas grills, however, can be anything from minuscule to monstrous. The smallest will need only a few feet to each side. An average-size 3-4 burner grill might need a space more like 6 x 4. Or, you can go with an outdoor kitchen-style unit thats 8 feet or more in length including side burners and workstations.