Make Everything From Eggs To Steaks With These Versatile Appliances
Our editors independently research, test, and recommend the bestproducts youcan learn more about ourreview process here.We may receive commissions on purchases made from our chosen links.
While griddles are probably most associated with pancakes and sunny-side-up eggs, they’re actually one of the most versatile cooking surfaces imaginable. You can use a griddle to cook hamburgers while heating their buns, crisp up carnitas while warming tortillas, or sear a steak instead of using an outdoor grill. These wider cooktops provide plenty of space, so you can cook for a large household, and can also serve as warming trays for a buffet spread. Electric griddles are excellent options since they can be used on any tabletop with access to an outlet they provide consistent heat and are generally easier to clean than built-in griddles and griddle pans.
Read on to find our best picks for electric griddles to add to your kitchen.
-
Expensive
If cooking with a griddle is going to be an everyday occurrence, investing in a top-quality griddle might be a wise decision. This luxurious model from Zojirushi has a nice-sized 19 x 12.5-inch cooking surface and can heat from 176 to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. The cooking surface has a nonstick ceramic coating enhanced with titanium to make it long-lasting and easy to clean, while it promotes even browning. The griddle disassembles easily for cleaning, so youll get all the nooks cleaned every time.
Best Overall: George Foreman Indoor/outdoor Electric Grill
-
Large enough to cook for a crowd
-
Nonstick grill plate is easy to clean
-
Can be used indoors or out
If you want a freestanding electric grill, you cant go wrong with the George Foreman Indoor/Outdoor Electric Grill. This model features a removable stand that lets you use it outside on a patio or indoors on the countertop, and its spacious 240 square inches of cooking space lets you make around 15 servings at a time.
The George Foreman grill has a number of features that will make grilling an enjoyable experience. The durable grill plate is removable for easy cleanup, and it has a sloped grilling surface that helps drain the fat off meat. Theres a dishwasher-safe drip tray that collects excess grease, and the adjustable temperature control lets you choose from five heat settings. According to our tester, this grill is easy to assemble and clean, and it gets super hot for searing meats and other grilled dishes.
George Foreman has a few other indoor/outdoor grills, including the GFO3320GM, which has a slightly higher MSRP and features a premium ceramic coating and built-in temperature gauge.
Dimensions: 22 x 18 x 35 inches | Cooking Area: 240 square inches | Watts: 1600 | Use: indoor/outdoor
“This grill does a fine job with basics like burgers and sausages, producing nice grill marks. It also did a surprisingly good job cooking a frozen pizza.” Donna Currie, Product Tester
Hamilton Beach 25601 Grill & Electric Griddle
This one is more griddle than grill, but we felt it was worth including for that reason. The 100 sq. in. of grill space and additional 100 sq. in. of griddle let it cook almost anything, even pancakes, and eggs, in addition to juicy chicken. Theres even a fancy kickstand to tilt it upwards for collecting bacon grease. Both cooking surfaces come out for cleaning and are dishwasher safe.
How well does it grill? Well, it takes a very long time to heat up, but when it does, its hot enough to get a decent piece of chicken, with nice grills marks and a decent amount of juice – browning the meat without creating a lot of smoke. And the non-stick surface flips chicken easily without tearing it.
Its not anything to write home about, but its affordability and versatility earn a spot on our list.
Also Check: Where To Dispose Of Old Gas Grill
Removable Grill And Plates
Many grillers possess a lid that has a grill fitted indoors and you may reverse it to make an additional grilling area, which is excellent if you need to cook for a lot of individuals. A detachable grill or plate also makes clean up so much easier because you are able to detach the plate and wash it by hand or put it in the dishwasher.
How We Tested Indoor Grills
Hi, I’m Sharon Franke, and Ive been reviewing kitchen equipment for more than 30 years. Before that, I womaned the grill in New York City restaurants for seven years. Its been a long time since I lived in a house with a backyard, so an electric grill is my best bet for burgers. And as those of you who have read my other reviews know, Im a pushover for anything crispy. If theres one on the menu, Ill always order a grilled cheese sandwich.
We tested nine grills including those with wide-open surfaces and others with lids that close down and cook the food from two sides at once. In each, we toasted bread to see the evenness of the grills heating pattern and then grilled hamburgers to see how long it took to cook if it left distinct grill marks, and how evenly it browned. In the closed grills, which are often called contact grills or panini presses, we cooked a thick ham, cheese, and tomato sandwich on sourdough bread. At that point, we eliminated products that we thought had serious drawbacks. In the remaining five grills, we made chicken breasts and salmon filets.
Recommended Reading: Cleaning Stainless Steel Grill Grates
Best Budget: Gotham Steel Smokeless Electric Grill Griddle And Pitchfork
The price is right on this indoor grill with a nonstick ceramic grate and griddle. The grease catcher below the grate is designed to prevent food drippings from burning, which reduces the amount of smoke created and makes cleaning easier, too. The cooking temperature is controlled with a simple dial that runs from warm, low, medium, and high.
For even more fun, a kebab fork is included that has four large skewers to hold plenty of food. The griddle and grill plates each have their own heating elements, and both are dishwasher safe, although hand washing will likely improve the longevity of the nonstick surface.
Rotisserie chicken is a favorite, and now itâs possible to make it in your house with this infrared grill and rotisserie. The infrared technology and special drip tray reduce the smoke thatâs created during cooking, even if there’s a fair amount of drippings. Heat reflectors make sure food cooks evenly whether youâre grilling or using the rotisserie, and the rotisserie turns the food smoothly, for perfect browning on all sides.
The nonstick cast aluminum grid is ideal for sturdy foods like steaks, burgers, and chops that look best with hearty grill marks, while the wire grids are designed for more delicate foods like fish or fruit. When cooking is done, the removable parts are dishwasher safe.
Ninja Foodi Ag301 Indoor Grill And Air Fryer: Best Indoor Grill Overall
While most indoor grills are single purpose items that take up valuable kitchen space, the Ninja Foodi AG301 Indoor Grill and Air Fryer makes up for its bulkiness with the wide range of cooking options available. In fact, you might find it gets more use than your oven as it cooks food quickly while also producing tasty food.
It is a premium grill with the price tag to match, so if youre just looking to dabble in occasional indoor grilling, you might be better served by a cheaper indoor grill. But for serious grillers, the Ninja Foodi Indoor Grill and Air Fryer provides impressive results thanks to its high heat and Cyclonic Grilling Technology for impressive searing capabilities. As the name suggests, this machine is also an air fryer, but you can bake, bake, roast, and dehydrate too.
The Ninja Foodi Indoor Grill and Air Fryer is the heaviest model in our guide to the best indoor grills, as well as the bulkiest. If you want a grill for occasional use that can be quickly and easily stored away, this isnt it, but it does offer fantastic cooking power.
With five separate cooking options, the Cuisinart Griddler Indoor Grill offers great versatility. It can cook a wide range of foods, including everything from pancakes to burgers and even paninis too. At $80, its also affordable too, making it an option that is great value for money.
Also Check: How To Clean Porcelain Grill Grates Char Broil
What Is A Health Grill
A health grill looks a bit like a toastie maker, comprising two heated plates that sandwich food between them, cooking the top and the bottom together. Most are slightly slanted, with ridged plates that allow rendered fat to run off food instead of cooking it in its own grease. This excess is collected in a pot at the front of the grill.
Like a barbecue, health grills leave distinctive lines on foods that help sear meat and impart flavour. All the models we tested have non-stick plates, so little-to-no fat or oil is needed, making them an all-round healthier option.
Hamilton Beach 25361 Electric Indoor Searing Grill
With the Hamilton Beach Indoor grill, you can enjoy perfectly grilled veggies and meat at whatever time of the year. This way you donât have fire up your outdoor grill to cook your steak neither do you have to wait until the end of winter to enjoy a juicy grilled burger.
With amazing high searing temperature which locks in juice and an adjustable temperature knob to personalize grilling, you can certainly have excellent result every time.
The grill is quite easy to use. It features indicator lights which allows you to know when your grill is on and prime to use. It has a lid window which allows you to watch your food as it cooks plus its large, nonstick cooking surface which gives enough space to grill multiple foods at the same time. It has an extra large drip tray to catch excess grease and juice.
Convenience is only one of what makes this product perfect for your busy lifestyle. It is equally simple to clean. The grill surface and drip tray are both removable and dishwasher safe.
Also Check: Who Makes Camp Chef Pellet Grills
Testing Zojirushi Indoor Electric Grill
When you unpack the Zojirushi Indoor Electric Grill, youll see there are four pieces: the plastic tray that holds the grill, the non-stick grill itself, the drip tray that goes under the grill, and the power plug.
Its easy to put together. The plug fits inside the grill, and the dial turns from low to medium or hot. You can adjust the settings of the grill just by turning the dial, so if youd like medium-high heat you can do that.
Its not a huge grill, but its a good size for a family. I found you can fit 4 burgers or 4 chicken breasts on it at one time.
Grilling Chicken On An Indoor Style Grill
When it comes to grilling chicken, were looking for a few things:
High Heat But Not Too High
The hotter it gets, the easier it will be to cook a good piece of chicken and get a good sear going . And the higher heat, the faster the chicken will cook, as well. So you want a grill that can get up to at least 400°F, the ideal temperature for chicken. Higher heat than that is great to have but can dry out your chicken.
A Good Non-Stick Surface
We would also, ideally, like to be able to flip our chicken and get it off the grill without it sticking to the surface and shredding as we pull it off. Letting the grate heat up properly before putting the chicken on will also help in this case, as a hot surface stick less.
A non-stick surface will also help you clean up afterward, which is not only convenient but will help you get perfectly-grilled chicken every time.
Also Check: What Temperature To Grill Pork Chops
Ninja Foodi Smart Xl 6
The Ninja food smart XL 6-in-1 indoor grill is an excellent addition to your smokeless kitchen appliance collection. It not only grills but also bakes and air fry meat and vegetables.
What sets it apart from the rest of the crowd is the exceptionally less cooking time of 25 minutes or less.
Its extra-large internal capacity can accommodate six steaks or 24 hot dogs at the same time. Luckily, you can also grill your sidelines along with the mains.
The 6-in-1 functionality includes air crips, bake, broil, roast, and dehydrate in addition to the regular grill.
The cyclonic airflow, combined with the unique smoke control system, automatically regulates the temperature.
The hot air circulates from top to bottom to create a top-class sear. Not only that, but you can also see visible grill marks on the steaks and patties.
A washable grease screen covers the heating element. You can increase the screens durability by washing it gently with a dishwasher soap after every use.
The control panel is user-friendly with intuitive buttons for cooking settings, grill controls, temperature, and timer.
Pros
Cleaning The Grill Grates Between Cooking Sessions
I grilled chicken, steak, hamburgers, and vegetables on the grill. I noticed when I cooked steak, which had BBQ sauce on it, it lodged a lot of debris in the grates of the grill. I didnt stop to clean the grates before I made hamburger on it. The grill still cooked the burgers perfectly so having a dirty grill doesnt mean it wont work as well as it does when its clean, but after I was finished I spent quite a while cleaning the excess debris out of the grates.
While it makes a great burger, you just have to plan for the fact that the grease and debris dripping through the grill grates will be more intense than if you were grilling something else. Unlike a BBQ, you cant use a scraper on the non-stick surface of this grill.
Recommended Reading: How Long Do You Grill Shrimp
Best Portable: Berghoff 2415600 Tabletop Bbq
Dimensions : 15.75 x 11 inches | Cooking Area: 15.75-inch diameter | Weight: 16.75 pounds
Wherever kebabs, yakitori, and salmon beckon, you can take this snazzy little stainless-steel grill that weighs less than 20 pounds. Theres even a carrying strap, so you can throw it over your shoulder and bring it to a picnic or the beach.
Note that this is cooking outdoors, not inside, as it uses charcoal. It comes with a fire basket, charcoal grate, heat shield, and a multifunction cork lid that doubles as a base and hot pad. Simply turning the grill around on the base controls the airflow to your charcoal. All elements are removable to allow for easy cleaning.
Dimensions : 18 x 14 x 7.5 inches | Cooking Area: 130 square inches | Weight: 20 pounds
Featuring interchangeable plates, this versatile and efficient grill from De’Longhi includes embedded heating elements, which prevent hotspots for a more even cooking process. There’s also an integrated drip tray for grease-free grilling.
The grill features separate temperature controls for the lid and base plate so you can customize your cooking or multitask since the grill fully opens up to double your cooking space. Its extras fulfill all kinds of cooking desiresfrom the dishwasher-safe griddle, waffle, and grill plates to a broiler function that allows the lid to float for gorgeously melted cheese atop your burgers.
Are Electric Grills Any Good
Electric grills are the healthiest way to cook outdoors. They dont produce carcinogens and they dont use unsustainable gas fuels that are bad for the environment. If health is your primary concern, an electric grill may be your best option compared to charcoal or gas. Comparing Charcoal, Gas, and Electric Grills.
Don’t Miss: Pork Tenderloin Temp Grill
Other Products We Considered
With so many George Foreman grills to choose from, you shouldnt have any trouble finding a model that suits your grilling needs. The George Foreman 15-Serving Indoor/Outdoor Grill is an ideal option if youre looking for a grill that you can use both inside and outside your home. It has a 240 square-inch round grilling surface that fits up to 15 burgers, so you can easily cook for a crowd on a patio, or in your kitchen.
We also like the George Foreman Grill & Broil 7-in-1 Electric Indoor Grill. Versatility is this grills forte. Not only can it grill and broil, but it can also do waffles, paninis, and baked goods. A truly versatile model.
You Get A No Smoke Grilling Experience
Some models of indoor grills do a better job than others when it comes to reducing the amount of smoke produced during grilling and cooking, But still, all indoor grills are designed to generate much less smoke than conventional outdoor grills, if any at all.
This is mainly due to the fact that theyre almost exclusively electrically powered using no charcoal or gas. Some models rely on the heat from a stove, not even electricity.
This can be a huge advantage for people suffering from asthma or allergies because smoke from grilling is known to be rather irritating, even to a regular person. Moreover, smoke can leave behind nasty stains and odors if its trapped inside without air vents, which means a smokeless grill is best for indoor use.
You May Like: How To Grill Frozen Salmon
Are Smokeless Grills Really Smokeless
Outdoor gas grills, charcoal grills, and wood pellet grills are notoriously smoky. These cookers solve the smoke problem by using infrared heat instead of a flame to cook the food. Smokeless indoor grills are also equipped with fans, lids, and filters to grab and contain most of the smoke. Some feature drip pans designed to catch and cool grease before it has a chance to turn into smelly leftover residue.
However, indoor models are not 100 percent smoke-free. In tiny apartments or crowded spaces, its best to open a window and circulate the air, or else youll be smelling cooked meat for days or even weeks after the meal. The best indoor grills are not nearly as smoky as an outdoor grill, but they can create a small amount of smoke stink.
For those who want a smokeless grill without giving up the smoky flavor, a few drops of liquid smoke lend that outdoorsy taste to foods cooked indoors.
