Living in an apartment can limit your choices regarding cooking methods. Of course, you can’t use a flame or charcoal grill in an apartment.
That said, there are unique indoor grills that you can use in apartments. We will discuss five of the best indoor grills for apartment use to help get you started in your search. Let’s get to it.
Best Indoor Grill for Apartment: Reviews
Hamilton Beach Electric Indoor Grill
This small, simple, yet effective indoor electric grill is perfect for apartment use. It is reasonably priced yet also performs very well.
Review
This Hamilton Beach indoor grill has a 118-square-inch grilling surface. Generally speaking, this should be enough space to cook food for three to four people. Although you get plenty of cooking space, the unit is small and compact, making it ideal for countertop use and storing in small places.
We like how most of this indoor grill is made with stainless steel. It’s pretty durable, looks nice, and shouldn’t rust or corrode.
The basic electric heating elements are included with a simple temperature dial. It can easily reach temperatures of 450° Fahrenheit to sear meat. It also produces even and consistent heating.
There’s a fully functional lid with a viewing window so you can see what is going on inside.
This Hamilton Beach electric grill also features a nonstick cooking grate that should prevent food from sticking in the first. In addition, the grate is easy to remove and easy to clean.
This can also be said for the removable and easy-to-clean grease-catching tray. This grease-catching tray prevents this grill from creating any smoke as it functions. This drip tray is even dishwasher friendly.
Pros
- Durable design
- Even and consistent heating
- Has a lid with a viewing window
- Nonstick grate
- Dishwasher safe drip tray
- Space efficient
- Can reach 450°
Cons
- Has some very sharp edges
- Can’t access the drip tray while in use
Mueller Ultra GrillPower 2-in-1 Smokeless Electric Indoor Grill and Griddle
This is a combination indoor grill and griddle with multiple functions; it’s space-efficient and highly affordable.
Review
This indoor grill has a cooking surface of 10 inches by 13 inches, more than large enough to cook for two, three, or even four people at once. We like how this unit is small and compact enough for apartment use.
However, the really cool aspect is that 3/4 of the cooking surface is a grill grate, and the other quarter is a griddle. So you can use this unit for a wide variety of grilling and cooking purposes.
The grill surface is coated with a nonstick material to prevent food from sticking; it also means that you don’t need any oil to cook. In addition, this grate is removable and easy to clean.
This unit uses very basic electric heating elements, although quite powerful. It has five temperature settings that can reach up to 400° Fahrenheit. It’s not the hottest grill, but it is pretty fast and reliable.
This indoor electric grill and griddle has a drip tray to prevent grease from getting onto the heating elements and prevent smoke. This drip tray is easy to remove and wash.
Pros
- Very affordable
- Grill and griddle combo
- Nonstick cooking surface
- Easy to clean drip tray
- Fast and consistent heating
- Space efficient
- User-friendly controls
Cons
- Maximum temperature is not overly high
- Somewhat limited durability
Elite Gourmet Smokeless Indoor Electric BBQ
This is an even more budget-friendly indoor electric grill for you to check out. It looks nice, works well, and is easy to use. You can’t ask for more than that.
Review
This is a good option if you need a spacious yet space-efficient indoor grill. It has a rounded shape with a large 14-inch grilling surface that should be enough to cook for three or four people at once.
The unit as a whole is relatively compact and sleek. You can easily fit it in a small space and use it on your countertop.
In addition, there’s a glass lid so you can see what’s happening inside. This glass lid keeps the heat inside and helps food cook faster and more evenly.
This small electric grill features a 1300-Watt heating element that provides fast, reliable and consistent heating. Temperatures can range to 450° Fahrenheit, and there are five adjustable settings from which to choose.
The cooking surface is entirely nonstick, so you don’t need any oil to cook, and it also makes cleaning up this grill much more manageable.
However, this grill does not have a grease tray, and all the grease will stay on the cooking surface.
Pros
- Sleek design
- Spacious cooking surface
- Nonstick and easy to clean
- Has a glass lid
- Relatively fast and even heating
- 5 preset temperatures up to 450°
Cons
- Temperature control is not overly precise
- No drippings tray – might produce a bit of smoke
George Foreman Grill and Panini Press
We are talking about indoor grills, so how could we not mention the George Foreman grill? It’s highly affordable compact, and it works pretty well. It’s one of the most popular indoor grills.
Review
This is a combination grill and panini press. It has fairly powerful heating elements that cook evenly and consistently. The benefit here is that it grills your food both on the top and bottom simultaneously.
This effectively allows you to cook foods and sear meats twice as fast as with other units that only have a bottom cooking surface. In addition, you can make paninis, sandwiches, and other such things.
You may appreciate the ceramic-coated cooking surfaces that are entirely nonstick, so you don’t need any oil. Moreover, this helps make the cleanup process much more manageable.
In addition, these grill plates can be removed and popped into the dishwasher. The ceramic coating is highly durable, fade and stain-resistant.
There’s a sloped cooking surface to help grease drain away from your food. The grease then falls into the drip tray, which helps prevent smoke. Moreover, that drip tray is easy to remove and can also be put in the dishwasher.
Be aware that the cooking surface is not overly large. That said, it should be able to fit up to four or even six hamburgers at once. The other benefit is that this unit as a whole is small enough to use on a counter or to store in a small cupboard.
Pros
- Very affordable
- Compact and space-efficient
- Decent size cooking surface
- Helps fat drain away from food
- Nonstick and durable cooking surface
- Dishwasher friendly drip tray
- Fairly fast heating
Cons
- Maximum temperature is not overly high
- Temperature is not adjustable
Ninja FG551 Foodi Smart XL 6-in-1 Indoor Grill
This is an all-in-one indoor grill, air fryer, roaster, oven, broiler, and dehydrator. It’s a fairly high-end unit and by far the most expensive product on our list. That said, it is also the most functional and versatile indoor grill on our list.
Review
Right off the bat, this indoor grill uses what is known as cyclonic grilling technology. It uses cyclonic air to chargrill or cook your food, and it can reach temperatures of up to 500° Fahrenheit.
Once again, this is a six-in-one unit. It can also be used as a roaster or broiler, an oven, a food dehydrator, and even an air fryer. It comes with all the components you need to perform these functions.
This grill also has a smart thermometer so you can achieve perfect results every time. In addition, there are precise temperature controls, 9 customizable levels of doneness for your food, and four smart protein settings.
In addition, it’s ideal for indoor use as it produces no or minimal smoke. There’s a temperature-controlled grill grate, a spatter shield, and a cool air zone. These reduce the amount of smoke produced.
However, this is the largest grill on our list. Therefore, it’s not the most space-friendly, although we would say it’s still small enough to use in apartments.
That said, it does have quite a large cooking surface. It can fit up to six relatively large steaks or even 24 hot dogs. In addition, there’s a four-quart crisper basket for air frying. All in all, this is the most versatile unit on our list.
Pros
- Six different functions
- Has a lid for heat retention
- Durable build
- Easy to clean
- Many settings and precise controls
- Heats up quickly
- Smart cooking system
- Easy to clean cooking surface
- Plenty of cooking area
Cons
- Quite expensive
- Not the most compact or space-efficient
Buyer’s Guide
Before shopping for an indoor grill for your apartment, there are a few considerations to keep in mind.
Smoke Prevention
Since we are talking about indoor grills, you need a model that will prevent smoke from occurring. Various features can help with this, with a good drip tray between the cooking surface and the heating elements being perhaps the best. In addition, an excellent nonstick cooking surface can prevent food from burning and creating smoke.
Overall Size
You want something pretty compact that you can use on a countertop and fit in a cupboard.
That said, you also want to pay attention to the size of the cooking area. Most units are somewhere around 10 by 13 inches. Ensure that it’s large enough for your needs.
Heating Capabilities
The indoor grill should also heat up to around 450° Fahrenheit. Moreover, the heating elements should be powerful enough to heat up within 10 minutes.
A heating element of around 1300 watts is ideal. Also, make sure that the heating is even and consistent. If you can find a unit with precise temperature controls, you are on the right track.
The Cooking Surface
Look for a grill with a nonstick cooking surface that will prevent burning and smoke from occurring and means that you don’t need to use oil for cooking.
On that note, a nonstick cooking surface is also straightforward to clean. You should also look for something that is dishwasher friendly.
Ease of Cleaning
The product in question should be made of a material that is easy to wipe down – for the interior and exterior.
Moreover, look for one with a cooking surface and a drip tray that are dishwasher friendly.
Durability
The other thing to keep in mind here is durability. Generally speaking, ceramic or stainless steel is the way to go.
You want to invest in a grill that will last for years. But, unfortunately, you often get what you pay for with this kind of product.
Conclusion
There is no doubt that the Ninja FG551 Foodi Smart XL 6-in-1 Indoor Grill is by far the best indoor grill for apartments on our list. It’s spacious, has many functions, and performs very well.