You obviously can’t use a propane or charcoal grill indoors. This can be a problem for anyone who lives in an apartment or doesn’t have a backyard to grill steaks or other foods.
This article reviews five of the best indoor grills to get around this problem. Continue reading to discover what they offer and whether one is suitable for your needs.
Best Indoor Grill: Reviews
Techwood Electric Grill
This unit may look like a charcoal grill, but it’s electric. Moreover, it’s ideal for both indoor and outdoor use. It’s reasonably priced and has many great features.
Product Highlights
This electric grill comes with a very powerful 1600-Watt heating element. This is one of the most powerful heating elements you can get for an electric grill; it quickly reaches its maximum temperature. In addition, the well-placed heating elements allow for very even heating.
The precise temperature control enables you to achieve the exact temperature needed to cook any food.
This round electric grill, measuring 17.9 by 11 by 14.8 inches, makes it relatively compact and easy to use on your kitchen countertop and store in a small space.
However, the frame is cast iron, so it’s heavy. That said, the cast iron composition means that it is exceptionally durable. Yet it does come with dual handles for easy carrying. There’s also a stable base to keep it raised off counters and tables.
This grill has a massive 240 square inches of cooking surface that will enable you to cook for pretty large groups. There’s an interlocking hood and bowl, and the lid comes with a venting system for increased temperature control. In addition, there’s a raised warming rack to keep food warm as you cook below.
Next, this grill also comes with porcelain-coated cast iron cooking grates that are highly durable and rust-resistant. Food won’t stick to them, and they’re easy to clean as well.
What’s to Like About the Techwood Electric Grill
The cast iron composition means the grill is exceptionally durable. Moreover, it is reasonably priced for such a large and powerful indoor grill. In addition, there’s a 30-day hassle-free return policy and an 18-month warranty.
What’s Not to Like About the Techwood Electric Grill
Although cast iron has excellent durability, a significant drawback is that this indoor grill is heavy. In addition, this grill is relatively difficult to set up due to the poor assembly instructions. The other drawback is that the grill does not have a grease-catching tray.
Pros
- Very durable
- High-quality grates – nonstick
- Spacious cooking area
- Very powerful heating element
- Venting system
- Precision temperature control
- Stable base
- Good price
Cons
- Heavy
- Difficult assembly
- No grease tray
Hamilton Beach Electric Indoor Grill
If you are looking for a small, portable, and affordable indoor grill, this might just be it. It might look very simple, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t work well.
Product Highlights
This Hamilton Beach indoor grill measures 6.38 by 12.68 by 13.78 inches and weighs just five pounds, making it one of the smallest, lightest, and most compact units on our list. On the other hand, there’s a 90-square-inch cooking surface, so it’s large enough to fit four large or six small burgers.
However, this grill does not have the most powerful heating elements, and it takes a bit of time to heat up. But it has dual cooking surfaces, both on the top and bottom, so it cooks your food from both sides at once, effectively cutting your cooking time in half. On a side note, this dual-sided cooking function allows it to work as a panini press.
The cooking surface is nonstick, which means you don’t have to use excess oil for cooking, food won’t stick, and it’s also very easy to clean.
This electric grill also comes with a drip tray, and the cooking surface is angled to enable the grease to drip down into the tray. The drip tray can easily be removed and cleaned, and it’s dishwasher friendly.
What’s to Like About the Hamilton Beach Electric Indoor Grill
We really like that it’s small and compact, perfect for very small spaces and for use in apartment buildings. Moreover, it’s a budget-friendly indoor electric grill.
What’s Not to Like About the Hamilton Beach Electric Indoor Grill
One thing that isn’t fantastic is the size of the cooking area. You can’t cook for large families on it. Moreover, it is a plug-and-play type of unit – you plug it in, and it turns on. There is no precise temperature control.
Pros
- Cooks from the top and bottom
- Cuts cooking time in half
- Very small, compact, and lightweight
- Takes grease out of the equation
- Nonstick surface
- Easy to clean
- Excellent price
Cons
- Not ideal for large gatherings
- No temperature control
George Foreman Silver Electric Grill
This George Foreman grill is approved for indoor and apartment use. It comes with its own stand, so you don’t have to place it on your countertop.
Product Highlights
One of the best parts of this George Foreman grill is the detachable stand – you can place it anywhere. This also makes it ideal for outdoor use because you can put it on your patio. This stand is relatively easy to attach and detach. You can use it with or without and stand. In addition, the grill weighs just 7 pounds. It’s incredibly lightweight, which helps with portability.
The heating element is not the most powerful, but it’s more than good enough for most purposes; it heats up within 10 minutes. In addition, the heating elements are well spread out to provide even and consistent heating.
This George Foreman grill comes with a precision temperature control dial. It enables you to achieve temperatures up to 450° Fahrenheit.
The large dome lid allows for convection-style cooking that helps cut down overall cooking time. In addition, this lid comes with a venting system for better temperature control.
The grilling surface has a nonstick coating, so you don’t need oil or grease to cook your food. It also helps prevent food from burning and sticking. At the same time, the grilling surface is removable and easy to clean.
Furthermore, this George Foreman grill also has a grease-catching tray. The cooking surface is slanted, so the oil easily drains into the catcher. You can then remove the drip tray to easily clean it, and it is also dishwasher friendly.
What’s to Like About the George Foreman Silver Electric Grill
The best aspect of this George Foreman grill is the detachable stand. This automatically makes it highly versatile. In addition, it has a massive cooking surface that allows you to cook for up to six or even eight people.
What’s Not to Like About the George Foreman Silver Electric Grill
One of the most significant drawbacks is that the heating element isn’t overly powerful. As a result, it will take some time to achieve maximum temperature.
Pros
- Durable design
- Detachable stand
- Lightweight and portable
- Grease catcher tray that is dishwasher friendly
- Sloped nonstick cooking surface
- Domed lid with ventilation
- Five heat settings to choose from
Cons
Takes a while to heat up
Cuisinart GR-6S Smoke-Less Mode Griddler
If you are looking for a small and compact indoor electric grill, this is an excellent choice. It comes from a reliable brand, and it has many beneficial features. It might not be cheap, but it does perform very well.
Product Highlights
First of all, this is one of the most compact and lightest units on our list. It weighs just a couple of pounds and measures 11.5 by 10.5 by 7 inches, making it highly compact and portable. This small size also makes it suitable for use on small countertops. It’s an excellent grill for a small apartment.
However, the cooking surface is large enough to cook for one or two people. However, the heating elements allow this unit to heat up extremely quickly. The precision temperature control can reach 175° to 425° Fahrenheit temperatures. The display is easy to operate.
This grill is like a panini press, so you can cook your food from the top and the bottom simultaneously, which is great for searing steaks. Even better is that you can independently control the temperature on the top and bottom.
Furthermore, the cooking surface here is nonstick, so you don’t need extra oil. This helps prevent food from sticking and burning and makes cleanup more manageable.
The grill grates are also removable and dishwasher friendly; there’s also a drip tray, which is also dishwasher friendly.
What’s to Like About the Cuisinart GR-6S Smoke-Less Mode Griddler
We like that this Cuisinart indoor grill is very powerful. It can reach high maximum temperatures very quickly. The dual cooking surfaces, top and bottom, help to speed up cooking time.
What’s Not to Like About the Cuisinart GR-6S Smoke-Less Mode Griddler
However, this indoor grill doesn’t have much space – cooking for two people might be a challenge. Moreover, for its small size, it is pretty expensive.
Pros
- Very durable design
- Lightweight and portable
- Nonstick cooking surfaces
- Top and bottom heating
- Independent top and bottom temperature control
- Very fast and powerful heating
- Removable grates and drip trays – dishwasher friendly
Cons
- Not exactly budget-friendly
- Minimal cooking area
Cosori 8 in 1 Indoor Grill
This grill from Cosori is the most advanced and expensive model on our list. That said, it’s not just a grill but also seven other things. It’s a versatile unit that allows you to cook your food in various ways.
Product Highlights
The most exciting thing about this grill is its eight different features. It allows you to broil, roast, air grill, crisp, bake, dehydrate, preheat, and keep warm.
It comes with extremely powerful heating elements that provide fast and consistent heating. It can reach temperatures as high as 510° Fahrenheit. This makes it perfect for searing meat and for quick cooking.
There are precise temperature controls and preset temperature levels. In addition, the high-quality display and control panel are user-friendly.
In addition, it has a 100-square-inch cooking surface. It should be enough to fit up to four steaks or four hamburgers.
On a side note, you can put frozen foods in it. It can take foods from frozen to fully cooked in just 25 minutes. Another cool feature is that it comes with 100 different pre-programmed recipes on the VeSync app. Choose a recipe, and your grill will automatically set to the right temperature and time
The exterior of this indoor grill is made with stainless steel and other durable materials; it’s the most durable and best-looking unit on our list.
Although this particular eight-in-one grill is quite spacious in the cooking area, the unit itself measures 16.2 by 13.7 by 10.4 inches. This helps make it reasonably portable and ideal for use in small spaces.
What’s to Like About the Cosori 8 in 1 Indoor Grill
The fact that you can bake, grill, air fry, broil, and more it’s the best aspect of this grill. It’s a super versatile unit that allows you to cook more or less any food any way you want.
What’s Not to Like About the Cosori 8 in 1 Indoor Grill
One significant drawback is that this is the most expensive product on our list. On a side note, it gets extremely hot on the outside and could even burn your fingers if you’re not careful.
Pros
- Durable
- Looks nice
- 8 functions
- Compact design
- Spacious cooking area
- Easy to clean components
- Super-versatile
- Fast and powerful heating
- Can be controlled by Amazon Alexa
Cons
- Expensive
- The exterior gets very hot
Buyer’s Guide
Before buying an indoor grill, there are a few considerations to consider.
Watts and Heating Power
One of the most significant considerations is how powerful the heating element in the indoor grill is. You want something with at least 1200 watts of power; the more, the better. As you can see, some of the products reviewed are as powerful as 1600 watts.
You need a lot of power to ensure that the grill heats up fast and can maintain temperatures ideal for grilling.
Overall Size and Weight
In addition, pay attention to the size and weight of the unit. Since we’re talking about indoor grills, it’s safe to say that you probably want something fairly compact. If you aren’t going for portability, weight is not a huge deal, but the overall size and dimensions are.
Cooking Area
The next thing to consider is the size of the cooking area. Something between 80 and 100 square inches will do for two people. However, for larger families, such as four or even six people, 160 square inches is ideal.
Grill Grates
Look at the quality and design of the grill grates. They should be made of thick and durable materials and have a nonstick coating. You will not need oil for cooking, and it helps prevent messes from occurring. These nonstick grill grates are also easy to clean.
Grease Catcher
Finally, the grill should have a grease catcher to prevent grease from getting onto the heating elements, causing excess smoke, and possibly even causing a fire.
You want something that can catch all the grease that runs down from the grill grates. A good grease-catching drip tray will also help make cleanup a lot easier.
FAQ
How Many Watts Should an Electric Grill Use?
You should be fine if you find something between 1000 and 1500 watts.
Can Electric Grills Be Used Indoors?
Yes. They are the only type of grill that can be safely used indoors because they don’t generate smoke or fumes.
Can You Keep an Electric Grill Outside?
This really depends on the model. If it has a good lid, then yes, you can probably leave it outside. Moreover, if it has its own cover, you can certainly leave it outside.
Conclusion
We think the best indoor grill on the list is the Techwood Electric Grill. It comes in at a fairly reasonable price; it’s powerful and spacious. However, depending on your needs, any of the five products reviewed might suit you.