7 best Indoor Electric Grills

An indoor grill is the perfect solution when you live in an apartment or in a house without a garden or lawn but you’re craving a barbeque feel!  

This review is equally important for those with outdoor space as the weather is sometimes a game changer. Indoor grilling will keep the party going no matter how good or bad the weather outside. We’ll give our advice on the best indoor grills available and explain how to choose the best for your needs but first a few essential tips to perfect your grilling.

List of best indoor grills

• MegaChef Dual Surface Reversible Indoor Grill and Griddle

• Ninja Foodi MegaChef Dual Surface Reversible Indoor Grill and Griddle

• Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 Indoor Grill with Air Fry, Roast, Bake & Dehydrate 

• Maxi-Matic Indoor Electric Nonstick Grill

• Weber 52020001 Q1400 Electric Grill

• George Foreman 15-Serving Indoor/Outdoor Electric Grill

• Cuisinart GR-4N 5-in-1 Griddler

Tips for perfect grilling

Select quality meat

Support your local butcher or fishmonger and don’t buy pre-packed meat if possible. These local producers will deliver the freshest products and advise on the best grades for your needs. 

Don’t use extremely cold ingredients for grilling

It is not advised to add cold meat to a hot grill. Take it from the fridge before starting and your steak will cook more evenly.

A warm grill in essential

Whether you grill on the BBQ or on a grill pan, the grill should be warm enough to be able to sear the meat when you start grilling. This way, you will retain all the moisture and juices inside the meat.

Marinade your ingredients

Meat and seafood dry easily when grilling. A marinade will add a personal touch to the flavour and at the same time the meat will not be dry.

Rest the meat

We can’t say this enough! An important part of grilling is resting the meat before slicing and serving it. Resting the meat will tenderize the fibre of the cooked meat. Resting time is half the time of the cooking or grilling time.

Related : Tips for easy grilling on a gas barbeque

Overview of best indoor grills

Maxi-Matic Indoor Electric Non-stick Grill 

The non-stick 14” cooking surface allows plenty of space to grill multiple items. A circular heating element allows it to heat up faster and more evenly. The temperature control with 5 settings will help to cook everything to perfection! 

Fat will drip away from your food into a large drip collector and the cool-touch base and handles will add to the safety of this grill and prevent any nasty burns!

This grill comes with a domed lid which prevents splashing of grease or oils. All parts of this electric grill are detachable and dishwasher safe.

Cuisinart GR-4N 5-in-1 Griddler

This 5-in-1 countertop unit is multifunctional and works as a contact grill, panini press, full grill, full griddle and half grill/half griddle.

The controls are simple and let you choose the grill or griddle function with adjustable temperature control. A light will indicate when this countertop is warm enough and ready to cook.

You can double the grilling surface by using the grill plates in the open position. The non-stick removable plates can be removed easily and are dishwasher safe.

Weber 52020001 Q1400 Electric Grill

This modern looking, sleek grill has large grip handles and control knobs, ergonomic side handles, sturdy front and rear cradles plus the familiar Weber Q logo branded in the lid. This particular model is space-saving and portable. 

The Weber usually is known for good heat control and so it automatically raises the bar when talking about performance of an electric grill. The porcelain-enamelled cast-iron adds to a more authentic grilled taste of foods cooked on this grill. 

Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 Indoor Grill with Air Fry, Roast, Bake & Dehydrate 

This grill sears, sizzles and air fry crisps. The cyclonic grilling technology, super hot cyclonic air delivers surround searing while the high-density grill grate creates char-grilled marks and outdoor flavour without the smoke. 

There are 4 grill control temperatures with the same cooking power of an outdoor grill: low, med, high & max. This grill has built in smoke control technology which works very well when using little fat. The non-stick, removable parts are dishwasher safe & easy to clean.

MegaChef Dual Surface Reversible Indoor Grill and Griddle

The non-stick grill/griddle surface can be flipped over easily. The clean up is a breeze! An easy wipe with a moist dish cloth and any remaining foods will be gone. This grill is designed to be lightweight and easily portable. 

The removable, adjustable temperature control accurately sets cooking temperature to achieve desired results when cooking a variety of foods. This grill offers a large 15″ by 11″ cooking surface on both sides of the cooking surface panel. 

George Foreman 15-Serving Indoor/Outdoor Electric Grill

This indoor/outdoor grill has a large surface to grill. The removable grill stand that’s sturdy on the patio can be easily removed for countertop grilling. 

The non-stick coating of the grill is durable, easy to clean with dishwasher safe removable plates, and it removes the need for butter and oil.

The electric heat is adjustable from low for keeping food warm to high for searing meat.

How to Choose the Best Indoor Grill

The size

Indoor grills might not have the same capacity as the bigger outdoor versions but there is not really a need for it unless you have a huge party.

However, they are perfect for small indoor parties while having a bit of an outdoor feeling. Electric grills usually are perfect for 2-4 people, but some bigger models can cater for up to 8 people. 

The heat

The heating element will determine how quickly the grill heats up.  High and efficient heating and easy temperature control are important when choosing an electric grill.

Safety

Although we are talking about electric grills and there are no direct flames involved, be aware that such equipment can still cause fires if it overheats.

Take these very important points into consideration before buying an electric grill. 

• Heat control with a thermostat is the perfect solution to keep the grill from overheating. 
• Cool touch surfaces such as handles and lids are important to avoid burns. 
• The power cord should be long enough. 

The cleaning

Cleaning isn’t really fun, and we know we keep repeating ourselves but as with all other kitchen equipment, it is essential to clean your grills.

First of all, the drip tray should be big and deep enough to ensure it doesn’t overflow while cooking.

Secondly, most indoor grills have a non-stick coating on the cooking plates. They should be easy to remove and food should be removable with a quick hand wash. However, many indoor electric grills are now dishwasher safe.

The price

This is very personal and depends on your specific shopping budget. Value for money is most important when getting the best grill for your budget.

Electric grills are usually less expensive than gas-fuelled and charcoal grills but still there are a variety with most prices depending on the manufacturer and the brand as well as the capacity. The price also depends on the functions available. This includes preheating, warming, and grilling. 

Conclusion

Indoor grills will bring some of the outdoors into your home. They should be compact to store and easy to clean. The heating elements need to be of good quality to guarantee even cooking of your ingredients. 

We personally opt for the Mega chef dual surface grill because it has all the functionalities we need, it is easy to store in our tiny kitchen and it is convenient to place on the table as a table grill. Additionally, it is perfect for 4 people and it is available at an affordable price.

We also like the Ninja Foodi 5-in1 grill because of the built-in air fryer but again, our tiny kitchen lets us down. Our top five are below.

1. MegaChef Dual Surface Reversible Indoor Grill and Griddle
2. Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 Indoor Grill with Air Fry, Roast, Bake & Dehydrate 
3. Maxi-Matic Indoor Electric Nonstick Grill
4. Weber 52020001 Q1400 Electric Grill
5. George Foreman 15-Serving Indoor/Outdoor Electric Grill
6. Cuisinart GR-4N 5-in-1 Griddler

Round-up of bbq and grilling information

Equipment:
Gas barbecue reviews
Electric indoor grill reviews
BBQ utensils and accessories
Grill pan reviews
Outdoor dinnerware

Barbecuing and grilling information:
How to host a bbq in 6 steps
7 Steps to grilling on a gas barbecue
Setting up your outdoor kitchen area
BBQ vs grilling vs smoking

Recipes:
Grilled watermelon with feta cheese
Asian chicken skewers on the grill
Marinated monkfish kebabs on the grill
Grilled marinated lamb with wine and peppercorns
Grilled pork cheeks with white peaches
Mediterranean lamb chops on the grill
Grilled prawns in green herb marinade
Chinese pork ribs on the barbecue
Potato salad is the perfect barbecue sidedish