Electric Grill Review

Reviews of electric grills, griddles and panini presses

The best electric grills offer a solid barbeque experience without the hassle of heavy smoke and charcoal. Under the umbrellas of electric grills, there are two main types: open grills and contact grills. Open grills have one cooking surface, requiring the food to be flipped during cooking. Some come with lids that help contain heat and steam, while others do not. Conversely, contact grills (often called panini presses) have both top and bottom cooking surfaces. These grills are designed to cook both sides of the food at one time. George Foreman is the most well known brand here, but lots of manufacturers make electric grills.

We found the best professional reviews in cooking magazines. A 2007 article in Cook's Illustrated magazine rates six open grills, comparing electric grills to those designed to sit on a stovetop burner, rating them in terms of the flavor of the food cooked, ease of cleanup and other features. An older 2005 Cook's Illustrated review tests seven indoor grills. Products are put through the paces grilling hamburgers, a variety of vegetables, grilled cheese sandwiches and paninis. Testers measure the temperature of each grill's cooking surface using a thermometer and carefully analyze each product's features and capabilities, including cooking surface, fat-draining ability and cooking time.

Prevention magazine also publishes a helpful article rating four electric grills. A review in The Wall Street Journal offers a thorough testing of five indoor grills, while Slate.com pits an older George Foreman grill against several portable gas and charcoal models. About.com also lists 10 top indoor grills with brief rundowns of features of each model. Surprisingly, ConsumerReports.org does not report test results for electric grills, but editors do offer general buying advice. Owner-written reviews at such websites as Amazon.com, Target.com, Viewpoints.com, Epinions.com and Cooking.com also offer nice insights and more detailed feedback about long-term durability.

Other things to know: Experts at Cook's Illustrated say that contact grills offer faster cooking time, while open grills offer a cooking experience more similar to cooking with an outdoor grill, which can be important to some consumers. Editors say grills with removable grill plates tend to be easier to clean, although their heating surfaces can be less consistent, with scanty hot spots or a top plate that is cooler than the bottom plate, according to some reviews. Instead, grills with non-removable plates tend to have more even heating surfaces. Read on to learn more about choosing the best electric grill.