Electric Grills

Types of electric grills

Barbecue purists may recoil in horror at the thought of grilling over anything other than wood or charcoal. So if you insist on "charbroiled" taste, you may not be happy with an electric grill. Electric grills really can't compete with your oven's broiler, either. While a broiler typically preheats to over 600° F, most indoor electric grills reach only 200° to 450° F. But if you need or want an alternative to an outdoor barbecue or a way to grill small amounts of food, there are several electric grills that perform admirably. Another plus to electric grills is that they allow couples and singles to make small meals without heating up the whole oven. Of the 17 million grills shipped last year, 290,000 were electric (according to a Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association survey).

There are two main types of indoor electric grills: contact grills and open grills. Contact grills sandwich the food between two hot plates, shortening cooking time by removing the need to flip foods during the cooking process. Contact grills also allow you to press sandwiches between the two plates to make a panini-style sandwich. Open grills have just one cooking surface, so cooking takes a bit longer and food must be turned. Some prefer the faster cooking time of a contact grill, while others think the open style is more versatile. Some contact grills can also be used as open grills or griddles.

Best contact and convertible grills

The Cuisinart Griddler GR-4 (*est. $130) is among the most versatile contact grills on the market. It can be used as either an open or contact grill, and Cuisinart includes flat grill plates for cooking pancakes or eggs. This model gets excellent reviews. When used in an open position, the Griddler's 140-square-inch cooking surface heats evenly (from 200° to 450° F) and has a nonstick coating. Testers at Prevention magazine like the Cuisinart's compact size and temperature control.

Testers at The Wall Street Journal, however, have issues with the Cuisinart Griddler's grill surface design. Charles Passy writes, "The model's one unique feature -- the grill plate flipped over to become a griddle – proved to be its biggest drawback. Thanks to the dual purpose design, the plate lacked enough holes for the fat to drain away, turning cooking into a greasy, splatter-filled chore." While the overwhelming majority of owners posting on Amazon.com, Cooking.com and Epinions rave about this grill, some experienced problems with thermostat control. A few owners also felt that the grease cups are too light, making them easy to knock over.

The Krups Panini Maker PG70 (*est. $100) also gets glowing reviews from owners, but not from as many people as the Cuisinart Griddler. They like that the contact grill is easy to clean, well constructed and heats quickly. Its ample 106-square-inch cooking surface provides even heat distribution, browning foods with two nonstick plates. Temperature controls are adjustable up to 450° F. A floating hinge adapts to a variety of thicknesses for preparing sandwiches, chicken breasts, burgers and steaks. However, this model doesn't open out totally flat (though you can use it with the lid open), so it's not as versatile.

The Hamilton Beach Meal Maker Express 25285 contact grill (*est. $45) gets a nod from About.com for its "real heat" that can grill up almost anything, as well as its removable cooking surfaces. Owners posting at Amazon.com also like its small, compact size. The grill has 60 square inches of cooking space, but if you flip the lid over there's another usable cooking surface. Thus the combined area is 120 square inches. This model doesn't double as a flat griddle, however. The grill plates are removable and dishwasher safe. Another Hamilton Beach contact grill, the HealthSmart (*est. $50) , cooks fast and has dual cooking surfaces. It isn't quite as easy to clean as the Meal Maker 25285 model because it doesn't have detachable plates. Owners at Cooking.com like the grill's even heat distribution and multiple settings, though.

The George Foreman Family Size Plus GR26 (*est. $40) gets slightly better reviews than the Next Grilleration GRP99 model from owner reviewers at Amazon.com. While the Grilleration George Foreman grill was said to brown poorly, the George Foreman Family Size Plus does a better job overall, especially when cooking fish. Owners seem generally happy with the Family Plus George Foreman grill, which has 72 square inches of cooking space. However, it still gets lower marks than some other grills. It does not open out flat, nor can it double as a flat griddle. Grill plates are not removable and should be wiped clean.

A few other George Foreman grills did score higher marks, though. Reviewers say that the budget-priced The Champ Grill GR10 with Bun Warmer (*est. $30) cooks quickly. Small and light, the George Foreman grill is best at cooking for one or two people. Interestingly, we found slightly better reviews for the smaller, simpler George Foreman grills than we did for the larger models. The GR10 is unique in that it has a dome-shaped bun warmer in its lid, nice for warming up bread and rolls.

Reviewers also liked the newer, much pricier Next Grilleration GRP90 G5 (*est. $150) , which has five removable cooking plates. It's also big, with 84 square inches of cooking space. Owner reviewers at Amazon.com give the G5 a high rating. This George Foreman grill can be used as a contact grill, open grill or griddle, much like the Cuisinart Griddler. However, we found better reviews overall for the Cuisinart grill.

So if you want the most versatile contact grill, the Cuisinart Griddler is top-rated overall. If, however, you are looking for a small, simple contact grill, the George Foreman Grill GR10 gets very good reviews and is simple to use.

Best open electric grills

Open grills don't have a lid, but some reviews prefer them because they are generally simpler in design and easier to clean. Some experts argue that open grills impart a more grill-like taste than closed contact grills.

In this category, the Sanyo Smokeless Indoor Electric Grill HPS-SG3 (*est. $40) generally gets the most favorable reviews. It has a large cooking surface (204 square inches), and there's a removable, dishwasher-safe drip pan. Cook's Illustrated recommends the Sanyo Smokeless grill, calling it "the only grill that combined a large capacity with easy cleanup and minimal smoke." It has an adjustable temperature control (200° to 425° F) and a 1,300-watt heating element. Owners posting to Amazon.com also like the cooking surface. More importantly, they rate the taste and texture of the food cooked on the Sanyo as excellent. Some owners say the Sanyo isn't entirely smokeless. The Sanyo's cooking plate doesn't double as a flat griddle, however; this is just an open grill.

The DeLonghi Perfecto BG24 (est. $80) is another highly rated open grill. Since the heating coils are built into the grill top, the cooking surface self-heats, with adjustable temperatures up to 450° F. Owners at Amazon.com are mostly positive about this grill. They praise its ease of use, its ability to cook things evenly and its removable splatter guard. The cleaning process is also easy, say many owners. The nonstick drip pan and cooking surface are dishwasher safe, too. A tempered glass lid minimizes splatters. Those posting at Cooking.com like the DeLonghi Perfecto grill as well, but a few complain that it doesn't get hot quickly enough -- a common complaint about electric grills in general.

Important Features: Electric grills

Reviews say the following about shopping for an electric grill:

• Choose a grill with at least 1,000 to 1,500 watts. Anything less and you won't get proper browning and grill marks. The Cuisinart Griddler has 1,500 watts. The budget-priced Sanyo grill has 1,300 watts.

• Consider size of the cooking area. Cooking areas range in size from 38 to over 200 square inches, and some contact grills open to double the surface. Decide what and how much you are planning to cook. If you are only planning one or two small items at a time, a smaller unit may be appropriate. As a rule of thumb, four quarter-pound burgers can fit on a cooking surface of 80 square inches. See our Comparison Chart for details on cooking area.

• Consider the grill's footprint. Owners at Epinions and Amazon.com like the fact that the Sanyo Smokeless grill is also judged easy to store and move around.

• Grill ridges are important for crispness. Ridges should be wide and closely spaced, ensuring that a greater amount of cooking surface is in contact with the food. All the top models rate highly for browning.

• Temperature control may be useful. Most newer units have this feature, with cooking temperatures ranging from 200° to 450° F. However, owners say temperature is often a best guess and not very precise. Most say that once you use the grill for a while, you get to know where to set the temperature.

• Floating/adjustable hinges (as opposed to fixed) in contact grills allow you to adjust to a food's thickness for even grilling top and bottom. Some foods (like panini sandwiches) may require moderate pressure to crisp properly; other, more delicate items, like fish, should not be crushed. The Cuisinart Griddler has a floating hinge; the George Foreman GR10 does not.

• Nonstick coating on cooking surfaces will prevent food from sticking. Again, most newer models now have this as a standard feature.

Cooking on an electric grill

When cooking, keep the grill on an open countertop space and not under cabinets. The heat generated by the grill could damage the cabinets or their contents. Some grills are best used on top of your stove, where the exhaust fan can vent and reduce smoke.

Always be aware of the drip pan. Rendered fat can collect quickly, depending on what you're cooking, and it may be necessary to replace the drip pan with a new one during the cooking process. Steve Raichlen, author of Raichlen's Indoor! Grilling, suggests placing the entire grill on a rimmed baking sheet to collect splatters or drips.

Clean your grill while it's still warm. If that's not possible, reheat the grill slightly before cleaning. It may be helpful to use wet paper towels (use a pair of tongs, not your hands) for removing cooked-on food.

Our Consensus Report shows how many times products are top-ranked by reviewers included in our
All The Reviews Reviewed chart.

# of picks	Model	Estimated price
4	Sanyo Smokeless Indoor Electric Grill HPS-SG3 (*est. $40)	details
2	Cuisinart Griddler GR-4 (*est. $130)	details
2	Hamilton Beach Meal Maker Express (*est. $45)	details
2	George Foreman The Champ GR10 (*est. $30)	details
1 each	George Foreman GR99, George Foreman Family Size Plus GR26 , Krups Universal Grill & Panini Maker , DeLonghi Perfecto Indoor Electric Grill , DeLonghi Alfredo Healthy Grill

We found the most recommendations for an open grill, the Sanyo Smokeless Indoor Electric Grill, a simple appliance that just works well, according to experts and owners. If you want to press sandwiches or cook burgers and chicken without flipping, we found good reviews for both the George Foreman The Champ GR10 with Bun Warmer and the similar Hamilton Beach Meal Maker Express. The Meal Maker has an advantage in that it can also open out flat to double the cooking area. However, the George Foreman grill is less expensive, with an integrated bun warmer. It does not open out flat, however.

The Cuisinart Griddler is more expensive, but it is also the most flexible. It can be used to press foods, but it can also be opened flat to double grilling space. Plus, the plates can be flipped to convert it to a flat griddle for eggs or pancakes.

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