In this article we are going to be talking about smokeless indoor grills, and hopefully we can help you find one that will suit your needs. Like most folks, we love to grill outdoors, but the weather sometimes makes this impossible, especially in the winter months. Or perhaps you have moved into a place without a garden, and you still want to grill. This is where grills that can be used indoors come into use.
In this article we are going to be talking about the different kinds of indoor grills available, then having a look at some of the best smokeless grills you can currently get. Let’s start things off by discussing some of the different kinds you can buy.
What Is The Best Indoor Grill?
This depends on what kind of grill suites your needs. Firstly, you will have to decide whether you want to invest in a gas or electric model. Gas grills are more orientated to serious grillers, who have a good chunk of change to invest and plan to grill often. Electric models are much cheaper, and tend to cater to most homeowners who grill once in a while.Â
Let’s look at these two options in more detail below.
Gas Indoor Grills
Now the first type is the full on indoor gas grills. There are very few of these on the market, and most of these cost in the range of $2000+ such as the Profire Grill (pictured to the left), which is a hang of a lot to pay for such an item. The main issue with using a gas style grill indoors is that it can be very dangerous. Gas grills produce a large amount of carbon dioxide which can be fatal unless there is proper ventilation for the gas to escape.
If you decide to purchase one of these gas grills, then you must have a proper ventilation system set up to prevent any damage to your health. Because of the large cost involved, and the need to make a ventilation system for these types of grills, we cannot recommend them as being a worthwhile purchase for your average user. However, it isn’t all bad news, as there are much cheaper alternatives available which produce similar results. These are known as electric grills, and we’ll talk about them below.
Electric Indoor Grills
Electric grills are the most popular type of smokeless indoor grills you can currently get for a few reasons. The main reasons being you can buy some for under $100, and they are safe and easy to use. This is why we would strongly recommend them over a gas grill. You won’t get the same cooking results as you would from an traditional style charcoal grill, but the results are still very decent in comparison.
Obviously there is a minor taste difference, but most folks are more than happy with the results from their electric grills. You should also bear in mind that you would likely pay less than 10% of what a built in gas grill would cost you, so that is quite a difference in price! For this reason we would say they are a much easier, cheaper and trouble free grill to get. There are quite a few different electric grills on the market, all of which come with different features and sizes to choose from.
What Electric Grill Features Should You Consider?
There are a couple of features to look out for when choosing an electric grill. The first main product specification you should look out for is the power output of the grill. Some of the cheaper grills simply don’t have enough power to cook things effectively, so a unit with a decent heating capacity is what you want. As a general guideline, we would say that anything about 1300 watts should give you enough power to cook anything very thoroughly.
Next up you should consider the size of the cooking area. Some of the cheaper grills have a small cooking space that is only useful for making food for a handful of people, which is no good if you have a large family. Most units list the measurements size of the cooking area, so keep this in mind of you need a larger sized unit.
With these features in mind, lets take a look at some of the best smokeless indoor grills currently available on the market.
Cuisinart 5 in 1 Griddler GR4N
|
The operating temperature ranges from 200F-425F, and the cooking plates are dishwasher friendly. The picture to the left shows the unit in the panini press position, however the top can also be folder all the way backwards to make a full size cooking surface. In this position, it provides a 200square inch cooking surface. The Cuisinart GR 4N is a decent indoor grill, has a three year warranty, and has over 3800 5-star user reviews on Amazon! With a retail price of around $75, this one looks like a winner. You can check the latest pricing of this model and read some of the many user reviews here. |
George Foreman Indoor Outdoor Grill GGR50B
|
It comes with a stainless steel dome cover, which includes a vent. You have a range of temperatures to choose from, and the grill will be ready to cook your food in under 10 minutes. The George Foreman Indoor Outdoor Grill GGR50B is a little more expensive than the Cuisinart above, as it is priced around $85. However, given that it can be used indoors and outdoors with the pedestal, it is one of the best smokeless indoor grills for under $100. |
Breville Smart Grill BGR820XL
|
We should also mention that the Breville Smart Grill bottom cooking plate is flat, while the top plate is ridged for grilling, You can swap them between top and bottom, but there is only one of each included. The cooking plates can’t have reversible cooking surfaces due to the built in Smart heat sensors, so you will need to buy another one of each if you wish to have two smooth sides, or two grilling sides. This is the only downside to this model, but the spare cooking plates don’t cost too much extra. The cooking plates are dishwasher friendly, and there is also a LCD display on the front which displays the current temperature, and lets you know once the unit is full heated up. There is also a timer built into this model, which gives it an advantage over the two models above. The Breville BGR820XL Smart Grill is undoubtedly one of the best smokeless grills, although it is costs quite a bit more than the other models with a retail price of around $299. You should also read the current Most Helpful Customer Review on the Amazon page, as the user reviewer has put a very detailed comparison between the Breville and the Cuisinart grills. |
Summary
So that is a look at some of the features you should consider before making a purchase, and a look at a few of the best smokeless indoor grills currently available on the market. Hopefully this will give you an idea of what kind of specifications you require, and help you to find the ideal one for your home.
