How to choose an electric grill and not overpay

1. Decide on the type of electric grill

Despite the simplicity of the design of such a device, which has remained virtually unchanged for many years, there are quite a few varieties of electric grills on the market. In order not to be mistaken, it is worth understanding the purpose, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each type.

Outdoor BBQ Grill

The most similar option to a traditional grill, which in fact is it. The only difference is that when cooking, not coals or gas are used, but heating elements or infrared heated. The rest of the design remains the same: a large grill, a drip tray for juice and fat. It can be equipped with a lid, legs for installation on the floor or table.

Such a grill, thanks to its large surface, will allow you to bake any food, including meat, fish and vegetables, and will also cope with thick steaks. Thanks to the regulator, it is easy to maintain the desired temperature, unlike analogues on coals.

When cooking, the products will need to be turned over to fry on the other side. In addition, there is no escape from the smoke. In a word, this is an option for a summer residence or a country house, since such a device cannot be used in an apartment.

outdoor grill

Another type of grill, which is an open brazier with a heating element underneath. Products are also fried on one side only, and only a very powerful hood can cope with smoke. Another disadvantage is that the devices take up a lot of space in the kitchen.

The main advantage is in the size of the working surface. Such grills are usually quite roomy and allow you to cook several large ones at once. steaks.

Which electric grill to buy

• Electric grill Atlanta ATH-1110, 1 727 rubles →
• Grill infrared rotating Foodatlas 3D LY-005A, 11 463 rubles →

Closed pressure grill

The most popular and common type, which is suitable for most people. By design, this is a contact electric grill with two braziers, one of which serves as a lid. Thanks to this, the main feature is realized - the products are cooked evenly on both sides at once, and they do not need to be turned over. This not only speeds up heating, but also reduces cooking time.

In addition, closed grills have significantly less smoke and almost no grease spatter. They are much more compact in size. The disadvantages include only a relatively modest working surface and a lot of weight.

Which electric grill to buy

• Grill Tefal Optigrill GC706D34, 14 499 rubles →
• Pioneer electric grill for home, 3,690 rubles →

Universal grill

In fact, this is the same contact pressure device that can be opened 180 °, thereby turning into a larger open grill. This feature is available in many closed models, but not all. Because of it, manufacturers often distinguish such devices in a separate subclass.

Which electric grill to buy

• Grill SteakMaster REDMOND RGM-M814, 7 649 rubles →
• Grill GFGRIL GF-185, 6 141 rubles →
• Electric grill Zigmund & Shtain Grillmeister ZEG-920, 4 990 rubles →

grill oven

Another type of closed pressure electric grill. The only difference is in the complete baking sheet with high sides, which is inserted between the working surfaces of the grill, turning the latter into a kind of mini-oven. Of course, this cannot be compared with a full-fledged oven, but in its absence it can be useful.

Which electric grill to buy

• Grill oven SteakMaster REDMOND RGM-M803P, 4 799 rubles →
• Grill oven SteakMaster REDMOND RGM-M816P, 18,999 rubles →

rocket launcher

Special two-level grill for cooking raclette - melted cheese dishes. Actually, this is the difference: on the upper tier you can fry meat, vegetables or bread, and on the lower tier you can heat the cheese. As a rule, the upper work surface is made in the form of one solid panel, and the lower one is in the form of individual portioned pans. Quite a niche thing, which is worth buying consciously.

Which electric grill to buy

• Rocket launcher Kitfort KT-1649, 4 805 rubles →
• Raclette rack Steba RC 58, 11,070 rubles →

Electric barbecue

As the name implies, this type of non-contact electric grill is designed for barbecue. They usually use an infrared heater that emits heat, and around it are rotating skewers.

There are both vertical and horizontal models. They do their job very well. But apart from barbecue and vegetables on skewers, nothing can be cooked in them.

Which electric grill to buy

• Electric grill for home Lira 2021, 3 710 rubles →
• Barbecue grill ENDEVER Grillmaster 300, 8 826 rubles →
• Barbecue REDMOND RBQ-0252-E, 3 937 rubles →

2. Estimate the power

Power is the main characteristic of the grill, on which its performance and the ability to maintain a temperature sufficient for cooking depend. This is important not only for quickly heating the device and speeding up the cooking process. Without high power, it will also not be possible to seal the meat so that it is both crusty and juicy inside.

On sale there are models with power from 700 to 2500 watts. For full-fledged cooking of good steaks, you should choose electric grills from 2,000 W and above. However, 1,500-1,800 W devices also have the right to life, however, they will warm up longer, and you will have to get used to them. But anything less than 1,200 watts should be considered as sandwich makers for hot sandwiches, shawarma and the like.

Which electric grill to buy

• Grill SteakMaster REDMOND RGM-M800 with a power of 1,800 W, 5,999 rubles →
• Electric grill BAUM ZINDECH W700 with a power of 2,000 W, 17,624 rubles →
• Grill Pioneer with a power of 2,200 W, 3,859 rubles →

3. Estimate the size

Grills are as compact as possible, medium and large. The first ones take up a minimum of space, are light in weight, but are designed for cooking for a maximum of two. On medium ones, you can already fry 3-4 steaks at the same time, and large ones can accommodate up to six servings of meat.

In this matter, focus only on your needs, namely: how many people need to be fed at the same time.

4. Select the material and surface type of the broiler

Work surfaces are made of cast iron and aluminum, there are also options with a ceramic coating. In principle, any of them are good, except that you should be more careful with ceramics and do not wash until it cools down so that it does not crack.

It is much more important that the broiler has a non-stick layer that allows you to cook without or with a minimum amount of oil.

The shape of the surface can be flat and ribbed, giving signature stripes on steaks. Please note that this affects more than just appearance. The flat one is good for making a crust, but on it the steak will turn out not fried, but stewed due to the fact that the meat juice will have nowhere to go. The ribbed surface just solves this problem - fat and juice flow down the grooves, ensuring the correct frying process.

Often the surface can be combined: one half is flat, the other is corrugated. This simplifies the selection and gives more options for cooking.

5. Explore the features of hotplates

In addition to the material and shape of the panels, there are several other important points that you should find out when buying. The most important thing is whether they are removable. It is better to refuse the built-in options, since washing them directly on the grill will be a torment. Removable broilers are much easier to maintain by cleaning them separately in the kitchen sink or dishwasher. Such panels are often double-sided: one side is smooth, and the other is ribbed.

In addition, the braziers can be not only removable, but also replaceable. For example, by installing additional panels, you can bake Viennese waffles. Replaceable accessories are sometimes included in the kit or they are offered to be purchased separately if necessary.

Another important nuance that concerns the brazier is the location of the heating element. It can be installed in the grill or integrated directly into the removable panel. The first option is simpler, and therefore more reliable and cheaper. The second provides faster and more uniform heating of the working surface, but increases the cost of the device and reduces reliability.

6. Select control type and indication

In fact, there are only two options here: simple mechanical control and more advanced electronic. The first involves a pair of switches or knobs for setting the temperature and time, which are complemented by a light indicator that indicates readiness for operation. Simple, reliable, comfortable for wet or dirty hands. You control the whole process yourself.

Electronically controlled grills have an informative screen that displays the time and temperature, which can be set to the nearest degree. Interaction is carried out by buttons or a sensor. In addition to the indicator, there is a sound notification about the warming up and the end of the process. Such models are definitely more expensive, but they give more room for culinary experiments and reduce the risk of getting a raw or burnt steak.

More expensive electric grills may have automatic programs with a combination of temperature and time for different dishes or steaks of varying degrees of doneness. Some models can even independently select the optimal settings depending on the thickness of the piece of meat. Such additions are not required if you have experience or if you do not mind controlling the process yourself.

Sometimes there are models with separate temperature control for the upper and lower surfaces of the grill. This gives more options, but is often redundant. This function can be really useful only in one scenario - when the device works in the open grill mode and different products are cooked on each of the halves.

Which electric grill to buy

• Grill SteakMaster REDMOND RGM-M809 with electronic control, 9 349 rubles →
• Grill SteakMaster REDMOND RGM-M814 with mechanical control, 7 649 rubles →

7. Check the drip tray

An electric grill must have a container, or at least a groove, where juice and fat will drain during cooking. It is better that the pallet is built-in and has sufficient volume.

Pay attention to its shape - complex geometry for the sake of compactness usually complicates the cleaning process. The location in the front is definitely more convenient than the back. So you do not have to constantly move the device to wash the part.

And by the way, one more important point. The grill plates must have a pronounced slope so that the fat flows freely into the collection container. Otherwise, the meat will cook in its own juices and come out without a crust. That is, more stewed than fried.

8. Check out the available options

Each manufacturer promotes their devices with a variety of features. Some of them are necessary, others not so much. We will try to briefly consider them in order to understand and evaluate the real benefits for you.

• Replacement panels — is definitely a necessary thing. You can expand the culinary arsenal and replace the accessory in case of breakage. It's great if they are already included.
• Heating sound signal - useful in order not to guard the grill and save time by doing other things in parallel.
• Delayed start - a dubious function, since the electric grill heats up quickly anyway. Yes, and it is difficult to imagine a scenario when you leave raw meat in the evening or leaving for work.
• 180° opening - a useful opportunity to turn the grill into a large open brazier.
• Fixed cover positions - the function is useful for cooking without pressure, such as vegetables, as well as for adjusting to different thicknesses of food.
• Frypot Tilt Adjustment - allows you to dose the amount of liquid in which the product will be cooked, achieving a crisp or, conversely, stewing.
• Built-in temperature probe - will help to control the exact temperature of a piece of meat. It is not so necessary, and it is easy to buy it separately.
• Intelligent Mode - automatic adjustment of parameters to the thickness of the piece of meat and the degree of roasting you have chosen. It may be useful for beginners, but it is unlikely to be useful for experienced cooks.
• Vertical storage - not very common, but quite a useful feature that will save space in the kitchen.
• Panel latch - grill lock in the closed position for easy carrying by the handle.

Buyer's checklist

In the end, we summarize all of the above in order to simplify the choice.

1. Determine the type of grill depending on what and where you will be cooking.
2. Consider models with at least 1,800-2,000 watts.
3. Choose the size of the grill based on the number of eaters.
4. The panels must be non-stick and preferably both types at once (ribbed and smooth).
5. Look for a device with removable panels, preferably with interchangeable ones already in the kit or the ability to purchase in the future.
6. Choose the type of control you want, both are good.
7. Make sure there is a roomy fat pan located at the front and a simple shape.
8. Consider only those additional features that you will actually use.