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Oct 16, 2024

The 7 Best Electric Grills of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Plug in and start searing with these indoor and outdoor models Camryn Rabideau is a

We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation.

Plug in and start searing with these indoor and outdoor models

Camryn Rabideau is a freelance writer and product reviewer. She's an expert on all things home, including kitchen appliances, grills, and other cooking gadgets.

In This Article

The Spruce Eats / Greg Dupree

When it comes to grilling, everybody knows there are two fuel choices: gas or charcoal.

Well, that's not the full story. Electric grills plug into the wall and use powerful heating elements to achieve the temperatures needed for proper charring and searing. They're smaller, take less time to heat, and need less setup than a gas or charcoal model. Some can even be used indoors, which is impossible with most other types of grill.

As part of our massive grill-testing project, we put 23 electric models to the test in a variety of situations, looking at cooking performance as well as design factors, and here are our top picks.

Large enough to cook for a crowd

Can be used indoors or out

Easy to assemble

Heat control can get spattered with grease

Optional stand is unstable

Grill plate is not removable

If you want a freestanding electric grill, you can’t go wrong with the George Foreman GFO240S Indoor/Outdoor Electric Grill. This model features a removable stand, plus a spacious 240 square inches of cooking space means you can make around 15 servings at a time.

The sleek-looking George Foreman grill has several features that make grilling an enjoyable experience. The nonstick grill plate has the iconic sloped grilling surface that helps drain the fat off meat, and the grill's 1,440 watts translate to an adjustable temperature control that offers five heat settings. There’s also a dishwasher-safe drip tray that collects excess grease, but keep in mind that the grill plate itself is not removable.

When we tested the GFO240S in the Lab, the consistency among the tests stood out. Seven slices of white bread toasted evenly to a nice golden brown with picture-perfect grill marks, and that uniform grilling and well-defined grill marks continued with strips of fresh zucchini and a flank steak. Happily, neither of those tests produced extreme amounts of setting-off-the-fire-alarm smoke. Importantly, of the grills we tested, this one was one of the hottest (over 600 degrees) after 5 minutes of preheating on the highest setting.

Besides the built-in grill plate, the stand is another downside to this model. We found that it felt a little unstable during all the tests, though the stand ultimately never tipped and the grill never fell off. We also wish there was a hook to hold the removable lid while you're cooking, a feature some other George Foreman indoor/outdoor grills do have.

Use: Indoor or outdoor | Dimensions: 10.9 x 20.5 x 21.3 inches | Cooking Area: 240 square inches | Power: 1,440 watts | Weight: 19.9 pounds

Durable and easy to transport

Quick assembly

Cast iron cooking grates help retain heat

Doesn’t display temperature

Long preheat time

One of the best electric grills you can buy today is the Weber Q 1400 Electric Grill. This tabletop model has a 1,560-watt heating element and 189 square inches of cooking area, as well as a 6-foot grounded cord. Its sleek exterior design features a cast aluminum lid and body, as well as a large grip handle, control knobs, and ergonomic side handles. You can adjust the inner temperature via the infinite heat control settings, and the porcelain-enameled cast-iron cooking grates will put drool-worthy sear marks on your food.

We tested this model both in a home kitchen and in our Lab and were quite happy with both its performance and its space-saving design. The cast-iron grates deliver beautiful sear marks, but it did better with zucchini and steak than toast, which the powerful heat burnt rather quickly. It also didn't do great with chicken breasts on the flat cooking surface, though the raised grates might've worked better for that. Like the George Foreman, it did get to over 600 degrees when left on high for 5 minutes.

If you're looking for a larger electric grill, Weber also has the Q 2400, which boasts 280 square inches of cooking space, for a higher price.

Use: Outdoor | Dimensions: 14.5 x 27 x 16.5 inches | Cooking Area: 189 square inches | Power: 1,560 watts | Weight: 28.5 pounds

Smoke-free cooking

Has grill and griddle plates

Lid seals well

Many parts to assemble

Somewhat uneven cooking

No timer

One of the major problems with grilling indoors is that it can create quite a bit of smoke, setting off your fire alarm—and no one wants to deal with that! However, the PowerXL Smokeless Grill promises to solve this common kitchen woe, thanks to its built-in smoke-extracting fan. The grill can achieve temperatures up to 450 degrees, and it includes a tight-sealing lid to lock in moisture while you cook.

This indoor grill offers a 13.75 x 8-inch cooking surface that's spacious enough for eight large hamburgers, and its nonstick ceramic surface ensures your food is easy to flip and remove. There's a drip tray below the cooking surface, and the unit even comes with an additional flat griddle plate in case you want to whip up some breakfast.

We did just that and found that this is truly smokeless when making bacon and eggs. It wasn't as smokeless in other tests, though, with a moderate amount wafting in the air when we grilled flank steak and chicken breasts. There was also some inconsistency with grill marks, as it couldn't achieve the high temperature necessary for true searing. Cleanup does entail a lot of pieces but is shockingly easy, even when there are caramelized bits on the grill.

Use: Indoor | Dimensions: 20 x 12 x 5.5 inches | Cooking Area: 110 square inches | Power: 1,200 watts | Weight: 15.5 pounds

Gives food a smoky flavor

Easy to clean

Removable warming rack for more space

No handle for moving the grill

Thermometer placement could be better

If you have a dedicated outdoor space where you can place a grill, the Char-Broil Infrared Electric Patio Bistro is a highly-rated outdoor electric model. This electric grill features infrared technology that heats food directly to minimize hot spots, and it has 240 square inches of primary cooking space to hold around eight to 12 burgers at a time. There's an additional removable warming rack for a total of 320 square inches of cooking space.

This electric grill delivers 1,750 watts of power and plugs into a standard outlet. It features a porcelain-coated cast-iron cooking grate, as well as a lid-mounted temperature gauge and wheels for increased mobility. You can infuse your barbecue with a smoky flavor by heating wood chips on the grate while cooking.

Controls are fairly intuitive, but there is something of a learning curve with this grill if you're switching from charcoal or gas. We did observe some uneven heating, with better consistency on the back and center rather than the front of the grill. Those are the areas where more caramelization and searing occurred, though everything that was grilled cooked up nicely.

Use: Outdoor | Dimensions: 26 x 38.5 x 24.2 inches | Cooking Area: 320 square inches | Power: 1,750 watts | Weight: 44 pounds

Lightweight

Easy-to-clean

Produces great grill marks

Some hot spots

Doesn't get hot enough to sear

If you need a tabletop grill that's also easy to store, the low-cost Presto Cool Touch Indoor Grill has everything you could want. This model features a nonstick grilling surface that's raised away from the cast aluminum base and slightly tilted, so fat drains into the removable drip tray. That base remains cool-ish to touch, even if you crank the grill all the way up. The grill itself only weighs 5 pounds, so it can be set up anywhere.

We say "cool-ish" since the base did get warm when we maxed out the temperature in the Lab. We observed that though the gauge was set to 400 degrees, the thermometer read up to 480 degrees in certain spots on the grill itself. The hot spots did translate to a little bit more golden coloring on our toast and a tiny bit more caramelization on our flank steak and chicken breast. But every test came out with impeccable grill marks, and none of them caused enough smoke to set off the alarm.

Cleanup is easy, too. Once the heating element is removed, the grill can be cleaned with warm, soapy water and placed in the dishwasher. It also comes with a specially designed spatula that doubles as a scraper if anything does get stuck on.

Use: Indoor | Dimensions: 18.4 x 11.3 x 2.2 inches | Cooking Area: 160 square inches | Power: 1,300 watts | Weight: 5 pounds

Window on lid to monitor cooking

Removable, nonstick grates are simple to clean

Lid keeps smoke and grease in

Wasted space on side of grill

Observed cool spots during testing

While our best indoor pick, the Power XL, claims to be smokeless with the help of a water tray, this countertop grill from Hamilton Beach is truly smokeless, thanks to a lid that keeps everything inside. This option comes with a ceramic nonstick grill plate, and the heating element can produce temperatures up to 450 degrees. You'll know when the grill's ready by a green light.

Out of the box, this is pretty simple to put together; though it is large enough to need a dedicated space. It did take an extra minute or two to come to temperature compared to other models, and there seem to be some cool spots on the grill. But those can be used to your advantage as a spot to hold mostly cooked items so they don't get dried out. Thankfully, this model has a window in the lid so you can monitor the food's progress while keeping all the smoke away from any sensitive alarms. Once you learn its quirks, it can grill up whatever you want with appetizing grill marks, as we found with our steak and chicken tests.

When you're done, the lid does come off for a wash in warm, soapy water, and the grill plate can go in the dishwasher. The extra-large, removable drip tray is almost the whole width of the grill, so you can be sure that there won't be any mess.

Use: Indoor | Dimensions: 16.7 x 12.4 x 6.8 inches | Cooking Area: 118 square inches | Power: 1,200 watts | Weight: 8.1 pounds

Accurate temperature

Digital display is easy to use

Versatile

Needs dedicated space on countertop

Expensive

It's hard to allot kitchen space to a single-use appliance, no matter what it is. Breville's The Smart Grill is not only multi-use—it can also be used as a griddle and a sandwich press—but it also looks stylish and high-tech on your counter. The "smart" part of this grill is the technology inside the heating element that helps to keep the temperature even on the nonstick grates. So, if you open the lid, which can cool off the grates, this quickly reacts to raise the temperature again.

Speaking of temperatures, unlike many on this list, the Breville has a digital display so you can set it with accuracy up to 450 degrees, and it has a preheating countdown clock, which means you can set it and go back to chopping. We found that the temperature control on this grill was one of the most accurate of all we tested, with the medium and high settings clocking in at the exact correct temperature.

This machine didn't create the grill marks we were looking for when we toasted white bread or grilled zucchini strips. It did, however, perform excellently on both the steak and chicken tests, getting hot enough to give the steak a nice sear (though it did create a lot of smoke). The titanium-infused plates are extremely durable and can be placed in the dishwasher afterward.

Use: Indoor | Dimensions: 16 x 14 x 5 inches | Cooking Area: 260 square inches | Power: 1,800 watts | Weight: 21.8 pounds

Our top spot goes to the George Foreman GFO240S Indoor/Outdoor Electric Grill since it's easy to use anywhere, large enough to cook for a crowd, and affordable. Planning to do most of your grilling indoors? Try the Breville BGR820XL The Smart Grill instead. This versatile countertop grill can't go outside, but it can double as a griddle.

Based on the results of previous tests and extensive research, we choose 99 grill models for our latest round of testing. That included a total of 23 electric grills, 16 of them indoor-only, 3 outdoor-only, and 4 indoor/outdoor. We put all of them through an identical set of tests, taking extensive notes on many aspects of performance.

As a general rule with any kind of grill, you want about 72 square inches of surface area per person you're cooking for. Electric grills tend to be significantly smaller than gas or charcoal models in both overall size and cooking space, with even the largest ones able to handle only four or five servings at a time. For a big crowd, you'll likely have to do a few rounds of cooking. On the other hand, if you're cooking for one or two, a small electric grill will be quite a bit cheaper and quite a bit easier to store than another type.

With few exceptions, you cannot use a propane or charcoal grill indoors. It gives off lots of smoke, is a fire hazard, and could even poison you with carbon monoxide in an unventilated space. Most electric grills, on the other hand, are made to be used indoors, with drip trays, fans, and other methods of keeping the air clear. But an indoor grill has to stay indoors, as its electrical parts can short out if they get rained on.

Outdoor-only electric grills have more water-resistant components and wiring that can handle weather, but they have to stay outside. They don't have the same smoke-reduction features as indoor models.

Indoor/outdoor grills combine both sets of features and let you grill anywhere, but they're generally a little more expensive.

The Spruce Eats / Fred Hardy

Electric grills mostly come in two varieties: open, which mimics an outdoor grill with a grate beneath the food, and contact, which has cooking plates on both top and bottom. If you want the traditional "stand above the grill" experience, or are planning on many communal meals where food is being taken on and off the grill, opt for an open grill. If you want a more versatile electric grill that could possibly be used as a open-face griddle or sandwich press, opt for a contact grill.

Beyond that, there are lots of other features to consider. Some grills include a stand, while others have to sit on a countertop. Temperature controls can range from a simple three-position dial to a smart panel that can be set down to the single degree. If you plan on cooking at night, look for a grill that has lighting, however, you can also pick up a grill light accessory. You might find a built-in thermometer, or not. And, of course, some grills use their space more efficiently than others.

Start by unplugging it and allowing the grates to cool fully. If your grill has removable nonstick grates, drip trays, or other parts, you can take them off and wash them just like any other cookware. (Keep in mind that it's a good idea to rinse anything dishwasher-safe in the sink before it goes in the dishwasher, as too much grease can clog up a dishwasher. For grills with cast-iron grates, use a wire brush to remove particles as needed, and wash with soap and water, drying thoroughly afterward.

Any part of the grill that's attached to the plug should never be submerged in water—you can use a soapy sponge or paper towel to clean off grease and spatters.

Not exactly. Pellet grills often have electrical components—control panel, auger to feed in fuel, fan to supply extra oxygen—but the heat that actually cooks the food comes from burning wood. All the electric grills we tested for this story use electrically powered heating elements to cook.

Electric grills don't produce much smoke, which is great for indoor grilling, but that also means they don't add the kinds of smoky flavors that open-flame cooking can. If you want to grill more flavorful food, one of your best options is to use a smoker box. These containers are designed to hold wood chips or charcoal, and you place them on the grill alongside your food. The fuel will burn as your food cooks, and the smoke given off will make your meal that much more flavorful.

Anything that you'd cook on a gas or charcoal grill! Electric grills are great for making hamburgers, hot dogs, steaks, and grilled vegetables. They're also great for communal cooking like hot pot, shabu shabu, and Korean BBQ. Depending on the grill you have, there might not be as much room for liquids to drain, so use marinades and dressings sparingly.

Camryn Rabideau is a product tester and writer for The Spruce Eats, and she's written dozens of pieces on all types of grills. During her apartment-living days, she relied on a small electric George Foreman grill to get her grilling fix in the summer, even though she only had a small balcony to cook on.

The Spruce Eats Editor Siobhan Wallace compiled testing data from our official Lab as well as insights from our home testers' full product reviews to update this roundup.