An electric grill can be super handy. Sometimes the weather doesn’t permit outside grilling. If you live in an apartment that doesn’t allow for gas or charcoal grills, you definitely need to consider an electric grill. However, you don’t want to break the bank when making your choice. What follows is a selection of affordable electric grills that give you the most bang for the buck.
George Foreman is usually the first name on people’s lips when they think electric grills. This grill is much better than most of Foreman’s stuff. First, it only cooks on one side at a time. Where the clamshell style Foreman grills would tend to overcook, this more traditional style grill does a really nice job of keeping the meat juicy and not burning rubs and sauces onto the meat. Its 200 square inch grill surface will accommodate four or five good sized steaks or a half dozen burgers with ease. The surface is easy to clean, but I recommend avoiding anything abrasive because once the non-stick finish is compromised, things tend to stick to the cooking surface. I learned this the hard way. After the finish starts coming off, the grill becomes extremely difficult to clean. However, for the money, you can’t beat this grill.
If you don’t have are limited to only indoor cooking but still want to grill, this is a tremendous value. The nonstick cooking surface is about 165 square inches and has a ribbed grill surface on one side and a griddle on the other. Probably the greatest thing about the grill is that the cooking surface is dishwasher safe! The adjustable temperature control is also a plus, as many electric grills have one setting which normally ends up burning what you’re trying to cook.
If you’re simply looking to keep costs down when shopping, the Uniflame isn’t a terrible choice. It’s got a grilling surface as big as the Foreman Indoor/Outdoor. The porcelain cooking surface is pretty good, but doesn’t seem to want to clean up as easily as the West Bend or Foreman grills. If you’re the forgetful type, this grill features an auto-shut off so you don’t burn the house down if you fall asleep while grilling.
Deni 3 Quart Electric Skillet & Health Grill ($34.99)
For the money, this little grill packs in a lot of features. First, it has an adjustable temperature control up to 450 degrees. I can’t go on enough about how nice a feature this is for electric grills. Without it, you have to be pretty vigilant about watching the food so it doesn’t overcook. The cooking surface can also be removed to use as a serving/warming dish. However, it’s not much bigger than a medium sized wok, so you can’t cook large amounts as once. It also comes with a spatula, which is a nice touch.
HamiltonBeachHealthsmart Contact Grill ($24.99)
If you’re only cooking for one or two people, this is probably the best value. It’s basically a George Foreman clone. It does have some limitations. First, you can only cook reasonably small portions. Second, unlike the more expensive grills, the cooking surface is not removable so cleaning is a bit more of a chore. Finally, like most clamshell style electric grills, it doesn’t cook 100% evenly so you’ll find yourself flipping the meat frequently. However, it’s super cheap, which mitigates most of the other complaints.
