We all love to grill. The sight of tender, juicy, and delicious meals is hard to resist, especially when served straight out of an outdoor grill. Sadly, you wouldn’t always have fair weather to cook or grill in the open. You may also not have enough space in your patio or garden to set up or grill. Is there a way to satisfy your cravings of grilling meals while indoors?
Why not! You need to find the best indoor grill that’ll recreate the experience of cooking outdoors.
So, if you want to find the best indoor grills, then continue reading this guide. I’ll walk you through several indoor grill reviews.
Why Should I Buy an Indoor Grill?
Here are some of the pros of using an indoor grill in your home:
1. Indoor grills are easy to use and control the cooking temperature:
You don’t need to be an experienced griller to use indoor grills. That’s because they don’t have complicated controls and are easy to set up. However, you should still follow the user manual that comes with them.
2. Indoor grills are suitable for fast cooking:
Indoor grills are your best bet for cooking delicious and flavorful meals in no time. That’s because they heat up quickly and have wide temperature ranges.
3. Indoor grills are easy to clean and maintain:
You don’t need to worry about cleaning up soot and ashes after every meal. Many indoor grills are also dishwasher-safe.
4. Indoor grills fit small spaces:
Most indoor grills are small in size. So, you can use them in tight corners around your home.
TOP 10 Best Indoor Grills Reviewed In 2023
I’ve researched and tested out quite some grills. Here are the ten best indoor grills you should consider getting:
1. Ninja Foodi Pro AG400 (5-in-1 Grill)
Cooking Space: 100 square inches
No of Servings: 4 servings
- Weight: 24 pounds
- Manufacturer: Shark Ninja
- Dimensions: 17 x 14 x 11 inches
- Power Element: 1760 watts
- Temperature control: Full functional digital control
Pros
- Cyclonic Grilling Technology brings outdoor grill flavors.
- Five functions – Grill, Air fry, Dehydrate, Roast and Bake food.
- You can also use it to defrost food.
- Heats up quickly up to 500 degrees in no time.
- Easy to clean & Dishwasher-safe components.
Cons
- It is heavy and not portable.
- Consumes quite some power.
Our Thoughts
You might not find a better indoor unit than the Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 AG400 grill. It’s a step away from the AG301 unit, and the smart probe in this grill is the decisive feature.
The integrated temperature probe works well and is a handy feature to have. When using it, you don’t need to set the timer for your food. The grill will automatically stop heating when it senses your food has reached the temperature you set.
Moving away from the temperature probe, there are still many things you might like about this grill. I like that it has a removable splatter shield to keep the heating element clean. The grill’s cooking pot, grill grate, and crisper basket all have ceramic coatings, which makes your food to heat up quickly.
The 100-square inch cooking space is quite generous to make family meals. So, you should be able to grill four delicious large burgers at a time. With the intuitive digital display, you should also not have problems controlling the cooking settings.
This five-in-one grill might just be the indoor you’ve been looking for. You can use the grilling option to make charred marks on your food.
2. George Foreman Indoor Electric Grill
Cooking Space: 240 square inches
No of Servings: 15 servings
- Weight: 21 pounds
- Power Element: 1600 watts
- Manufacturer: George Foreman
- Dimensions: 22.2 X 20.5 X 13 inches
- Temperature Control
:
5-setting temperature probe
Pros
- Large primary cooking surface that’ll fit 15 burgers at a time.
- Heats up quickly.
- Waist-high and convenient for anyone to use without bending.
- Removable and non-stick grill plates, which makes it easy to clean.
- Electric cable is long. So, you don’t have to use it close to the power outlet.
Cons
- It can be a little difficult to put together.
Our Thoughts
The George Foreman indoor/ outdoor grill reviews on B2C sites might just make you fall in love with this unit. It’s a solid and durable grill, and there’s a lot more to like about the apartment-approved grill.
I like that the grill has a large cooking space, and it comes with a 6-inch high removable stand. So, you can place it on your countertop if you want. The adjustable temperature control is pretty impressive. That’s because it allows you to choose five types of heat settings for your food.
I found that it has a non-stick plate. Therefore, you don’t need to oil the unit before every use. The dome cover is also a great feature of this grill. It creates circular hot airflow, which ensures your food cooks evenly. The unit has fat-removing slopes, so you could use it if you want to make healthy grilled meals.
The quality of food made with this grill is top-notch, and you should expect only delicious, well-cooked meals.
3. Hamilton Beach Electric Indoor Searing Grill
Cooking Space: 118 square inches
No of Servings: 6 servings
- Weight: 8.14 pounds
- Manufacturer: Hamilton Beach
- Dimensions: 12.4 x 16.7 x 6.8 inches
- Power Element: 1200 watts
- Temperature Control: Adjustable dial 200 to 450°
Pros
- Grill plates and drip tray are easy to clean and dishwasher safe.
- The indoor grill fires up quickly.
- It produces a lot of smoke.
- You can also use the unit to sear food.
- Pleasant indicator light that’ll signal to you when your food is ready.
- Adjustable wide temperature range up to 450 degrees F.
Cons
- The electric cord is a bit short.
Our Thoughts
Going through the Hamilton Beach indoor grill reviews, I wasn’t surprised that users gave the unit many 5-star ratings. It’s definitely one of the best you can get if you want to cook delicious grilled meals.
The Hamilton Beach 25361 has a generous 118 square-inch cooking surface. I figured the surface locks in juices that’ll make your meal taste better. The unit can fire up to 450 degrees in no time. But you can control the temperatures with the adjustable dial.
Perhaps my favorite feature about this grill is its extra-large drip tray. So, you don’t have to worry about spilling oil on your counter. Although it has indicator lights, there’s also a window to check how your food is cooking. It is also sleekly designed, and there’s barely anything to install in the unit.
In a nutshell, if you want a portable grill to cook flavorful meals, then you should consider this unit. It might be the grill you need if you want to cook grilled meals without going outside.
4. Cuisinart GR-4NP1 GR-4N 5-in-1
Cooking Space: 200 square inches
No of Servings: 5 servings
- Weight: 8 pounds
- Manufacturer: Cuisinart
- Dimensions: 13.5 x 11.5 x 7.1 inches
- Power Element: 1500 watts
- Temperature Control: 3-temperature knob
Pros
- Wide temperature range
- Non-stick plates are easy to clean and dishwasher safe
- The drip tray is placed below the unit, so you can catch all juices.
- Sturdily designed
- Allows you to heat both surfaces of your food at the same time
Cons
- It takes a while for the unit to heat up
Our Thoughts
This Cuisinart model is a top-quality grill. It is portable, well-designed, and made from quality stainless steel. But the best thing is that it has many functions. You can use it as a full grill, half grill, contact grill, full griddle, or panini press.
I like using this unit because it has a decent cooking space. On the grill surface, you can easily fit four medium-sized burgers. And it’s a great thing that it doesn’t produce a lot of smoke. The unit has three knobs; one for the panini, griddle, and to select the function.
Since it heats up excellently, you should expect only delicious and juicy meals from the unit. Plus, the heat distribution is impressive. So, you can bet that your food would be well-cooked. The product also has a convenient handle to open and close the unit.
The Cuisinart GR-4NP1 is best suited for cooking small family meals. It is one of my favorite indoor grills.
5. T-fal GC70 OptiGrill Indoor Electric Grill
Cooking Space: 93 square inches
No of Servings: 4 servings
- Weight: 11.6 pounds
- Dimensions: 14 x 13 x 6 inches
- Power Element: 1800 watts
- Temperature Control: Push-buttons
Pros
- Versatile six grilling options to choose from
- Indicator lights and beeps to navigate your food.
- Dishwasher-safe non-stick plates
- Easy to use
- Automatically adjusts to the right food temperature
Cons
- Consumes quite some power
- May stop working after some time.
Our Thoughts
If you crave tasty grilled meals, then consider getting this unit. It has a unique design and many features that might make you want to give it a try.
The 4-serving cooking space of this unit is large enough to cook three big burgers at a time. It has two cooking modes, and many options that experienced grillers would love to use. My favorite feature is its automatic thickness measurement. That’s because it picks the right food temperature for me.
You have to be careful when using this unit so the grill can last long. It consumes a slightly higher power, but I don’t think that’s a dealbreaker. And like other grills, this unit has removable plates that are easy to clean. It also spots a drip tray at an angle of 7 degrees. So, the cooking juices from your food will run off easily.
From my research, I found that a lot of people gave this T-Fal grill high ratings. After checking it out, I have to agree that it is a top indoor grill to get.
6. George Foreman 5-serving Removable Plate Electric Grill
Cooking Space: 80 square inches
No of Servings: 5 servings
- Weight: 9.11 pounds
- Manufacturer: George Foreman
- Dimensions: 6.1 x 15.7 x 13.9 inches
- Power Element: 1400 watts
- Temperature Control: Adjustable temperature slide
Pros
- Easy to clean after each use
- Heats up quickly
- Plates are durable
- Easy to use and comes with an instruction book
- Up to five servings at a time
Cons
- It doesn’t have a power button
Our Thoughts
This grill is one of the impressive ones in George Foreman’s collection. You can grill four large burgers at a time with it. And if you are in a hurry, you’ll find that it heats up quickly.
Cooking with this unit was a breeze, as I expected. The temperature control is a welcome feature that works well. The durable non-stick plates were also a fantastic addition to this grill. But the best thing for me was that I could use it to cook almost anything. Fish, meat, vegetables, and chicken from this grill all taste delicious.
This grill doesn’t have a power button. But I think many people can do without this feature. As long as you keep an eye on your meal, you should have no problem. The drip tray works pretty well and is easy to clean afterward.
This is a great grill for beginners who want to cook small family meals. The unit from George Foreman also presses paninis well.
7. Cuisinart GR-5BP1 Electric griddler
No of Servings: 5 servings
- Weight: 13.35 pounds
- Manufacturer: Cuisinart
- Power Element: 1500 watts
- Dimensions: 8.8 x 16 x 13.8 inches
- Temperature Control: Temperature knob and timer
Pros
- It has the option to sear food
- Easy to clean and wash
- Sleek and sturdily designed
- The digital controls are easy to use
- Wide temperature range
Cons
- The non-stick coatings may fade off after a while
Our Thoughts
There’s not a lot to dislike about this Cuisinart grill. Many users have said it is their best indoor grill. After checking it out, I can agree that it is far from a bad option.
With a power button and a temperature knob, this unit is quite easy to use. It has a temperature display, and you don’t need to wait for your food to cook. There’s a timer for that.
I am impressed with the temperature range of this unit. The fact that you can use it as a full grill is even more exciting. However, you’ve got to be careful when scrubbing the non-stick plates.
The Cuisinart has five cooking options, which makes it versatile. As a five-serving unit, you can fit four large burgers easily. The amazing part is that almost everything you cook with this grill taste batter. From sandwiches to meat, chicken, pork, and vegetables, you name it! The grill would likely cook it well.
If you need an affordable grill to try out your grilling skills, then consider this grill.
8. Delonghi BG24 Perfecto Indoor Grill
No of Servings: 5 servings
- Weight: 11.15 pounds
- Manufacturer: Delonghi
- Power Element:1500 watts
- Dimensions: 19.7 x 13.2 x 6.7 inches
- Temperature Control: Adjustable temperature probe
Pros
- Removable grill plates
- You can use it to sear food
- The lid keeps smoke in the grill
- Sturdy base that keeps it from rocking
- Leaves grill marks on food
Cons
- Heating unit may malfunction once in a while
Our Thoughts
Here’s an affordable unit for anyone who wants to make grilled meals indoor. It looks a lot like a pot but is a functional grill. The unit comes with an integrated drip tray and has a glass cover. These help to keep food warm after grilling.
The cooking surface on this unit is large enough to cook meals for a family of five. Although the surface is non-removable, this unit is also easy to clean. However, you’ll need to handwash it since it is not dishwasher safe. I recommend you use Teflon cooking tools and avoid scrubbing hard.
This Delonghi grill evenly cooks food, which is one of the reasons I like it. With the thermostat, you can choose the right temperature for your food. But the standout feature is that you can watch your food cook through the glass lid. It also produces char-grilled marks on BBQ, meat, and chicken.
There’s no doubt that this unit is one of the best grills out there. From the positive indoor electric grill reviews of the BG24, it might just be all you’ve been looking for.
9. George Foreman 4-serving Grill
Cooking Space: 60 square inches
No of Servings: 4 servings
- Weight: 6.55 pounds
- Manufacturer: George Foreman
- Power Element:1500 watts
- Temperature Control: NO
- Dimensions: 6.5 x 12.2 x 13.2 inches
Pros
- Cooks food well
- Dishwasher-safe and easy to clean
- The surface is sloped to drain fat from your food
- An indicator to alert you when your meal is ready
- Durable unit
Cons
- The cooking space is quite small
Our Thoughts
This product is the third from George Foreman, a recognized brand among grillers. It has a shiny look but doesn’t compromise its build for functionality. The grill cooks any food in no time, which is definitely a plus for me.
Like other products, from the manufacturer, the plates are removable. The drip tray catches a lot of fat. Together with the sloped design, you can be on a diet and make healthy food with this grill. You can also decide what angle to place the grill with its adjustable hinge.
A unique feature of this grill that I like is the indicator lights. With it, you don’t have to watch your meals while they cook. The cooking space is a bit small. But you can cook up two large burgers with this grill.
If you are looking for a grill to cook meals with, then consider getting this unit. You might love the flavorful vegetables, meat, chicken, and pork that you’ll get from it.
10. Philips Smoke-less Indoor BBQ Grill
No of Servings: 4 servings
- Weight: 12.35 pounds
- Manufacturer: Philip
- Power Element:1660 watts
- Dimensions: 7.5 X 21.9 X 16.9 inches
Pros
- The grill doesn’t smoke up
- Takes only a few seconds to clean up
- Dishwasher-safe
- It has two handles. So, it’s portable
- Heats up quickly
Cons
- The unit doesn’t come with a cover
Our Thoughts
Going through this Phillips indoor grill reviews will leave you impressed. The unit has many features, and it is quite easy to use. Developed to cook grilled meals quickly, few grills can compete with this unit in terms of design.
It may be hard to notice, but this smokeless indoor grill has a power button. As you would expect, the aluminum grid is coated with non-stick material. It also doesn’t produce much smoke, which is important for indoor grills.
The unit spots advanced infrared technology and reflectors to cook delicious meals. It gets to 446 degrees F in no time. However, there’s no temperature control. I don’t think that this is a red flag.
My favorite feature about this grill is its’ keep warm’ function. With it, I can warm burgers for several minutes, and they dry up.
A lot of users have said that this might be the smoke-less indoor grill available. From my findings and usage, I think this is not far from the truth.
Buying Advice Before Getting An Indoor Grill
“With the right indoor unit, you can grill your way through any weather”
Mike Sula
If you don’t want to make a mistake when buying an indoor grill, then consider the following things:
1. Grill Type (Folding or Flat)
Indoor grills are either flat or folding-close. Folding grills are units with two plates. Although they have smaller cooking spaces, these grills cook food faster by delivering heat on both plates. Folding grills can also be used as panini presses and sandwich toasters.
On the other hand, flat grills have large cooking spaces. So, you can cook several meals at a time. If you want to bring out your inner chef and flip your food as it cooks, then this might be the grill type for you.
2. Cooking surface
Indoor grills have either non-stick or cast-iron cooking surfaces. While non-stick surfaces are easy to clean, grills with cast iron transfer heat quickly to your food.
In either case, the cooking surface could also be coated with enamel or ceramic.
3. Cooking space and capacity
Here’s another factor to consider when getting an indoor grill. With the cooking space and capacity, bigger usually means better. You should be able to cook several meals on a grill with a large capacity.
A grill’s cooking space is the available area for grilling, and it is measured in square inches.
4. Temperature control
The temperature control feature is one that many grills have. So, unless you rather not regulate the temperature yourself, you should consider getting a unit that has this feature.
Many grills have dials; some have pushbuttons and only a handful spot digital controls.
5. Temperature indicators
As you can see, indoor grills heat up quickly. So, it might help to get a unit that’d tell you the temperature of your food.
You’d find indoor grills with temperature probes or digital indicators.
6. Versatility (Cooking options)
Cooking options here means the things you can use the grill to do. For example, folding grills can be used as panini presses or for conventional grilling.
I recommend you decide what you want to use the grill for before getting it. So, if you won’t be using a grill for baking, then there might not be any reason to get one that has this feature.
7. Cleaning options
Not cleaning your grill can make the unit take longer to cook meals – Paul Kita
Grilling, for the most part, is easy. The tough bit is cleaning up after the show. This is why you should consider the cleaning options of a grill.
When looking at the cleaning options, you’d need to consider the drip plates, cooking grates and plates, and cover. Generally, dishwasher-safe and non-stick parts are much easier to clean.
8. Convenience
Another thing to consider when getting an indoor grill is how convenient it is to use. By convenience, I mean the ease of use and how much space it’d take in your kitchen. A grill’s dimension is the telling factor when it comes to the space it takes.
For ease of use, digital controls, the length of the cord, and additional features like stands and legs make a difference.
9. Warranty
Anything can happen to your indoor grill. So, if you think it can get damaged, you should consider getting units that have warranties. Also, I’d recommend you find out what the warranty covers before going grill-hunting.
Most grills have two or three-years warranties.
10. Durability
Lastly, I’d recommend you consider the durability of any grill you want to get. There’s no value or number to determine this factor. However, you can go through reviews and look at the material the grill is made from if it’s important to you.
How To Clean Grill Plates of Most Indoor Grill
You can remove the grill plates in many indoor grills to clean. So, follow these steps when handwashing these plates:
Elizabeth Karmen
1. Put hot water in your sink: Add liquid soap to the water until the mixture starts foaming.
2. Unplug your grill from the power outlet and leave it for some time: Touching your grill plates while still hot is dangerous. So, make sure they cool before you move on to the next step. Use a mitt if you don’t have time to allow the plates to cool.
3. Put the plates into the sink: Make sure every part is submerged in the soapy water in your sink. Leave them for a while, for loose debris to fall off.
4. Wash with non-abrasive sponges: If you use any other sponge, you could ruin the plates. And what is a grill without grill plates? Still, make sure you thoroughly clean them.
5. Allow to air-dry or clean with a clean cloth: The best thing to do is to air dry the plates after washing them. But you can use a clean cloth if you can’t wait for that long.
Indoor Grilling Tips for your Food
Danielle Ong, a reporter for Latinapost, said, ‘There’s nothing quite like a batch of freshly grilled hotdogs, barbeque, and burgers.’
So, here are a couple of tips to help you when grilling delicious meals indoors:
1. Sear meat before grilling:
If you’re an experienced griller, then you’d probably know this tip. It is one of the easiest ways to keep the flavor of the meat. It also helps to recreate how outdoor grills would have cooked your meat.
First, put oil in a pan, then add seasoning to your meat. Allow the pan to heat up until the meat becomes slightly charred. Then, you can put the meat to grill properly.
You don’t need to use a pan if your indoor grill has the option to sear food.
2. Preheat your grill:
There has been a lot of debate on whether you should preheat your grill or not. I recommend that you preheat electric grills before grilling. This way, you won’t have to wait a long time before your meal gets ready.
Furthermore, your food will retain most of its moisture if you preheat your grill. So, continue grilling only when your grill sizzles at the touch of uncooked food.
3. Butter and olive oil can make grilled food flavorful:
Adding oil and butter seems weird. For people who want to eat healthy meals, it would also seem odd. However, butter and oil can improve the taste of any meal you cook with your grill. Since there aren’t many calories in olive oil, you can still eat healthy meals if you add a few drops to your food.
4. Always clean your grill after each use:
A good grill should have a drip tray that’ll catch the juices from food. However, you shouldn’t leave this oil for a long time in the container. So, ensure you wash the drip tray and plates after every use. An unclean grill plate can ruin the taste of fresh food.
5. Grill your vegetables:
Grills are usually associated with cooking BBQ, meat, chicken, or pork. However, you can use them for cooking vegetables. If you don’t want to place it on the plates, you can wrap them in parchment paper.
You should get well-heated veggies and some charred flavor after grilling for some time.
6. Don’t put too much salt on your food:
If you can, I’d recommend that you don’t use salt at all. That’s because it can change the texture of your meal in no time. Adding salt can also take a lot of moisture from your veggie. So, if you have to, ensure you only use a pinch.
Limitations of Indoor Grilling
A couple of limitations of indoor grilling are;
- You can’t use indoor grills to make meals for large cookouts and parties. That’s because they are majorly for making family and individual meals.
- Indoor grills aren’t usually used to add a smoky flavor to foods.
Wrap Up
As you can see, there are many indoor grills to pick from.
The list I’ve collated above are the best indoor grills in the market. So, I am confident that you’ll find one that you like from my indoor grill reviews. I hope I’ve been able to explain everything you need to know about indoor grills and how to get one. Now, you can start making your favorite grilled meals without outdoors.
Howbeit, If you love barbecuing than grilling, then check out our indoor smoker reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The best indoor grill is the Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 electric grill with an integrated temperature probe. It is a feature-packed, compact, and durable grilling unit.
I’d say that the Philips Smokeless Indoor grill is the best for this category. You’d hardly have to deal with smoke from it, even if you’re cooking with oils.
Charcoal grills are not designed for indoor use. So, you should not use them in place of your indoor electric grill.
Yes. Indoor grills come really close to recreating the grilling effects that outdoor grills offer.
Yes. There are indoor grills like this. However, the best types need power to work.
