The Best Electric Grills for All Spaces and Every Season

Without further ado, here are our picks for the best electric grills, complete with our testers’ thoughts, for your next (nearly) smokeless barbecue.

With all those in mind, we researched the best electric grills on the market and sent them to several home cooks to put to the test. They took note of how well these grills cooked beef burger patties or meat substitute patties , burger buns, boneless chicken breast , and a batch of vegetables to grill. Our testers looked specifically at whether all of these foods were cooked evenly or if there were hot spots, how the burgers and chicken turned out, how nonstick the grill was, and how easy it was to clean after use.

They first became popular when George Foreman hawked his electric grill in the 1990s, and since then, more versions from different brands have hit the market. Before you decide which one is for you, there are several factors to consider. Size impacts not just how much you can cook at once, but also how easily you can transport the grill or store it away. There’s also the wattage: The higher it is, the more likely you’ll get those great sear marks and caramelization. And finally, while electric grills are easy to maintain, dishwasher-safe parts and removable drip pans make cleanup easier.

Grilling on an electric grill won’t win a low-and-slow barbecue competition, but for people who live in apartments or don’t have easy access to outdoor spaces (or just want an easy way to grill proteins and veggies without the smoke or fire), there are several standout grills worthy of your consideration.

Best Overall, Indoor

Breville BGR820XL Smart Grill and Griddle

4.5

Amazon

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What We Love: Adjustable top plate, not a lot of smoke, nonstick plates, gave food mild grill flavor

What We Don’t Love: Loud beeping when grill comes to temperature

Yes, this Breville smart grill is a high-end appliance, but if you want one that’s going to do its job well and do it for a while, then you may consider springing for it. It comes in an aesthetically beautiful stainless steel design and measures about 14 x 17 inches. Each plate measures about 9 x 15 inches and it comes with one grill plate and one griddle plate.

With 1800 watts powering it, the grill’s cast aluminum nonstick plates are hiding the embedded heating elements, which can get as hot as 450 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s even smart enough to quickly react to temperature drops. The top plate is not only height-adjustable; it can also be flipped completely open. This means it can cook meats and veggies, as well as function as a panini press—and it can even make eggs and French toast.

In terms of performance, the burger patties, buns, and broccolini our home cook grilled turned out perfectly. The patties cooked evenly, with no hot or cold spots, though she notes that the burger buns toasted more evenly on the griddle side. “The burgers were definitely juicy … and tasted lightly of a grilled flavor—not as strong as an outdoor grill, but also there was no smoke!” she raves, adding that the vegetables got as crispy as if they were cooked on an outdoor grill, and with beautiful grill marks.

Our home cook also found the grill plates truly nonstick: None of the items cooked stuck regardless of texture. This, and the fact that the plates are removable and dishwasher-friendly, made cleanup fast and easy. Her only complaints: The loud beeping when the grill heats and when it gets up to temperature. “I found the volume jarring. It was also confusing initially to figure out how to lay it flat,” she says.

“I kept the window open each time I used it, and initially I was worried it would set off the smoke detector, but there was hardly any smoke at all.” — Ariane Resnick, Product Tester

Price at time of publish: $320

Materials: Brushed stainless steel, nonstick cast aluminum plates | Dimensions: 16.7 x 14 x 5 inches | Cooking Area: 260 square inches | Wattage: 1800 watts | Use: Indoor

Best Overall, Outdoor

George Foreman GGR50B Indoor/Outdoor Electric Grill

4.5

Amazon

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What We Love: Nonstick surface, grill pan is easily removable from base, great for cooking fatty meat

What We Don’t Love: Not actually for 15 servings of food, no smoky flavor, large footprint

George Foreman grills fill a certain niche for countertop grilling, especially for people who are concerned about excess fat. This newer model keeps to the plan, with its classic nonstick surface and integrated drip pan.

While our home tester found it too big and awkward for indoor use, as an outdoor grill it works: It skips the complications of gas or charcoal, and it’s especially good if you want to grill up bacon or a half-dozen steakburgers and keep the mess outdoors. But “15 servings,” as the company markets this grill, is stretching it, she says, finding it closer to six portions, tops.

Another note is that our home tester is vegetarian, so she cooked several types of veggie burgers, including Impossible Foods, Beyond Meat, and Lightlife patties, as well as Beyond Brats in lieu of chicken. But because plant-based burgers lack the fat content of their meat-based counterparts, there wasn’t much fat for the grill to drain away, which is one of its biggest selling points.

Still, the patties and burgers themselves—as well as the zucchini and the burger buns—grilled up fine on high heat, and all got the desired grill marks, though they lacked that smoky flavor you’d get from a gas or charcoal grill. Part of the reason is that the grilling surface is nonstick: “You can effect grill marks on either meat or non-meat products, but they’re mostly cosmetic, and not because the cooking surface really seared the food surface at high heat or because the food stuck and developed that necessary ‘burned’ surface,” our tester notes.

Still, this nonstick quality, in addition to the metal grill pan lifting off easily from the grill base and pedestal, made it relatively easy to clean (though it is far too big to fit into a standard sink, so you have to wash it gingerly). Furthermore, our tester bequeathed this grill to her meat-loving friend, “and he freakin’ loves it,” she says. It’s been a lifesaver for him to be able to grill his meat on the balcony due to his wife being a lifelong vegetarian. “As I suspected, it’s really a meat eater’s appliance,” she added.

This grill would be right at home on the porch or patio, or where it would be used frequently and simply wiping clean is enough. As a home appliance, however, even for a larger family who wants to do a bunch of burgers at once, it’s probably still too big and more trouble than it’s worth to use and store indoors. Our suggestion: Take George outside instead.

“The Beyond Brats were the fattiest of the veggie meats I grilled, and thus they actually had something to drain off, but still very little. The skin that charred on the grill ridges wanted to peel away when the brats were lifted or turned. … They tasted no more ‘grilled’ than they do when otherwise pan-cooked or broiled.” — Catherine Russell, Product Tester

Price at time of publish: $100

Material: Nonstick aluminum cooking surface, painted steel lid | Dimensions: 39.4 x 21.7 x 18.3 inches | Cooking Surface: 240 square inches | Wattage: 1600 watts | Use: Indoor/outdoor

Simply Recipes / Catherine Russell

Best Budget

Starfrit The Rock Indoor Smokeless Electric BBQ Grill

4.2

Amazon

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What We Love: Leaves nice grill marks, no hot spots, small footprint, easy setup and cleanup

What We Don’t Love: Considerable amount of smoke

Starfrit’s The Rock Indoor Smokeless Grill is beloved for its ability to expertly grill everything from veggie kebabs to steak to bacon. Weighing only around 5 pounds, it doesn’t take up too much space while still offering 160 square inches of cooking area.

Below the nonstick cast-aluminum grates is a water-filled drip tray that catches falling oil or grease, reducing any resultant smoke (but not fully eliminating it). The heating element is cast into the grate so you don’t have to worry about hot or cold spots. An adjustable dial on the plug controls the temperature, which can get up to 450 degrees. It also has a setting for keeping your food warm. When you’re all done eating your burgers, veggies, or whatever you choose to grill up, anything that’s removable is safe to put in the dishwasher for easy cleanup.

In testing this grill, there was a fair amount of smoke produced as our home cook grilled up burger patties, buns, chicken breasts, and sliced zucchini. You’ll want to ensure your kitchen hood exhaust fan is turned on and windows are open when cooking. “I’m still running my exhaust fan as I type, with my back door and windows open to air out the house,” she says.

Smoke aside, this grill is a solid option for the price. It left nice grill marks on everything we tested and we didn’t find any hot spots. The grilled chicken breasts were juicy and moist, and the zucchini was tender and had a nice smoky flavor.

We also like that it heats up in just a few minutes and is easy to put together—just four pieces. The fact that most of the pieces are dishwasher-safe is also a plus—no need to soak and scrub the grease away.

“For the price, this is a solid option. It heats up in minutes and while it isn’t as smokeless as it claims to be, I like that it’s lightweight, easy to put together, and doesn’t take up a lot of space.” — Abigail Abesamis Demarest, Product Tester

Price at time of publish: $40

Material: Cast aluminum grill plate, thermoplastic housing | Dimensions: 18 x 12 x 0.5 inches | Cooking Area: 160 square inches | Wattage: 1200 watts | Use: Indoor

Related: The Best Propane Grills

Best for a Balcony

Weber Q 2400 Electric Grill

4.3

Home Depot

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What We Love: Easy to set up and use, food cooks relatively quickly, offers precise temperature control and even cooking, imparts nice grill marks

What We Don’t Love: Heavy, stand available separately, some food stuck to the grates

It’s no surprise that Weber, the king of charcoal grills, also reigns supreme when it comes to electric grills. The 280-square-inch grill has a 6-foot grounded cord that connects to a temperature controller.

Inside the cast aluminum lid, you’ll find removable cast iron cooking grates and a removable bowl liner, which helps with cleanup. These pieces do add a little bit of heft—the grill weighs over 40 pounds in total—so while the grill is movable, you might need help doing so. Underneath is a removable catch pan that holds a disposable aluminum drip pan. It doesn’t come with a stand, though one can be purchased separately.

During our tests, we found the grill easy to set up and simple to use. The grill needs to preheat for about 20 minutes, but once hot, the food cooks fairly quickly. The temperature controller allows for more precise cooking, and overall the food was cooked evenly and developed those really nice classic grill marks.

There wasn’t a strong smoke flavor, but the meat and chicken were very tender, juicy, and flavorful, while the grilled zucchini was succulent. Some food did stick to the grates, though, but cleaning them with a grill brush after worked fine—it helped that the grates themselves were easy to remove and that the grill cooled down pretty quickly.

Overall, if you have a deck where an electric grill is allowed, this is your best bet for the closest thing to a charcoal or gas grill. Plus, it’s relatively portable and easy to store and clean.

“The burgers were delicious! Very juicy with a nice char, although the charcoal flavor was missing. … The chicken was very tender, juicy, and flavorful, which I was amazed by with such simple seasoning. My son loved it.” — Devorah Lev-Tov, Product Tester

Price at time of publish: $419

Materials: Cast iron grates, cast aluminum body, stainless steel burners, plastic legs | Dimensions: 14.5 x 31.5 x 19.5 inches | Cooking Area: 280 square inches | Power: 1560 watts/20 volts | Use: Outdoor

Related: The Best Portable Grills

Best Splurge

Kenyon Floridian Electric Grill

4.2

Courtesy of AJ Madison

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What We Love: Leaves nice sear marks, burger patties and chicken turned out juicy and tender, drip pan is disposable

What We Don’t Love: Heavy, large footprint, noticeable hot spots, food had roasted versus char-grilled flavor

The Kenyon Floridian grill is a nice choice for those who know how to utilize hot spots on a traditional grill to their advantage. It can get up to 600 degrees in about 10 minutes, but it weighs 24 pounds, which is heavier than it sounds because you’re carrying this around your kitchen or back patio to find a spot to put it. There are eight temperature settings, but note that there’s no way to know how hot the grill is actually getting unless you have an infrared thermometer to take the temperature of the grates

The nonstick grates sit directly on top of the heating element, which allows the grate to get hot, but there are noticeable hot spots on the grill, particularly in the areas where the heating element turns to make the coil, our home cook found. The burger patties did not get the desired grill marks before flipping, but once flipped, the grill got hot enough that they did get the grill marks, and she was able to move the patties to the hot spots on the grill. After cooking, the patties turned out juicy, “but there was no distinguishable grill flavor,” says our tester. This was likely due to the addition of water to the drip pan, which steamed the burgers more than grilled them. The burger buns, furthermore, burned easily because they lacked moisture; she suggests lightly buttering them before grilling.

Grilling zucchini presented a unique challenge due to the hot spots: Some parts of the zucchini strips had appealing grill marks, while other parts were more steamed. “The flavor of the zucchini was more of a roasted flavor versus a char-like flavor from a traditional grill,” our home cook explained. One way to ensure even cooking, she advises, would be to cut the zucchini into coins versus strips and move them around the grill often to ensure each piece is able to get to a hot spot to achieve grill marks.

When dinner is done, you can put the grill rack in the dishwasher, though washing by hand is preferred to ensure the nonstick coating on the grates lasts as long as possible. The drip pan is removable and disposable, which is nice if you plan on using this grill multiple times in a week. The pan is meant to be used several times before it would need to be replaced.

“This grill is a good option to cook chicken if you don’t cook it with a lot of sauces. The chicken did get nice grill marks on both sides and was very juicy. The cooked chicken was tender, though it could go from tender to rubbery if the grill user is unaware of the hotspots on the grill and uses them to their advantage.” — Megan duBois, Product Tester

Price at time of publish: $1,400

Material: Stainless steel | Dimensions: 21 x 12 x 7.3 inches | Cooking Area: 155 square inches | Wattage: 1300 watts | Use: Outdoor

Related: The Best Small Grills