The 6 Best Electric Grills of 2024, According to Our Tests

Our Favorite Electric Grill

Overall, the Weber Q1400 Electric Grill topped our tests with its true high-heat grilling temperatures, simple design, easy cleanup, and portability. For a more inexpensive option you can use inside, try the Presto Cool Touch Indoor Grill, a small machine that will give you great grill marks without leaving the kitchen.

How We Tested Electric Grills

In our quest to find the best electric grills, we chose 22 models to examine side-by-side in our test kitchen. That included four outdoor-only models and four indoor/outdoor models, with the rest usable only indoors. We rated them on design, setup, ease of assembly, and portability, then put each one through an identical series of tests.

*Editor's note: The Weber Lumin included above was released after our group test; we tested it individually with the same series of tasks.

• Temperature tests: We turned each grill to the lowest possible setting and let it preheat for 5 minutes, then measured the temperature of the grates with an infrared thermometer. We repeated the test at the middle and highest settings to measure total power as well as accuracy.
• Grill marks tests: To measure how well each grill's grates transfer heat to create proper browning and sear, we cooked slices of white sandwich bread for 3 minutes per side at low, medium, and high settings on each grill. We looked at the color and consistency of the grill marks produced to measure the effectiveness of the grates in transferring heat.

• Cooking tests: After preheating the grills to 450°F, we cooked flank steak, chicken breasts, and zucchini planks (5 minutes per side with the steak and chicken, and 3 minutes per side for the zucchini). We looked at how evenly each cooked, whether there was sticking when we flipped and removed the food, and how much smoke the grills produced.
• Cleaning tests: In between rounds of testing, we let the grill grates cool completely and washed them following the manufacturer's directions. (Most of the grills we tested have removable grates, but only some are dishwasher-safe.) We noted whether any bits stuck to the grates and if we ran into any design issues that made cleaning difficult. We also looked at the ease or complexity of longer-term maintenance tasks like cleaning drip trays and heating elements.

After completing all of our other tests, we revealed the retail prices of each grill to consider their value when compared to the price.

Factors to Consider

Cooking Area

As with a regular grill or an electric griddle, when choosing an electric grill, one of the most important things to consider is how much cooking surface it provides. A small one might only hold a single steak, while others are large enough to fit a dozen burgers. Think about how many people you plan to cook for regularly, and go from there. A good way to estimate is that a single burger patty needs about 25 square inches.

Indoor vs. Outdoor Usage

Many electric grills are designed to be used indoors. However, some models can be used both indoors and outdoors, or they're designed for just one or the other. Take into account where you'll be doing most of your grilling, and make sure that the one you purchase is compatible with that purpose. Avoid trying to use grills that are only rated for outdoor use indoors. Although they're electric, some models can reach very high heats and produce significant amounts of smoke, which can become a hazard indoors.

Storage

Unlike a bulky gas or charcoal grill, an electric model generally isn't meant to stay set up all the time. Unless you intend to use yours every day, you'll probably want to put it in a cabinet or other storage location. Make sure you measure the space you have before you order a grill to be sure it'll fit. Most models can also be stored safely where there are temperature fluctuations, like in a garage, basement, or attic; just don't let an electric grill get rained on or submerged in water.

Cleaning

An electric grill will only fit seamlessly into your daily cooking practice if it is easy to clean. Look for units with dishwasher-safe parts, drip trays used to capture grease, and nonstick or seasoned grill plates that clean up easily. Then just follow the directions that come with your unit to keep it clean. One thing to pay special attention to is the heating elements and interior of the unit beneath the grates; because electric grills don't get hot enough to burn off grease completely, you'll need to clean these areas periodically.

Other Electric Grills We Tested 

Strong Contenders

George Foreman GGR50B Indoor/Outdoor Electric Grill ($109 on Walmart)

We were impressed with how well this grill works — it produced deep, defined grill marks on all the foods we tested — and we love that it includes a removable stand so you can set it up on a patio. But the stand was wobbly and unsteady to the point where we worried that a gust of wind could knock it over.

Zojirushi EB-CC15 Indoor Electric Grill ($100 on Amazon)

This grill gets hot, but it doesn't get as hot as some of the other grills we tested, and controlling the temperature was difficult. In terms of design, the edges of the grill are lower than the grates, so it's easy to burn yourself and drop food between the crevices. 

Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 Indoor Grill ($170 on Amazon)

This multipurpose gadget can grill, dehydrate, roast, bake, and air-fry. However, we found that the fans that runs while grilling makes this more like a convection oven than a grill, with inconsistent and inaccurate temperatures.

Char-Broil TRU-Infrared Patio Bistro Electric Grill ($250 on Amazon)

This outdoor grill looks like a classic charcoal model but plugs into the wall for its heating power. We like the design, but this model took a particularly long time to heat up, couldn't get hot enough for dark grill marks, and had problems with food sticking.

What Didn’t Make the List

The grills we tested that didn't wind up among our favorites include models from Techwood, De'Longhi, and Cuisinart, as well as a George Foreman and a Weber model that didn't do as well as their cousins above. The common drawbacks of these models were inaccurate temperatures, light or uneven grill marks, and high levels of smoke. Other issues that prevented grills from earning our badge of approval included difficult assembly, unsteadiness or high weight, and poorly designed controls. We stand behind our top picks and believe they are truly the best electric grills.

Our Expertise

This piece was written by Laura Denby, a food writer and product reviewer with a degree in Culinary Arts from the Institute of Culinary Education. A former chef, Laura has worked in professional kitchens for over five years. She uses her culinary knowledge to guide her product reviews, which you can find more of in FoodNetwork.com, Real Simple, Southern Living, and more.