The 5 Best Smokeless Grills, According to Our Tests

Our Favorite Smokeless Grill

Throughout the range of tests, the Hamilton Beach Electric Indoor Searing Grill earned consistently high marks and earned our favorite spot. If you're looking for solid performance at a budget price, we like the no-frills Presto Cool Touch Electric Grill.

How We Tested Smokeless Grills

We tested smokeless grills as part of our overall electric grill testing, which included 23 models. Of those, 14 are smokeless grills designed for indoor use that we considered for this roundup. We unboxed all the grills and noted any issues with setup and mobility, then put them through a series of identical tests. As we performed the cooking tests, we also noted how much smoke and steam the grills produced, and any other design features that made them better or worse to use.

• Temperature Tests: We set each grill to its lowest temperature setting, let it preheat for 5 minutes, and then measured the surface temperature with an infrared thermometer to rate accuracy. We repeated this same test at the middle-temperature setting and the maximum setting.
• Toast Tests: We toasted a slice of white bread at low, medium, and high heat on each grill, noting the level of coloration, evenness of grill marks, and any burning or smoking. In addition to comparing the temperature difference between settings, this test helped us find hot and cool spots with darker and lighter areas on the toast.
• Sear Tests: With the grills turned to 450°F (or the highest possible setting if cooler than that), we cooked flank steak, chicken breasts, and zucchini planks. After 5 minutes per side with the steak and chicken, and 3 minutes per side with the zucchini, we observed the evenness and effectiveness of the grill marks formed on each item, as well as whether and how badly it stuck to the grates.
• Cleaning: Between tests, we cleaned each machine according to the included instructions. We removed any dishwasher-safe parts and ran them through the standard cycle, and noted any scratching or damage to the nonstick coating on the grates. For anything that burned and stuck to the grates, we scrubbed it off with a sponge and noted how much effort was required.

After completing all our cooking and cleaning tests, we revealed the retail prices of the smokeless grills to consider value. At the time of testing, the grills ranged from $15 to $300, with an average of $109.

Factors to Consider

Open vs. Contact Grills 

There are two basic forms for a smokeless grill. An open grill is probably what you think of as a standard grill, with a hot grate that cooks food only from below. A contact grill has a second hot surface in the lid that lowers onto the food to cook from above as well as below. (A panini press is a good example of a contact grill.)

Both designs have advantages and disadvantages. A contact grill has more concentrated heat for faster cooking, but it tends to give you less cooking area to work with. The heavy lid pressing down on the food can be helpful in some situations, but it can also squeeze juices out of meats and makes it harder to control the exact doneness level. An open grill will generally have a larger capacity and works more similarly to a traditional gas or charcoal grill. There are also hybrid designs that can work as a single contact grill or open all the way flat to make a pair of open grills.

Power

Smokeless grills are electric, and their power is measured in watts. Higher wattage means a grill will heat more quickly and to a higher temperature. But size comes into play, too, as it takes more power to heat a larger grill.

Temperature Range 

Some smokeless grills have a maximum setting of just 400°F, while others can get quite a bit hotter. This is another time to consider what you’ll be cooking. If you're toasting sandwiches or using a griddle to make breakfast, you don’t need the highest-heat searing capabilities, but some precision in temperature increments will be helpful for fine adjustments. For high-temperature searing, you’ll want something that can attain at least 500°F for a good char that won’t dry out your food before it can finish. Just work carefully: The hotter the temperature, the more smoke the grill can produce.

Cooking Area

The size of the grill determines just how much stuff you can cook on it. Smokeless grills tend to be quite a bit smaller than outdoor models, but there's still a range of sizes. As a rough estimate, you need about 25 square inches of room to cook, flip, and maneuver one small burger patty.

Other Smokeless Grills We Tested

Strong Contenders

PowerXL PG1500-FDR Smokeless Grill  ($240 at Amazon)

The PowerXL performed well but had some inconsistency with temperature and a few more condensation issues that other picks didn't. For the price, it's efficient and more compact than some of the larger grills, so if space is an issue, this is still a good option.

George Foreman 2-Serving Grill ($29 at Amazon)

This classic George Foreman grill was simple to set up, use, and clean. It doesn't have temperature settings, but it does the job of grilling food (often with distinct marks) and draining fat for a low price. We also had no trouble with sticking. It's very compact and easy to store, but despite the name, it can't hold more than a single serving at a time.

Zojirushi EB-CC15 Indoor Electric Grill ($99 at Amazon)

Temperature control wasn't a strong suit for this Zojirushi. The grill marks hardly appeared on bread, were very light on chicken, and were nicely caramelized on flank steak, speaking to the machine's inconsistency. But it still outranked many of the others we tested, and what it lacked in performance, it made up for in design and user-friendliness.

What Didn't Make the List

With the smokeless grills that didn't make the cut, we found more than a few drawbacks or noticeable performance problems. We found the Techwood Indoor/Outdoor Electric Grill very difficult to assemble, on top of poor cooking. We expected more from the T-Fal OptiGrill given its price, but it actually flattened bread and chicken and left no grill marks on the flank steak. Other grills had inconsistent temperatures with small grill plates, including the Aroma Housewares Grillet, the Elite Gourmet Tabletop Grill, and the DeLonghi Perfecto.

Our Expertise

Greg Baker is an award-winning chef, restaurateur, and food writer with four decades of experience in the food industry. His written work appears in Food & Wine, Food Republic, and other publications.