The 5 Best Indoor Grills For When You Can't Go Outside - List5

Few things are as satisfying than a seared dinner cooked on a grill. Want to lock juices and flavor into your favorite fish? Grill it. Looking for an exciting and hearty way to prepare vegetables? That’s right: the grill. The only problem is, with all the charcoal, the starter fluid or the smoke, it seems like grilling is exclusively an outdoor venture. But if you’re like us, hanging out with your grill on your back porch during a blizzard is not your idea of a good time. Enter the indoor grill: a stovetop or standalone unit that allows you to enjoy all the advantages of grilling but without the smoke, the charcoal and the mess. With so many different styles to choose from, we took out our clipboards, threw on some ribs, and researched which ones are worth it. Several thousand calories later, we can now present to you the 5 best indoor grills.

Cuisinart 5-In-1 Griddler

The Art of Indoor Grilling

With a wide variety of cooking options and one of the most reputable names in appliances, the Cuisinart Griddler takes our top honor.

Best Overall

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Cuisinart gives you all the options with its 5-in-1 Griddler, including two separate grill features: a contact grill that utilizes a grilling lid to simultaneously cook food on both sides, or a full grill that expands the top for more grilling space. Breakfasts are a snap by simply switching out the grill plates with griddle plates (included), allowing you to cook eggs, pancakes and more. And if that breakfast is steak and eggs, you can create a half-grill/half-griddle cooking surface. Finally, the Griddler is designed for creating the perfect Panini by utilizing a hinged, floating top to provide total coverage of your sandwich. With 1,500 watts of power generating heat up to 500 degrees, the Cuisinart Griddler has everything you need to enjoy indoor grilling.

Pros:

Dishwasher safe plates
Under-unit drip-tray prevents messes1
5 different styles available

Cons:

Teflon plates still require non-stick spray
Variable temperatures between top and lower grill

PowerXL Smokeless Grill

The Power To Stop Smoke

For people who can’t tolerate smoke but still want grilling flavor, PowerXL provides the solution

Best Smokeless Grill

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How does the PowerXL Smokeless Grill stay smokeless? Start with “Turbo Speed Smoke Extractor Technology,” a smoke-extracting fan built-in to the unit that forces the air into a water tray that absorbs the smoke. Combine that with a snug-fitting glass lid that also helps cook food faster, and you have all the advantages of grilling without fouling up the air indoors. An LED “Smart Control” allows you to cook at any temperature between 250 and 450 degrees, and creates even heat consistency across the entire cooking surface. You can also use the liquid tray at the bottom of the grill to flavor your dishes with an infusion, all the while trapping grease and fat you may not want in your meals.

Pros:

Easy to clean
Lid maintains splatter control
Also comes with griddle plate

Cons:

Short power cable
Large unit makes storage challenging

Blue Diamond Grill Genie

A Stovetop Genie

Using your own stovetop as a heat source, the Blue Diamond Grille Genie adds another dimension to indoor grilling.

Best Stovetop Grill

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Looking like a cross between a frying pan and a Dutch Oven, the Blue Diamond Grille Genie is perfect for cooks who want indoor grilling without purchasing a whole separate kitchen appliance. Simply place the unit on a burner on your gas, halogen, ceramic or electric stove and you’re ready to grill. The 11-inch cooking surface – big enough for multiple steaks or a 5-pound chicken – features grill lines that are high enough to sear-in flavor with an even temperature yet still allow the grease and fat to drain off. By using the durable steam lid, food cooks upwards of 30% faster, and when it’s all done, the entire grill can go straight into the dishwasher. Perhaps best of all, healthy eaters will be glad to know that the grill is manufactured without lead, PFOA, cadmium, PFAS or any other toxin. Time to grill!

Pros:

Oven-safe up to 850 degrees
Proprietary non-stick coating

Cons:

No heat-resistant handle
Works best on high heat

George Foreman 4-Serving Removable Plate Grill

It’s A Knockout

From the first name in electric grills, George Foreman’s Removable Plate Grill lives up to the hype.

Best Budget Grill

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You don’t have to spend a ton of money to get one of the best indoor grills on the market; better still, one from the leading names in electric grills. The George Foreman 4-Serving Removable Plate Grill has all the features you’ve come to expect from the heavyweight: 35% faster heating time, patented non-stick coating and the revolutionary “sloped” design that removes 43% of the fat from your food. Cleanup is easy with removable, dishwasher-safe plates, and with the adjustable lid hinge, you can use the grill to make your favorite Paninis. Though the grill-top has space for four servings, the unit is small enough for easy, compact storage or can easily fit on your countertop with the toaster and coffee maker.

Pros:

Perfect for cooking bacon
Metal clips hold plates securely
Meals in under ten minutes

Cons:

Unit slips on countertops
No on/off button

Ninja Foodi Indoor Electric Grill

Food Ninjas Unite!

With the BTU power of an outdoor grill, Ninja Foodi brings true BBQ style indoors.

Best Power

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If you’re looking for an indoor grilling appliance that does, well, everything, look no further than the Ninja Foodi. It sizzles, it sears, it air-fries, dehydrates, defrosts – oh, and it grills, too. Using a surround searing method through its Cyclonic Grilling Technology, the Ninja Foodi Circulates 500-degree air around food through the enclosed unit. This heats up the grill grate to char both sides of your food. Additionally, it can air-fry food using a 4-quart crisper basket (included) that has 75% less fat than a deep fryer. This same method can be used to create dried fruits and other dehydrated snacks. And at 1,760 watts, the Ninja Foodi packs all power of an outdoor grill but without the smoke, courtesy of its locking lid.

Pros:

Recipe book included
Frozen-to-meal in 25 minutes
Smart Probe available

Cons:

Foods must be cooked separately
Takes a long time to cool down

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a difference between smokeless, indoor grills and infrared grills?

Some companies use an infrared source in their indoor grills in an attempt to create less smoke, but the real purpose of infrared heating elements is their ability to closely mimic charcoal grills. Infrared radiates a lot of heat and disperses in a large radius, the same way charcoal does. Infrared is best for searing, as it can achieve a very high temperature without a lot of fuel.

My indoor grill smokes a lot. What am I doing wrong?

Chances are, you’re doing nothing wrong. Anyone who has pan-seared a steak in a red-hot skillet can tell you, some styles of cooking simply generate a lot of smoke. Indoor grills are designed to minimize smoke or divert it away, but they cannot eliminate smoke completely. The unit you purchase will need to depend on how much or how little smoke is acceptable to you.

I’ve heard new research shows that fat and grease aren’t really as bad for your health as something like sugar. Do I really need to eliminate fat with my indoor grill?

People on high protein or keto diets will tell you that sugar and other carbs are more of a culprit in weight gain than fats, and there is research to support that. However, your fat consumption can play a role in your cholesterol, which in turn affects blood pressure and heart disease. If you have health concerns, ask your doctor if you need to switch to a low-fat diet and if including an indoor grill in your cooking regimen would be helpful or detrimental.