Power consumption
Rated power of the device — that is, the maximum power consumed during normal operation. With a low intensity of heating, energy consumption may be lower, but it is worth focus on this indicator.
The larger the surface area of the electric grill, the more energy is required for its efficient operation. In addition, for different cooking tasks, the intensity of heating (and, accordingly, the required power) will also be different. Therefore, only devices of the same type (see above) with a similar size of the working surface (see below) can be compared by this indicator. And in such a comparison, it is worth proceeding from the fact that higher power provides faster heating and more stable temperatures, but significantly affects the cost of the device. In addition, appliances
more than 2 kW can create problems for old, “weak” wiring.
However, more than 2 kW is a high power for modern electric grills. Most of them have power consumption of
1,5 – 2 kW, quite a few models are in the range
of 1 – 1,5 kW, and in the most low-power devices, this figure does not exceed
1 kW at all. At the same time, it is worth emphasizing separately that low power in itself does not mean low efficiency — often it turns out to be quite sufficient, taking into account the type and capacity of the grill.
Control
Electric grill control panel design.
— Control knob. Mechanical control is carried out using
rotary knobs and switches. Most parameters in such devices are set and controlled manually. In this case, the control elements are connected to the working parts of the electric grill directly, without additional electronic circuits. This option is simple, reliable and low cost; however, it is only suitable for the most basic functions, but electric grills usually do not require more.
–
Push-button. Push-button control is based on electronic circuits. Such systems are more accurate than mechanical ones (for example, the timer in such electric grills can usually be set with an accuracy of up to a few seconds), and more options and modes are provided. On the other hand, such control is more complex and more expensive than mechanical control.
–
Touch. A type of
electronic control with touch switches. Compared to push-button models, it provides a high level of comfort in operation, and looks more modern and aesthetically pleasing. Touch control is found mainly in top models of electric grills.
Surface material
Nowadays, among electric grills, you can find models with
metal,
ceramic and
stone surfaces, as well as devices that use
both metal and stone. Here is a detailed description of each of these options:
— Metal. The most popular plate material nowadays, found in all types and price categories of electric grills. Metal is relatively inexpensive, it can be easily given both a smooth and ribbed shape. Surfaces made of this material are durable and reliable, in addition, they have minimal thermal inertia (they heat up and cool down quickly, and also react almost instantly to changes in temperature settings). For additional convenience, metal plates can be supplemented with a non-stick coating - it, as a rule, requires careful handling and does not tolerate contact with metal utensils, but it significantly facilitates cleaning and in many cases allows cooking without the use of oil. In addition, surfaces made of this material can be easily made removable.
— Stone. Stone work surfaces are found mainly among barbecue grills and raclette makers (and can be
square,
round,
rectangular,
oval); there are other types of devices with this feature, but they are very few. In general, this
...material is durable, reliable and practical: it has certain non-stick properties and at the same time easily tolerates contact with metal spatulas, forks, etc. In open-format grills (including raclette makers), stone plates are massive and have a fairly high thermal inertia, but these points can be both disadvantages and advantages. Thus, significant weight contributes to stability and reduces the likelihood of moving or tipping over the grill; and the ability to retain heat after switching off can be very useful in some cases - for example, in the same raclette maker, due to this, the products on the top plate can remain warm throughout the meal. The disadvantages of this material include, first of all, the complexity of production and relatively high cost.
— Metal and stone. Grills equipped with two types of working surface at the same time — metal and stone. Almost all such devices are raclette grills (see “Type”). The features of each of the mentioned materials are described in detail above, but here we note that the specific format of their combination may be different. The most popular are combined surfaces — part stone, part metal; in this case, the stone is made only smooth, and the metal can also be ribbed (see “Plate surface”). In any case, such a combination allows you to fry different types of products at the same time; and after cooking, you can dump everything on the stone surface, which cools slowly and keeps the contents hot well. Somewhat less common are raclette grills with two replaceable plates — one metal, the other stone. They are in many ways similar to the first type, but do not allow the simultaneous use of different types of materials.
— Ceramic coating. Ceramic and glass-ceramic surfaces are found mainly among contact grills — although there are other devices with plates made of these materials, including barbecue grills (see "Type"). Such a surface has good non-stick properties and is easy to clean from dirt — if necessary, ceramics can even be cleaned with abrasives. On the other hand, ceramics should be protected from impacts and strong temperature changes, since all this can lead to chipping, cracking and peeling of the working surface of the grill.Work surface size
The size of the work surface installed in the grill — that is, the surface intended for the cooked products.
The amount of food that can be cooked directly depends on this indicator at a time. On the other hand, a large work surface requires high power, and also directly affects the overall dimensions of the grill. Therefore, when choosing according to this indicator, it is necessary to take into account the expected volumes of cooking and the amount of space available for installing the device first of all.
Note that this parameter is indicated by the length and width of the working surface, regardless of its shape. Therefore, the same dimensions — for example, 30x30 cm — can mean both a square and a round device, while the usable area in the first case will be noticeably larger than in the second. So in such cases, it will not prevent clarify the specific shape of the working surface.
