How to choose an electric grill
Electric grill type
Structurally, home electric grills are divided into open and contact grills. This type can also include a raclette grill, the functionality of which goes slightly beyond the scope of a classic grill.
The principle of operation of a contact electric grill implies the presence of heating elements in the upper and lower parts, as well as two-way contact of food with the working area. Meat or vegetables are literally pressed between the surfaces, which ensures even cooking and high cooking speed. For example, a steak about 2.5 cm thick will be cooked to Medium Well in 10 minutes (depending on model). The open electric grill is distinguished by its simplified design, consisting of one heating zone. It compensates for the lack of space, but will require more time for cooking, as the roasting takes place only on the lower surface. The user will need to monitor the process and turn the food for even cooking. Sometimes the design provides a lid, which will ensure the preservation of temperature conditions inside the working area, increase the speed of grilling, prevent contamination of kitchen surfaces with grease.
The raclette grill is named after the Swiss dish it's designed for, featuring individual mini-frying pans nestled between two heating surfaces for melting cheese to perfection. Beyond cheese, it can also be used to cook other dishes like omelets. Its open grill on top allows for grilling side dishes or frying mushrooms, fish, and vegetables simultaneously.
Plate material
The most popular material for the working surface of electric grills is metal. There are also options made of stone.
Metal surfaces on electric grills rapidly attain high temperatures, ideal for quickly frying thick steaks to a Well Done state or preparing hot dogs, hamburgers, paninis, and sandwiches with a crispy crust in mere minutes. Despite providing necessary strength with minimal thickness, they often require a non-stick coating for delicate handling with specific kitchen utensils like wooden or plastic spatulas, tongs, and forks.
Stone plates have a good margin of durability, wear resistance, non-stick properties, ability to maintain for a long time and evenly distribute heat over the entire surface. Maintenance does not cause any difficulties. But their price is not always justified due to expensive production, so the material is not used very often. Plates made of stone require more time to heat up and are optimal for delicate cooking of vegetables, seafood, which can burn very quickly. The surface will be suitable for fans of meat of rare and medium doneness, will preserve its juiciness and vitamin composition. Low thermal conductivity allows you to use plates to keep cooked dishes heated for a long time.
Sometimes manufacturers resort to a trick by using stone as a coating for metal plates. This combination provides optimal heating speed and good non-stick properties, which allows you to grill any food as quickly as possible.
On sale you can find electric grills with two types of plates, made of stone and metal. The separate design offers the possibility to cook different types of food at the same time, combining the advantages of both materials.
Shape of plate
Electric grills typically offer two types of contact plate shapes: smooth and grooved, with some models featuring a combination of both textures. The grooved surface is particularly popular as it creates appealing grill marks on finished dishes, making it ideal for cooking meat, fish, and sandwiches. Grilling sausages and cheese on the grooved surface makes for a tasty snack enjoyed by both adults and children.
The smooth surface of electric grills is perfect for cooking side dishes like sliced or circular vegetables and for sautéing, ensuring even contact across the entire area to prevent burning. Its easy maintenance is also a small advantage. To offer users more versatility, manufacturers often incorporate both smooth and grooved plates in a single device. This is particularly common in raclette grills, while classic contact grills frequently come equipped with both types of plates simultaneously.
It is very important to pay attention to the way the panels are attached. It is advisable to give preference to removable plates to ensure ease of maintenance and operation. They are easy to clean by hand or in dishwashers without the risk of water getting on the electronic components. If the working area is damaged or the non-stick coating is worn out, the removable part can be easily replaced without the need to visit service centers. A nice addition would be the ability to serve the dish directly in the form.
Power selection
The power of the heating elements is one of the main characteristics that influence the speed and quality of cooking, but there is no specific standard, since additional factors must be taken into account — working surface area, cooking principle, taste preferences.
It's no secret that most people use electric grills specifically for processing meat. The process requires high and stable temperature conditions to seal the outer layer and ensure proper cooking on the inside. If the plates are approximately 30x20 cm in size, a power rating closer to 2000 W will be optimal. For smaller sizes — about 1500 W. The largest surfaces of 40x20 cm and more should be supplemented with heaters over 2000 W.
Contact electric grills are more efficient due to lower heat dissipation. Therefore, when using the open cooking principle, it is advisable to choose models with a small power reserve to compensate for heat loss.
Individual taste preferences play a role in selecting an electric grill. For those who prefer their food cooked to Rare or Medium doneness, a 1500 W heater is sufficient. However, achieving Medium Well or Well Done stages requires a higher power heater, ideally 2000 W or more, to ensure proper cooking according to the desired level. For other foods like vegetables, fish, mushrooms, seafood, cheese, and bread, lower temperature conditions are suitable for effective processing regardless of the power of the heater.
In situations where speed is crucial and short-term heat exposure is needed, the high heating temperature mode becomes invaluable. This mode surpasses standard temperature limits (over 200°C) for swift results. However, it's important to have plates that can endure such high temperatures, and users must monitor the process closely to prevent burning or charring. This mode is particularly suitable for cooking seafood, mushrooms, and swiftly preparing meat delicacies during lunch breaks.
Features
The simple design of an electric grill can actually have a lot of additional features that will provide control, automation and cooking comfort. Let's take a look at the most useful features.
Thermostat
The thermostat ensures precise maintenance of the temperature of the working plates to comply with the roasting technology. Using the controls, the user can adjust the heat, adapting the electric grill to specific types of food. A beneficial advantage can be the separate adjustment of temperature conditions for two separate plates.
Auto-cooking
Manufacturers offer to automate the cooking process using preset operating modes. The undisputed leader in this matter is Tefal. An important attribute of such functionality is a reliable electronic control module. In the auto-cooking mode, the electric grill independently controls the temperature conditions at each stage, and the user only needs to select the type of food and the desired degree of doneness.
The light version of automation can be considered a cooking timer. In this mode, you need to independently calculate the time required to prepare a particular product. Only an experienced cook can guess the degree of doneness, since the heating temperature will be constant.
180º opening
The function of opening the top lid 180º allows the user to independently choose a convenient cooking method. You can work on two open surfaces at once or use only the lower part, turning the upper one into a cooling zone. And of course, the dual-contact cooking mode is retained.
Fixing the height of the top plate
An important feature that allows the electric grill to be adapted to different food thicknesses. The fixed height of the top plate allows you to manually adjust the pressure force or cook without contact with the top surface.
Cooling zone
The cooling zone is a surface on which food can cool naturally after cooking, remaining warm for a long time. The function is a distinctive feature of raclette grills, but is not limited to them. Some contact electric grills with a 180º lid opening allow the top plate to be used as a cooling area.
Attachments
While some manufacturers offer additional removable plates to expand the functionality of electric grills, this is more of an exception than the norm. Among the most popular additions are plates for making Belgian waffles, pancakes, and sandwiches. Some kits may also include a versatile frying pan that can double as a frying pan or saucepan for cooking dishes in sauce.
The presence of a grease tray is considered a sign of a well-designed electric grill. With this approach, all excess drips from the cooking area into a special removable tray at the bottom, ensuring easy maintenance of the plates and the entire appliance. Food will not be fried in its own grease, which has a positive effect on taste and health.
Control type
Traditionally, control is divided into mechanical and electronic. The mechanics are represented by rotary knobs and push-buttons that allow you to change the temperature, turn the device on and off, and set the end of cooking timer. This approach provides the necessary functionality to most electric grills and reduces the cost of production.
Electronic controls are based on microcircuits and can be implemented using buttons (usually flat) or touch controls. The first option is more practical, affordable and widespread. It is worth noting that the electronics are often supplemented with a display, which allows for the most precise adjustment and control of parameters, and also provides for the operation of the device according to specified patterns (built-in cooking programmes). Cleaning flat surfaces without mechanical controls is also much easier.
For grilling fans, there are many options with precise electronic controls and built-in programmes that will automatically cook different types of food. It wouldn't hurt to be able to open up to 180º in combination with stone plates to recreate the effect of cooking outdoors. The power of the electric grill should be within 2000 W to ensure the necessary efficiency for any mode.
Electric grills with combined plates offer versatility. The grooved metal plate is ideal for cooking meat, fish, seafood, and mushrooms, while the smooth stone plate is perfect for vegetables, offering a suitable side dish. This option caters to fried food enthusiasts, and cooking without added grease makes the dishes healthier.
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