What Is Electric Grill? An electric grill is a grill powered by electricity, unlike traditional grills powered by fire. There are many benefits to having an electric grill, but All About Food lists the most significant benefits:
- It can be used (almost) anywhere; you can actually even use it indoors
- You do not have to worry about fire sparks and similar elements
- It does not smoke as much as a charcoal grill, so you avoid clothes and hair that oozes smoke
- It can be used all year round
Grill Taste and Electric Grills
A common misconception regarding grills and grill taste is that the grill taste would come from the charcoal in the grill. The myth still hangs today, even though it has been refuted time and time again.
So, where does the barbecue taste come from? Funny enough, the grill taste does not come at all from the grill but from the evaporated fat. When the meat drips from fat burned on the heat source, it evaporates and penetrates into the meat again – which gives the grill taste.
This means that in order for you to get a proper grill taste on the meat, high temperatures are required; otherwise, the fat will not evaporate as it should. Electric grills have historically had problems achieving these temperatures, but recently manufacturers have invested in heat-resistant, efficient grills.
Most electric grills included in this guide have no problem getting up to these temperatures, but feel free to look at the specifications for each product to get an idea of their maximum temperature.
Is an Electric Grill as Good as a Charcoal Grill?
Whether an electric grill is as good as a charcoal grill depends entirely on what you are looking for. As we have already mentioned, the grill taste is a product of evaporated fat and not of the charcoal itself, so for that reason, the electric grill is as good as a charcoal grill.
An electric grill also has the advantage of not having to wait to get the perfect glow on the charcoal or that the grill surface becomes uneven. In addition, you avoid smelly clothes and hair when you stand and grill at the pool party.
When it comes to rubbish and safety, the electric grill is, of course, better because you do not have to take care of old charcoal residues and do not have to worry about the embers igniting a fire on the grass. In addition, an electric grill is complete in its simplicity, and you do not need to lug with lighter fluid or charcoal.
When it comes to charcoal grills compared to electric grills, it can be difficult for an electric grill to imitate the smoky taste, which, unlike the barbecue taste, actually comes from charcoal and lighter fluid. Then, of course, it can be discussed how healthy it is.
Two Types of Electric Grills
In essence, it can be said that the electric grills are divided into two camps: contact grills and radiation grills. Which variety suits you best? What separates them we will talk more about below.
Contact Grills
Advantages: smells less and can be used all year round
Disadvantages: does not give the same grill taste as a charcoal grill
A contact grill could be translated into a frying table. The name contact grill corresponds well with the cooking process itself, which takes place directly on the heat source on an electric grill. This means that you can not get the same grill taste as with a charcoal grill, where there is a grill. However, an electric grill like this gives less os.
Radiation Grills
Advantages: gives the same taste experience as a charcoal grill
Disadvantages: oozes a lot
A radiant grill can give the same grill taste as a charcoal grill because the grill is located a bit above the heat source. In other words, this type of electric grill allows the fat to drip down, evaporate and then penetrate the meat again – just like with a traditional grill.
How Big Is the Company?
When choosing which electric grill is right for you, it is important that you think about how much grill area you need. Quite simply: How big is the company? And what / how much do you grill at a time? If you are a person who only cooks two pieces of meat, you may need a smaller grill surface than the one that simultaneously prepares corn on the cob, grilled cheese, and similar accessories on the grill.
An electric grill can be experienced faster than a charcoal grill, especially since it reaches a perfect temperature so much faster than a charcoal grill. And if it gets tight, it means, of course, that you can cook more people in less time.
But if you want all the food ready simultaneously, it can be a good idea to look at approximately how much grill area you need before choosing which electric grill is right for you.
Different Temperatures
Not all electric grills can withstand the same high temperatures. This means that you should choose your new electric grill accordingly depending on what kind of food you have planned to cook. For example, a hot sandwich does not require the same temperatures as a piece of pork fillet.
In general, meat requires higher temperatures. Experts recommend that you look for an electric grill that can reach an ideal temperature of 300 ° C in such cases. That temperature is usually reached at 2,200 W, so that’s the number to look for.
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