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You Don’t Need a Backyard to Use One of These Grills

Just because you don’t have an outside to speak of doesn’t mean you can’t have a grill.

breville home grillSur La Table

By Tyler Chin

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One shouldn’t miss out on grilling just because they don’t have outdoor space. Indoor grills are a convenient way to somewhat replicate the flavors and nostalgia of grilling outdoors — minus the bug and heat. Not all indoor grills are built the same; some are hard to clean, smoke up too much or don’t properly catch grease. From convenient grill-panini press hybrids to a grill built for Korean barbecue, these are five of the best indoor grills to buy.

Pros

  • The grill comes with a detachable thermostat for temperature regulation.
  • A removable grill plus a non-stick surface and drip tray make clean-up easy.
  • Glass lid lets users check on their food without letting heat escape.

Cons

  • The grill only heats to one temperature throughout the cooking surface.
  • Grill may take up to 10 minutes to come up to temperature.

 

Pros

  • Dual-sided plates can turn the appliance into a panin press, grill, griddle or hybrid of the latter two.
  • Non-stick cooking plats are detachable and dishwasher-safe.
  • Easy-to-read LCD display with intuitive controls and pre-heat status bars.

Cons

  • Temperatures can only be selected in 25°F increments.
  • The two cooking surfaces cannot be heated to different temperatures.
  • The appliance can take upwards of 10 minutes to heat up to the desired temperature.

Pros

  • The grill runs on butane and can be used on the dining table to replicate Korean- or Japanese-style barbecue.
  • The manual is in Japanese, but functionality is intuitive.

Cons

  • There's no way to select a specific temperature, but if your food sizzles, it's hot.

Pros

  • Safety mechanism ensures the grill only heats up when properly set up.
  • Short pre-heat time, around six minutes, means grilling can start relatively quickly.

Cons

  • The grill maxes out at 410°F.

Pros

  • Buy the waffle plates to turn the Sear & Press into a waffle maker.
  • Presets offer optimal temperature control for specific functions like panini, burger and sear.
  • Reversible non-stick ceramic cooking plates for grill or griddle cooking.
  • Independent temperature control for each grill surface.

Cons

  • Nitpicking here, but the preset temperatures cannot be customized.
  • About double the price of the comparable Cuisinart Griddler Five. Some may not find the independent temperature control to be worth the extra money.
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