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Are you tired of buying fuel for your barbeque all the time? Are your winters too cold to enjoy it all year round? Do you not have the space for a barbeque at all? You might be missing out on some of your favourite meals because of these things. We’re here to tell you it doesn’t have to be that way.
Electric grills allow you to enjoy all of your favourite grilled foods without the need for a barbecue. Since they’re electric, you don’t need to buy fuel, and most of them can also be used inside, so your climate won’t be a problem anymore either. They’re also a lot easier to clean and can be your travel buddy when you go camping or head to the cottage.
If an electric grill sounds like a great idea to you, we understand why. But you shouldn’t buy the first one you see. Every person’s right electric grill will look a little different. To make sure you get the right one for you, you’ll need to think about every feature: price, cooking surface area, indoor vs. outdoor, temperature range… the list goes on.
This comprehensive guide will investigate the best electric grills in Canada and outline the criteria you should consider while purchasing. Let’s dive right into our top five products.
Indoor Pick: Hamilton Beach Electric Indoor Searing Grill
Outdoor Pick: George Foreman Indoor/Outdoor Electric Grill
7-in-1 Pick: Ninja Woodfire 7-in-1 Outdoor Grill
Upgrade Pick: Weber Q 2400 Electric Grill
Budget Pick: Starfrit The Rock Indoor Smokeless Electric BBQ Grill
The Hamilton Beach Electric Indoor Searing Grill was such an easy choice for our top pick. Not only is it priced really well, but it’s a great little unit for every kitchen. It’s lightweight and compact, making it easy to store or travel with. It has an extra-large drip tray so you don’t have to worry about it overfilling, and it’s got a great temperature range. It can be used to grill anything you can dream up.
Since the drip tray and grill plate can both be removed, they’re easy to keep clean with a quick hand wash. If you’d prefer to let machines do your work for you, you can throw them in the dishwasher instead. Our favourite feature is the viewing window. You can keep an eye on your food while it’s cooking without opening the lid and disrupting the temperature. Pretty sweet, right?
There are two features we’d like to warn you about before you commit to this one. The first is the size of the cooking area—it’s pretty small, so this won’t be a good fit for grilling in bulk or feeding a larger family. Second, the lid isn’t the highest quality thing ever, and you might notice that it doesn’t close fully every time. You might get lucky, though, and not ever run into this problem.
Reviewers are very happy with the Hamilton Beach Electric Indoor Searing Grill. It doesn’t produce any smoke, it’s incredibly easy to use, and cleanup is a breeze too. They’ve been cooking all sorts of things on it (steak, burgers, chicken, veggie skewers, etc.) and the temperature range is perfect for everything. They think the viewing window is a great addition, too.
Dimensions: 12.4” x 16.7” x 6.8”
Weight: 8.1 lbs
Indoor or Outdoor: Indoor
Cooking Surface Area: 118 sq. in
Temperature Range: 200ºF to 450ºF
Warranty: 5 years
Pros:
Has a viewing window so you can keep an eye on your food without opening the lid
Very portable and easy to store
Extra-large drip tray doesn’t need to be emptied as often
Grill plate and drip tray are both removable and dishwasher-safe
Cons:
Very small cooking surface
Lid doesn’t always close all the way
Performance: 5/5
Usability: 4.5/5
Price: 5/5
Quality: 4.5/5
Overall, the Hamilton Beach Electric Indoor Searing Grill is our top pick for this year. It’s got a great price, a portable design, and the easiest cleanup process ever. No matter what you like to cook, this grill will help you create perfect dishes, every single time.
We really like the George Foreman Indoor/Outdoor Electric Grill. It’s got some unique features that make it a standout option. First of all, the grill plate is tilted slightly so all of the released fat will flow down to the drip tray instead of sitting under your food items. Also, with five preset heat settings, you won’t have to mess around with the temperature dial to find your ideal heat.
We also really like that the drip tray and grill plate are removable. They’re much easier to keep clean this way. Trust us. Since this grill comes with its own stand, it’s our favourite choice for outdoor use. You can easily take the grill off of the stand when you want to cook indoors, though. Since it’s really lightweight, you can even take it on road trips with you.
We’ve got one main issue to make you aware of before you decide this is the right electric grill for you. Unfortunately, even heating is a problem, so you’ll need to rotate your food regularly to make sure it all finishes cooking at the same time. It’s inconvenient, for sure, but might not be a dealbreaker. Just something to be aware of!
Reviewers are mostly happy with the George Foreman Indoor/Outdoor Electric Grill. Their main complaint is with the heat distribution—it isn’t very even, so they have to rotate their food to make sure it cooks at the same rate. They really like that they can use it indoors or out, though, and it’s incredibly easy to use.
Dimensions: 19.7” x 20.5” x 11” (without stand)
Weight: 8.7 lbs
Indoor or Outdoor: Both
Cooking Surface Area: 240 sq in.
Temperature Range: 250ºF to 500ºF
Warranty: 1 year
Pros:
Comes with a stand (can be removed to use the grill on a counter)
Sloped design removes fat from your cooking surface
Five preset heat settings for easy use
Grill plate and drip tray are removable for easy cleaning
Cons:
Heat distribution isn’t always even—will need to rotate food
Performance: 4/5
Usability: 5/5
Price: 4/5
Quality: 5/5
All in all, the George Foreman Indoor/Outdoor Electric Grill is a really well-rounded choice. The price is great, it can be used inside or outside, and all of the parts that touch food are removable for easy cleaning. It doesn’t get too much better than that, does it?
The Ninja Woodfire 7-in-1 Outdoor Grill has so many things going for it. The functionality is probably what caught your eye first, so we’ll start there. You can cook food in seven different ways with this one—you can grill, air fry, bake, roast, broil, smoke, and dehydrate. Whatever you’re making, and however you like it made, this grill can get the job done.
Since it can be used with woodchips, you’ll be able to infuse your favourite foods with the delicious smoky flavours you love. Talk about next-level grilling. You can set the temperature (and a timer if you want) with digital controls, so there will never be any guesswork involved. Finally. Since it comes with a cover and is built to be weather-resistant, it can live outdoors year-round and be ready to go whenever you are.
We only have a couple of low points to mention, and they aren’t dealbreakers in the slightest. At least, we don’t think so. The price is a bit higher than we’d like, but for the extra functionality and the overall quality, it is backed by value. Also, the cooking surface is fairly small, so you won’t be able to make huge batches of anything. It should work for most families, though.
Reviewers are blown away by the Ninja Woodfire 7-in-1 Outdoor Grill. They love how much they can do with it, and the addition of the woodchips adds a whole new level of flavour to their favourite BBQ foods. It didn’t take anyone long to master it, and the digital controls did a lot to help with that. Consistent results are a guarantee with this one, and they appreciate that a lot.
Dimensions: 13.3” x 18.6” x 23.6”
Weight: 30.6 lbs
Indoor or Outdoor: Outdoor
Cooking Surface Area: 141 sq. in
Temperature Range: 200ºF to 500ºF
Warranty: 1 year
Pros:
Can use it to grill, air fry, smoke, roast, bake, broil, and dehydrate
Can be used with woodchips to create authentic flavour
Comes with a cover for safe outdoor storage
Digital temperature and timer control
Cons:
Fairly pricey
Cooking surface is average
Performance: 5/5
Usability: 5/5
Price: 3/5
Quality: 5/5
Overall, the Ninja Woodfire 7-in-1 Outdoor Grill is one of our all-time favourite electric grills. Its versatility is truly unbeatable, and it won’t take you long to figure out how to get the results you love. To put it in exactly the right terms, this option is food freedom at its finest.
The Weber Q 2400 Electric Grill is exceptional. It is our upgrade pick, after all. So, no surprise there. With a temperature range of 250º, you won’t have any trouble finding the right setting for whatever you’re cooking. You can be really precise with it, too. The grill can hold up to 12 hamburgers at a time, so there should be plenty of space for feeding your entire family. Or batch cooking for just you.
Since it’s fairly compact and insanely durable, it will also work well as a cottage grill or a companion for camping trips. This one also offers an improvement over previous versions—the grill tray is removable, so you’ll have a much easier time keeping it clean.
There are only two things we’d change about this electric grill if we could, and both things have to do with money. First of all, the purchase price is very high, so it won’t be a reasonable option for everybody. And since it’s great, that’s a disappointment for us. Also, you might want to purchase a cart or stand for it. Considering the price, we think it should really be included.
Reviewers have a very high opinion of the Weber Q 2400 Electric Grill. The temperature range lets them cook every type of food to perfection, and they love the precision control that replaces the standard preset temperatures. The quality of the entire grill is exceptional, and it’s still portable enough for people to take camping. They have no complaints.
Dimensions: 14.5” x 31.5” x 19.5”
Weight: 41.3 lbs
Indoor or Outdoor: Outdoor
Cooking Surface Area: 280 sq. in
Temperature Range: 250ºF to 500ºF
Warranty: 2 or 5 years, depending on the part
Pros:
Exceptional temperature range
Fairly portable
Incredibly durable
Grill tray is removable for easier cleaning
Cons:
Expensive
No stand/cart included
Performance: 5/5
Usability: 5/5
Price: 2/5
Quality: 5/5
Overall, the Weber Q 2400 Electric Grill is an amazing option for people who are willing to invest a little more. With the wide temperature range (and precision control!), a removable grill tray, and exceptional durability, we have no doubt you’ll fall in love with it as quickly as we did.
We chose the Starfrit The Rock Indoor Smokeless Electric BBQ Grill for its incredibly affordable price, but there’s a lot more we love about it. Since it only weighs five and a half pounds, and it’s got a slim design, this thing is the best choice for travel. It’ll stow away in a bag so easily, and it’s perfect for small camper kitchens too.
We also like how easy it is to clean. The drip tray and grill tray are both removable, and if you don’t want to wash them by hand, you can throw them in the dishwasher without worrying about the coating. To help reduce the smoke, you can fill the drip tray with water. You can even top it off while you’re cooking. Pretty convenient, right? You won’t have trouble with uneven heating, either. This thing rocks. Pun intended, again.
Although it’s advertised as a smokeless grill, that’s not actually the case. This option will produce a bit of smoke (depends on what you’re cooking, of course), and it’s best to use it on the stove with the fan going. No one needs to hear their smoke alarm, right? Also, the cooking surface is a bit small, so it’s not a great option for larger families or grilling in bulk.
Reviewers have mostly good things to say about the Starfrit The Rock Indoor Smokeless Electric BBQ Grill. It’s not entirely smokeless, but people can still use it safely indoors as long as they have their stove fan on. The temperature range is perfect for all types of cooking (meat, vegetables, etc.), and it’s really easy to keep clean. Not a single person regrets their choice.
Dimensions: 19.9” x 11.8” x 3.9”
Weight: 5.5 lbs
Indoor or Outdoor: Indoor
Cooking Surface Area: 160 sq. in
Temperature Range: 300ºF to 450ºF
Warranty: 1 year
Pros:
Drip tray can be filled with water to reduce smoke
Heats very evenly
Grill tray and drip tray are removable and dishwasher-safe
Very portable
Cons:
Cooking surface is small
Not entirely smokeless
Performance: 4.5/5
Usability: 4/5
Price: 5/5
Quality: 5/5
All in all, the Starfrit The Rock Indoor Smokeless Electric BBQ Grill is an amazing choice if you want maximum affordability. You don’t even need to make many compromises for performance. You can cook all of your favourites on this one, and it’s exceptionally budget-friendly.
Electric grills will range in price from less than $40 to more than $500. In general, more expensive options will have a larger cooking surface, a wider temperature range, and a more durable build.
Electric grills can be used inside and outside depending on which model you choose. Most grills that have lids will be usable outside, but not always. If you plan on using a grill outside, it will need to either come with a stand or you’ll need to purchase one separately. Most indoor grills will be smaller and produce less smoke than outdoor versions.
Some electric grills will have a cooking surface area of just over 100 square inches, others will be well over 200 square inches. Larger units will require more power to heat, but you’ll also be able to cook more food at once. If you’re feeding a big family or like to prep meals in advance, a larger cooking surface will be worth the extra money.
Most electric grills will have a temperature range between 200 and 500 degrees Fahrenheit, but some will be more limited at both ends of the range. The wider the temperature range, the more foods you can cook, so choose your model carefully.
Since lots of people like to take their electric grills with them when they go camping, go to the cottage, or go to a friend’s house, portability matters. Some electric grills will be compact and weigh less than 10 pounds, others will be quite bulky and weigh more than 30 or even 40 pounds.
Disclaimer: The prices displayed are accurate at the time of publication. We’ll do our best to keep them as up-to-date as possible, but you may see slight changes. The products in this list are ranked by independent third parties. Rankings are based on both reviews and independent testing.