Electric outdoor grills are a safer and healthier way to cook food compared to gas or charcoal grills. Most people who live or rent apartment buildings or condos are not allowed to cook with an open-flame grill so they will use an electric outdoor grill instead.
Electric grills are often non-stick so are a lot easier to keep clean when cooking on them. The components on electric grills are a lot easier to take apart to make cleaning up afterward more simple as well.
Using an electric grill is a healthier way to cook your food in comparison to cooking on a charcoal or gas grill. They don’t produce any carcinogens or soot and they also don’t use any unsustainable gas fuels to power them.
Whilst the flavoring of food cooked on an electric grill won’t be the same as food off a charcoal grill, you can still achieve juicy, seared to perfection meat when cooking on an electric grill.
They are a low maintenance and convenient option if you are restricted to what you gain in your housing situation and will still do a good job at grilling your food.
However, some people would prefer to spend that money investing in a proper charcoal grill to achieve that traditional barbecue flavoring to their food.
Are electric grills worth it?
In general, electric grills are not particularly worth it if you compare them to gas or charcoal grills. If you are limited to the type of equipment you can use in your building then an electric grill will be worth it, especially if you intend to use it a lot.
However, most other people would recommend getting a gas or charcoal grill as they find you get a better flavor to the food you cook on them. Some may even say that investing in an electric grill to use outside your home is pointless if you already have a built-in grill in your stove.
Electric grills can take a long time to heat up and they may not be able to reach the scorching temperatures than gas or charcoal grills do, so your food won’t cook as well.
Investing in an electric grill may be more cost-efficient as you’ll only need to plug it into an outlet when you want to use it, whereas with gas grills you’ll need to repurchase gas canisters every so often, which can begin to add up if you grill frequently.
Do electric grills smoke?
No, generally electric grills do not create any fumes or smoke which is why they’re considered a better option for indoor use or for people who live in apartment complexes.
Electric grills do not produce flames like charcoal or gas grills which is why there is a lack of smoke produced from them. However, if you cook your food at a high enough temperature on an electric grill, or you burn your food, then this will produce some smoke.
However, the smokiness from charcoal or gas grills is what gives meat and other foods that amazing flavor so you’ll be missing out if you own an electric grill.
There are still ways to achieve this smoky flavor whilst cooking food on your electric grill and that’s by using a smoker box or by using liquid smoke with your food.
If you’re going to use a smoker box on your electric grill then you’ll want to check with the regulations of your building to make sure this is ok before you break any rules.
You can buy a smoker box from most home stores or online and they’re a much cheaper alternative to getting that proper grilled food flavor in comparison to buying a fully-fledged charcoal grill. Place some dry wood chips or charcoal into your smoker box and light it.
Place the box at the rear of the grill and wait till it is burning and creating smoke before beginning to cook your food.
Do electric grills use a lot of electricity?
No, over the years electric grills have become more energy-efficient so they don’t require a lot of electricity to be powered up.
On average, if you were to use an electric grill every day for an hour and the electric grill uses around 1400 watts of electricity, then it will only cost you an extra $5 a month to run it.
However, this average will depend on what grill you have and also the energy rates in your area. If you won’t be using your electric grill every day then you probably won’t even see much of a difference in your electric bill.
If you have a larger grill, then it’ll take longer for it to heat up to the required temperature for cooking therefore using more electricity.
f you’ll only be using your grill for 1-2 people, then you’re better off buying a smaller electric grill as it’ll take less time to heat up and will use less electricity.
Cooking food more efficiently on your electric grill will save you more on your electricity bill.
For example, cooking with the hood of your grill down will enable the food to cook quicker at a higher heat and also cooking smaller cuts of meat instead of big chunks so they don’t take as long to cook. You should always turn your electric grill off straight away after cooking.
Are electric grills safe on balconies?
Yes, it is safe to use an electric grill on a balcony. Electric grills are recommended for people who live in apartments as they don’t create as much if not any smoke.
