The 10 Best Electric Grills of 2026, Ranked

A contact (clamshell) grill closes over the food and cooks both sides at once, so it is quick and suits burgers, chicken and sandwiches. An open grill or plancha-style plate cooks one side at a time like a barbecue or griddle, which suits sausages, eggs and pancakes. Several models here, including the Tefal OptiGrill range and the Sage, open flat and do both jobs. This guide covers countertop models, with a few indoor/outdoor electric BBQs for gardens and balconies.

Most grills here use sloped or ridged plates that let fat run into a drip tray, so food usually sits in less of its own fat than it does in a frying pan. You can also cook without added oil on non-stick plates. How much healthier it is depends on the cut and your recipe, and an air fryer with a grill function can reduce fat in the same way.

Contact grills produce little smoke because the lid keeps splatter in and fat drains away. Open grills smoke more: the Ninja Sizzle uses a splatter lid to cut it, while an open plate like the George Foreman 22460 will smoke with fatty meat. Use the extractor fan and avoid very fatty sausages. Lidded smoker-style barbecues such as the Ninja Woodfire are for outdoors only.

The Tefal OptiGrill models have removable plates and a drip tray that Tefal says are dishwasher safe. The George Foreman Immersa goes further: remove the control panel and the whole grill can be washed. The Ninja Sizzle plates are hand wash only according to Ninja, and only its lid goes in the dishwasher. Wipe plates while they are warm, use plastic or wooden tools and avoid abrasive pads, since owners report non-stick coatings wearing.

2000W is a good level for a contact grill that sears well, and models at 1300W take longer and brown less. All of these run from a standard 13A UK plug. At about 26p per kWh, the October to December 2026 price cap average, a 2000W grill costs about 13p to run for 15 minutes. Check the cable length too: the Tefal models have a 0.8m lead, so they need a nearby socket.

Electric barbecues avoid the flame and fuel rules that stop most gas and charcoal grills on balconies, but your lease or tenancy can still ban cooking on balconies, so check with your landlord or freeholder. You need a weatherproof outdoor socket or a safe, dry route for the cable, and the plug should sit under cover. Use an RCD-protected socket and cover the grill when it is not in use. Weight matters on a balcony: a lidded model such as the Ninja Woodfire is far heavier than an open plate BBQ.