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Can I Use an Electric Grill Inside?
It’s never easy to give up on your favorite recipe after summer since you cannot grill outside. Also, it’s not safe to grill indoors with your typical charcoal or propane grill. So, do you give up on grilled foods?
If you’re a food enthusiast, you must have heard of electric grills. Can I use an electric grill inside? Yes, you can use an electric grill inside on the condition that it’s smokeless. Electric grills are the alternative method of cooking indoors where you can’t use the conventional outdoor grills. Let’s look at how you use indoor electric grills and answer several FAQs related to them.
What is an Indoor Electric Grill?
Let’s first understand what an electric grill and various types are before we go into how to use them.
As the name suggests, electric grills use electricity as the source of power and have a heating element under the cooking surfaces. Additionally, they come with heat control features, and some have a drip pan under the cooking surface.
There are two types of electric grills, i.e., contact and open grills. Open electric grills feature a similar design to that of the typical outdoor grills. Generally, the cooking surface is open, and foods grilled on it have a relative taste to food cooked outdoors. On the other hand, contact electric grills have two cooking surfaces, i.e., on top and bottom. The contact version cooks faster since food gets into contact with both sides. Some are also used as Panini sandwich makers.
How to Use an Indoor Electric Grill
Using an indoor electric grill is not a complicated process. It’s straightforward for anyone. So this is how you should go about it step by step.
Food preparation
Prepare your favorite recipe that you will be cooking on an electric grill. One great advantage about grills is that they are versatile and cook a wide range of foods such as steaks, chicken, pork chops, burgers, sandwiches, vegetable dishes, among others.
Also, the foods you can cook a grill depends on the specific type of grill you choose.
Set up your electric grill
Set up your grill on the flat countertop. In case you are using a contact grill, do not forget to place a drip tray under the lip of the lower plate.
In most cases, setting up an electric grill is hassle-free. Additionally, you can utilize the user’s manual from your respective manufacturer.
Connect to power & preheat the grill
The next step entails plugging in the electric grill to a power source near your kitchen countertop. Again, it’s essential to ensure that your power cord is not in contact with water for safety purposes.
Also, preheat your grill before you start cooking on it. It should take about 10-15 minutes. Preheating prevents your food from sticking to the cooking surface. It also results in better grill marks on your food.
Cook your food on the grill
Once the grill is preheated, you’re ready to start grilling.
Suppose you’re using an open grill; you will immediately place your foods on the cooking surface. Allow it to cook halfway on one side. Then use a tong to flip the food so that the other side cooks.
For someone using a contact grill, it's a little bit different. Once the grill is preheated, open it and place your food on the lower grill plate. Then close the upper grill plate and wait for the food to cook. It’s important to note that you’ll not flip the food, and the cooking time should be shorter than that of an open grill.
Kindly check out our guide on how to grill on an electric grill for more details.
Remove the food from the grill
Once your food is cooked, remove it from the grill. For the contact grill, you’ll have to open the upper plate. Note that various foods differ in terms of the period they cook on the grill.
Let the food rest for about 5-10 minutes before serving. Then, switch off the grill and unplug it from the power source.
Kindly check out our guide on how to grill on an electric grill for more details.
FAQs Related to Indoor Electric Grills
How do I avoid smoke indoors?
Avoid cooking more foods than the grill cooking surface can accommodate. Also, trim excess fats on meats before cooking as such fat is likely to cause smoke. However, electric grills are virtually smokeless; therefore no need to worry.
Is indoor grilling healthy?
Yes, indoor grilling is a healthy cooking method compared to outdoor grilling. Usually, your food is not exposed to smoke and flames; thus, there is no introduction of some cancer-causing agents such as carcinogens. Also, grilled steaks have less fat as it’s melted down. Lastly, foods retain nutrients compared to other cooking methods such as boiling and deep-frying.
Final Thought
Electric grills are a viable option for anyone who wants to cook indoors. If you live in apartments, have limited backyard space, or a resident in an area with high regulations on charcoal or gas grills, an electric grill is your choice.
Electric grills are easy to use and are convenient. If you’re thinking of buying an indoor electric grill, do not hesitate to look into our guide on how to choose an electric grill. Besides, check out Atgrills indoor electric grills and griddles to cook food indoors on a non stick cookware with natural stone coating.
