electric grill
Electric grills offer an easy way to prepare nutritious, flavourful meals. Image Credit: Shutterstock

Ramadan is around the corner, and chances are, you’re already thinking about all the delicious fare you’ll be serving up for iftar. While classics likes samosas and lentil soups are bound to remain front and centre on dining tables, there’s another healthy, nutritious way to consume the calories your body needs, after a day’s fast. Enter the electric grill.

Available in both indoor, outdoor and combination variations, these portable appliances are extremely versatile. They are virtually smoke-free and don’t take up much space, so they’re ideal for people living in apartments, and they’re easier to set up and clean than their charcoal counterparts. Many residential building supervisors in the UAE even allow the use of electric grills in balconies, so you can take your iftar gathering outdoors and enjoy the last remaining days of winter.

Editor's tip
Appliances are up to 30 per cent off on Amazon right now, so pick up your favourite toaster, electric grill or air fryer as soon as you can.

We’ve picked the best electric grills available on Amazon, based on user ratings and reviews. Purchase your favourite one during the on-going sale, with Amazon Prime, and get free, fast delivery, well in time for Ramadan.

1. Best Overall: Tefal Plancha Electric Smokeless Grill with Lid 

Pros

  • Powerful appliance
  • Easy to use and clean
  • Uniform cooking
  • Space-saving appliance; can be stored standing up

Cons

  • Shallow plate may cause food to fall off

This 2,000-watt, high-performance grill by Tefal is Amazon’s Choice for good reason. The sleek appliance includes a grill and flat plate combination that’s great for quickly searing meats and vegetables, simultaneously. A tempered glass lid with a cool-touch handle prevents oil splatters, smoke and odours. Reviewers like how easy the appliance is to use, since there’s just one knob that controls five levels of temperature. The grill comes with a removable flat plate and juice tray, which makes clean-up easy, too. But watch out when flipping or moving food around; since the flat plate doesn’t have ridges around the edge, reviewers say food can slide off the grill fairly easily.

Warranty: The manufacturer provides 1-year warranty. Amazon offers 1-year extended warranty for Dh12, and 2-year extended warranty for Dh17.

2. Best Multipurpose Grill: Nutricook Smart Indoor Grill and Air Fryer XL 

Pros

  • Extra-large capacity is ideal for big families
  • Six cooking functions
  • Includes a smart thermometer
  • Smoke-free cooking
  • Easy to clean

Cons

  • No reset or back button

With a hexagonal shape and an extra-large, 8.5-litre capacity – that’s equivalent to grilling six steaks or 24 hot dogs at once – Nutricook’s Smart Indoor Grill is a great addition to your kitchen countertop. The appliance can take care of a number of cooking tasks: it grills, air fries, roasts, bakes, dehydrates and reheats. Reviewers appreciate that the appliance has pre-programmed cooking temperatures for proteins; it removes any guesswork when it comes to setting the time or temperature for fish, beef, lamb, chicken or vegetables. The device even has a smart thermometer to ensure perfectly grilled food. However, reviewers caution that you have to be sure about what function you’d like to choose. Since there’s no reset button, there’s no going back, and no room for error.

Bonus: Buy with 0% installments and pay Dh108.25 for 12 months with select banks.

Warranty: The manufacturer provides 2-year warranty.

3. Best Indoor-Outdoor Grill: George Foreman Indoor/Outdoor Electric Grill 

Pros

  • Easily removeable grill pan
  • Choose from five temperature settings
  • Great for cooking fatty meats
  • Easy to clean

Cons

  • Large footprint

If your building’s authorities allow electric grills in the balcony, or if you’re looking for a grill that you can use both in your backyard and indoors, don’t look beyond George Foreman’s Electric Grill. With over 15,000 4.5-star reviews, there’s a lot to love about this grill. It has a classic non-stick surface and integrated drip pan, which means both cooking and clean-up is easy. The grill plate’s large surface is well-suited for up to 15 servings at a time, and it’s designed to cleverly slope and drain away fats from meats, leaving your burgers juicy and charred, without a fatty aftertaste. You can lift the grill from its pedestal and bring it indoors, if you prefer, but reviewers say it’s quite awkward and bulky for indoor use, and better suited to the balcony or backyard.

Bonus: Buy with 0% installments and pay Dh92.33 for 12 months with select banks.

4. Best Specialty Grill: Food Party Electric Grill and Hot Pot 

Pros

  • Large capacity
  • Ideal for liquids and solids
  • Easy to use
  • Accessories included

Cons

  • Difficult to clean, some reviewers say

Perfect for iftar gatherings, this electric grill and hot pot uses fast and even heating technology to serve up delicious barbecues and broths. Whether it’s soups and sides, or Asian-style meats, vegetables and broths, the appliance keeps your food hot for as long as it takes you to eat, converse and enjoy your meal with your loved ones. It’s ideal for up to eight people, and its circular form makes it the perfect centrepiece for dining tables. Reviewers appreciate that the appliance comes with useful accessories: a silicone brush, cooking tongs, parchment paper, and even a recipe book. However, since the appliance’s parts are not dishwasher-safe, cleaning can be cumbersome.

Bonus: Buy with 0% installments and pay Dh61.99 for 12 months with select banks.

Warranty: The manufacturer provides 1-year warranty.

5. Best Budget: Black+Decker Family Health Grill 

Pros

  • Space-saving design
  • Choose from five levels of height adjustment
  • Variable cooking temperature control
  • Easy to clean

Cons

  • Some reviewers say the non-stick coating tends to fade with use

Whether you’re plating up sheesh tawook skewers or mixed veg toasties at iftar, Black+Decker’s Family Health Grill has you covered. This clever appliance has a 180-degree hinge, which allows you to open it up flat and expand the grilling area to 1,500 square centimetres – perfect for small families. The non-stick cooking plates are removable and dishwasher-safe, so they’re very easy to clean. Reviewers say they can stuff their paninis to the maximum, and still find a way for the grill to adapt to its height, thanks to its ability to adjust to five height settings. It folds up for compact storage, making it an excellent addition to your kitchen cupboard, for delicious suhoors and iftars in Ramadan.

Warranty: The manufacturer provides 2-year warranty. Amazon offers 1-year extended warranty for Dh12, and 2-year extended warranty for Dh17.

Our recommendations are independently chosen by Gulf News editors. If you decide to shop through links on our website, we may earn an affiliate commission, as we are part of Amazon Services LLC Associates Program.