Grills

An electric grill (sometimes called a grill press) is a countertop kitchen appliance used to grill meats, seafood, vegetables, sandwiches and more. An electric grill will cook your meal between two hot plates using a combination of heat and pressure. Because of this design, your food can be cooked on the top and bottom side simultaneously, saving you on time by cooking twice as fast and cutting back on the need to rotate food as you cook it.

Electric grills generally have one of three plate designs: flat cooking plates will make the most direct contact with your food for faster cooking, ribbed plates help provide a pleasing striped grill mark to food as it is cooked and the grooves also help to draw fats and oils away from the food, while mixed plate grills give the best of both worlds with a combination of flat and ribbed plates.

Unlike grills, griddles have no top and bottom but rather a single plate for cooking, like this George Foreman griddle. Griddles are great at cooking a variety of foods and dishes at once.

In general, grilling food is a healthier way to cook food than other cooking methods like frying. Both meat and vegetables retain more of their natural vitamins, minerals and nutrients when they are grilled. Electric grills are also thought to produce healthier food than grilling with gas or coal, however for cooking larger batches of food you can't go past a barbeque. 

Countertop electric grill presses are also great for draining the fats and oils away from food, particularly meats, as you cook. Ribbed grill plates can cook with the raised ridges on the plate, whilst the lowered grooves in-between these collect natural oils and fats from the food and keep them separated as you cook and serve your meal.

For healthier results remember to buy lean cuts of meat, trim excess fat before cooking and grill some delicious vegetables to serve alongside your meat. Corn, capsicum, mushrooms, eggplant, zucchini and tomatoes are quick to cook and delicious when grilled.

The best way to ensure your grill is in good working order is with regular cleaning. Cleaning soon after each use, whilst the grill is still warm but not hot, will prevent fats, marinades, and other food residues from drying out and getting cooked on to the surface, which will make it much tougher to clean off later and may damage the cooking surface.

Since many electric grills have a slight incline, fats will trickle down away from the ridges in the cooking plate and collect in a drip tray for easy cleaning. It is important that you never put your appliance in water to clean it.

Electric grill plates have a non-stick coating that make them easy to wipe down with a damp sponge or cloth. Keep in mind that abrasive chemical cleaners and scouring pads can damage a non-stick surface, so rubber tools (like a spatula) work best for scraping off tougher food and grime. Some dishwashing liquid on a wet sponge or cloth will help lift off sticky residues. Then wipe again using a dampened cloth and dry with paper towel.

While buying a big grill can be tempting, remember to keep kitchen space in mind. Grills can get bulky and heavy, so try to get accurate measurements of your countertop and available cupboard space to make sure you buy a grill that’s easy to store and bring out as needed. A lock will hold the plates together, which will help save space and make it easy to move.

Models with temperature controls such as some of the Breville grills will let you fine-tune the heat to suit the type of food you are cooking, while others like some of the Tefal grills even have menu settings to get the right result depending on the type of meat you're cooking. Searing meats will benefit from higher temperatures, whilst toasting a panini works better on a lower heat. For even greater versatility and time efficiency you may want to consider a grill with separate temperature controls for each half of the cooking plate.

The design of some models will be easier to clean than others. An inclined bottom plate with a removable drip tray will be easier to clean. Some models have removable hot plates for easy sink cleaning, while others have dishwasher-safe drip trays.