If you want to barbecue during cold and rainy days then the best indoor grills have got your back. Indoor grills are designed to serve up the same delicious grilled flavor that you get from the best gas grills but without all of the nasty smoke. A good indoor grill can cook juicy chargrilled burgers, weiners and veggies from the comfort of your warm kitchen.
Some of the best indoor grills in our guide have other functions beyond grilling, with some being able to air fry and roast giving you multiple options when it comes to cooking your favorite foods. While there are some expensive, high-end options for indoor grills you will also find some reliable budget options too, as you will see below. George Foreman is generally considered one of the best brands for affordable indoor grills, while DeLonghi also offers great options for healthy grilling.
Larger families will want to look into a wide indoor grill as they can cook larger quantities of food at once, while compact models will suit couples or those who just want something for occasional use. The best indoor grill brands for most households are Ninja and Cuisinart, both of which are reputable brands when it comes to home cooking appliances and multi-cookers. We would also recommend our guide to the best Instant Pots for people who are looking to create delicious and easy one-pot meals.
The best indoor grills
While most indoor grills are single purpose items that take up valuable kitchen space, the Ninja Foodi AG301 Indoor Grill and Air Fryer makes up for its bulkiness with the wide range of cooking options available. In fact, you might find it gets more use than your oven as it cooks food quickly while also producing tasty food.
It is a premium grill with the price tag to match, so if you’re just looking to dabble in occasional indoor grilling, you might be better served by a cheaper indoor grill. But for serious grillers, the Ninja Foodi Indoor Grill and Air Fryer provides impressive results thanks to its high heat and Cyclonic Grilling Technology for impressive searing capabilities. As the name suggests, this machine is also an air fryer, but you can bake, bake, roast, and dehydrate too.
The Ninja Foodi Indoor Grill and Air Fryer is the heaviest model in our guide to the best indoor grills, as well as the bulkiest. If you want a grill for occasional use that can be quickly and easily stored away, this isn’t it, but it does offer fantastic cooking power.
With five separate cooking options, the Cuisinart Griddler Indoor Grill offers great versatility. It can cook a wide range of foods, including everything from pancakes to burgers and even paninis too. At $80, it’s also affordable too, making it an option that is great value for money.
It’s compact and lightweight, which is ideal if you want the best indoor grill for saving on kitchen space - it can be easily stored away when it’s not in use. This does mean the grilling area is on the small side, but it can still cook enough food for couples and small families.
The Cuisinart Griddler Indoor Grill has been well-designed with two cooking surfaces that can be used open or closed, and it can be adjusted to a range of cooking heights thanks to a hinged floating cover. The cooking plates themselves are both removable and reversible, as well as dishwasher safe.
The Hamilton Beach 25361 Indoor Grill doesn’t have the range of cooking options that some of the other grills on this list do, but what it does offer is fantastic grilling. It can reach 450 degrees Fahrenheit, so can easily sear foods while also producing those signature grill marks. While it might not quite replicate the outdoor grilling experience, the food it produces comes impressively close.
This grill is also affordable too. It’s priced at around $70 so offers a good balance between cost and cooking power, making it really good value for money. It may be on the simple side, but it does include key features like an adjustable temperature dial.
It also has some well thought out design features too. The lid window allows you to check on food as it cooks, without letting out any heat. It’s also relatively compact too, making it great for popping into storage.
If you don’t want to keep putting your indoor grill into storage and would rather find a permanent place for it in your kitchen, then the DeLonghi Perfecto is the best indoor grill for you. The sleek design and glass lid give this grill a premium look without the hefty price tag.
At $65, the DeLonghi Perfecto Healthy Indoor Grill is one of the more affordable indoor grills on the market. It doesn’t have the cooking range of the similarly priced Cuisinart Griddler Indoor Grill, but the glass lid does mean it can be used as a roaster as well as a grill.
This grill does come with an adjustable thermostat that can attach to either side of the grill, so you can ensure your food is cooking just the way you like it. It is a bit thin on other features, but considering its price, it’s good value for money.
If you’re not sure whether an indoor grill is right for you, then the George Foreman GR340FB Indoor Grill isn’t a bad place to start. At only $30, it’s the cheapest option we reviewed, while the small, lightweight design means it’s really easy to store away between uses too.
As with most George Foreman grills, it’s great at draining the amount of fat in your food. The tilted grill means fat is channeled away from your food as it cooks. The non-stick coating is not only easy to clean, but is designed to be durable too.
As a compact grill, it’s not the best choice for family meals and probably better suited to one or two-person households. The grill itself can heat up to 400 degrees Fahrenheit in just four minutes and cook a meal in just 10 minutes.
The BELLA Indoor Smokeless Grill is an aesthetically pleasing and highly effective addition to any kitchen. This smokeless indoor electric grill has a 1500W integrated heating element for fast heating and a cooling drip pan to collect fats and oils for healthier grilled food without all the annoying smoke.
Users are happy with this grill, giving it an average rating of 4.4/5 stars on Amazon. Users praise it for its aesthetic design and effective, healthy grilling. The small numbers of negative reviews are critical of its short power cord, which can be a problem for some users that don't want to use extension cables.
The 12" x 16" cooking surface features a copper non-stick coating that offers a healthy, ecofriendly surface with a sleek design for hassle-free cooking. Besides grilling, the BELLA Indoor Smokeless Grill can also be used to roast, sauté, steam and can even be used as a buffet server - it will have you covered for a wide number of situations. This grill is ideal for cooking steaks, potatoes, vegetables and burgers as well as many other common grilled dishes.
As with other indoor grills, this will come in handy when the weather is depressing outside and you are craving a taste of barbecued food - you won't have to go out to your favorite BBQ restaurants with this thing in your kitchen. This grill is on the smaller side, so if you have a lot of mouths to feed then you might want to check out some other models that offer a larger cooking area, but for the price, it is a great compact indoor grill for couples or smaller families that want to make a range of delicious, healthy dishes.
The Ninja DG551 offers a number of ways to cook your favorite dishes easily. With a sleek design and an included thermometer, this grill is perfect for cooking your favorite proteins from the comfort of your kitchen.
Users are very happy with this grill, giving it an average rating of 4.7/5 stars on Amazon. The positive reviews praise its ability to cook delicious meals in a variety of ways, while also being easy to clean and use. The very small number of negative reviews generally report customer service problems or delivery issues.
The thermometer allows you to achieve your ideal level of doneness from rare to well-done, and the whole cooking process is aided by its four protein settings and nine levels of cooking - all of which are accessible by a push of a button.
With the Ninja DG551, you can get a good char on your food thanks to its Cyclonic grilling technology, which uses hot air to char the outside of your food for that iconic BBQ taste. The cooking capacity is perfect for large families and can grill up to six steaks or 24 hot dogs at once.
The Ninja DG551 is also perfect for getting a good crisp on foods such as potatoes and breaded chicken. It has six cooking functions: Grill, Air Crisp, Roast, Bake, Broil and Dehydrate - all of which come in handy if you are an experienced cook. With air frying, this grill can get your favorite dishes or snacks crispy with up to 75% less fat compared to deep frying. To reduce smoke this grill uses a temperature-controlled cool air zone to prevent the build-up and release of smoke, keeping it out of your kitchen.
Buying advice for the best indoor grills
The sheer number of indoor grills available can make finding the right one overwhelming. Below are some of the factors to consider when making a purchasing decision, to ensure you're selecting the correct product for you and your household.
Price
Some indoor grills can be expensive, but luckily it is easy to understand why. The more expensive indoor grills tend to be more feature packed, and larger than the budget options. If you want a regular-sized, basic but reliable indoor grill then there is nothing wrong with choosing a more affordable option. if you want to use your grill for things such as air frying or cooking large meals for multiple people then you might want to look at a more expensive option.
Cooking options
Some of the more expensive indoor grills can also broil, air fry and sauté your food. If you think this is something that you would like to be able to do then it is worth looking into the options that offer this. If you think you will only use your grill for grilling then it is probably not worth spending extra on a fancier model.
Size
Size is important when it comes to indoor grills. If you have a lot of mouths to feed then you will definitely want to look into a larger option with a greater grilling area. Larger models tend to be more expensive, so you will want to take the price into account when considering a model. If you have a small kitchen or a small family, then you won't have much need for a bigger grill, and you can save yourself some money by going for a smaller option.
Grilling power
Most indoor grills range in power from about 800W-1500W. The higher the wattage the hotter it will get, which is good for food such as steaks and burgers when you want to get a good crust on the outside. If you're not fussed about a rapid grilling output then a lower-watt option will still cook your food but may take more time.
Design
The aesthetics of an indoor grill can be important if you plan on having it as a centerpiece at a dinner party, or if you want to use it as a buffet server. Some grills look a lot nicer than others, with brands such as BELLA offering beautiful indoor grills that are well suited to buffets or grilling parties.
