How To Clean Indoor Grill

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Winter is rolling in and you don't want to give up grilling delicious dinners? Tired of dealing with smoke from conventional grills? Or perhaps your apartment is too small to accommodate a big old charcoal grill?

No matter whether you find yourself in one of these situations or a different one, a smokeless indoor grill is a type of grill that can solve quite a few of your grilling predicaments. These cookers are compact, produce little to no smoke, and come in different sizes to serve as many people as you want.

In this article, we're reviewing 10 of the top-performing models available on the market and presenting you with a detailed buying guide to help you find the best smokeless indoor grill for your needs.

Ninja Foodi Indoor Electric Grill

best smokeless indoor grill

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When it comes to the best overall, the competition between smokeless indoor grills is definitely on fire! But after we had a taste of the Ninja Foodi Indoor Electric Grill, we knew it had to be on top of our list.

This highly-rated grill has everything you'd need to make any type of meal. It can air fry, bake, sear, or roast your favorite foods from steak and fish all the way to crispy fries.

Right from the first glance, you'll notice the unique design of the Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 Indoor Electric Grill that sets it apart from other candidates. It is on the heavier and bulkier side of the spectrum, but many people think it's a small price to pay if you can do so much with a smokeless indoor grill.

This unit is powered by a 1760-watt motor, producing temperatures up to 500°F. Thanks to Cyclonic Grilling Technology, the hot air circulates around the grill to thoroughly cook food on the inside.

The front control panel displays a digital reading of the temperature and lets you adjust the degree and time needed to perfectly cook your meal. Additionally, there are buttons so you can choose different modes including Dehydrate, Bake, Air Crisp, and Roast.

The frying basket of this 5-in-1 smokeless grill has a 4-qt capacity, using 75% less oil than traditional deep fryers to make your fried food healthier. The Ninja Foodi features cooking surfaces that are ceramic coated, non-stick, and free of PTFE/PFOA.

Specs

Power: 1760 watts
Cooking area: 100 square inches
Maximum Temperature: 500°F
Weight: 14.5 pounds

Pros

Powerful motor
High-quality construction
Many cooking options
Healthy air fry mode
Dishwasher safe
Intuitive digital control panel

Cons

Bulky design

PowerXL Smokeless Grill

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It's not very common that you come across a grill that offers a lid option and still gives an impressive cooking performance. Luckily, we've found the PowerXL Smokeless Grill to be all that and more. This unit comes with a tempered glass lid to keep your food warm, a smoke extractor technology, and a decent range of cooking temperatures deeming it worthy of our best value title.

Showing off thousands of positive reviews, the PowerXL smokeless grill is loaded with handy quirks to boost your indoor grilling experience. The first thing you may notice is the featured lid that's made of tempered glass sealed with silicon.

It's very useful in speeding up the cooking process because it efficiently traps in heat. Being see-through, you can also check on your food at a glance to know exactly when it's done. Moreover, a lid allows you to cover your meal after grilling so it stays warm while you're setting the table or talking with guests

The way the PowerXL Smokeless Grill deals with smoke is another superb aspect of the product. Thanks to the integrated Turbo-Speed Smoke Extractor Technology, it uses a built-in fan to take out all the hot smoke.

This indoor electric grill is powered by a 1500-watt motor, heating up its surface to a maximum of 450°F. The 108 square inches cooking area gives you plenty of room to feed around 6 people, and the digital controller on the side allows you to set the temperature to one of 6 levels.

The sturdy PowerXL grill comes with a grill and a griddle plate for extra versatility. It's also rather easy to clean owing to the non-stick coating, removable parts, and dishwasher safe materials.

Specs

Power: 1500 watts
Cooking area: 108 square inches
Maximum Temperature: 450°F
Weight: 10 pounds

Pros

Comes with a transparent lid
Built-in fan to minimize smoke
Digital temperature control
Easy to clean
Great value for money

Cons

Heat distribution can be improved

Philips Smokeless Indoor BBQ Grill

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Cooking food as evenly as possible is the main goal of any grilling enthusiast, and while all indoor grills aim to give you such a result, some just do it better than others.

For our Best Heat Distribution category, we're crowning the Philips Smokeless Indoor BBQ Grill. Thanks to its reflectors and preset settings, this grill does an excellent job providing an evenly-spread grilling temperature across the cooking plate.

This Philips grill utilizes advanced infrared technology to cook your food, but what's more, is the featured built-in reflectors underneath the grill rack. These are responsible for directing all the produced heat towards the cooking surface, helping create an evenly heated grill plate without losing any of the generated energy. It also allows the grease tray to remain cool enough so that none of the fat will burn and turn into nasty smoke.

Operated by a 1660-watt motor, the Philips Smokeless Indoor Grill heats all the way up to 446°F without interference; it's a preset grilling temperature that you just wait until your machine reaches it without having to adjust any knobs. The entire process takes about 6 minutes and you also get a "keep warm" option that you can use if you don't want to leave your kitchen only to come back to a cold burger.

Setting up this grill is a pretty quick and simple task: you slide in the drip tray, prop the grill plate on top, plug it in, and you're done in only a minute or less. The Philips Smoke-less Indoor Grill comes with non-slip feet on the bottom to ensure the unit doesn't budge.

Specs

Power: 1660 watts
Cooking area: 84 square inches
Maximum Temperature: 446°F
Weight: 15.6 pounds

Pros

Great heat distribution
The cooking area gets very hot
The set up doesn't take long
Has non-slip feet

Cons

Not dishwasher safe
The light can be a bit tricky

Kitchen + Home Stove Top Smokeless Indoor BBQ Grill

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If you're in the market for a lightweight smokeless indoor grill that you can easily pack on trips and still cook up some delicious food, then the Stove Top Smokeless Grill from Kitchen + Home could be the one for you. After all, it's so light, it could probably pass as an ingredient of your recipe!

Constructed of durable wear-resistant double-coated stainless steel, this indoor grill does a great job of transferring heat to the cooking surface so you can quickly start making your meal. The surface is non-stick made of 200% FDA approved PFOA-free Teflon to make for safe grilling and effortless cleaning.

However, since this grill is a stovetop model, you won't be getting much control over the temperature from the grill itself. Instead, you'll determine how much heat you want by adjusting your stove. You can add water alone to reduce smoke or mix it with marinade for extra flavor.

This indoor grill consists of 2 parts: a silver-colored outer pan responsible for heat conduction and an inner black tray where the grilling actually happens. You can use this unit over gas, electric, and propane stoves just fine, but it's not compatible with convection stoves.

Weighing less than 2 pounds, the Kitchen + Home smokeless grill is perfect for trips, dorms, and small apartments. It's also very affordable, making it a good choice if you need a backup grill or you're on a tight budget, and you're not bothered by the lack of features.

Specs

Power: not electric powered
Cooking area: approximately 10 inches diameter
Maximum Temperature: depends on your stove
Weight: 1.7 pounds

Pros

Very lightweight
Highly suitable for dorms and trips
Compatible with electric, gas, and propane stoves
Heats up fast
Very affordable

Cons

No temperature control

Tenergy Redigrill Smokeless Infrared Indoor Grill

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Safety is one of the main concerns that drive some people into second-guessing their plan of buying an indoor grill. If you're familiar with this issue, then you'll be glad to meet the Tenergy REDIGRILL Smokeless Infrared Grill, offering an overheat protection system to ease your worries and let you enjoy grilling in peace.

Powered by a 1660-watt motor, the Tenergy Redigrill produces heat all the way up to 446°F so you can cook all sorts of veggies and meats. It has a 12.8 × 8 inches grilling surface, large enough to serve about 5 people.

It won't take you long to get this grill up and running as it's a simple 3-step process. You just need to place the grilling rack on top of the body, slide in the drip collecting tray, and finish up by plugging the machine into an outlet. Additionally, the clean up is just as easy because the plate is non-stick and the components are dishwasher safe.

As for the star feature in the Tenergy Redigrill; the overheating protection system was incorporated to ensure users a safe cooking experience with maximum convenience. It works via a heat detector that automatically shuts off once (and if) the internal temperature becomes too high, helping you avoid accidents and keep your investment intact. This grill is also certified safe by the ELT of North America.

Another impressive feature is the infrared grilling technology adopted by the Redigrill to reduce smoke as the heat is guided towards the grilling tray only, while the cool grease tray collects the fat before it gets the chance to turn into smoke. This indoor grill takes only 6 minutes to reach its maximum temperature, and you can also set it to "keep warm" using the side control knob.

Specs

Power: 1660 watts
Cooking area: 102 square inches
Maximum Temperature: 446°F
Weight: 13 pounds

Pros

Overheating automatic shut off
Simple to use
Provides good flavor
Almost no smoke

Cons

The cord is a bit short

Simple Living Advanced Indoor Smokeless BBQ Grill

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If you're looking for a grill to last you a really long time, then you should consider the Advanced Indoor Smokeless BBQ Grill from Simple Living Products as a reliable go-to for an extended, all-round experience.

From its innovative infrared technology and short prepping time, all the way to its sizable cooking area and convenient non-stick surface, the Simple Living Indoor Smokeless Grill definitely has a whole more to offer than a durable ceramic body and an aluminum grill pan.

The Simple Living Indoor Grill utilizes advanced infrared technology to thoroughly cook your food in grill mode. This, combined with special built-in reflectors, works to concentrate and direct the heat towards the grid, rather than the grease tray. The result is evenly cooked food with minimal oil splatter and less unwanted smoke from burning fat.

This electric indoor grill is powered by a 1660-watt motor that heats up the large 14 × 8 inches cooking area to a maximum temperature of 446°F, so you can serve about 6 to 8 people with meat seared to perfection.

However, the Simple Living grill doesn't have a control mechanism for its cooking temperature, instead, it automatically heats up the grilling pan and maintains a consistent 446 °F.

This can be a good idea for folks who often get confused with controls, such as beginners and elderly people, but it can also be a bit frustrating to cooks who like having different zones of heat.

Weighing just under 11 pounds, this smokeless indoor grill is quite portable which means you can easily pack it for a trip or a holiday. It comes with non-slip feet to provide better stability, as well as cool to touch handles and base for added safety.

Maxi-Matic Smokeless Indoor Electric Grill

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For today's best budget option, we didn't want to choose a grill that's only super affordable, but we also wanted one that's well worth whatever cash you're spending for it. That's why we had to go for the Maxi-Matic Smokeless Indoor Electric Grill, costing less than 35 bucks to keep your wallet happy.

The Maxi-Matic Indoor Grill features a generous cooking area measuring at 13″ × 9″, giving you lots of space to feed around 5 people. The grilling tray is non-stick, so you can smoothly pick up your food without worrying about the cleaning task later. For added convenience, the unit also disassembles so you can simply place the drip tray and grill rack in your dishwasher.

Powered by a 1400-watt motor, this grill can heat all the way up to 445°F to efficiently cook all types of foods. The built-in indicator will light up when the grill reaches your desired temperature.

Moreover, the Maxi-Matic Indoor Grill is equipped with a control knob to allow you a straightforward way of adjusting the temperature from warm to sear, so you can get those yummy grill marks. Some users recommend that you add water to the drip tray to prevent the fat from burning and turning into smoke.

For your safety, this indoor electric grill features a cool-to-the-touch base and handles to avoid accidents when trying to carry the pan. It also has a detachable power cord for easier storage.

Specs

Power: 1400 watts
Cooking area: 125 square inches
Maximum Temperature: 445°F
Weight: 4 pounds

Pros

Budget-friendly
Large grilling space
Temperature control knob
Cool-touch handles and base

Cons

Searing isn't very efficient

AWLLY Teppanyaki Grills Smokeless Electric Oven

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A good party is one with delicious grilled food, but don't forget that there should also be enough food for everyone to eat. This is where the AWLLY Teppanyaki Grills Smokeless Electric Oven comes to the rescue with its dual cooking areas that you can use at the same time to prepare grilled treats for the whole gang.

The AWLLY Teppanyaki smokeless indoor grill is a handy unit to have around whether you're making dinner for two or lunch for a group of friends. It features not one, but two spaces for you to cook all kinds of foods be it meat, seafood, or veggies.

The thick top tray is a non-stick surface with half smooth and half ribbed texture to give you more versatility in your cooking style. You can use it to grill, sear, or warm up your food. The bottom compartment is where you get to do some roasting, frying, or even toasting for bread buns.

The AWLLY smokeless indoor grill allows you to adjust the temperature via a control knob to suit your cooking requirement. The 1500-watt motor can heat the grilling surface up to a sizzling 500 °F with both levels individually controlled. There's also a separate switch to activate the rotation function of the roast forks.

This non-stick grill unit is equipped with an oil drip tray where all the grease from cooking is collected for minimal smoke and convenient cleaning. The AWLLY smokeless indoor grill isn't too heavy for the number of features it offers, which makes it an excellent choice for trips. The built-in handles make a nice touch for better portability.

Specs

Power: 1500 watts
Cooking area: 124 square inches (top only)
Maximum Temperature: 500°F
Weight: 13 pounds

Pros

Plenty of cooking capacity
Versatile applications
Efficient temperature control
Roast rotary function
Built-in handles

Cons

Expensive price

GoWISE Smokeless Indoor Grill and Griddle

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If you're searching for an indoor grill that offers amazing versatility without breaking the bank, then the GoWISE USA 2-in-1 Smokeless Indoor Grill can be a fantastic solution for your cooking needs.

Featuring a generous 133 square inches cooking area, the GoWISE USA smokeless grill comes with 2 removable trays; one grill and one griddle, so you choose the most suitable cooking surface according to your meal.

Both trays are coated with a non-stick ceramic layer to allow you to pick up the food smoothly without hiccups and to leave you with an easier cleaning task. Not to mention, the components are dishwasher safe to save you some extra effort.

This indoor grill heats up to a blazing 482°F, already higher than most of its competitors on the market. It even does a decent job maintaining a constant temperature, complete with a side knob for simple heat control.

The GoWISE USA Indoor Grill and Griddle is equipped with a built-in fan specially designed for reducing smoke and unwanted cooking vapors. To get you started on your grilling fun, the purchase includes a cooking book with 10 grill recipes and 10 griddle recipes.

Specs

Power: 1300 watts
Cooking area: 125 square inches
Maximum Temperature: 482°F
Weight: 10 pounds

Pros

Comes with a grill plate and a griddle plate
Ceramic coated surfaces
Has a built-in fan
Mid-tier price

Cons

Takes a while to heat up

BELLA Titanium Coated Non-Stick Electric Griddle

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Last but not least, the BELLA Non-Stick Electric Griddle has managed to rightfully snatch the Best All Griddle title thanks to its premium-quality non-stick surface and generous grilling area.

This handy griddle offers 210 square inches of cooking and serving space, which is plenty for you to feed about 7 people. The 1500-watt motor heats the griddle up to 400°F, with an adjustable thermostat to let you choose from a range of temperatures.

The unique ceramic non-stick coating is 8 times more durable and lets you cook 30% faster than standard non-stick coatings as per company claims. It's reinforced with titanium to improve strength and scratch resistance.

The handles of the BELLA griddle are cool-to-the-touch to keep your hands safe while moving the unit, and the base has a built-in ledge with backstop for extra stability. The drip tray is designed to allow for simple detachment just by sliding it out, so cleaning becomes more convenient.

This griddle isn't dishwasher safe, but clean up is still pretty easy; just run it under your kitchen faucet with some soap and it'll be as good as new. The BELLA Non-Stick Smokeless Electric Griddle is free of BPA, PTFE, and PFOA, with a 2-year warranty to back it up.

How Does a Smokeless Grill Work?

Most models of smokeless grills are equipped with extractors or fans to get rid of the excess smoke produced by grilling.

Additionally, you can almost always find a water tray underneath the grill. Once you fill this tray with some water, it'll also absorb the leftover smoke during cooking.

As a result, very little to no smoke is left on the grill or griddle plates, providing you with a smokeless grilling experience.

Since smoke is out of the equation, you don't have to worry about your indoor grill triggering the fire alarms while in use. You'll also end up using fewer propane refills or charcoal smoker, creating a more eco-friendly environment in your house.

Why Should You Buy a Smokeless Indoor Grill?

There are several reasons why grilling enthusiasts often prefer to buy a smokeless indoor grill even if they own a charcoal or gas grill for outdoor cooking. So if you're not really sure whether or not a smokeless indoor grill is right for you, here are some advantages of such a purchase:

You Don't Have to Be Outside

If you're a sucker for a good BBQ meal like a savory burger or a juicy steak, chances are you've had your fair share of food prepared outdoors by charcoal or gas grills.

As delicious as they can be to cook food with, it's simply not feasible in some situations. Some parts of the world get way to cold to grill during winters, or you could be in an apartment that doesn't allow grills.

Additionally, there's an important reason why these grills are exclusively used outdoors. This type of grills is usually quite bulky so they demand a lot of space to set up and store.

Of course, there's also the issue of producing smoke and how being outdoors is best for ventilation. if you use a gas or charcoal grill indoors, the amount of smoke produced could trigger your fire alarm before you even get to finish cooking!

An indoor smokeless grill is a handy solution to all of the above problems. They let you enjoy grilled meals right from the comfort of your kitchen and out on your patio. They're also a great alternative if you live in an apartment or a studio with no access to a large yard.

You Get a No Smoke Grilling Experience

Some models of indoor grills do a better job than others when it comes to reducing the amount of smoke produced during grilling and cooking, But still, all indoor grills are designed to generate much less smoke than conventional outdoor grills, if any at all.

This is mainly due to the fact that they're almost exclusively electrically powered using no charcoal or gas. Some models rely on the heat from a stove, not even electricity.

This can be a huge advantage for people suffering from asthma or allergies because smoke from grilling is known to be rather irritating, even to a regular person. Moreover, smoke can leave behind nasty stains and odors if it's trapped inside without air vents, which means a smokeless grill is best for indoor use.

You Can Take it Anywhere

Indoor smokeless grills are designed to be much more compact and lightweight compared to outdoor models, making them quite portable and easy to store. As a result, smokeless indoor grills are excellent for trips, camps, travel vacations, hotel rooms, and college dorms.

How to Choose the Best Smokeless Indoor Grill?

When shopping for the best smokeless indoor grill, a random choice isn't a good strategy. These machines are built with certain features and designs that you need to consider before making a purchase so you end up with the right model for your needs.

Which Style Is Best for You?

Stovetop

This type of grill sits up on top of your kitchen stove. You can then use the heat from your electric or gas-powered stove to heat up the surface of the grill. The shape of a stovetop grill is often similar to the grill or griddle design of an outdoor grill.

The advantage of using this type of grill is that it gives you easy control over the temperature you want to cook at. Using the knobs on your stove, you can simply set the heat to your desired temperature.

One of its disadvantages, however, is that you'll have a hard time preventing grease or juices from spilling on your stove. You'll need to manually clean it up after cooking.

Open Countertop

This type of smokeless grill is designed to be placed on top of your kitchen counter. Unlike stovetop grills, it's capable of generating its own power via a motor to achieve high temperatures. It functions kind of like hot plates but with a griddle or grill design.

The advantage of using an open countertop grill is that it offers a larger cooking surface. It's typically equipped with buttons or dials so you can control its temperature. This means you can heat up your favorite food temperature using a range of different temperatures.

Most of the best smokeless indoor grills we reviewed are under this type.

However, open grills come without a lid. A downside of this is that oils and grease tend to splatter out from them. This is why some people considered them to be messier than the closed countertop type of grill.

Closed Countertop

This smokeless indoor grill is also designed to sit on your kitchen countertop. It generates its own power for the grilling surface to heat up as well.

The difference between closed and open countertop grills is that this type comes with a practical lid. With this lid closed, you can prevent grease, oils, and other liquids from splattering outside.

Additionally, the lid helps to speed the cooking process because more heat is trapped in. You can also cook different types of food such as vegetables, fish, chicken, paninis, and sandwiches. Since the lid is usually transparent, you can easily keep an eye on the food as it cooks.

The disadvantage of using a closed countertop grill is that it seems to be less versatile compared with open grills. You'll probably have to cook your food as thinly as possible to secure the lid properly, and you'll often get a smaller cooking area.

Cooking Area

The first thing you should consider once you've decided on a grill type is how many people you're planning to feed. This is important so you can choose a grill that offers a cooking area large enough to accommodate your needs.

Smokeless indoor grills come in a range of various dimensions with different serving capacities. Some models provide a grill space that's less than 100 square inches, such as the Philips Smokeless Indoor BBQ Grill. These are usually a good choice if you intend to feed 2 or 3 people.

Other models offer more than 200 inches of cooking area, such as the BELLA Non-Stick Electric Griddle, with plenty of room to cook for around 7 people. You'll find a lot of models with capacities falling somewhere between both numbers.

Maximum Temperature

To properly cook steak and chicken, the grilling surface needs to be hot enough to provide a nice sear and also to shorten the time it takes for the meat to get done. How high of a temperature your smokeless indoor grill can reach is a significant factor in your cooking experience.

Generally speaking, you'll find smokeless indoor grills usually offer more than 440°F maximum temperature. The highest ones on our list can heat all the way up to 500°F. These are the Ninja Foodi 5-in-1 and the AWLLY Teppanyaki Grill.

Temperature Control

Next, it's time for you to make up your mind regarding the temperature control of your indoor grill. This means deciding whether or not you want to be able to control how hot the grill gets.

Some people prefer a smokeless grill with a preset grilling temperature that you simply wait for the plate to reach.

With these grills, you don't need to worry about adjusting the temperatures. This can be great for elderly people or those who aren't particularly gifted in the cooking department.

Other cooks like to be in control of the heat so they can choose the ideal temperature for grilling different kinds of meat and veggies. Here, an indoor grill will offer a control knob, dial, or buttons with multiple temperatures to adjust accordingly.

Cleaning

Of course, no one wants to be stuck with a grill that takes forever to scrub clean. That's why your smokeless indoor grill should be easy to clean to save yourself the time and effort spent scrubbing off grill residue.

Look for an indoor grill that can be simply disassembled to let you clean its components thoroughly. Additionally, the cooking surface should be non-stick. This makes it easier for you to pick up the food and helps you avoid dealing with charred remnants stuck on the grill.

We also recommend models that are dishwasher safe since cleaning will be a breeze if you can just toss the grill plate and drip tray in a dishwasher and have it do the work for you!

On/Off Switch

One thing you don't want to overlook is the presence of a power switch on your smokeless indoor grill. It's a good idea to buy a model equipped with an On/Off switch instead of one that works directly when plugged into a wall outlet. The latter models present a higher risk of causing a fire.

How to Clean a Smokeless Indoor Grill?

As we mentioned above, one of the greatest benefits of a smokeless grill is the cleaning process and how it's miles easier than a traditional outdoor grill. A smokeless indoor grill is designed in a way that makes cleaning take less time and effort.

Since the grill and/or griddle plates, dripping tray, water tray, and glass lid are usually detachable and dishwasher safe, no scrubbing or scraping is needed to clean them off.

It is recommended, however, that you wait for at least 30 mins to give the grill a chance to cool off before cleaning it.

After unplugging the power cord, you can proceed to wash the base using a warm, damp cloth and cleaning liquid. Do not use any abrasive tools or harsh cleaners on the grill and griddle plates. You can use a plastic scrubbing pad instead.

Final Thoughts

Choosing the best smokeless indoor grill can get pretty confusing, especially with so many models available and even more features to consider. However, we're confident that our top 10 list and informative buying guide will ease your mission to make the right decision.

At the end of the day, this type of grill is a fantastic option for the right person. It's a hassle free, no fuss alternative to traditional outdoor grills that require a fuel source and produces smoke.

Smokeless grills are a perfect way to sear a steak or some burgers at home just right there in the kitchen.

Which model did you go with? Did we leave something out in this article? We'd love to hear from you in the comments section below.