Rating of the best electric BBQ grills: how to choose the perfect option?

When an experienced summer resident hears the word "electric BBQ grill", most often he frowns with displeasure. It is impossible to imagine a barbecue without the haze and without the aroma of a fire. But many live in city apartments and rarely go out into nature. This does not mean that you need to give up such a pleasure as barbecue. In addition, the meat can turn out to be no less juicy and tasty if you choose the right electric BBQ grill. Modern Russian and foreign manufacturers offer a huge selection of models and configurations of a portable electric grill. The main thing is to figure it out.

When choosing a portable home BBQ grill, pay attention not only to the material from which it is made, but also to the power. The speed of cooking on skewers or on the grill will directly depend on this. For example, a simplified 600-watt version is in no hurry and can cook a small amount of meat. And if you have a large group of friends and family members, choose a particularly powerful 2600 Watt barbecue grill. She is able to cook a large amount of food in just 10-20 minutes. The “golden mean” will be the capacity of the electrical unit from 1 to 2 thousand watts.

In the first, the heating element is fixed in the middle, and from 5 to 10 skewers rotate around it. The metal casing reflects heat, so the meat is cooked in its own juice. In addition, a metal casing protects a person from hot fat getting on the skin, and the kitchen walls from greasy deposits.

The horizontal barbecue options are essentially electric barbecues or grills., while they are more compact in size and quite roomy. And this means that in a horizontal barbecue you can cook 2 times more products than in a vertical one, by arranging them on numerous "shelves". In horizontal models, the heater can be at the top and bottom. As for the number of skewers - you choose, because this indicator depends on the number of guests.

Each electronic barbecue maker for the home has its own nuances and additional functions that directly affect the cost of the product. Each model has rotating skewers, and the improved ones have an automatic grill function, a timer, mechanical rotation of the skewers every 10 seconds, and so on. You can find out more about the features of individual models in our manufacturer overview.

The most common heating element, since it is durable even with intensive use of the unit, its only drawback is a large amount of consumed electrical energy. The advantages of a quartz tube are quick heating and, accordingly, less time spent on cooking. In addition, this heating element is low maintenance and easy to clean. A ceramic heating element will reduce energy costs and provide a barbecue or electric grill with a long service life, but the price leaves much to be desired.

One of the key characteristics of an electric BBQ grill is the choice of material.Not only the cost of the finished product depends on this, but also its durability and reliability. Stainless steel models are larger and heavier, but durable and will serve you faithfully for many years, even with intensive use of the barbecue.

Aluminum structures - inexpensive and compact, they are suitable for those who need regular transportation of an electric barbecue. Of course, the price of a barbecue grill also depends on the material. Stainless steel models are more expensive than aluminum ones. In addition to the metal part of the body, some electric BBQ grills use a heat-resistant glass surface and ceramic heating elements.

Vertical and horizontal options for electric BBQ grills, of course, differ in size. Among the vertical ones, there are enough mini-models that are designed for a small load of meat (up to 1 kg), and the number of skewers is usually from 5 to 10. But such a shish kebab is not prepared so quickly due to the low power of the device. But mini-grills have their advantage - they can be transported folded or disassembled without any problems.

Horizontal electric barbecues, as a rule, are more bulky and will be able to provide a fragrant barbecue for a large company, since a single load of meat and other products can be from 2 to 8 kg, and the number of skewers can reach 20. Accordingly, choose a model depending on how many people you expect to invite to a barbecue.

The rating of the best barbecue makers is based on customer reviews. It can be noted right away that vertical models are more popular with our compatriots, so the main attention will be paid to them. Since barbecue is a product for a domestic consumer, most of the units are of domestic production. At the same time, there are also Chinese products in stores aimed at the Russian market.

• Chinese electric BBQ grill Mystery MOT-3321 with a power of 1500 W it can work both in the barbecue mode and in the grill mode. Here you can cook kebabs on skewers, steaks in trays, meat, vegetables, poultry and fish on the grill. The chamber volume of the unit is 21 liters, it contains 7 skewers, 2 grates and a spit for grilled chicken. And also the model is equipped with a tray where grease drips, heat-resistant glasses with internal illumination and reliable non-slip legs. A timer up to 60 minutes will allow you to adjust the cooking time of a particular dish and not check every 5 minutes when it is finally cooked.

• Model "Caucasus-2" Russian production has proven itself from the best side, as evidenced by the many positive reviews on the Internet. This robust stainless steel construction has a power of 1,000 watts and is equipped with a special screen that serves to evenly fry food. Such an electric BBQ grill is designed for a small load of meat, since it has only 5 skewers and, accordingly, the same number of bowls for collecting fat under them. In one approach, you will be able to cook a maximum of a kilogram of meat.

The impressive dimensions of the barbecue grill will hardly allow you to transport it, but you are pleased with the large amount of meat that can be cooked in one go, and a sufficient number of skewers - 8.With such a mini-grill with a capacity of 1800 watts, cook 1.5-2 kg of meat or vegetables for a large hungry company is not a question.

• Chinese electrical assembly Smile GB 3313 attracts attention with its compact size and low weight. It has thought over the automation of the cooking process, there is a built-in timer for 40 minutes. The only drawback is that the body needs to be thoroughly washed after cooking, as it is not removable.
• Model "Picnic" Russian-made can cook up to 1.5 kg of meat at a time. The body has an original design, and a nichrome wire under quartz glass acts as a heating element. You can put 6 skewers around the perimeter of the heater, there are also bowls for juicing. All elements are removable, which means that the structure is easy to service and maintain. The meat automatically turns over, so you can be sure that your kebab will not burn.

• Kitfort KT-1402 unit will allow you to cook a fairly large amount of meat (up to 2 kg) to feed a hungry group of friends and family members. The skewers are equipped with thermally insulated handles, so you won't get burned, even if the shashlik grill is heated. And the frequent rotation of the skewers around its own axis at a speed of 12 rpm will allow you to cook a shish kebab with an appetizing golden brown crust, which certainly will not burn anywhere.

• Russian-made shashlik maker "Neptune 001" easy to operate not only due to the ergonomic body, but also the removable handle, with which the unit can be moved from place to place. The only drawback is its large weight, so the structure is not intended for transportation.
• Electric brazier "Miracle ESh-8" quite compact and lightweight to take with you on a trip. At the same time, the power of the unit (1450 W) is sufficient to fry 1.8 kg of meat in just 20-30 minutes. This is an excellent balance of functionality, cost and high quality.

• A Russian-made unit called "Aroma" has a lot of good reviews due to its affordable cost and compactness, because its weight is only about 2 kg. The grill effect provides infrared radiation - for example, a kilogram of meat can be roasted in just 15 minutes. Thus, the cooking process, like the washing process, is as simple as possible.

They can work both on the principle of a barbecue grill with skewers, and represent a semblance of a grill or barbecue with grates.

• Of the compact barbecue makers at an affordable price, we note Akel AB 670 model... In fact, this is a "3 in 1" unit, where the functions of a barbecue, grill and barbecue are combined. The device is equipped with 6 skewers, a barbecue grill and a special drip tray. It will take you about 20 minutes to cook deli meats in such a mini-grill.
• BBQ maker Tristar RA-2993 is a unique multifunctional device with many advantages over other models. This is a durable and durable stainless steel body, large grill plates, and under them a horizontal barbecue with the possibility of simultaneous use of up to 10 skewers at once.

• Famous manufacturer Tefal invites you to pay attention to an interesting model of the original design GC450B32. A distinctive feature of this electric BBQ grill is the ability to adjust the temperature. Not every unit is equipped with this function, which means that you will have an excellent opportunity to choose the intensity of roasting meat to your liking. Since the design is very compact, you can easily transport it when needed.

We choose an electric BBQ grill together and indicate what to look for in order to become the owner of the best unit. Of course, on power (the higher it is, the faster the machine works, and the more barbecue you can cook). But the location of the heating element is also important. If it's on the side, you'll end up with less meat as the skewers will be shorter. And with the central location of the glass spiral, you can cook various types of kebabs in a very short time.

Foreign counterparts will delight you with the original design and additional accessories, which will significantly expand the functionality of the barbecue.

If you do not have the opportunity to go out into nature and make a real barbecue, of course, you should get an electric BBQ grill.

She has enough advantages and pluses:

• the cooking process is easier than on a regular grill (therefore, you do not need to be a cook to make a barbecue);
• you do not have to worry about preparing firewood, making a fire and waiting for the coals to be ready;
• in the electric version of the barbecue, you can make several different dishes at the same time (barbecue, grilled chicken on a spit or bake any food on the barbecue grill);
• you can please yourself and your friends with delicious meat in any weather, without even leaving your home.

Of the minuses, we note:

• no smoke smell, which is typical for barbecue cooked on fire (you can fix this by adding liquid smoke seasoning to the marinade or by stringing smoked bacon on skewers between pieces of meat, you can put sprigs of fruit trees inside);
• the complexity of cleaning, since burnt fat in some non-separable models is very difficult to wash;
• a big waste of electricity;

• you will have to marinate the meat longer than for a regular kebab if you want it to be juicy and aromatic;
• be especially careful, as in case of errors in the operation of the unit, you can get burned;
• most electric BBQ grills are designed for a small load of meat (1-2 kilograms), respectively, in order to feed a large company, you will have to turn on the unit several times.

For real masters, the task of making a do-it-yourself electric BBQ grill that works correctly and fries meat does not present any problems.

To do this, you need to wind a nichrome spiral on a heat-resistant ceramic tube. And also a quartz transparent glass-bulb is used for the "lamp". This homemade heating element is fixed on the base, where the holes for the skewers and frame attachments are thought out. For the installation of additional containers for dripping fat, a slot is made outside the bottom. And inside, fixing devices are mounted so that the skewers do not fall over and keep the vertical position.

When purchasing an electric shashlik maker, do not neglect the opportunity to familiarize yourself with the technical data sheet of the product. In it you will find not only detailed characteristics of the barbecue grill, but also practical advice on how to properly care for a mini-barbecue, which will significantly extend its service life.

The electric BBQ grill can be used not only for frying meat, but also for preparing many delicious and healthy dishes:

• oily fish, which is juicy due to preliminary marinating;
• meat, poultry, sausages, sausages and other semi-finished meat products;
• vegetables and fruits that can be baked with or without foil (so that the juice does not leak out);
• and even dough products (for example, mini-pies).

Be sure to study and test the unit before purchasing, paying particular attention to the material. If it is aluminum, the structure will be light and mobile, but not as strong and reliable as a stainless steel brazier (this is a durable option, but you cannot take it with you). Pay attention to the folding models, which are the most practical.

See the video below for an overview of the Miracle BBQ grill.