When most people think about electric grills, we think George Foreman. But while the Foreman grill may have helped to put table top electric grills on the map, there are many others beyond the indoor, double-sided variety that Foreman made popular years ago. Perhaps surprisingly, outdoor electric grills are also growing in popularity and may be expected to overtake propane powered grills in the future.

Electric Grill Advantages

Some of the great things about electric grills is that all you have to do is plug it in, turn it on and let it heat up. There’s no messy charcoal or running out of gas at the wrong time. They can heat just as well as a gas powered outdoor grill will less effort and, like conventional grills, also come with options like rotisseries. They can be used inside and out and often come with non-stick coatings for easy clean-up with a damp towel.

Electric Grill Disadvantages

While an electric grill is extremely convenient, there are a few drawbacks. First of all, they’re still a little more expensive than propane models. The other thing that an electric grill simply can’t do is to create food with that smoky flavor that you get from a charcoal grill. You obviously can’t use an electric grill unless you’re close to an electrical outlet, so they’re not quite as portable as gas or charcoal powered grills.

Electric grill smokers have been developed to address the need to get more of that smoky barbecue flavor from an electric cooking grill. Like most smoker cooker products, electric barbecue grills equipped with smokers are made to cook meat slowly and evenly. They allow the smoke from burning wood like mesquite or hickory to be absorbed; the only purpose for the wood is to add flavor, not heat. The downside is that you’ll pay extra for smoker features on an electric grill, when you could get the same flavor right out of the bag with charcoal.

Electric grills are available in a number of different formats. There are indoor electric grills that are built into your countertop, as well as tabletop or cart varieties that resemble propane powered grills. If you’re more concerned with convenience and ease of use, an electric grill may be just the thing you need.