This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy. It’s always disappointing when it gets too cold to grill outdoors, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up your favorite grilling recipes. While I usually cook on a grill pan if I’m cooking a steak indoors, if you want to cook a lot at once or don’t want to take up a burner on the stovetop, an indoor grill is the perfect solution. Thanks to their electric design, you don’t have to worry about setting off the smoke detectors while using an indoor grill. These countertop grills are also a great option if you live in an apartment or somewhere that you can’t have an outdoor grill.
I love to grill meals for my family all year long, and I’ve used my experience grilling in the past to pick out some of the best indoor grills that are top-rated options you might want to consider for your kitchen.
My Top Picks
Best Overall: Hamilton Beach Electric Indoor Grill – $42.99 at Amazon
Best Splurge: Blackstone Electric Tabletop Griddle – $147 at Walmart
Best Budget: Hamilton Beach Electric Indoor Searing Grill – $59.99 at Walmart
Best Smokeless: Power XL Elite Plus Smokeless Grill – $99 at Walmart
Most Versatile: Ninja Foodi Smart XL 6-in-1 Indoor Grill – $169.99 at Amazon
Reviews of The Best Indoor Grills
1. Best Overall: Hamilton Beach Electric Indoor Grill
If you want to grill hamburgers and steak all year round without having a bulky appliance, I would get this small one from Hamilton Beach that’s easy to store. It has a removable drip tray that catches grease, and the nonstick grilling plates leave those true grill marks. According to the brand, it can fit up to six hamburgers at once, and it would work great for making paninis as well! To clean it, wipe down the surface and remove the drip tray to wash it fully.
The Specs:
Size: 6.38 x 12.68 x 13.78 inches
Weight: 5 pounds
Power: 1,200 watts
Buy the Hamilton Beach Electric Indoor Grill here.
2. Best Splurge: Blackstone Electric Tabletop Griddle
I’m a big fan of Blackstone Griddles, which are the key to making recipes like Smash Tacos, and the brand actually has a great 17-inch indoor griddle that’s perfect for grilling during the winter. Thanks to their flat cooking surface, griddles are often more versatile than regular grills, and you can use them to cook foods like pancakes and stir frys, as well as classics like hamburgers and grilled chicken. This electric griddle has a large nonstick cooking surface that can fit several servings at a time, and it heats up to 450 degrees F, allowing you to create a delicious sear on any type of meat. The sloped cooking surface drains grease to a convenient collection cup as you cook, and its removable glass lid lets you monitor food without letting any of the heat escape. Just keep in mind that metal utensils aren’t recommended, as they may scratch the nonstick finish.
The Specs:
Size: 17.89 x 18.7 x 6.97 inches
Weight: 21 pounds
Power: 1,200 watts
Buy the Blackstone Electric Tabletop Griddle here.
3. Best Budget: Hamilton Beach Electric Indoor Searing Grill
This inexpensive indoor grill from Hamilton Beach is perfect for cooking for one or two people. It’s smaller in size, which makes it compact and lightweight, and you can fit two or three hamburgers on its cooking surface. The grill heats up to 450 degrees F, creating tasty char marks on your food, and there’s a drip tray underneath the grate that catches all the grease while you cook. The lid on this indoor grill has a small window for monitoring your meal, and the best part is that its grill plate and grease tray are both dishwasher safe.
The Specs:
Size: 12.4 x 16.73 x 6.81 inches
Weight: 8.14 pounds
Power: 1,200 watts
Buy the Hamilton Beach Electric Indoor Searing Grill here.
4. Best Smokeless: Power XL Elite Plus Smokeless Grill
Indoor grills create less smoke than propane or charcoal grills, but they can still leave your kitchen smelling a little bit like a campfire. To minimize the amount of odor created, this electric grill from Power XL is equipped with a tight-fitting lid and fan system that filters out smoke and other odors as it cooks. It has a maximum temperature of 450 degrees F, and its hinged glass lid lets you keep an eye on your food while it’s cooking. The grill has a nonstick cooking surface and grease tray, and several of its components are dishwasher-safe for easier cleanup.
The Specs:
Size: 19.8 x 11.9 x 5.5 inches
Weight: 12.5 pounds
Power: 500 watts
Buy the Power XL Elite Plus Smokeless Grill here.
5. Most Versatile: Ninja Foodi Smart XL 6-in-1 Indoor Grill
If you have limited counter space, the Ninja Foodi 6-in-1 Indoor Grill can do the job of a few different countertop appliances, helping to streamline your kitchen. In addition to serving as an indoor grill, this gadget can also air fry, roast, bake, broil, and dehydrate foods. It has a large cooking surface that fits up to six steaks at a time, as well as a convenient digital control panel, and it’s even equipped with a built-in meat probe that monitors the doneness of your food. It can grill at temperatures up to 500 degrees F for better searing, but it is quite heavy and takes up more space than other indoor grills.
The Specs:
Size: 11.1 x 15.7 x 16 inches
Weight: 25 pounds
Power: 850 watts
Buy the Ninja Foodi Smart XL 6-in-1 Indoor Grill here.
Other Indoor Grills to Consider
Cuisinart Griddler FIVE
The Cuisinart Griddler FIVE is both an indoor grill and panini press, and it comes with both grill and griddle-style cooking plates. It has a digital control panel that lets you adjust the temperature between 175 and 450 degrees F, and it also has a sear function to give your food more color. The grill plates are removable and dishwasher-safe, but they don’t have any features to help minimize smoke while cooking.
Buy the Cuisinart Griddler FIVE here.
Breville Smart Grill & Griddle
The Breville Smart Grill & Griddle is another option that resembles a panini maker, featuring a hinged lid that can lay flat for a larger cooking surface. It cooks at temperatures between 320 and 450 degrees F, and its cooking plates are dishwasher-safe and scratch-resistant. However, it’s notably more expensive than many other indoor grills and lacks any special features.
Buy the Breville Smart Grill & Griddle here.
Cosori Aeroblaze Smart Indoor
The Cosori Aeroblaze is another highly versatile appliance that has eight different cooking modes. You can choose from crisp, broil, air grill, roast, bake, dehydrate, preheat, and keep warm settings, and it has a smoke filter in the lid that helps to minimize the amount of odor created while cooking.
Buy the Cosori Aeroblaze Smart Indoor here.
