Best Indoor Grills and Griddles UK

Our verdict at a glance – four ways to choose Best sensor grill:Tefal Optigrill Elite, with 12 programmes and doneness indicators for around £139.99. Best all-round contact grill:Philips 5000 Contact Grill, with adjustable height and a 180 degree opening for around £64.00. Best smokeless open grill:CUSIMAX Electric Smokeless Grill, a 1500W grill with an exhaust fan for around £89.97. Best budget griddle:bella Electric Griddle, a 27cm by 51cm non-stick surface for around £27.99.

An indoor grill brings grilled food to the worktop without a barbecue, a garden or a dry spell in the weather. Steaks get proper sear marks, chicken cooks in minutes, and vegetables come off the plates with char and none of the oil a frying pan demands. The best models heat quickly, clean up without a fight and store in a cupboard between uses.

The category covers several quite different machines. Contact grills clamp food between two plates, smokeless open grills sit on the worktop like a small barbecue, and electric griddles give a large flat surface for pancakes, eggs and bacon. Which of them makes sense depends on what is cooked most often, and the best health grills UK guide covers the simpler, cheaper end of the market if a basic low-fat grill is all that is needed.

This round-up covers five indoor grills and griddles currently listed on Amazon UK, ranging from a griddle at under £30 to a sensor-driven Tefal at nearly £180. Prices are listed prices at the time of writing and move often, and every specification quoted is taken from the listing.

Contact grill, open grill or griddle?

A contact grill has a lid that comes down onto the food, cooking both sides at once. It is the quickest option and produces the classic ribbed marks, and the better models add sensors or adjustable height so thick and thin food both cook properly. It is the best choice for burgers, chicken, fish and sandwiches.

An open indoor grill is closer to a small barbecue. Food sits on a single heated plate and is turned by hand, which gives more control and room to move food around, and smokeless designs use a fan and drip system to keep smoke down. It suits steaks, sausages and kebabs, and anyone who wants to watch and turn the food.

A griddle is a big flat plate, which is the tool for pancakes, fried eggs, bacon, French toast and smash burgers. It does not create grill marks, but it holds a lot of food at once and is easy to wipe. A household that cooks big breakfasts will get more from a griddle than from a grill.

Tefal Optigrill Elite: best for sensor-led cooking

The Tefal Optigrill Elite is the premium contact grill in this round-up, listed at around £139.99. It is a sensor-driven grill that adjusts cooking time and temperature automatically, with 12 automatic programmes covering meat and vegetables, so the aim is to put food on and let the grill decide when it is done.

The listing describes an automatic sensor and digital interface with a digital countdown, and a beep when the food reaches each level of doneness. Colour-coded indicators show whether food is rare, medium or well done, which removes the guesswork that makes steaks and chicken hard to get right on a fixed-temperature grill. There is also a searing boost mode and a refill feature for cooking a second batch.

The listing says it serves four to five people, which makes it a good match for a family. Its strength is consistency: for steak, burgers, fish and chicken it is the closest thing to hands-off grilling, and it is the model to pick for anyone who worries about over- or undercooking meat.

The drawback is the price. It costs more than double a basic contact grill, and someone who is happy to watch the food and use a thermometer can get a decent result from a cheaper machine. Still, for regular grillers who value repeatable results, the Elite justifies its cost.

Tefal Optigrill+ XL: best for feeding a crowd

The Tefal Optigrill+ XL is the larger sibling, listed at around £179.99. It has nine cooking programmes for red meat, chicken, fish and vegetables, and an XL cooking surface that the listing says serves six to eight people, making it the largest capacity in this round-up.

The technology follows the same idea as the Elite. MeasureCook technology measures the thickness of the food, and temperature intelligence adjusts cooking time based on thickness and quantity. Colour-coded indicators show rare, medium or well done, and smart alerts signal when the food is ready at each stage.

The listing also stresses healthier cooking, with plates angled so that juices run off, and easy cleaning through removable, dishwasher-safe non-stick parts. Dishwasher-safe plates are a genuine convenience on a grill of this size, which would be tiresome to wash by hand.

At nearly £180 it is a big spend, and it is only worth it for households that regularly cook for six or more. For a family of four the Elite at around £139.99 offers the same idea for £40 less, with 12 programmes rather than nine.

CUSIMAX Electric Smokeless Grill: best open grill for flats

The CUSIMAX Electric Smokeless Grill is a 1500W open indoor grill listed at around £89.97. It is aimed at people who want the feel of a barbecue without smoke setting off the alarm, and the listing pitches it at city apartments and other tight spaces.

The smokeless claim rests on what the listing calls Turbo Exhaust technology, a hidden exhaust fan that captures smoke and, according to the manufacturer, reduces it by 95 per cent. Temperature is adjustable up to 230 degrees Celsius, with double U-shaped heating tubes that heat quickly and hold a steady temperature. There is a smart LED display, a tempered glass lid and a removable grill plate with dishwasher-safe parts.

Unlike a contact grill, food sits on one plate and is turned by hand, so steaks, sausages, chops and vegetables get a proper sear with grill marks. The glass lid helps thicker cuts cook through, and the adjustable temperature gives more control than a fixed grill. It is not a hands-off grill like the Tefals, so it needs watching.

It is a good choice for anyone who misses barbecue food in the winter and has limited space, and at around £89.97 it costs a good deal less than the Tefal sensor grills. Even smokeless grills produce some steam and cooking smells, so use it near an open window or under an extractor.

Philips 5000 Contact Grill: best all-round contact grill

The Philips 5000 Contact Grill is a 2200W contact grill listed at around £64.00, and it sits in the middle of this round-up on price and features. It acts as an electric grill, panini press and sandwich maker, and the listing says it heats quickly and holds even heat.

What makes it interesting is flexibility. It has adjustable height control, so the top plate can be set for thick steaks or thin sandwiches, and a 180 degree opening that lays the grill flat for a larger cooking area, so it can work like a griddle. Plates are detachable and non-stick, and there is a removable grease tray for cleaning.

It is a clear step up from budget health grills, without the price or the programmes of the Tefal Optigrills. For a household that wants one machine to make toasties, grill chicken and cook a big fry-up on the flat plates, it is a strong choice.

It has no sensor or automatic programmes, so doneness is a matter of watching the food, and that is the trade against the Tefals. For those happy to judge by eye, it saves £75 against the Elite.

bella Electric Griddle: best budget griddle

The bella Electric Griddle is the cheapest product here, listed at around £27.99, and it is a different kind of appliance. It is a 1500W electric griddle with a ceramic titanium non-stick coating, a large cooking surface of 27cm by 51cm and a removable fat drip tray.

Temperature is controlled by a removable probe with a dial, and cool-touch handles and a built-in ledge with a backstop help with flipping pancakes. The listing describes the coating as durable and free of lead and cadmium, and says it cooks up to 30 per cent faster than standard non-stick coatings, which is a manufacturer claim rather than an independent figure.

A griddle of this size cooks a full family breakfast at once: a row of pancakes, a line of bacon and a couple of eggs. It will not give grill marks, but it is the right tool for breakfast food, for fajita vegetables and for smash burgers, and a cheap way to free up the hob.

As a second appliance alongside a grill, it is excellent value. As a replacement for a contact grill it is not, since food is cooked on one side at a time and there is no lid.

Which one should you buy?

For hands-off grilling with repeatable results, the Tefal Optigrill Elite at around £139.99 is the best choice. For six or more people the Optigrill+ XL at around £179.99 is the larger option. For open barbecue-style cooking in a flat, the CUSIMAX at around £89.97 is the smokeless pick.

The Philips 5000 at around £64.00 is the best all-rounder for people who want a contact grill without paying for sensors, and the bella griddle at around £27.99 is the cheapest way to add a large flat plate for breakfasts and pancakes.

If storage is tight, remember that the biggest machines are the hardest to put away, and that dishwasher-safe or detachable plates make a bigger difference to how often a grill gets used than any feature on the box.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between an indoor grill and a griddle?

An indoor grill has ridged plates that give grill marks and let fat drain away, while a griddle has a flat surface for pancakes, eggs and bacon. Grills suit meat and vegetables, and griddles suit breakfast food and smash burgers.

Are smokeless indoor grills really smokeless?

They reduce smoke a great deal, but not completely. The CUSIMAX listing claims a 95 per cent reduction using an exhaust fan. Cooking still produces steam and smells, so ventilate the kitchen.

Is the Tefal Optigrill worth the money?

For people who cook meat regularly and want consistent results, yes. Its sensors and doneness indicators take the guesswork out of steak and chicken. For occasional use, a cheaper contact grill such as the Philips 5000 at around £64.00 is enough.

Which indoor grill is best for a family?

The Tefal Optigrill+ XL serves six to eight people according to the listing and is the largest here. The Optigrill Elite serves four to five, which suits most families and costs around £40 less.

Can you use an indoor grill for sandwiches?

Contact grills such as the Philips 5000 double as a panini press and sandwich maker. An open smokeless grill or a griddle is not designed for it.

The final word

The right indoor grill depends on what ends up on it. For meat and vegetables cooked without fuss, the Tefal Optigrill Elite at around £139.99 is the best sensor grill, and the Philips 5000 at around £64.00 is the best value contact grill. For smokeless open grilling, the CUSIMAX at around £89.97 is the pick, and the Optigrill+ XL at around £179.99 suits large households.

For pancakes and big breakfasts, the bella griddle at around £27.99 is a bargain second appliance. Check current prices and stock on Amazon before buying, as they change often.

Related guides

If you are still deciding, these related Kitchen Kit guides are worth a look:

• Best health grills UK
• Best sandwich toasters and panini presses UK
• Best air fryers UK
• Best mini ovens UK
• Best waffle makers UK

Best multi-cookers UK