Best Health Grills UK: Low-Fat Grilling

Our verdict at a glance – four ways to choose Best all-rounder:George Foreman Medium Electric Fit Grill, a 1630W grill with a clip-in drip tray for around £34.99. Best for big households:Salter Actigrill Family Health Grill, with 36cm by 26cm plates and PFAS-free coating for around £37.99. Best budget choice:Salter Cosmos Electric Health Grill, a compact grill and panini press for around £27.17. Best for flexibility:Philips 5000 Contact Grill, which opens flat to 180 degrees and has adjustable height control for around £64.00.

A health grill does one job well: it cooks food between two heated, ribbed plates that are angled so fat runs off into a drip tray. Chicken breasts, lean burgers, sausages, fish fillets, halloumi and vegetables all cook in minutes with little or no added oil, and the grill wipes down afterwards. For anyone trying to cut fat without giving up hot, quick, everyday meals, it is one of the cheapest appliances in the kitchen to do it with.

The category is crowded with near-identical grey-and-black machines, and the differences that matter are size, plate coating, whether the grill opens flat and how easy the plates are to clean. Many of them also double as a sandwich press, in which case the best sandwich toasters and panini presses UK guide is worth a look as well. This round-up focuses on five health grills currently listed on Amazon UK, from a compact £27 model to a more advanced contact grill from Philips.

Prices are the listed prices at the time of writing and change often, so treat each figure as a guide. All product details below come from the Amazon listings.

What makes a good health grill?

Size is the first decision. A small grill suits one or two people, a medium model handles a small family, and a large one is for households cooking several portions at once. Bigger grills draw more power and need more storage room, so choosing a size that matches the household avoids wasted worktop and wasted electricity.

The plates matter next. Non-stick coating is the norm, and it makes cleaning much easier, but coatings vary and some brands now market PFAS-free versions. Look for plates that wipe clean while still warm, and for a drip tray that is removable and easy to reach, because fat collection is the whole point of the design.

Hinge design is a third factor. A floating hinge lets the top plate rise to rest on thicker food such as steaks or deep-filled sandwiches, so the food is contacted evenly. Some grills also open flat to 180 degrees, which doubles the cooking area and lets the grill work like a griddle.

Finally, consider temperature control. Basic grills heat to one fixed temperature with a light that tells you when it is ready. Others, like the Philips model below, add adjustable height or temperature settings, which are useful if the grill will be used for delicate fish and vegetables as well as meat.

George Foreman Medium Electric Fit Grill: best all-rounder for small families

The George Foreman Medium Electric Fit Grill is the best-known name in the category, and at around £34.99 the medium model is a good balance of size and price. It is a 1630W grill with easy-clean non-stick plates, a clip-in drip tray and a vertical storage design that the listing describes as 30 per cent more space-saving than an earlier model.

Speed is one of its selling points. The listing says it goes from switch-on to plate in under six minutes compared with a conventional electric oven grill set at 230 degrees, which suits weeknight cooking when the oven feels like too much effort. It also claims that the plates can be cleaned in one wipe with a paper towel while still hot, which is the main practical advantage over grilling under the oven.

The clip-in drip tray collects fat and residue in one place, so the fat-draining benefit that makes the grill healthier is easy to empty and clean. Vertical storage matters more than it sounds, since a grill that has to lie flat in a cupboard often ends up left on the worktop.

For two to four people the medium size is usually enough, though it will need cooking in batches if everyone wants a burger at the same moment. Anyone who regularly cooks for a larger group should look at the Large model instead. For a first health grill, it is a safe choice.

George Foreman Large Electric Fit Grill: best for bigger households

The George Foreman Large Electric Fit Grill is the same design at a larger scale. It is a 2400W model with a shiny black finish and matt trim, listed at around £55.97, and it is the one to consider for a family that wants to cook several portions at the same time.

The listing repeats the medium model’s selling points, including the under-six-minute heat-up against a conventional oven grill, the one-wipe clean and the clip-in drip tray. It adds an energy claim: 74 per cent less energy used than a conventional oven grill while preheating and grilling beef burgers at 217 degrees. That is a manufacturer figure, but it reflects a real point, which is that a small appliance heats far less space than an oven.

The larger plates make a practical difference. Four burgers, a pile of sausages or a whole tray of vegetables can go on at once, so mealtimes are shorter and food is hotter when it reaches the table. The vertical storage design is again a benefit, because a large grill lying flat takes a lot of cupboard room.

The trade-off is price and power. At around £21 more than the medium grill and drawing 2400W, it makes sense only when the extra capacity is used. For one or two people the medium size is the better choice.

Salter Actigrill Family Health Grill: best for PFAS-free cooking

The Salter Actigrill Family Health Grill is a 2000W, eight-portion grill listed at around £37.99. It has 36cm by 26cm non-stick plates, and the listing states that the coating is completely PFAS-free, which is a specific selling point at a time when many buyers are asking what their cookware is coated with.

A floating hinge is included, so the top plate rises to accommodate thicker foods such as steaks or deep-fill panini, which are cooked evenly rather than squashed. There is automatic temperature control, with a red light for preheating and a green light for when it is ready to cook, and a removable drip tray that collects oil and fat.

The listing also claims that it can save up to 88 per cent on energy bills, based on the energy used per kilogram of chicken compared with another cooking method. As with any manufacturer figure, it is best read as a sign that grills are efficient rather than a guaranteed saving, but it is consistent with the fact that a small grill heats much less than a full-size oven.

It is a strong choice for a family that wants a large cooking area at a modest price, and the PFAS-free coating makes it the most reassuring option here for anyone concerned about non-stick chemicals. It is around £3 more than the medium George Foreman and offers a great deal more plate area.

Salter Cosmos Electric Health Grill: best budget choice

The Salter Cosmos Electric Health Grill is the cheapest grill in this round-up, listed at around £27.17. It works as a health grill and a panini press, with non-stick plates, a removable drip tray and automatic temperature control.

The listing describes it as suited to low-fat recipes, from lean meats and grilled vegetables to crispy paninis, and says the automatic temperature control lets it cook meat, fish, fruit and vegetables. The drip tray catches excess oil and fat, and the non-stick plates make food removal and cleaning easier. It is also part of Salter’s Cosmos range, so it is designed to match other appliances in the collection.

This is a compact model, so it suits one or two people rather than a family, and it has no adjustable settings beyond the automatic control. That simplicity is also its strength: switch on, wait for the light and cook. For a student kitchen, a first flat or a second grill for the office, it is hard to beat on price.

Anyone cooking for more than two people regularly should look at the larger Salter Actigrill or the George Foreman Large instead, since batches take longer on a small plate.

Philips 5000 Contact Grill: best for flexibility

The Philips 5000 Contact Grill is the most advanced model here and, at around £64.00, the most expensive. It is a 2200W grill that the listing says heats quickly and maintains even heat, and it works as an electric grill, panini press and sandwich maker.

Two features set it apart. The first is a 180 degree opening, so the grill opens directly flat to give a larger cooking area for grilling several foods at once, in the manner of a griddle. The second is adjustable height control, which lets the top plate be set to suit steaks, burgers, vegetables, sandwiches or paninis rather than relying on a fixed hinge.

Cleaning is handled by detachable non-stick plates and a removable grease tray, and the listing highlights the large cooking surface for family meals. Having plates that come off makes a big difference to the washing up, and a removable grease tray keeps the healthy side of the design easy to maintain.

The price is the obstacle. It costs around twice the George Foreman Medium and more than double the Salter Cosmos, and the extra money buys flexibility and build rather than a fundamentally healthier way of cooking. It is a good choice for keen home cooks who will use the flat-open mode and height adjustment, and unnecessary for anyone who just wants chicken and burgers cooked quickly.

How to get the most from a health grill

A few habits make a health grill more effective. Preheat until the indicator says the grill is ready, because food placed on cold plates steams rather than sears. Pat meat and fish dry before cooking, which helps browning, and cut chicken breasts to an even thickness so that they cook at the same rate.

Marinate lean meats to add flavour without oil, and use a brush of oil sparingly on vegetables if they stick. Do not overfill the plates, since crowded food steams and cooks unevenly. Empty the drip tray after each use and wipe the plates while still warm, which is much easier than scrubbing later.

Cook to temperature, not to time. Chicken and burgers should be cooked until piping hot in the middle, and a food thermometer is a cheap way to be sure. Thin foods take a few minutes and thicker ones longer, so it is better to check than to guess.

Frequently asked questions

Are health grills actually healthier?

They cook with little or no added oil, and the angled plates let fat run into a drip tray, so meals often contain less fat than pan-fried equivalents. The result still depends on what is cooked and how much is eaten, so the grill helps rather than guarantees.

Which health grill is best for a family?

For a family, the Salter Actigrill Family at around £37.99 and the George Foreman Large at around £55.97 offer the most cooking area. The Salter is cheaper and PFAS-free, while the George Foreman has a large following and a claimed lower energy use than an oven grill.

Are the plates dishwasher safe?

It depends on the model. The Philips 5000 has detachable non-stick plates and a removable grease tray, which makes cleaning easy, while the George Foreman and Salter models rely on wipe-clean plates and a removable drip tray. Check the instructions for each model before putting anything in the dishwasher.

What is the cheapest health grill here?

The Salter Cosmos Electric Health Grill is the cheapest at around £27.17. It is compact and simple, and suits one or two people.

Can a health grill replace an oven grill?

For small portions it can, and it heats up much faster. The George Foreman listings claim under six minutes from switch-on to plate against a conventional electric oven grill. For large joints or trays of food the oven is still needed.

The final word

For most households the George Foreman Medium Electric Fit Grill at around £34.99 is the easy recommendation, combining a familiar design, fast heat-up and simple cleaning. Families that cook bigger portions should look at the Salter Actigrill Family at around £37.99, which adds 36cm by 26cm plates and a PFAS-free coating, or the George Foreman Large at around £55.97.

Buyers on a tight budget will find the Salter Cosmos at around £27.17 a capable little grill, and keen cooks who want a flat-opening surface and adjustable height should consider the Philips 5000 at around £64.00. Prices and stock change regularly, so check the current listing before buying.

Related guides

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

• Best sandwich toasters and panini presses UK
• Best air fryers UK
• Best multi-cookers UK
• Best mini ovens UK
• Best microwaves UK: solo, grill and combination compared
• Air fryer running costs UK