Best Indoor Grills for Your Small Space Summer BBQ

Best Indoor Grills for Your Small Space Summer BBQ

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Fire regulations prevent many apartment and condo owners from having a fire grill. For this reason, I focused on electric options when I put together this list of the best indoor grills for small spaces.

Dream it.

A Condo Summer BBQ

You have a dream about summer BBQ recipes, but you live in an apartment. The idea of cooking up masterpieces on an outdoor grill is just not possible.

If, like me, you live in a small space, with fire regulations which forbid us from BBQing on our balconies, I’ve decided to share some tips on how to enjoy the BBQ season indoors all year round.

Click here to jump to a list of Best Indoor Grills or read on for some tips on how to pick the right indoor grill for your small space.

Grilled food on counter in grill pan
Plan it.

What You Need to Know: Indoor Grills Buying Guide

There are several things to consider when buying an indoor grill. I’ve put together this buying guide on the types of indoor grills on the market and why you may want to choose one over the other.

Ease of Cleaning The Indoor Electric Grill

I’m going to start with this point, as it is the most crucial consideration for me. If your grilling protein with gooey BBQ sauce on your grill, you’ll want to be able to clean it easily.

Some grills come with detachable plates, making cleaning more manageable, while others promise their non-stick coating can be cleaned with just a damp sponge.

Size of the Indoor Grill

Of course, you will want to consider where you will be keeping your grill if you have a small condo with limited kitchen counter space and storage.

The size of the unit and number of accessories and pieces it comes with may very well be a determining factor in the grill you choose.

Electric Indoor Grill Use

How will you be using your grill? That’s the first question you have to ask yourself before making a purchase. An indoor grill is an appliance you can use year-round, so having one that serves your BBQ purpose but is useful for other things is beneficial.

For example, if you are a panini lover, you might want to choose a press style grill where you can press your sandwiches. If you like grilling pancakes, you may want a combination grill with multiple plates.

Indoor electric grill with chicken and vegetables cooking

Types of Electric Indoor Grills

Press Electric Grills

The most popular grill models on the market are press grills. They come in various sizes, with features like temperature controls, removable racks and drip catchers.

The press grill allows you to cook both sides of your food at the same time. How and what you cook can also be controlled by how the grill hinges can maneuver and how hard you push down the plates.

Combination Grills and Griddles

Combination indoor electric grills are great for multiple cooking methods which include: grill, griddle, contact griddle and half griddle half grill.

Table Top and Covered Electric Indoor Grills

Think of this as an indoor BBQ. These tabletop grills allow you to control how your food cooks by turning it over on the grill vs a press grill, which cooks both sides at the same time.

Some flat-top grills come in models with a cover that allow you to conserve heat lost in an open tabletop grill.

Don’t Forget Stove Top Grill Pans

Of course, you can also turn your stove into a grill space by using a grill pan. These often square skillets come in a variety of non-stick materials from cast iron to aluminum. Depending on how high the grill ribs are in the pan you’ll find you can create grill marks and watch the drippings drip away from your food.

Food cooking on table top electric gril
Live it.

The Best Indoor Electric Grills

George Foreman Grill

These George Foreman Grills are still a popular favourite in the indoor market. Their slanted bottom grill allows fat and oils to drip down while cooking.

You can still get small classic models that don’t have removable plates or temperature controls, but they are compact and perfect for singles living in small apartments and condos.

Newer models have the added features of the removable plates and temperatures gauges, but usually, these are in the larger units.

Pros of the George Foreman Grill

  • Budget-Friendly 
  • Small Size
  • Easy Storage


T-Fal Opti Grill

T-Fal has a winner with this indoor grill, which can adapt its grilling cycle to the thickness of the food. There are six automatic cooking programs like a burger, poultry, sandwich, sausage, fish and red meat, and the unit comes in a 4-serving or six serving sizes.

The two non-stick plates and drip tray are removable for easy cleaning in the dishwasher. This grill is ahead of its time in the press grill market.

Pros of the T-Fal Opti Grill

  • Temperature gauge
  • Removable dishwasher safe plates


Best Combination Grills

Ninja Foodie 5-in-1 Indoor Electric Grill

I think these multiple grill units are big, bulky and not great for indoor spaces. Ninja has a 5-in-1 grill model and a 7-in-1 model, which adds a pressure cooker to its tasks. If you want an indoor grill, griddle, air fryer and dehydrating device in one, then you may want to consider this one if you have the counter space for it.

Pros of the Ninja Foodie 5-in-1 Indoor Electric Grill

  • Multiple cooking modes
  • Replaces multiple appliances


Cuisinart GR-4N 5-in-1 Griddler

The Cuisinart 5-in-1 Griddler allows you to grill in press formats and full open tabletop. Add the functionality of the griddle and choice of half grill half griddle, and that’s how they add up to 5.

The Griddler is a good model if you are looking for a grill and griddle combo. The plates are removable and dishwasher safe for ease of cleaning. There are also a few temperature controls allowing you to cook the food as you like.

Pros of the Cuisinart 5-in-1 Griddler

  • Gill and Griddle in one unit
  • Ease of cleaning
  • Compact unit


Hamilton Beach 3-in-1 Indoor Grill and Electric Griddle Combo 

Like the Cuisinart above, the Hamilton beach press offers a griddle and grill option. The hinges open to 180 degrees allowing you to griddle breakfasts when it is free to its tabletop function.

There are adjustable temperature controls that allow for low or high heat up to 400 degrees. The non-stick plates and drip tray are removable and dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.

Pros of the Hamilton Beach 3-in-1 Grill

  • Gill and Griddle in one unit
  • Ease of cleaning
  • Compact unit


Best Tabletop Grills

Delonghi Perfecto

If you are looking for a giant cookie surface and the option to grill and griddle, you may want this tabletop model from Delonghi.

The grill has an adjustable thermostat with low settings of 200°C to its highest temperature, 400°C. The grill and griddle plates are removable and dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.

Pros of the Delonghi Perfecto

  • Flat model grill 
  • Grill or Griddle modes
  • Removable plates fro cleaning


Stovetop Grill Pans

I am not going to pick one grill pan over another because I feel like this is a personal choice. I don’t like heavy skillets so I bought a grill pan that is lightweight and easy to clean, however, some may want a cast-iron pan they can move from the stove into the oven. So here are some top-rated grill pan options to choose from.


Food on grill with text Best Indoor Grills for Your Small Space Summer BBQ

2 thoughts on “Best Indoor Grills for Your Small Space Summer BBQ”

  1. Great post, thank you for sharing these tips! We just relocated to California (and back into an apartment) so I’m always keeping my eyes peeled for space-conscious things like this. I especially like the Ninja 5-in-1! That thing looks awesome!

    1. Yes, there are plenty of options, I guess it is a matter of how much space you have and what you need the appliance for! Congrats on your new space the opportunities are endless!

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