Grilling 101: How to Start An Electric Grill?

Grilling might be a difficult task especially if you are new to the process. Grilled food sounds sumptuous but doing it takes so much effort. How do you conveniently grill food, especially if you live in an apartment or condo and are prohibited from barbecuing?

Manufacturers have come up with a brilliant idea and have developed an electric grill.

What is an electric grill? How does it differ from a traditional charcoal grill? How do you start an electric grill? Does it need fire? All these questions will be answered in this article.

An electric grill is a modern appliance to grill food more conveniently. Rather than charcoal, an electric grill uses electricity, which flows through a panel that heats up and glows. The heat is evenly distributed to the panel, so the food is cooked in more consistency. A grill either comes covered or uncovered, depending on the model.

Whether you are grilling food for the family or for a party, the electric grill is a more convenient alternative to a charcoal grill. It saves you from the hassle of lighting charcoal or managing the smoke. You can use it indoors, and it saves space.

How to start an electric grill

Compared to charcoal grills, staring an electric grill is much easier; you only need to plug it to an electrical outlet. When you grill outdoors, electric grills with longer power cords or the use of extension cords should be considered.

Here are the simple ways on how to start an electric grill.

• Find the switch button of the electric grill. Press it on
• Wait for the electric grill to heat up. Usually, electric grills take 5 minutes to heat
• Electric grills come in different models; there are electric grills with fixed temperature settings, and others that come with adjustable temperatures. If you have the latter, set the temperature you need to cook the specific food you want to grill
• For an open grill, preheat it and the contact grill before cooking the food

How to cook your food in an electric grill

Be sure to preheat the grill. Once you get the needed temperature for the kind of food you want to grill, place the food in the middle of the plate and close the grill, if there’s a lid. Half cook the food, and flip it once for uniform cooking.

Know the food you are about to grill. For steaks and meat, longer cooking time is needed— approximately 20 minutes. Pre-cooked foods and vegetables take less time. Once your food is evenly cooked, remove it from the grill using tongs.

Cleaning an electric grill

Electric grills are non-stick cooking appliances. Because of this, they are much easier to clean than the usual charcoal grill.

They usually come with a drip pan that catches the juices from the cooking food which prevents drippings from the juices from dirtying the grill surface and table or countertop. The drip pans are also dishwasher safe.

Cleaning an electric grill is different from how the traditional charcoal grill is cleaned. Before cleaning an electric grill, it should first be unplugged.

The heating elements of an electric grill should never be submerged in water. All parts of an electric grill, including the tray and heating plates, are washable.

It is also important to frequently examine the wires and casings of the electric grill. The washable parts, heating plates, metal drip tray, and grates, can be rinsed with hot water every after grilling food.

The plugs, cord, switch, connections, and other heating elements of the electric grill should frequently be examined and replaced with needed.

Conclusion

Grilling has made much easier with the advent of the electric grill. You can grill either outdoors or indoors without the hassle of charcoal or gas, a flame and the accompanying smoke. It is easy to start by just the simple switch of a button.

When using it outdoors, longer power cords or extension cords are used.

Then you need to wait for the grill to heat up before you can start grilling your food. You don’t have to light charcoal and wait for the proper temperature before you can begin grilling.

When shopping for an electric grill, the brand or manufacturer should be taken into consideration. Choose a brand with a good reputation and a solid customer service for support should you encounter any problems.

Check if the manufacturer offers a warranty which will cover you if your grill stops working or you receive a defective product.