Best Smokeless Indoor Grill: Ninja Foodi, Hamilton Beach & More

Finding the best smokeless indoor grill can be surprisingly tough since the market has expanded with many brands making their own models. Regardless of which you choose, these allow you to get the full outdoor grill experience (charred meats and veggies, fast cooking, etc) without actually going outside or having smoke hit your eyes. Best of all, you can do this throughout the whole year, so no more waiting for the warmer months to enjoy grilled burgers, chicken, and hot dogs.

We’ll cover the best smokeless indoor grills along and provide you a buyer’s guide so that you know exactly what to look for. As you might expect, all of these grills are electric, so using them in your kitchen (or any other room) is incredibly simple.

Electric Indoor Grill Buyer’s Guide

Temperature: Just like with any other grill, you need a good maximum temperature to obtain those tasty grill marks. While 350F is fine for oven cooking, you’ll need at least 400F or higher for an indoor grill. While 400F is good, it’s better if the maximum temperature is closer to 450F or 500F. Going much higher than this is often unnecessary.

Cooking Space: You normally don’t have to worry too much about cooking space with an outdoor grill because they are made for several people, but indoor grills vary quite a bit in their sizes. Some are meant only for two burgers while others rival outdoor grills. Make sure there is enough space for your needs.

Weight and Mobility: These grills aren’t known for being heavy (they are meant to be stored in your cabinets after all), but still, you want to check the weight to ensure they aren’t too heavy for your needs. Some indoor grills can be picked up easily with one hand while others require both hands and a fair bit of effort.

Cleaning: While we love charred meat, the one problem is that it tends to leave the grills dirty and with a tough residue that you have to clean. Some grills make it easy by allowing you to disassemble the pieces and soak them while others are very difficult. Choose one that’s easy to clean and avoid the hassle.

Controls: You should choose a grill with easy controls and lots of features. Some only have a temperature dial while others include controls for different proteins, temperature probes, and other features that make the grill more versatile.

Power XL Smokeless Electric Indoor Grill

The Power XL lives up to its name by giving you an XL grilling surface that’s ideal for serving multiple people. Whether you want to host indoor parties or feed your family, the 13.75” x 8” grill plate is large enough for 8 burgers, 3 racks of ribs, or 4 small steaks. You can easily fit your protein and veggies on the grill and cook them all at once.

The grill itself has a nonstick ceramic coating that doesn’t require oil or fats. What about lean meats, like chicken breast or fish? Even they won’t stick to the grill. Simply let them brown properly and flip them when ready. An oil drip tray sits underneath the cooking surface, ready to collect any drippings from your protein or veggies.

Cleaning is a breeze with the removable grill plate. Not only is it simple to clean in the sink, but it’s even dishwasher safe. Even the glass lid is simple to clean. No hard scrubbing needed. Simply soak or place in the dishwasher.

This grill reaches 450F and uses LED smart controls. There is an up and down arrow that allows you to pick from one of the pre-selected temperatures (from 175-450F). This makes it easy to get the exact temperature that you want. There’s also a fan button that allows the Power XL grill to suck up any smoke coming from your meat.

While this grill lacks a wealth of controls and features, it does a wonderful job of grill meats, giving you a large cooking surface, reaching an ideal temperature for searing, and it’s easy to clean. Overall it’s a great smokeless indoor grill that you’re sure to love.

Check Price: Power XL Smokeless Electric ->

Ninja Foodi Smart XL 6-in-1 Indoor Grill

If you want a premium indoor grill with tons of features, then the Ninja Foodi Smart XL is one of the best on the market. This comes with so many features that it’s hard to cover them all. Plus, it reaches a great maximum temperature that’s ideal for grilling or air frying (more on that soon).

This grill comes with XL capacity. It’s 50% bigger than previous Ninja Foodi grills (which you may want to consider if you want an affordable and versatile indoor grill) and can cook up to 24 hot dogs or 6 steaks. This ensures you can cook for yourself, the family, a whole party, and more.

The Ninja Smart XL reaches temperatures of 500F and has several different functions. Of course it can grill, but it can also air fry, roast, bake, broil, and dehydrate. Not only that, but it has many settings for specific proteins and doneness levels. For example, let’s say that you want your beef medium-well. Simply insert the temperature probe into the steak or burger, choose the right setting from the easy control panel, and the Ninja will do the rest for you. Not only that, but you also get a 4qt air fryer basket for better crisping.

Cleaning is simple. Just remove the grill grate or air fryer basket and let them soak until residue slides off. Not only that, but you get a special brush to clean between the grooves. It’s simple and shouldn’t take long to make squeaky clean.

For those who want a ton of features along with a large grilling surface, the Ninja Foodi Smart XL is one of the best grills you can get.

Check Price: Ninja Foodi Smart XL ->

George Foreman Smokeless Indoor Grill

If you’re looking for a simple and affordable indoor grill, then George Foreman has you covered. This grill might be more affordable than others on this list, but it’s still great at grilling burgers, dogs, chicken, and more without forcing you to go outside. Not only that, but it prevents smoke by including a drip tray so grease and oil slides away before they can burn.

This grill grate uses a nonstick coating that is PFOA free and 3 times more durable than other coatings. Not only is the grill grate tough and simple to cook on, but it’s also easy to clean. Both the grill grate and drip tray can be removed and either soaked or placed in the dishwasher. That means you can make grilled food in your kitchen without having to worry about difficult clean up.

One thing we have to criticize is the temperature control. It’s a simple dial that anyone can use. Simply set it to Low, Medium, or High as needed based on the grill’s instructions. However, they don’t tell you the exact temperature. Even the user manual won’t tell you exactly what temperature this grill reaches. It seems to be around 400-450F based on the cooking times, but we can’t give a specific number.

The grill grate is fairly large at 172sq inches, which allows you to cook about 8 burgers at once. You should have no problem cooking for the whole family or a party.

While this grill doesn’t have any fancy features and the max temperature is ambiguous, this is a great indoor grill for those who want an affordable model.

Check Price: George Foreman Smokeless ->

Hamilton Beach Electric Indoor Searing Grill

Last up we have the Hamilton Beach grill with a window. This model looks a little bulky compared to the others, but it has a large lid that keeps smoke contained and a window that allows you to check the food without opening the lid. Not only that, but it features a large cooking surface and good temperature.

The grill reaches up to 450F and uses an adjustable dial to help you select the right temperature. There’s even a “Sear” setting at max that’s ideal for getting a crispy, flavorful coating on your meat.

This grill also offers a fair amount of cooking space at 118 sq. inches. This is enough for 6-8 burgers depending on their size or 4-6 steaks. You’ll have no problem grilling for the whole family.

Plus, when it’s time to clean up, nearly everything can be removed. You can take out the drip tray, grill grate, and even the lid to clean off any grease or oil. Most parts are dishwasher safe.

While it’s a little bulkier than some other indoor grills, the cover is durable and we love the window. If you want an affordable grill that’s easy to use and clean, then Hamilton Beach has you covered.

Check Price: Hamilton Beach Electric ->

Final Thoughts

So, which is the best smokeless indoor grill for you? If you’re looking for more affordable units, then the George Foreman or Hamilton Beach are probably the best. The Power XL is a mid-tier grill with more power and features along with a good price tag for what you’re getting. If you want a premium grill with tons of features, then the Ninja Smart XL is easily the best of the bunch.