Modern housewives use the grill in the preparation of varied dishes: vegetables, pastries, sandwiches. However, the first thing that comes to mind when hearing about this device is a juicy, fragrant piece of meat that can awaken anyone’s appetite with its smell and appearance alone. How to correctly choose an electric grill for cooking steaks, comparable to dishes created on professional equipment? What technical characteristics should have a device designed for frying the best restaurant dishes at home? Which company’s device will be ideal in terms of functionality, cost and long-term service? After reading the article below, the buyer will find answers to all his questions on this topic.
Content
Basic parameters
Before proceeding to consider the basic technical characteristics of the home "assistant", it is important to understand the principle of its work. Grilling a steak involves cooking meat using infrared or thermal radiation on a specially designed frying surface of the device. Cooking in a similar way results in a juicy soft dish with a crispy crust and, importantly, without excess fat in a meat piece.
The basic properties necessary for the full operation of a home-acquired grill for cooking steaks are:
- power;
- shape and size;
- case material;
- frying panel coating;
- the presence of additional device features.
The power of the chosen technique of the type under consideration should be a determining factor in deciding whether to purchase a particular model. This fact is due to the direct dependence of the cooking time on its maximum "power" indicator. The best option would be to buy a home electric grill with a power of 0.7 to 3.0 kW. The indicators included in the specified range will ensure the preservation of juiciness when frying meat, without overdrying it and spending the minimum amount of time on the process itself.
The modern home appliance market offers an extensive range of grills in terms of their shapes and sizes. Determining the most optimal characteristics for a particular situation, the buyer is more logical to focus on personal requirements for the device. The form of equipment (round, square, rectangular) should be selected based on the design of the kitchen set in order to maximize the saving of the space of the “working surface”. The dimensions of the purchased device should be determined by the number of people planning to consume grilled food. For example, when making a purchase in a family of more than five people, it is more advisable to give preference to equipment with a heated surface area of 500 cm2.
The case material of the selected “assistant” should ideally be metallic. Such a design will provide a “deeper” heating of the meat and will be more resistant to mechanical damage of various kinds. Advanced manufacturers also offer consumers to pay attention to models with a plastic case, which are lighter, and therefore convenient for frequent movements.
If in the criteria of the material of the case the buyer can make a choice based on more individual preferences and needs, then in the case of coating the frying panel everything should be unambiguous. The ideal grill for cooking meat has a modern heat-resistant metal coating with non-stick properties. It is the described characteristic that will allow the "cook" to avoid getting too greasy steak due to the use of cooking oil. An alternative to this option is an enamel coating, "famous" for its fragility.
Most grills belonging to the price category “above average” require the presence of additional functions, such as:
- temperature indicator;
- timer;
- sensor of the degree of heating of the device;
- indicator of steak roasting necessary to obtain as a result of cooking;
- the ability to specify the name of the original type of meat, followed by automatic alignment of the scheme of "cooking" dishes.
It is logical to assume that the more unique characteristics a household appliance model is endowed with, the higher its value in the goods market will be. Based on this conclusion, the buyer should make a decision on the reasonableness of the availability of special functions in the grill for home use, based on the budget allocated for the purchase.
Having opted for a particular model, the buyer should pay attention to the presence or absence of the most common pros and cons of using the device for frying meat.
Pros:
- “Universality” of the device (defrosting, roasting, stewing, and so on);
- the possibility of preparing a juicy steak without the use of oil;
- preservation of vitamins and nutrients contained in the original product;
- reasonable price, in comparison with the cost of other "representatives" of household appliances;
- simplicity and comfort of use.
Minuses:
- a significant amount of electricity spent on cooking a steak on the grill;
- a mandatory requirement for the functionality of the device is the availability of an electricity source;
- dependence of cooking speed on the power of the device.
Top models
An example of what characteristics a high-quality steak grill should have and how it should look in general can be one of the devices considered to be the top in its segment.
Tefal Optigrill + XL GC722D34
- Power: 2000 W
- Case Material: Combined
- Frying panel coating: metal non-stick
- Dimensions and weight: 36.5 × 44.5 × 17.5 cm, 5.2 kg
- Additional functions: automatic shutdown, temperature adjustment, indicator of the degree of steak frying, automatic adjustment of the temperature level depending on the weight and type of meat used, 9 automatic programs.
- the ability to wash removable frying panels in the dishwasher
- optimal size of the frying panel for “cooking” steaks for a large family
- lack of spray and smoke during cooking
- the presence of automatic functions
- draining fat on the rear handle with the grill cover open
- large size for average cuisine
- cost
BBK BEG2001
- Power: 2000 W
- Case Material: Metal
- Frying panel coating: metal non-stick
- Dimensions and weight: 32.6 × 34.9 × 14 cm, 3.1 kg
- Additional functions: protection against overheating, temperature control, automatic heating of frying panels, the ability to work the top panel as an independent part.
- quick warm up
- sustained temperature during steak cooking
- ease of use
- quality assembly
- fat spray when working with individual products
- soiled surface of the device cover
- greater heating of the upper ten in relation to the lower
GFgril GF-100
- Power: 1800 W
- Case Material: Steel
- Frying panel coating: metal non-stick
- Dimensions and weight: 31.4x33x13.5 cm, 3.7 kg
- Additional functions: automatic shutdown, temperature adjustment, a screen that displays active modes, a timer, a function of "crisp", automatic adjustment of the mode to the size and type of the original meat.
- lack of spray of fat
- compactness
- cooking speed
- fixed frying panels
- short cord
Steba VG 120
- Power: 1650 W
- Case Material: Plastic
- Frying panel coating: metal non-stick
- Weight: 3.8 kg
- Additional functions: temperature control, grill included in the basic package
- fast heating of working panels
- the ability to use wine or sawdust in cooking to obtain the effect of smoking
- not found
Tefal GC306012
- Power: 2000 W
- Case Material: Metal
- Frying panel coating: metal non-stick
- Dimensions and weight: 37x38x20 cm, 4.1 kg
- Additional functions: temperature control, three possible positions of the device
- stable maintenance of the required temperature
- compactness
- removable frying panels
- quick warm up
- fat spray
- lack of timer
- a large amount of smoke during the "cooking"
Cooking a steak at home in the best traditions of restaurant delights is a feasible task even for a novice "cook" provided that the equipment is correctly selected. The meat prepared by the device, selected on the basis of the above characteristics, will not only give pleasure to the food receptors, but will also become an excellent component of a proper full-nutrition balanced diet.
