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How to use an electric barbecue

Updated: 23 October 2026

The box is open, the plate looks ready, and the title said indoor and outdoor. That is the moment most first cooks go wrong. How to use an electric barbecue depends on which appliance you bought, not on a single internet tip. A water tray on a £30 table is a different rule from a lidded Weber or a Ninja with a pellet box. This page is the first-cook routine for the listings in our [electric barbecue comparison](/hub/grills-and-barbecues/electric-barbecue). The Products Compared editorial team wrote this in October 2026 from maker guides and UK review themes, not from a cooked test meal. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

The box is open, the plate looks ready, and the title said indoor and outdoor. That is the moment most first cooks go wrong.

Our top picks

Ninja Ninja OG701UK

Best overall

Ninja Ninja OG701UK
8.6/10about £259.99
View offer
Gobanwei Gobanwei YZ-06

Alternative

Gobanwei Gobanwei YZ-06
3.2/10about £39.98
View offer
Weber Weber Lumin

Alternative

Weber Weber Lumin
5.8/10about £307.45
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Read the use line before you cook
  2. 2.Water, fat and the element
  3. 3.Plug, RCD and lead
  4. 4.If it smokes, trips or melts

Read the use line before you cook

Start with the manual and the recommended-use line, not the title. Weber’s UK safety page says outdoor only, on individually fused sockets, with no multi-plug strips and no enclosed spaces. Ninja’s instructions for the OG701UK series say outdoor only, and the UK support article says not to use any cooking function indoors. Skipping the pellets does not turn that grill into a kitchen appliance. The Luqixcey and the Gobanwei both have a recommended-use line that says indoor, while the title still says indoor and outdoor. If the appliance is a Ninja or a Weber, cook outside. A title that hedges is not permission to ignore the manual you received. Who should buy which model is on the best electric barbecue page.

Water, fat and the element

On the open tables, the tray is the fire control. The Mihoho bullet says fill the tray with cold water before use. The Gobanwei prints the water rule as a warning. A UK review on the Luqixcey says a dry tray can flame, and that oil on the element can flame, so remove any plastic film and add water before the element is hot. Do not copy one water volume onto every brand. The Ninja and the Webers have their own grease paths. The Compact names a front grease tray. UK reviews of the Ninja mention tar after pellet cooks. The Lumin guide, during a grease fire, says not to pour liquid on the flames.
Ninja Ninja OG701UK

Testsieger

Ninja Ninja OG701UK
8.6/10about £259.99
View offer

Plug, RCD and lead

Every mains barbecue in this set wants an earthed socket, not a multi-way block. The Lumin owner’s guide adds an RCD that does not exceed 30 mA and refuses adaptors. If the consumer unit has no RCD, Electrical Safety First says you still need one, and you still need a proper UK 3-pin plug. A travel adaptor is the wrong object. Weber’s FAQ keeps an extension to about 5 m at 1.5 mm², on an outdoor-rated socket, for Weber appliances. Ninja allows an extension only when it is outdoor-rated. A coiled household reel, shared with a kettle, is the arrangement to avoid.

If it smokes, trips or melts

Smoke from a pellet box is the Ninja doing the job you bought. Smoke from a dry £30 element, with oil on the coil, is a fire. On a lidded Weber, close the lid, turn the power off, unplug, and do not pour liquid on the flames. The Lumin guide wants about 61 cm from combustibles. The Ninja booklet wants about 92 cm from walls. Use the figure in your manual, and do not average them. Stop if feet or handles melt, if you smell burning plastic, or if the element has already flamed. Let it cool, then wipe. Do not submerge a portable grill. Whether a balcony is allowed is on the balcony page.

Common questions

Do I fill the tray with water?
Fill it when your listing or manual says so. A Luqixcey UK review ties flames to a dry tray or oil on the element. A generic third-full tip is not the Ninja or Weber instruction, and the Lumin guide says not to pour liquid onto a grease fire.
Can I use the Ninja indoors if I skip the pellets?
No. Skipping the pellets does not make any cooking function an indoor appliance. The booklet also warns about fumes, including carbon monoxide, under a cover. A shop guide that allows indoor electric grills is talking about other appliances.
What socket should I use?
Use an earthed socket on its own. If you are outside, use an outdoor-rated socket. Electrical Safety First still wants RCD cover when the consumer unit does not provide it.
What if fat catches fire?
On a cheap table, UK reviews link flames to a dry tray or oil on the element. If the fire is already in the tray, kill the power and do not carry a flaming plate indoors.
Can I use a household extension reel?
A coiled household reel, shared with other appliances, sits outside both the Weber limit and the Ninja outdoor-rated line. NICEIC’s garden advice is to avoid long extension leads rather than to rely on them.
How do I clean it without soaking the element?
Where the Compact bullet calls grates dishwasher-safe, that claim is about the grates, not the body. Pellet tar on a Ninja is a cool-down clean, not a hose-down. IPX4 is splash resistance, not a wash rating.
Why does the plug need a reset?
UK reviews of the Ninja mention a plug reset, and one unit that tripped the house supply. Reset once if the manual tells you to. If it trips again, stop and unplug. Do not cure it with a multi-way adaptor.

Related pages

Electric barbecue buying guide

Electric barbecue

Electric BBQ balcony UK: fire-service and lease rules

Best electric barbecue UK: which listing is evidenced

Electric barbecue vs charcoal: smoke, mess and fuel

Sources

Public UK sources used for this comparison. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures for these ASINs. Retrieved 22 October 2026.

  1. Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. GOV.UK: Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, Great Britain (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. IEC 60335-2-78:2021, outdoor barbecues (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. Ninja OG701UK instructions (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. SharkNinja UK: OG701UK tech specs (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. Weber UK: Lumin electric barbecue 92010974 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. London Fire Brigade: barbecue safety (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. Electrical Safety First: regulation 411.3.3 (retrieved 22 October 2026)