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How to use an electric BBQ on the first cook

Updated: 23 October 2026

The first cook is where a new electric BBQ goes wrong, usually before you have learned the tray. Titles say smokeless, outdoor, or ready in minutes. They rarely say fill the basin, use an RCD, or what to do when fat ignites. This is the sequence for a mains barbecue or open plate you already own. It branches for a lidded Weber, a water-tray plate and a contact grill, because they do not share one manual. The model rows are on the [Electric BBQ comparison](/hub/grills-and-barbecues/electric-bbq). Nothing below is a licence to cook where the building forbids it. Updated 23 October 2026 by Peter F., DIY and tools editor.

The first cook is where a new electric BBQ goes wrong, usually before you have learned the tray. Titles say smokeless, outdoor, or ready in minutes.

Our top picks

FIMEI FIMEI 1800 W electric grill

Best overall

FIMEI FIMEI 1800 W electric grill
9.6/10about £49.99
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George Foreman George Foreman Large Fit Grill 25820

Rank 2

George Foreman George Foreman Large Fit Grill 25820
9.2/10about £55.99
View offer
Weber Weber Lumin

Rank 3

Weber Weber Lumin
8.6/10about £389
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Check the manual before the plug
  2. 2.Tray, water and preheat
  3. 3.If fat ignites
  4. 4.Cool, clean, unplug

Check the manual before the plug

Read the indoor or outdoor line, not the photo. Weber's Lumin guide is outdoor use, an earthed socket, an RCD not exceeding 30 mA, and about 61 cm clearance from combustibles. Ninja's FAQ for the OG701UK says outdoor household use only. Do not use that pellet box in a kitchen, a gazebo, or under a cover. London Fire Brigade says never barbecue indoors. A George Foreman is a kitchen appliance: stable surface, UK plug, lead off hot parts, body never submerged. One setting means you time the food. Where watts are stated, this set is about 1,800–2,400 W. Give it the socket. An extension lead is a last resort: rated, unwound and dry. A warm plug means call an electrician. Do not splice a lead. If the lease is unclear, read electric BBQ on a balcony first.

Tray, water and preheat

Preheat figures belong to one model. The Weber Lumin listing says heat over 315°C in about 15 minutes. The George Foreman listing says under about six minutes. Do not chase a time on a light plate by leaving it alone. Add water before heat only when the listing says so. Mihoho: cold water. Gobanwei: never cook dry. FIMEI: 200 ml. If the manual is silent, do not invent a splash, and do not move a full hot tray. If you smell hot plastic or the feet soften, switch off and unplug when it is safe. Those models are separated on best electric barbecue.
FIMEI FIMEI 1800 W electric grill

Testsieger

FIMEI FIMEI 1800 W electric grill
9.6/10about £49.99
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If fat ignites

On a lidded Weber, if grease ignites, close the lid, switch off, unplug, and leave the lid closed. Do not use liquid, and do not move the grill while it is hot. An open plate has no lid. Kill the power if you can do that without reaching through flame. Do not throw water on hot fat. Melted feet are a return under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, not a home repair. A Ninja that will not light pellets usually needs the box filled, still outdoors. If it trips the circuit, unplug it. A warm plug is an electrician's job.

Cool, clean, unplug

Leave the grill until the tray is cool, then empty it. A FIMEI plate is described as dishwasher-safe. The body is not. Do not submerge a portable grill. Dry the plug before storage. IPX4 on the Ninja is splash resistance, not leave it in the rain. If the feet melted or the grill died after one cook, photograph it and use the retailer's returns route.

Common questions

How long should I preheat an electric BBQ?
Use your model’s figure. The Weber Lumin listing claims heat over 315°C in about 15 minutes. The George Foreman listing claims under about six minutes. Those are maker claims for those products. A 10–20 minute line on a light grate is not a target to beat. Stay with the grill while it heats, especially if you were told to add water first.
Do I put water in the tray?
Yes, when the listing says so, and before you switch on. Mihoho wants cold water, FIMEI 200 ml, and Gobanwei says never cook dry. If your Weber has a grease tray and no water instruction, do not pour water on the element. A full tray is hot. Do not carry the grill until it has cooled.
What do I do if the fat catches fire?
On a lidded Weber, close the lid, switch off, unplug, and leave the lid shut. Do not pour liquid on it and do not move it while it is hot. On an open plate, kill the power if you can do it safely and keep water off burning fat. If the housing is melting, that session is over. Return the grill.
Can I use an extension lead?
Only if it cannot reach a sound socket, and the lead is rated for the load, unwound and dry. Where watts are stated these grills are 1,800–2,400 W and want the socket to themselves. A kettle on the same adapter is the weak point. A lead across a wet patio is already the wrong case. Cook closer to the socket.
Can I use the Ninja in the kitchen if it rains?
No. Ninja’s UK guidance for the OG701UK is outdoor household use only. The pellet box burns and can produce carbon monoxide under a cover. IPX4 does not mean bring it inside. Rain is a reason to wait, or to use an indoor contact grill you already own.
Why did the plastic feet melt?
UK reviews on cheap open plates, especially the Luqixcey, describe feet and handles melting, sometimes on first use, with a burning-plastic smell. That is a faulty unit, not seasoning. Switch off, unplug once it is safe, and return it. Do not replace the feet and carry on. A grill that melts is a problem for the seller under the Consumer Rights Act 2015.

Related pages

Electric barbecue buying guide

Electric BBQ

Electric BBQ on a balcony: lease before the listing

Best electric barbecue UK: place, not bestseller rank

Electric BBQ vs gas: running cost, flavour, cylinders

Sources

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

  1. Electrical Safety First: portable grills (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. London Fire Brigade: barbecue safety leaflet, April 2024 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. GOV.UK: fire safety in flats (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. Ninja UK: OG701UK outdoor use FAQ (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. Weber: Lumin owner’s guide (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. Energy Saving Trust: summer energy saving (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 22 October 2026)