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Electric grill with lid: how to choose one

Updated: 23 October 2026

You have a worktop, a 13 A socket, and a listing that says electric grill with lid. That phrase covers two machines. On one, the lid is a hot plate that presses the food. On the other, the lid is a cover and only the base gets hot. The first will make a toastie. The second will fry an egg and will not press a sandwich shut. This guide is the order of checks before the seven amazon.co.uk listings on the [electric grill with lid comparison](/hub/grills-and-barbecues/electric-grill-with-lid). Start with the lid, then washing, then heat control, then the plug. Stars are amazon.co.uk ratings, not a lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have a worktop, a 13 A socket, and a listing that says electric grill with lid. That phrase covers two machines. On one, the lid is a hot plate that presses the food.

Our top picks

Tefal Tefal Optigrill Plus XL

Best overall

Tefal Tefal Optigrill Plus XL
9.4/10about £129.99
View offer
George Foreman George Foreman Medium Fit Grill

Best value

George Foreman George Foreman Medium Fit Grill
9.0/10about £33.99
View offer
Ninja Ninja Sizzle Pro XL

Alternative

Ninja Ninja Sizzle Pro XL
9.0/10about £159.00
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Two lids, two machines
  2. 2.Plates off, pod off, or wipe in place
  3. 3.A dial, a programme, or a ready light
  4. 4.Plug, portion, and price band

Two lids, two machines

A contact grill has a hinged top plate. Both plates heat. You close the lid onto chicken, a burger, or a filled sandwich, and you do not flip. In this set that is both George Foreman Fit grills, the Immersa Medium, and the Tefal Optigrill Plus XL. The Optigrill listing describes nine programmes and a thickness sensor. The Fit listings describe one setting and a ready light. An open plate with a lid is a griddle that happens to have a cover. You turn the food. The Ninja Sizzle Pro XL states a grill plate, a flat plate, and a lid you can set up, down, or off. Expert Reviews, on the smaller Sizzle, found that only the base gets hot. Use the Pro XL listing for the 120°C to 260°C band. Both CUSIMAX listings also ship a lid as a cover. The split is on contact grill vs indoor grill.

Plates off, pod off, or wipe in place

Fixed plates stay on the body. George Foreman's help for non-removable plates says to wipe them with a warm damp cloth. Reviews of both Fit grills say the plates do not come off, and that the raised logo holds grease. The Optigrill Plus XL bullets describe removable plates as dishwasher-safe. Cooking area is not one number: about 650 cm² and 800 cm². Do not average them. The Immersa title says the control panel comes off so the body can be washed. A minority of reviews report residue after a wash. This Ninja capture says the Pro XL is not dishwasher safe. Who should skip which name is on best indoor electric grill UK.
Tefal Tefal Optigrill Plus XL

Testsieger

Tefal Tefal Optigrill Plus XL
9.4/10about £129.99
View offer

A dial, a programme, or a ready light

Watts are not a temperature dial. The Medium Fit is 1,630 W with one setting. The Large Fit is 2,400 W, still one setting. The Optigrill Plus XL is 2,180 W, with nine programmes. That is a prompt from a thickness sensor, not a food thermometer. The Immersa is 1,300 W and one power level. The Ninja bullets give 120°C to 260°C. Wattage lines conflict: 1,800 W and 2,200 W. The CUSIMAX smokeless grill states 0°C to 230°C. Both CUSIMAX bullets claim about 95 percent less smoke from a hidden fan. That figure is the maker's wording, not an independent UK test.

Plug, portion, and price band

UK mains are 230 V and the plug you want is a BS 1363 three-pin. Electrical Safety First's advice is to look for that plug. The Medium Fit's box line names a 3-pin plug. A Ninja bullet names a UK plug. If a listing shows only a two-pin plug, stop. A July 2026 product-safety report on a different indoor grill found a poor earth and a suspect fuse. That is not a fault recorded against these seven ASINs. On this capture, entry is under £60: the Medium Fit at £33.99 and the Large Fit at £55.99. Mid holds the CUSIMAX pair at £85.47 and £107.97, and the Immersa at £89.00. Premium is the Optigrill at £129.99 and the Ninja at £159.00. A later snapshot showed the Immersa lower, so use the live page.

Common questions

Is a lid the same as a contact grill?
No. A contact grill's lid is a heated plate. An indoor grill with a lid, such as the Ninja Sizzle Pro XL or either CUSIMAX here, uses the lid as a cover. You still turn steaks and you still cannot press a toastie shut.
Should I pay for plates that come off?
Pay for them if you will not wipe a fixed plate after every cook. The Optigrill states removable dishwasher-safe plates. The Immersa states a removable control panel so the body can be washed. Both Fit grills are cleaned in place, according to reviews. The Ninja capture says it is not dishwasher safe. A dishwasher line on one ASIN does not transfer to the next.
Do I need a temperature dial?
You need one if you change the heat across eggs, a sear, and a thick chicken breast. The Ninja states 120°C to 260°C. The Optigrill uses programmes. Both Fit grills and the Immersa are one setting. Extra watts are not finer control.
What plug should I see?
A UK three-pin BS 1363 plug, on a listing aimed at amazon.co.uk. The Medium Fit box line includes a 3-pin plug. The Ninja bullet names a UK plug. Voltage lines in this set say 220 V or 240 V depending on the ASIN. If the photos show a two-pin plug only, do not assume an adaptor is a proper fix.
Are smoke percentages a test?
The about 95 percent less smoke line on the CUSIMAX bullets is the manufacturer's claim. It is not an independent UK result. Low smoke on the Ninja is also a listing feature, and one review still returned the grill after alarms.

Related pages

Indoor grill for a flat

Electric grill with lid

Best indoor electric grill UK: a name for each job

Contact grill vs indoor grill: which lid actually heats

How to use an electric grill with a lid, first week

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 Safety First: portable grills (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, regulation 35 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. GOV.UK: electrical equipment safety regulations 2016, Great Britain (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. Food Standards Agency: cooking your food (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. London Fire Brigade: cooking (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. London Fire Brigade: smoke and heat alarms (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. Expert Reviews UK: Ninja Sizzle (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. SharkNinja UK: Ninja Sizzle GR101UK (smaller model, not the Pro XL ASIN) (retrieved 22 October 2026)