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Indoor grill for a flat

Updated: 23 October 2026

You cook in a rented kitchen with a short worktop, and a smoke alarm trips when the hob runs hot. An indoor grill for a flat can still earn its place if you treat smoke, the lead, and the weight as the decision, not a smokeless claim. Which machine presses and which one only covers the food is the [contact grill vs indoor grill](/hub/grills-and-barbecues/electric-grill-with-lid/sub/electric-grill-with-lid-contact-vs-open) page. The seven amazon.co.uk listings are ranked on [electric grill with lid](/hub/grills-and-barbecues/electric-grill-with-lid). A qualifying purchase can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

You cook in a rented kitchen with a short worktop, and a smoke alarm trips when the hob runs hot.

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
George Foreman George Foreman Immersa Medium

Alternative

George Foreman George Foreman Immersa Medium
8.8/10about £89.00
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Smoke is still possible
  2. 2.The alarm in a kitchen
  3. 3.Lead, socket, and worktop
  4. 4.When not to keep it

Smoke is still possible

Fat on a hot plate smokes. A lid changes the spray. It does not repeal the smoke. The Ninja Sizzle Pro XL is listed as low smoke. One review says six burgers set the alarms off and the grill was returned. That is enough to stop you buying on the feature name alone. Both CUSIMAX listings claim about 95 percent less smoke from a hidden fan. The figure is a bullet, not an independent UK test. Immersa reviews include smoke when fat hits the element. If the kitchen fills on a normal Tuesday, you have grease as well as a ventilation problem. Cleaning routes are in how to use an electric grill with a lid.

The alarm in a kitchen

London Fire Brigade's guidance is that a smoke alarm does not belong in the kitchen. Cooking fumes set it off. A heat alarm does, because it looks for a rise in temperature. They put one at about £10, and they say it is not there to detect burnt toast. Scottish Fire and Rescue also wants a heat alarm in every kitchen. If your flat still has a smoke alarm on the kitchen ceiling, the beep from bacon is partly a placement problem. Do not take the battery out or bag the alarm. Do not leave the grill unattended. Fat in the tray is a fire load. If you have to answer the door, turn the grill off. The Ninja review is not proof that every other ASIN is quiet in a sealed kitchen.
Tefal Tefal Optigrill Plus XL

Testsieger

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

Lead, socket, and worktop

Optigrill reviews say the lead is very short. The length is not printed. If the only socket is across a walkway, that lead pulls the grill to the edge. Fit reviews add a second problem: the storage hooks can nick the cable. A cut lead is a stop. Plug into the wall when you can. Stop if a plug or adaptor heats. Electrical Safety First wants a UK three-pin plug and the lead off the housing. The Medium Fit's box line names a 3-pin plug. The Ninja bullet names a UK plug. A two-pin plug in the photos is a reason to leave the listing. A July 2026 report on a different indoor grill found a poor earth and a suspect fuse. That model is not in this set. The Ninja is 8.3 kg and 53 × 39 × 15 cm. Both CUSIMAX units are about 50 cm long. The Optigrill is 5.2 kg, with conflicting dimension lines. The Immersa is 2.98 kg and about 30.8 × 27.8 × 10.7 cm. The Medium Fit lists 27.5 × 33.3 × 7.7 cm. The 1 kg weight on both Fit grills is hard to trust. The Immersa specification says Outdoor while the bullets describe kitchen toasties. For a flat, use it indoors.

When not to keep it

Send it back if the plug smells, discolours, or heats, if a CUSIMAX lid handle does not fit, or if the coating is flaking on arrival. Do not scrape flakes off and carry on. The Ninja specification says one year and a bullet says two years if you register. The Optigrill listing says two years. The CUSIMAX listings say 18 months. An 8.3 kg Ninja that blocks the only worktop is the wrong flat grill even if you wanted the 260°C dial.

Common questions

Will it set off the alarm?
It can. A Ninja review describes alarms after six burgers, even with low smoke listed. A kitchen should have a heat alarm, not a smoke alarm. A 95 percent bullet is not a guarantee.
Should I disable the smoke alarm while I cook?
No. Do not remove the battery or cover the alarm. If a smoke alarm is on the kitchen ceiling, fit a heat alarm there and keep a smoke alarm in the hallway. Stay with the grill. Fat in a tray is a fire load.
Does smokeless mean no smoke?
No. Low smoke and about 95 percent less smoke are manufacturer wording. The CUSIMAX line has no independent UK test here. One Ninja buyer returned the grill after alarms. Ventilate anyway.
Where should the grill sit?
On a stable worktop, lead off the hot metal, with a window you can open. Do not perch an 8.3 kg Ninja on a narrow board. A heat alarm belongs in the kitchen. The Immersa's outdoor line does not mean a wet balcony.
Is a short lead a problem in a flat?
Yes, when the socket is not beside the worktop. Optigrill reviews call the lead very short, with no printed length. If it only reaches across the hob, choose another spot. Do not pull a hot grill by the cable.
What if the plug looks wrong?
A UK grill should show a BS 1363 three-pin plug. The Medium Fit box line includes one. The Ninja bullet names a UK plug. A two-pin plug or scorch marks are reasons to leave the listing. If a plug heats, stop.

Related pages

Electric grill with lid buying guide

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)