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How to use a Tefal OptiGrill

Updated: October 2026

You are about to cook on a Tefal OptiGrill. How to use a Tefal OptiGrill comes down to an empty preheat, the right programme, and a limit on what the colour lamp is allowed to decide. The Products Compared editorial team used Tefal’s cooking guidance, the Food Standards Agency’s temperatures, and amazon.co.uk review notes for the sensor models in this set, checked on 15 October 2026. Programme names differ: six on the OptiGrill+, nine on the Plus XL, twelve on the Elite. Follow the booklet in your box if it disagrees with a general guide. Model choice itself sits on the [Tefal electric grill comparison](/hub/grills-and-barbecues/tefal-electric-grill).

You are about to cook on a Tefal OptiGrill. How to use a Tefal OptiGrill comes down to an empty preheat, the right programme, and a limit on what the colour lamp is allowed to decide.

Our top picks

Tefal Tefal OptiGrill+ XL GC722D40

Best overall

Tefal Tefal OptiGrill+ XL GC722D40
8.8/10about £129.99
View offer
Tefal Tefal OptiGrill+ GC713D40

Alternative

Tefal Tefal OptiGrill+ GC713D40
8.4/10about £155.55
View offer
Tefal Tefal OptiGrill Elite GC750D40

Alternative

Tefal Tefal OptiGrill Elite GC750D40
7.6/10about £198.80
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Before the first cook
  2. 2.Preheat, programme, then food
  3. 3.Frozen food, chicken, and burgers
  4. 4.Cleaning and smoke

Before the first cook

Wash the plates before you season anything on them. Seat them until they clip home. A plate that is not locked will not meet the sensor the way the programme expects. Fit the drip tray. Set the grill on a stable worktop with space above the lid. UK mains are 230 V and the plug should be a fused BS 1363 three-pin. The OptiGrill+ listing says 230 V. The Plus XL listing says 220 V. The Elite voltage line is blank, so confirm 220–240 V on the rating plate. Ventilate, do not leave the grill unattended, and stop if the plug scorches or the circuit trips. Two UK reviews of the OptiGrill One describe a trip. If that happens, unplug it and contact the seller. Which body fits a short worktop is the small-kitchen page.

Preheat, programme, then food

Close the empty grill, choose the programme, and let preheat finish before anything touches the plates. Tefal’s guidance says food loaded during preheat can force manual mode. On the Plus XL the ready colours come after purple. Read the card for your model rather than one diagram for every ASIN. Add food in a single layer, with pieces of a similar thickness. Close the lid and leave it. Vegetables and sandwiches on the OptiGrill+ use the manual temperatures. The Elite adds a countdown and named programmes for potato, aubergine, pepper, and tomato. Press frozen before that preheat, not after.
Tefal Tefal OptiGrill+ XL GC722D40

Testsieger

Tefal Tefal OptiGrill+ XL GC722D40
8.8/10about £129.99
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Frozen food, chicken, and burgers

Press the frozen control before preheat if the pieces are frozen and the programme allows it. Tefal’s FAQ says frozen mode is not available in manual mode. The UK note says not to cook chicken breast from frozen, and to cook burgers well done. If your booklet differs, the booklet wins. The colour lamp is a guide for a whole steak. The Food Standards Agency says food is safely cooked at 70°C for two minutes in the middle, or at the published equivalents, and that burgers and sausages at home should not be pink. One UK review of the Elite says frozen chicken breast slides off because the plate is steep. Planchas have no lamp, which is covered on the OptiGrill vs plancha page.

Cleaning and smoke

Unplug the grill and let it cool. Tefal’s cleaning note asks for about 45 minutes before heavy cleaning, and it says not to immerse the body. The listings say the OptiGrill plates are dishwasher-safe. Do not use a scourer that cuts the non-stick. Smoke during preheat is often leftover fat, rather than a fault in the element. If the plug smells hot, the breaker trips, or you see arcing, stop. Opening the body is not a home job. A qualifying purchase through our amazon.co.uk links can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. If you are still choosing, the buying guide separates the sensor grills from the dial press.

Common questions

What do the colours mean?
On the Plus XL, Tefal UK describes purple for preheat, then blue and green when ready, yellow for rare, orange for medium, and red for well done. A rare colour is for whole steak, not a pink burger. Your booklet wins if the labels differ.
When do I press the frozen button?
Press it before preheat, on an empty grill, and only on a programme that offers frozen mode. Frozen mode is not available in manual mode. Do not cook chicken breast from frozen on this grill.
Why did it jump to manual mode?
Food on the plates before preheat has finished. Tefal warns that this can force manual mode. An unmatched programme does the same. Empty the plates and start again with the grill shut and empty.
Can I cook chicken from frozen?
No. The UK note says not to cook chicken breast from frozen. Thaw it, dry it, and cook it through. One Elite review says frozen chicken slides on the steep plate.
Can a burger be rare if the lamp says rare?
No. Burgers and sausages cooked at home should not be pink. The Food Standards Agency gives 70°C for two minutes in the middle, or the equivalents it publishes. Rare is for a whole steak, not minced meat.
How do I clean the plates?
Unplug, wait about 45 minutes, and do not put the body in water. Lift off the plates and the drip tray. Skip abrasive pads. If the coating has flaked, washing will not restore it.
What if the circuit trips?
Unplug the grill and leave it off. Two UK reviews of the OptiGrill One reported a trip. Do not work through it on another socket. Contact the seller if the grill is faulty and new. Opening the housing is for a qualified person.

Related pages

Best Tefal electric grill

Tefal electric grills

Tefal electric grill buying guide: type, then plug

OptiGrill vs plancha: closed programmes or flat plate

Tefal grill for a small kitchen: footprint and cord

Sources

Listing prices and ratings are from amazon.co.uk on 15 October 2026. The public sources below cover food safety, electrical rules and Tefal UK pages.

  1. Food Standards Agency: Cooking your food (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  2. Food Standards Agency: Burgers (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  3. Electrical Safety First: Portable grills (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  4. GOV.UK: Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  5. Tefal UK: OptiGrill+ XL GC722D40 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  6. Tefal UK shop: OptiGrill Elite GC750D40 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  7. Tefal UK: Repairability (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  8. amazon.co.uk listings for the nine kept ASINs (retrieved 15 October 2026)