The Meco Corporation has been making electric grills for years. With 200 square inches of cooking surface this is about as big as an electric grill can get and still be able to produce grilling temperatures. While this grill has some unique features it can be clumsy to use.
This this the electric grill for you? Find out by reading the review of the Meco Electric BBQ on Cart Model 9325
Photo: The Meco Corporation
Since food is never exposed to the actual heat source, it really doesn't matter how the heat is produced. I have to admit that I was skeptical that a 1,500 Watt electric heating element would produce the same heat as an 18,000 BTU gas burner, but this little cooker heats up fairly quickly, reaching cooking temperatures in 15 to 20 minutes. This Big Easy can hold temperatures between 125 to 525 degrees F, has a smoker box in the front, and a meat probe so you can check the temperature without lifting the lid.
To operate all you need do is plug the cooker in, load food into the cooking basket, lower the basket inside, and select one of the 15 preset cooking temperatures. If you want to produce smoke you need to preheat the grill to its highest temperature, load wood chips (about a cup's worth) into the front smoker box. Once the unit is producing smoke, reset the temperature to your desired preset number and add the food. Smoke production is a weakness of this unit, but with virtually no air flow and an electrically heated smoker box you can not expect too much.
This is a Char-Broil and that means a certain awkwardness to how its is manufactured. Pieces don't line up quiet right and the handles that you have to put on are designed for a flat surface but mount to a round surface. However, there is very little assembly required so this isn't a big issue. You can take this out of the box and be ready to start seasoning the stainless steel (low grade) in minutes.
I have two issues this this cooker. First of all it started with a product designed to cook a turkey, and this one can still do that, holding a turkey of up to 16 pounds. Foods that are not turkey shaped, or small can require you to get pretty creative with how you fit them into the unit. On Char-Broil's customer forums I have seen people suspending roasts with long metal skewers and just generally coming up with some unique ways to get food cooked. This is something of a hobbyist cooker, but does have a big fan base to draw ideas from when you want to figure out how you are going to cook a rack of ribs.
The second issue I have with this is that it is simply too much. Great for cooking a turkey or a couple of chickens, Char-Broil has listened to the fans of this product who have figured out how to jury rig it to do so many more things, and have added and added to the idea. The original unit cost about $100USD when it hit the market and can still be found in that price range. This electric version has dropped at $250USD making it one of Char-Broil's more expensive products. This cooker, which won't grill a burger or a steak is simply not a replacement for a grill, but is priced like it is. If you don't have a traditional grill, this won't do many of the things you might want it to, and if you do have a traditional grill, do you want to spend this much on a product you might only use a few times a year.
Char-Broil has taken their Big Easy cooker to a whole new level with an electric version of their "oil-less turkey Fryer". Now labeled as a smoker and roaster, this infrared cooking bucket has a smoker box, 15 preset temperature settings, and a meat probe. Find out if this is the right outdoor cooker for you.Read the review of the Char-Broil The Big Easy 2 in 1 Electric Smoker & Roaster
Image: Char-Broil LLC
Can't have a gas or charcoal grill where you live? This might be the solution for you. The Char-Broil Patio Bistro Electric Grill is one of the largest electric grills on the market. Of course it is still small enough to fit on most balconies but gives you enough space to comfortably cook for four people. The 1,750 watt heating element produces a good amount of heat for the size so you will be able to grill most everything that fits under the lid in this grill. The overall construction of this grill is a little lightweight so this grill will need some care to keep it looking and working well.
This grill runs on a standard 110 volt outlet and has a 1,750 watt heat element. This is close to as high as you can go with a standard outlet. It is difficult to generate good grilling temperatures at this voltage on an electric grill, but the design of this unit does a lot to focus the heat it does generate at the food you are cooking. Char-Broil labels this as an "infrared" grill. This is something of a misnomer. All electric grills are infrared, just as the broiler in your oven is. The special grate inside this grill isn't there to make the grill infrared, it is there to protect the heating element and reduce the risk of flare-ups.
The grill uses a single porcelain coated cooking grate. The construction is powder coated steel. The metal used for this grill is thin and a little flimsy. You will need to be careful not to dent or knock this grill over as it can be easily damage. Also, I have gotten reports, though I haven't seen it myself, that the holes drilled in this grill may not line up correctly when you assemble it. I suggest trying to buy an already assembled unit or you might have to do a little extra work to get it together.
This grill is also available in a gas fired design. Look at Char-Broil Patio Bistro Infrared Gas.
The other day a package arrived at the door. I opened it to find the new electric version of Char-Broil's Big Easy cooker. When the original propane version of this unit hit the market four years ago it was called an "oil-less turkey fryer". Since then fans of this infrared cooker have imagined so many more things it can do. Now, Char-Broil has introduced an electric version of the Big Easy which promises even more versatility with better temperature control.This is basically an infrared metal bucket. Food is lowered inside where infrared heat cooks it. The promise is even heating and an easy and quick way to cook those foods that are more difficult on a standard grill, like whole chickens, turkeys, or roasts. In the next few days I will be putting it through its paces to see how it compares to the propane powered version and how it works as a backyard cooker. Check back to see if this is the better way to prepare your turkey this all.
Find out more at: Char-Broil
Photo: Char-Broil LLC.
If you want barbecue or maybe to smoke some jerky, but don't want to spend the day stoking a fire, then a small electric smoker is probably the answer you are looking for. The Masterbuilt Smokehouse smoker has temperature control and an enclosed and insulated box that holds up to 30 pounds of food and can run for up to 24 hours. The problem with this smoker is that it isn't that simple because getting it to do exactly what you want is a little more of a challenge than it should be.Image: MasterBuilt
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