Can I use my electric grill as an oven?

Can I use my electric grill as an oven? This is a common Question that the real answer needs to be known and understood. If you have not asked this question yourself, you might think that it is irrelevant since there is an oven.

To help us understand the answer very well, it will be beneficial to also understand why this question came up and why it is relevant. 

Most of our kitchens in our houses are small and need Little things on the countertop. This will make the kitchen safe for cooking and also neat. If we have many Cookwares or appliances in the kitchen, it might look untidy and might start to harbor insects. So we need space in our kitchen. We don’t need two appliances that can do the same thing, as such knowing if the electric grill can be used as an oven is important.

Also, most homes have little income and this requires managing it to better the loves of all the family members. And to help in this area, trying to buy less kitchen aids will be beneficial. So if I can get an electric grill and use it as an oven, it will be a good choice. So asking the question if I can use my electric grill as an oven is well thought of.

So can I use my electric grill as an oven? Yes! Electric grills can serve as an oven for some cookies and food. But not all electric grills can do that. So how do I know if my electric grill can serve as an oven? 

We have two main types of electric grill. We have the open grill and the contact grill. The open grill is like the traditional grill that uses the charcoal to Cook food while the contact grill has a cover and some have a stand. We will understand more about how the types of grill work later in this article.

We have been talking about electric grills but you might not have understood the basic principles of an electric grill. So let us see what an electric grill is and how it works.

What is an electric grill – Does it Work

An electric grill is a grilling device that uses an electric powered element as a heat source that grills the food. Unlike other grilling devices that use either gas or charcoal, an electric grill uses electricity as a source of energy. 

An electric grill has a drip pan which is located at the bottom part of the unit which collects the oils and other ingredients coming out from the food being prepared on the grates, which is the upper part of the electric grill and it is the place where the meat and other foods are kept. Between the grates and the drip pan are the elements which produce the required heat needed for grilling and it is powered by electricity.

Some of the electric grills have a drip pan with flavored ceramic briquettes, which provides extra flavor when the juices drip on them. 

We also have another style of electric grill which has a solid grill grate which has deep grooves where the fat and juices collect. To enable the driped juices to be collected, the grate is slightly tilted towards a drip pan where the drippings are collected as it flows through the grooves. This solid grate sits on top of the heating element. Electric grills come in different varieties such as indoor, outdoor, tabletop models, and models on stands.

How to bake in an electric grill

If you are trying to use our grilling unit for baking or as an oven, you should remember that grilling uses direct heating while the oven uses indirect heating. So to use a grill as an oven, you need to convert the heat from direct to indirect.

If you are using a gas fired grill with multiple burners, all you need to do is on the outer burner as a source of heat while the inner burner is off, you can then place your food on the inner burner, and as such, you are not using direct heat.

Also if it is a charcoal grill, make the charcoal in a ring form, leaving the center empty, then the round charcoal heats the grill, you will place your food for cooking or baking. Remember to place a pan on the grates .

When using the electric grill in baking or as an oven, the same principle above is used. The direct heat from the elements is converted to indirect heat by placing a pan on the grates so as not to allow the direct heat on the food you are baking.

Remember to monitor the temperature of your electric grill so as to have the uniform temperature needed for the recipe.

Do electric grills get hot enough

Most recipes require High temperatures, so when buying an electric grill, you will want to know if it can get hot enough. The truth is that electric grills get hot enough more than you expected. An electric grill can produce heat around 500 to 600 degrees Fahrenheit and some beyond.

So it is advisable to have a thermometer, if the electric grill doesn’t have to enable you to check the temperature of the grill when in use to avoid overheating.

Do electric grills smoke?

If you are a person that attend night wild parties or you love camping, then you must be conversant with the traditional grilling with charcoal or gas. The charcoal grill is used mainly for its capacity to cook large amounts of food at the same time. It produces that Smoky foods that some people like which is not obtainable with other grills.

The smoke that comes from the charcoal or gas fired grills is mainly from the fire that comes from it and a little from food being prepared. For an electric grill, it has an element which produces heat due to current resistance, so no fire is produced. 

So, do electric grills smoke? No is this answer. Electric grills do not produce smoke and that is one of the reasons while it is good for indoor grilling. You can only see fumes from the electric grill that is caused by the food being produced. So you can use an electric grill in your sitting room when you have a family party.

Can electric grills get wet?

Most times we have parties it is mainly in an open environment and rain can meet us. So it is important to know if our electric grill can be used while it is raining or getting wet.

A general safety guide for all electric appliances is not to allow it sockets get wet or other electrical parts touch water. This is to prevent electric shock and damage to its components.

So can electric grills get wet? No, you should not allow your electric grill to get wet in order not to damage the components and also for your safety from electric shock. So when it is raining, it is advisable not to let the rain fall on the electric grill. It should be covered completely or move to a shade where water will not touch it. Avoid using wet hands too when operating the grill.