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Electric BBQ Grills - Is it Time to Switch? 

Homeowners are starting to switch out natural gas-powered appliances and going all-electric (see our profile of Bruce Nilles' experience). Why? The main reason for this switch is to support our transformation to a clean energy economy. Electricity can be clean if it comes from renewable sources such as wind, solar, and hydro. In contrast, natural gas will forever be a fossil fuel and will always impact our indoor air quality. The four appliances typically gas-powered and targeted for replacement are stoves, furnaces, water heaters, and dryers. But what about our outdoor grills? Is it time to give up backyard barbecuing as we know it? Should we replace gas and charcoal for the (usually) less carbon-intensive and low-emitting outdoor electric BBQ grill?

What's the Problem With Gas and Charcoal Grills?

In one word: pollution. One hour of using a natural gas grill can release 5.6 pounds of carbon dioxide; that figure rises to 11 pounds for charcoal. According to the US EPA's greenhouse gas equivalencies calculator, that's a quarter to a half a tank of gasoline, respectively. A Mother Jones article calculated that if everyone grilled for an hour on the fourth of July, it would add up to "roughly as many emissions as burning 2,145 railcars of coal, or running one coal-fired power plant for a month."

On top of that, natural gas emits and leaks methane, a much more potent greenhouse gas, poisonous carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides, precursors to smog. There are other hazards of charcoal grills, notably their release of volatile organic compounds and the potential toxicity of briquettes soaked in lighter fluid.

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By Rise

Feb 20, 2025 · 5 min read

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What Are The Pros of Electric BBQ Grill?

  1. Ease of use
    Electric grills are easy to set up and can be used in a variety of settings. They are also easy to clean.
  2. Convenience
    Because electric grills are generally more compact, they work well in smaller back yards. A 2009 Consumer Reports lab test cited outdoor electric BBQ grills' convenience. Notably, they said, for condo and apartment dwellers whose buildings may ban the use of gas and charcoal grills. 
  3. Safer to use
    Because there is no flame, injuries and accidents from fires are less likely. If you are the chef, you will also benefit from a cleaner and safer air quality—you won't be breathing in pollutants from natural gas. 
  4. Good achievement of char on grilled foods

According to folks at Delishably, while flavor quality is not the same as charcoal or gas, "the best electric BBQ grills can produce juicy, caramelized, and seared-to-perfection meals." (The reviews on this are mixed, though; it's a subjective topic.)

What Are The Cons of Electric BBQ Grills

  1. Negative reputation for food grilling
    Anti-electric BBQ grill comments can be rabid. A review from the website AmazingRibs.com. points out that even though electric BBQ "devices" are called "grills," food cooked on them is heated by coils that get hot and glow. "There is no combustion, flame, or smoke," the evaluator writes, "so I consider them to be large panini presses or, at best, low-temperature griddles."
    Negative comments also include how long outdoor electric BBQ grills take to heat up or how they provide a sear on food but no smoky flavor.
  2. Power source
    Where your home gets its power can make a big difference in how "clean" the grill is. If, for example, coal is the source of a home's electric energy, using an electric BBQ grill may be worse for the environment than just about any other option. That's why the most significant "con" of electric BBQ grilling has to do with a home's electrical power source. The electric power grid is growing greener. But, the 2019 US Energy Information report indicates that "about 63% of this electricity generation was from fossil fuels (coal, natural gas, petroleum, and other gases). About 20% was from nuclear energy, and about 18% was from renewable energy sources."
    Is it true that using an electric grill with non-renewable sourced electricity is the wrong choice? It seems the original contention comes from an Oak Ridge National Lab report of 2003. In it, they stated that "Although electric grills emit no on-site carbon dioxide, West [Tristram West, a researcher in ORNL's Environmental Sciences Division] said they have the highest emissions per hour of all the grills when accounting for fossil fuel emissions from producing and transmitting electricity." Note, however, that this report is from over a decade and a half ago. At that time, renewable energy was only 6 percent of the total US energy produced. In 2017, it was up to 11 percent (source: US Energy Information Administration), and in 2019, it rose to 18 percent.
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george foreman electric grill
George Foreman 15-Serving Indoor/Outdoor Electric Grill. Photo Credit: Amazon

George Foreman 15-Serving Indoor/Outdoor Electric Grill

This less expensive model mentioned on The Spruce Eats (but not Best Consumer Reviews) is for sale at Walmart for $75. It has 240 square inches of cooking surface and comes on a pedestal that can be a bit tippy. Char marks are said to be a bit hit or miss.

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