Grilling outside is a favorite activity when it’s hot inside or the weather is good to enjoy the outer atmosphere. This scenario now comes to the other when the outer atmosphere is not good even though you want to smell that sweet taste of steak coming from the grill.
If you have a garage or car porch you are on the safe side what if you are living in an apartment? Here comes the smokeless grill known for its exceptional advantage of no-smoke cooking. It is an electric grill that makes the steak just like the steak you grill on your outdoor grills. In the article How do smokeless grills work we are going to discuss the cooking method and minimizing the chances of smoke while grilling indoors.
Are Smokeless Grills Really Smokeless?
Smokeless grills are designed to minimize smoke production by incorporating several technologies and the design to ensure a clean, smoke-free grilling experience. But no electric grill is completely smokeless because it sears the food that produces smoke.
The smoke is light enough to set off the alarm. Open flames cause intense smoke that you had observed while grilling outside on open flame so the technology adopted by the electric grill is infrared heat.
It cooks the food perfectly and gives grill marks because the grates get hot enough to make those lines on the food. The smoke is also minimized by the grease pan placed below the grates. Put water in the tray and the hot juice when drips directly gets cold without producing smoke.
How do Smokeless Grills Work?
Heat source
The smokeless grill comes with two types of heat source for grilling the food. The first is electric coils or elements that get heated and cook the food, while the other uses infrared technologies. The electric coil heats the grill without producing the open flame and grills the food slowly without giving the food intense heat. You can consider this cooking like indirect heat which cooks the food instead of searing it fast.
The infrared radiation produced by the grill directly heats the food placed right above the grates. This grill does not make the surrounding air hot present in the chamber. You can think of an infrared grill as an electric oven that cooks food through microwave radiation. The indirect contact between the heat source and the food minimizes the smoke and makes the apartment clean from oily smoke.
Drip Tray and Grease Management
The drip tray is designed to collect the grease directly coming from the food positioned right below the grates. When the heat releases the juice from the food drips on the grates and they deliver it to the drip pan.
There is no direct contact of the juice with the heat source so the amount of smoke gets minimized. If you fill the tray with water the hot juice will drip directly into the tray, preventing them from burning and helps in cleaning the grill afterwards.
Built-in Fans
Indoor smokeless grills come with built-in fans that significantly reduce smoke production. The smoke produced during the grilling is circulated within the grill through the fans and the filters in the grill catch the food particles and smoke leaving the clean air. These fans not only help limit the smoke but also help circulate the hot air in the grill.
Grill Grates
Smokeless grills come with highly advanced grill grates that you will find in high-quality outdoor grills. The grates are made from non-stick or ceramic-coating materials. It prevents the food from sticking which causes the smoke when the grates get intensely hot.
The inner material of the grates is aluminum or stainless steel which helps in even heat distribution and cooking the food without giving hotspots.
Temperature Control
The grill comes with adjustable thermostats to help set specific temperatures on the grill. If you know the right temperature to cook steak on a grill and set the temperature for it, you will achieve perfect results from the smokeless grill. The consistent and accurate temperature prevents the food from burning and minimizes the risks of fumes or smoke while grilling.
Compact Design and Tempered Lid.
The grill is manufactured in such a way as to fix everything within the compact design. It has two compartments with fans and filters in the inner one. The big compartment is for grilling in which the drip tray is placed above the heating coil to minimize smoke.
The grates have groves that help drain the juice in the drip plate. The tempered lid helps in observing the food while grilling and restricts the smoke from spreading in the house.
What do You Cook on a Smokeless Grill?
Smokeless grill is the same grill that you are using outside for grilling and cooking. The only difference is the heating source and the way of using them. You can take your smokeless grill outside but you can’t take the charcoal or gas grill indoors because doing that is dangerous.
However, you can cook everything on the smokeless grill from pork chops to making burgers and the results will be the same because the basic technology added to those grills is the same as the other grills. You will get perfect grill marks, locked juice within the meat, and perfectly cooked food on the smokeless grill.
Smokeless Grills are Healthy for Grilling?
In smokeless grills, the electric coil makes the grates hot and cooks the food. It doesn’t produce the carbon or other gases that charcoal and gas grills produce while burning. It doesn’t burn the food with the intense heat so the carcinogens are not formed on the food.
You can trim the extra fats from the meat that causes smoke to minimize the smoke, or you can select lean and delicate meat for grilling. In this way, smokeless grills give a healthy steak without producing enough smoke.
Grilling Indoors is the Same as Grilling Outside?
Grilling outside gives a sense of relaxation and enjoyment. The smoke which gives additional happiness is absent while grilling inside on a smokeless grill. The gathering with your people somehow makes the grilling a memorable moment.
Holding steak in one hand while a bottle of beer in the other and laughing loudly are the happiest moments I remember while grilling outside. So, honestly, it is not the same however, you will get a good appetite while grilling indoors on the smokeless grill.
How do Indoor Grills Minimize the Smoke?
Smokeless grills come with a lid, fans, and grease tray. Juice is produced when the coil gives enough heat to cook the meat directly flowing on the grates to the grease or drip tray. There is no option left for the grease to come in contact with the hot coil that burns it and produces smoke.
The minimum smoke produced is collected within the grilling chamber because the lid does not allow it to spread and the fans and filters help to decrease the smoke by absorbing in the filters.
Final Thoughts
Smokeless grills help in cooking food indoors without producing smoke. However, the reality is different, because when the food comes in contact with hot grills it produces smoke. However, it is not enough to set the fire alarm or make it uncomfortable to sit around. The electricity heats the electric coil and the coil makes the grill grates hot for making the food.
The juice is collected in the drip tray before it strikes the hot coil that causes smoke. It is situated above the electric coils in a perfect way to collect all the grease. The limited amount of smoke produced is removed through filters that are installed along with the fans. Keep in mind if you don’t close the lid while grilling make a mess and the surrounding area will be filled with smoke.