Is it worth buying an electric barbecue? The pros and cons that nobody tells you

Summer arrives and with it the barbecue season is officially inaugurated. Any excuse is a good one to buy the best meat -although there are those who barbecue fish or who, more and more, incorporate vegetables into the equation- and get down to work in a process that has something liturgical and that almost all groups usually falls into the hands of the same person. In recent times, the use of electric barbecues has proliferated compared to gas, wood, or charcoal, a practical and comfortable choice that depends in many cases on the tastes and preferences of each diner. 

“In the end, there is no better option than another, but rather the choice of barbecue depends, ultimately, on the needs of the users,” says Jasmina Lull, manager of SLP Barbacoas, an exclusive national importer and distributor of the brand names. quality. Lull insists that we should not confuse a barbecue with a plancha , a very common mistake. 

“Electric irons are one thing, which is plugged into the present and puton the table, and barbecues are another, which must meet conditions such as having several burners, an oven lid, and a cooking grill,” he points out.

1. For outdoor use only

As much as a priori it may seem like a safe option indoors since after all we also turn on electric irons and many other household appliances,They are very practical for small balconies or terraces that have a power outlet because they are quick and easy to use. As they do not require combustion, they are also very safe.

2. Does not require fuel

The fact that it is enough to plug it into the current and press a button to start using an electric barbecue is an incentive for many and a drawback for all those who love to battle with fire until they manage to tame it. As it does not require fuel to be stored at home, it is a very safe option, in addition to the fact that it will never happen to us that we run out of firewood or coal and have to look for improvised solutions.

. Easy to use

For Lull, of all the types of barbecue that exist, the electric and gas ones are the easiest to use, while the rest require some skill on the part of the grill master. “Both electric and gas barbecues have the advantage that they are very easy to use and have practically the same features. Once used, they are removed, cleaned, stored and used again,” he explains.

4. They need a connection point

The manager of SLP Barbacoas recalls that an electric barbecue will always need a power outlet, so this point should be taken into account if we are one of those who want to move it here and there, for example, those people who often rent rural houses and apartments since sometimes there are no power outlets outside. In this case, it is worth considering the possibility of acquiring a gas barbecue, a solvent option, is equally practical and safe, that does not require an electrical connection. 

5. The materials

Not all electric barbecues are the same. While we can find some at very reasonable prices (Lidl’s, for €34.99, which has become one of its flagship products, is a good example), there are other models that can reach €1,000. This is due, among other things, to the quality of the materials with which they are made. “Most electric barbecues on the market have chrome or stainless steel grills. There are also cast iron or enameled porcelain, although they are less frequent”, explains Lull.

6. Easy to clean

Electric barbecues have a tray with water into which excess fat falls, which makes them relatively easy to clean, unlike what happens with wood or charcoal. In the case of the latter, cleaning is usually more complex, since in general terms the fat remains stuck to the grill and can sometimes be difficult to descale.

7. Healthy

Not only do they allow you to cook healthy foods without the need for added fats (white meat, fish, vegetables …), but they also avoid the inconveniences associated with health that kamado smoker can cause. The Spanish Agency for Food Safety and Nutrition (AESAN) points out, in this sense, that there is “a group of more than one hundred different chemical substances that are formed mainly during the incomplete combustion of organic matter such as coal , oil, gasoline and garbage as well.

However, the European Health Authority (EFSA), an organization that studies the risks of the food chain, establishes that consuming these substances from time to time does not imply any risk to health, while in the case of those people who ingest them with frequently “risks cannot be ruled out”.

8. Size matters

Electric barbecues are usually smaller, so if there are many of us at home or we usually organize large gatherings, it is not a good option. They are ideal, however, if we have a small balcony or terrace with a power outlet.

9. And the taste too

The electric barbecue allows not only control of the cooking temperature throughout the process and to modify it depending on the needs of the food but also to distribute of the heat evenly so that it is practically impossible to fail. The food will always be delicious and at its point, very difficult to cause big disasters as it can happen with a fire barbecue, which can give rise to authentic aubergines. However, despite the regularity that an electric barbecue can offer, the flavor of the food will never have that unmistakable point that the embers and wood provide.