Barbecues under power: K-Tipp tests electric barbecues
9.5.2025
Translation: machine translated
Charcoal or gas? Many people ask themselves this question when it comes to a new barbecue. Perhaps it's time to consider another option. Because the next barbecue can also be a success with an electric barbecue, as a test by K-Tipp shows.
Years ago, I was invited to a work colleague's house for a game of cards and a barbecue. She lived in an apartment block in the centre of the old town, and for smoke-related reasons only an electric barbecue was an option. OK, a few sausages, that'll work, I thought. Think again! The electric grill with the surface area of a vinyl record didn't get up to speed and barely produced any power. I think my electric toothbrush gets warmer during use than this grill ever could. The sausages looked correspondingly pathetic, they would have been better off in a frying pan (where they ended up).
So yes, as the owner of a small but fine charcoal grill, I have my prejudices. However, after the latest K-Tipp test, I am inclined to revise my opinion of electric barbecues.
Test summary in a nutshell
The Swiss magazine for consumers tested ten electric barbecues from different brands. Not a single one failed, they all scored good or sufficient. Barbecuing is also possible without flames, coal and smoke, K-Tipp states. One power socket is enough.
Good grilling results are also possible with electric appliances.
Well then, let's take a closer look at this.
Swiss electric grill master
The «Grill Force 2200» from Trisa reaches a temperature of 200 degrees across the entire grilling surface after just ten minutes. This is unrivalled, as the test average is 17 minutes until the appliances are ready.
The Trisa received the best of all electric barbecues for grilling with a Swiss score of 5.4, but the worst for temperature retention (4). Nevertheless, the «Grill Force 2200» cannot be denied the test victory: Overall score of 5.3 and «Good».
Well done
«Good» are also the electric barbecues from BBQ Master (5.1), Ohmex (4.9) and Outdoorchef (4.9). An extra star goes to the «Electric Grill 3660» from Ohmex: It is the cheapest among the «good» and therefore the K-Tipp's best buy. It also keeps the temperature the longest in the test. As soon as we have supplies, you can buy it from us again.
Done
The remaining electric barbecues scored 4.7 or 4.6 «Sufficient». These include own brands from Landi, Fust and Hornbach as well as another model from test winner Trisa and one from Steba.
Grill the Weber
Which might surprise barbecue aficionados: The electric barbecue from Weber also has to join the «Enough» ranks. In fact, the «Q1400» receives good or solid marks almost across the board, with the exception of safety. According to K-Tipp, its lid heated up to over 150 degrees near the handle. At this temperature, you could seriously burn your fingers. Do you know what I always have close to hand when grilling? Barbecue or oven gloves.
Item, with us you can get the Weber barbecue with stand (as tested) or without.
Yes, but the power consumption?
An electric grill in operation consumes a lot of electricity, no question about it. According to K-Tipp, the appliances tested consumed between 1.13 and 2.13 kilowatt hours (kWh) when running at the highest setting for half an hour. At an electricity price of 29 cents per kWh, this will cost you between 33 and 62 cents. For the same grilling time, you need about a kilo of charcoal, for which you pay more than twice as much (the tested price is at least 1.30 francs).
If you use an electric appliance, it's cheaper to barbecue with it than with charcoal.
And even gas barbecues tend to be slightly more expensive. There, half an hour of operation costs between 50 cents and one franc.
Energy costs are rarely the deciding factor when choosing a barbecue, but rather the condition of the often high-quality and expensive food that is cooked on it. This is one of the reasons why I won't be throwing my charcoal barbecue in the bin just because of this K-Tip test. I just like it smoky. At the same time, I recognise that electric barbecues seem to have become a viable alternative since my last experience with them. It's great when there's a suitable barbecue for every situation.
What do you think of barbecuing under power? The Community and I are interested in your opinion.
Header image: Shutterstock / Mccallk6921
I'm a full-blooded dad and husband, part-time nerd and chicken farmer, cat tamer and animal lover. I would like to know everything and yet I know nothing. I know even less, but I learn something new every day. What I am good at is dealing with words, spoken and written. And I get to prove that here.
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