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Indoor Korean bbq grills are going to change your life! That’s right. I said it. No longer the days when you have to scour the internet for authentic Korean restaurants and spend premium prices for delicious Korean BBQ.
With this type of electric grill, you can enjoy a feast of different types of meat from the comfort of your dining table. You can now experience Korean cooking first-hand, with the whole family having fun, gathering around the table, and participating in indoor grilling together.
There are a wide variety of these types of grills out there. They remind me of an indoor flat top griddle.
Luckily, we have narrowed it down to the five best indoor Korean BBQ grills at an affordable price, accompanied by the only buying guide you will ever need.
Quick Overview:
TECHEF – Stovetop Korean BBQ Non-Stick Grill Pan and Gas Stove Burner
CookKing – Master Grill Pan, Korean Traditional BBQ Grill Pan
Korean Style BBQ Grill Pan with Maifan Coated Surface Non-stick
SEAAN Electric Hot Pot Grill Barbecue Grill Indoor Hot Pot
So let’s get into it.
What is an Indoor Korean BBQ Grill?
An indoor Korean BBQ grill is a cooking appliance that allows you to cook Korean barbecue inside your home. These grills are designed to mimic the experience of cooking meats and vegetables over an open flame, like at a traditional Korean barbecue restaurant.
Indoor Korean BBQ grills have a flat, heated surface that can be electric or propane-powered. They typically have multiple burners so you can control the temperature across different parts of the grill. Many also have built-in exhaust or ventilation to remove smoke and grease.
To use an indoor Korean BBQ grill, you cook thinly sliced meats like beef bulgogi and pork belly. The meat is often marinated in Korean barbecue sauce or marinades before being grilled. You can also grill vegetables like mushrooms, onions, zucchini, etc. The meats and veggies are served alongside rice, kimchi, lettuce wraps and other Korean side dishes.
Part of the appeal of Korean barbecue is the interactive, communal dining experience. Indoor grills allow you to gather family and friends together to grill, eat and socialize right at home. Everyone can cook their meat and veggies just how they like it. The indoor grill helps recreate the fun experience without needing to go to a restaurant.
Indoor Korean BBQ grills have become popular appliances because they enable authentic Korean barbecue in a convenient at-home format. They bring the culinary experience and flavors of Korea to your own kitchen and dining room.
What Should You Look for in an Indoor Korean BBQ Grill
There are a few crucial components to picking out the perfect Korean BBQ grill to fit your needs. Here we highlight some things you should consider before purchasing yours.
Non-Stick Surfaces
Non-stick coatings are one of the first things you should look for when inspecting the grill plates of a potential Korean BBQ grill purchase.
With a Korean grill, an emphasis is put on healthy eating, with lean cuts of meat and a lack of oil required. This makes a durable non-stick coating on the cooking surface vital, so you can cook food to perfection, to your preferred food shade, without worrying that it will stick to the surface and burn.
It also makes cleaning up after quick and easy!
Excess Grease Removal
No one wants to eat a delicious barbecue with a side of grease and oil.
Luckily, a lot of Korean grills have been designed with drainage features. Look out for the indoor grill with a grease drip tray, or a simple design with a hole in the middle to allow oil to run off the grilling surface.
This is so important to keeping your meat cuts lean and preventing excess grease from clogging up the indoor grill and burning. This can create a very unpleasant experience.
Adjustable Heat Controls
Keeping food warm, or cooking delicious meats to your standard can be especially important, particularly when using a smokeless grill for steaks.
Everyone’s cooking process can vary for different types of food. This makes having a high adjustable temperature range vital.
Also, having a good heat distribution is important for any grill type, especially Korean BBQ. The circular heating element can result in evenly cooked meat and improved efficiency, so you can have your favorite meal in minutes.
Grill Surface
An electric indoor Korean BBQ grill can have various types of surfaces that all work perfectly well but must be decided on preference.
Most grills use a cast aluminum or aluminum alloy, which is combined with a non-stick surface to avoid corrosion. Cast iron can also be used and is a little more durable. However, it is a lot heavier, resulting in a less portable grill.
Aim for grills that have a grooved surface, with this simple design feature helping to get the Korean style sear. This type of design also helps with running excess oil to the grease tray and preventing it from sitting in one place.
Power Input and Cooking Time
The power being supplied to your heat source is very important for determining how long you are waiting for your meal to cook, or your BBQ grill to heat up.
No one wants to be waiting around because their grill won’t cook their chicken thoroughly, or their steak to their liking. It’s even more embarrassing if you are holding a large party or family gathering.
Therefore, try and aim to buy the Korean BBQ with the highest power input. For reference, anything above the 1000-watt mark will work perfectly, but make sure to check the reviews to determine how other customers got on with it.
What Are The 5 Best Indoor Korean BBQ Grill
TECHEF – Stovetop Korean BBQ Non-Stick Grill Pan and Gas Stove Burner
This Indoor Korean BBQ is an excellent option for those of you looking for high power.
Arguably the highest power on this list, TECHEF boasts 2800 kcal/hr, which is roughly equivalent to over 3000 watts of power.
You will notice at first glance that the tabletop grill has a very ergonomic design, with the aluminum pan sitting above the heat source at a slight angle. This innovative design is engineered for healthy cooking, with the surfaces swirled channel design helping excess grease funnel out.
The grill is finished with a nonstick coating. This makes cooking easy, and the cleaning after even easier. The removable grill plate also helps to get rid of the majority of the grease left behind.
While this design does include an adjustable thermostat, the labels are very basic. Between the minimum and maximum temperature, the grill lacks an indicator of what temperature you may be at. Even then, the maximum temperature is only labeled with “on”.
Pros
- A very high-powered grill, making cooking efficient.
- Large grill surface, giving you a lot of cooking space.
- Finished with non-stick cooking surfaces.
- Removable grill plate.
- The swirled channel design helps remove excess grease.
- Adjustable heat controls are present.
Cons
- Lack of visible light indicators, and temperature indicators.
- Lack of heat-resistant technology.
- Not a very portable grill.
CookKing – Master Grill Pan, Korean Traditional BBQ Grill Pan
Looking for a grill ideal for a large group of people? Then this is your best option.
According to the manufacturer details, this is the largest Korean BBQ grill on this list, at 16 x 2.3 x 16 in length by height by width. While it is primarily for indoor use, it is also a great option as an outdoor grill.
The drainage system for oil is excellent, with grooves and swirls working together to drain the excess grease to the edge and allow it to pour out. You need to purchase a grease drip tray separately.
CookKing has engineered this pan with a mix of Korean tradition, and new and updated technology. This includes a lightweight aluminum material, with an outstanding non-stick finish to make cleaning easier.
This is unfortunately only the pan, so the gas stovetop needs to also be purchased separately. If you are looking for a grill that has it all in one, without needing to search for the best heat source, then look elsewhere.
If not, then this basic design is great for a large smokeless indoor party.
Pros
- Largest grill surface on the list, giving you more cooking space.
- High-quality materials.
- Comes with an innovative anti-stick coating.
- Great excess oil drainage system.
Cons
- A drainage tray is not included.
- A gas stovetop is not included.
- The pan lacks adjustable heat settings.
- Does not have any heat-resistant technology.
Korean Style BBQ Grill Pan with Maifan Coated Surface Non-stick
If you’re looking for a lightweight grill pan that is easy to use with the best oil drainage system on this list, then look no further.
While you need your drainage plate, the hot plate has been designed to perfection when it comes to cooking delicious meat while removing excess grease. The grooves and swirl design, accompanied by a tilting design, lead to a drainage hole in the middle. This helps ensure fat will not drip onto the stove.
You can cook a variety of foods on this plate, with a durable, double-layered, non-stick surface helping to keep the pan evenly heated, and easy to clean.
Again, another dilemma with this type of Korean BBQ Grill. You are just purchasing the pan.
Unfortunately, you have to research and buy the correct type of gas stove, such as a portable propane burner, to make sure your cooking is efficient and effective. This can be a little tedious as a lot of people want an all-in-one cooker.
This type of pan, therefore, lacks any type of adjustable control features.
Pros
- Excellent choice if you are particularly interested in healthy cooking and removing oil.
- Double-layered and durable.
- High-quality materials make for efficiency in cooking.
- Non-stick features make cooking and cleaning easy.
Cons
- Lacks any type of stove.
- Lacks safety mechanisms such as heat-resistant handles.
- Does not have any adjustable heat controls.
- It is quite heavy and not very portable.
Iwatani Smokeless Korean Barbecue Grill YAKIMARU CB-SLG-1
If you tend to travel a lot or are a big fan of eating good food while camping, then the Iwatani Korean BBQ grill is best.
This is the most portable grill due to its compact design and flat surface, with dimensions of 4.7 x 4.31 x 2.31, including the burner, then you can expect it to fit in any bag.
Furthermore, it is made with alloy steel, making it extremely lightweight and very versatile.
A feature I like about the Iwatani BBQ grill is its drainage system. The grooves on the pan act as a grease tray, meaning once you are done cooking, just add a bit of cold water and pour it out. This means you can cook healthy and clean more easily, which is especially important if you are traveling.
The finish is a powder coating, and while this can act fairly well as a non-stick feature, there are some better options out there.
Also, with such a small and portable burner, you can expect to give up some power. This means cooking meats is a little bit less efficient than the other grills, but I believe it’s worth it if you are camping with this item.
Pros
- Extremely small and lightweight making it a great travel grill.
- Excellent excess oil drainage system.
- Includes a gas power stove that can burn for over 200 days.
- Includes adjustable heat controls.
Cons
- It’s not the most powerful option, making cooking less efficient.
- Flimsy-looking design.
- It does not have the best non-stick features which can make it harder to clean.
SEAAN Electric Hot Pot Grill Barbecue Grill Indoor Hot Pot
SEAAN has engineered the most versatile Korean BBQ grill on this list due to its 2-in-1 grill technology.
With it having a regular grill and hotpot section with a glass lid, each with a separate adjustable heat source, you can cook a variety of foods for a large capacity of people.
This well-known company is very popular for designs like this, with all of their grills adopting a durable, thick aluminum alloy that can ensure an even heat distribution. This combines with a high-quality non-stick coating that is very good at helping keep your product clean.
You can adjust the temperature controls manually depending on the food you are cooking, and the product automatically adjusts the heat if it gets too hot.
The power of this system is also pretty good, at 110 volts, you can expect a fairly efficient cooking time. Combining this with a separating hot pot feature, you can cook a variety of foods quickly.
The excess fat drainage feature is also excellent, with the grooves working in tandem with a tilted position to pour the oil straight into a detachable drawer like an oil catcher.
The only drawback to this kind of grill is that it is not very portable, so you could only really use it at home.
Pros
- Cooks efficiently due to high power.
- Excellent non-stick surfaces.
- The electric option is safer than gas grills.
- The 2-in-1 hotpot feature allows for versatility.
- Each section comes with various temperature controls.
- Made with a durable aluminum alloy.
- The drainage system makes cleaning quick and easy.
Cons
- Very large and heavy, so it is not portable.
- Lack of visible indicator lights so may be dangerous if someone didn’t know it was on.
Conclusion
We believe the best indoor Korean BBQ grill if you are after an authentic, healthy cuisine at home, is the SEAAN Electric Hot Pot Grill Barbecue Grill Indoor Hot Pot.
Perfectly designed, it has a ton of cooking space and a 2-in-1 option making it perfect for large gatherings.
The non-stick features an oil catcher pan that makes cleaning easy, with it including everything you need to replicate Korean food.
If you are looking for a more portable option, then we recommend the Korean Style BBQ Grill Pan with Maifan Coated Surface Non-stick.
This grill is the best compact option, perfect for those of you who want your favorite meals while traveling on the road. While it lacks power, it still includes high-quality and excellent design features. It’s also a very affordable option.
So, which of these Indoor Korean BBQ Grill caught your eye?
Click on their names above and check them out now.
