Elite Gourmet 12" Electric Indoor Review

The Elite Gourmet 12 is perfect if you are looking for an affordable, compact grill that is versatile enough to offer solid grilling performance on the road and from the comfort of your own home. The grill requires little assembly, and the non-stick grilling surface is easy to use, dishwasher safe, and very easy to clean, thanks to a catchment pan for that messy leftover grease. This compact grill is limited in terms of overall output power and runs a little hotter than advertised on the user-friendly temperature dial. But at only five pounds, it is very portable and well-suited for a countertop at home or inside the drawer of your camper. As long as there's a generator or electrical outlet nearby, the Elite Gourmet won't disappoint.

Performance Comparison

Output Power

The Elite Gourmet is not the grill for folks prioritizing output power. This niche grill is a lightweight, compact, portable option with just enough power to sear meats. The 1200-watt power is on the low end when considering other propane gas and charcoal options. It is also tricky because it will require a generator or otherwise electrified campsite if you want to bring it on the road.

After cranking the temperature dial to the highest heat, it took about 10 minutes to reach the maximum temperature, which we measured as 550 °F instead of the advertised 450 °F listed on the temperature dial. This reading was taken after removing the tempered glass lid sitting over the grilling surface. After carefully monitoring the temperatures in 20-minute increments, we noted that we could achieve the best results – more consistent with the advertised temperatures – without using the lid. While the circular integrated heating element of the Elite Gourmet is designed to optimize heating, we ultimately found this grill to run hotter than advertised. However, we appreciated the cool touch exterior knob that allowed us to constantly monitor temperatures without burning our fingers. This compact grill really packs a punch for its design.

Control

The Elite Gourmet 12 features a user-friendly temperature control dial with five adjustable settings ranging from 200 °F to 450 °F. During our testing period, we carefully monitored the grill's temperature with an infrared thermometer and compared the reading to the temperature listed on the dial.

While the Elite Gourmet remained fairly consistent uncovered, the actual temperature reading was significantly hotter if we placed the tempered glass lid over top. Even if it cooks hotter than expected, our patented “toast test” – which helps create a heat map of the cooking surface – revealed steady temperatures across the grill plate. Overall, we appreciated this little grill's ability to crank for recipes that called for seared meats while still maintaining enough of a temperature range to grill veggies and burgers more gently.

Portability

Measuring only 17" x 17" x 4", or 0.7 cubic feet, the Elite Gourmet 12" can easily be stored on your countertop at home or secured in one of the drawers inside your camper. It also only weighs five pounds, making it one of the lightest grills we've tested.

After lugging around other grill options with awkward stands, heavy weights, and greasy bases, the clean, lightweight, and super compact design of the Elite Gourmet appealed to our test team. If you're looking for a super easy-to-use, easy-to-clean, and very portable grilling option, this might be the right choice for you.

Cooking Area

The compact size of the Elite Gourmet 12, unfortunately, and perhaps obviously, compromises its cooking area. Measuring only 12 inches by 12 inches, or 144 square inches, the size can be limiting if you're preparing an entire meal for a group all at once. However, our team easily prepared large meals for two people during our testing period.

The non-stick grilling surface features a drip pan to catch all the unwanted excess grease and oils from our favorite cuts of meat. The large, tempered lid also prevented any grease from splattering, a nice feature for those looking to use this grill indoors. The non-stick surface is super easy to clean up, especially with the option to remove the grill from its base to wash in the sink or dishwasher at home, or the water spigot in the campground. Even though the cooking area is one of the smaller surfaces we tested, we considered the trade-off for its portable design entirely worth it.

Wind Resistance

The Elite Gourmet 12 features an electric non-stick grilling surface that is entirely protected by a tempered glass lid, effectively shielding the surface from any high winds.

Considering that this grill is designed for indoor use – without any propane burners or coal – our testing team is confident that this grill won't miss a beat while grilling, even if the forecast calls for high winds.

Should You Buy the Elite Gourmet 12"?

We were highly impressed with the overall cooking performance, portability, and wind resistance offered by the Elite Gourmet 12. This grill offers enough output power to sear meats and enough temperature control to grill soft-skin veggies to perfection. The non-stick grilling surface measured consistent temperatures across its modest 144 square inches. The combination of the non-stick surface, removable grill plate, grease catchment pan, and tempered glass lid makes this grill a great choice to avoid a messy cleanup. While the grilling surface is limited when cooking for a group, and the overall wattage is minimal when compared to the output power of other propane gas and charcoal options, the ease of use and cleanup and excellent portability make this one of the best, affordable, electric options we have tested to date.

What Other Portable Grills Should You Consider?

If you like the idea of a highly portable, easy-to-clean, electric grill but prefer a stand-up option with a larger cooking area, check out the George Foreman Indoor/Outdoor 12+. This grill offers a similar non-stick surface but is more suited for grilling for small groups, both indoors and outdoors. It can even convert to an over-sized grill top for the table by removing the plastic stand. If you want to try something new, the Solaire Everywhere is our favorite infrared grill. Although it takes a bit of a learning curve to perfect your technique, this specialized grill sears red meats like no other. And speaking of perfection, the Weber Traveler is about as good as it gets – if you're willing to invest in a top-of-the-line portable grill.