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Sear box is on the right. Really nice to do hours-long smokes without feeding wood or charcoal.
Posted on 08/22/2023 3:06:09 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Don’t roll your eyes just yet.
For my entire adult life, I have wanted a grill. There was just one problem: Living in New York City apartments meant I couldn’t have one. When I moved to Austin a few years ago, I thought a grill would come with it, but it didn’t, My condo has several balconies, but my partner, an avid rule-follower, was extremely against letting me add a propane set up to one (everyone else was doing it anyway!).
I think I must’ve worn her down, because a few months ago, she finally caved. Needless to say, I began my hunt for the perfect grill immediately. But, as things like this tend to go, fate took hold. Weber launched a new grill, and the brand wanted to know if I’d like to test it. There was just one catch: “It’s electric,” the email read.
Let’s take a minute and back up. I am not a hyper-masculine guy. I drive a VW Golf in Texas, surrounded by Ford F-150s, and my partner handles most of the cockroaches we find around. With that said, an electric grill sounded like a breaking point. I mean, isn’t the whole point of grilling to cook over fire?
This is the sentiment I got from any friend I asked. But there was one more addition: If any brand could do it, it’d be Weber, many of them added. So I decided to test the grill out, for science. I thought it would be the perfect compromise — I could have a grill and my partner wouldn’t have to worry about me burning down our home. Well, after using it for a month, I’m happy to report that I’ve compromised very little.
Weber Lumin Electric Grill WEBER To buy: Weber Lumin Electric Grill, $479 at weber.com
The Weber Lumin is fairly compact and rightfully so. It was designed for apartment dwellers, after all. Measuring 12- by 26- by 19-inches total with the lid closed, and providing 242 square inches of cooking surface, it is able to fit on an outdoor table easily. It is powered by electricity, and there is a little pack you insert into the grill, and then plug into the outlet. It takes a little getting used to tiptoeing around extension cords instead of lighting briquettes, but once you’ve done it a few times, it feels (somewhat) normal.
My main concern with the grill was that it wouldn’t get hot enough. I began to feel better once it arrived and I realized that the grates were made of cast iron. Once I fired it up (or plugged it in), it was able to reach 600°F in about fifteen minutes. Needless to say, I was impressed. And when I saw the sear on the carne asada I threw on it, I was even more impressed: perfect grill marks.
Weber Lumin Electric Grill Author Image FOOD & WINE / DANIEL MODLIN Of course, your food won’t be imbued with the same charcoal flavoring you’d get with a charcoal grill, but if you were going to go the propane route, this is eerily similar. There are some cool added features here, too. Beyond grill grates, the Lumin also comes with a reversible tray for smoking and steaming, so in theory you could smoke a portion of brisket in it if you wanted to.
But, of course, there are a few issues with the grill. The first is that it isn’t quite tall enough to fit a beer-can chicken, so I still have to use my oven for that. The second is that you have to keep it clean. Grease and marinade seep into the grill naturally, but unlike a propane grill that will turn this to bits, you’re working with a heated coil, which means if you don’t clean the interior on a semi-regular basis, you end up with a lot of smoke. Overall, cleaning it is fairly easy to do, but worth mentioning.
Weber Lumin Electric Grill Author Image FOOD & WINE / DANIEL MODLIN So far, I’ve been nothing but impressed. I’ve made carne asada, cedar plank salmon, grilled chicken (I wanted to make beer-can chicken but had to pivot), lamb chops, and I’ve even soaked some peaches in bourbon and threw them on the grill for a flame-kissed dessert. Everything has been delicious, and while I’m grilling, I tend to forget I’m cooking on an electric grill (until my dog starts playing with the extension cord).
All in all, the Lumin does what it’s supposed to do, and does it well. Is it the smoker of your dreams? Probably not. But life, relationships, and cooking is about compromises. And this is a pretty great one to make, if you want my opinion.
At the time of publishing, the price was $479.
LOL. Fact check true.
They work pretty well in winter or for a quick couple burgers.
Guy sounds like a faggot to me.
Sear box is on the right. Really nice to do hours-long smokes without feeding wood or charcoal.
Thanks. Very interesting.
I just bought a 36 inch Blackstone grill. All I can say is everything tastes just like it came out of a restaurant. The best thing, with the big family I have, is you can cook egg, bacon,sausages, pancakes, and home fries all at the same time. Now I have to figure out how to bring this inside for the winter. ( just kidding)
I guess heating it up is about the same but it might be hard to regulate unlike gas.
“Electric grills are gay.”
Tell that to Big George Foreman.
Although, for the most part, I agree with you .
I can see the value.
Easy like a gas grill. Add wood smoke when you want. Precise, even temp all around.
AND had inserts to convert it a griddle. Because no matter how good your fan over the stove is, whipping up bacon, pancakes and eggs is likely to at least partially foul the air in your kitchen and more.
Ditto here!
“In any event the taste will be inferior to a simple Weber Kettle.”
You can slow smoke with it and use hickory or apple or mesquite chips.
We’ll see how well it works during the heatwave power outages.
It's not just the electric grill that's gay ...
“Tell that to Big George Foreman.”
ONE exception.
Literally EVERYONE else I’ve seen using an electric grill was gay, which was pretty OBVIOUS since they wore nothing below their belt-line.
We have the same grill. Decent grill. I'm not sure I'd buy one now. They've gotten crazy expensive.
I bought it for about 1/3 the current price almost 15 years ago. At the current price there are better options.
😂
1.) Getting excited over grill marks is a sign of ignorance.
2.) So is beer can chicken.
3.) Electric grills/smokers are a joke.
Pellet smokers are for fags. /s.
Weber charcoal grill.
Oklahoma Joe smoker.
Camp Chef smoker.
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