Indoor grills are a staple in every kitchen now. And consumers are flocking to the stores to buy the best that money can buy. However, not everyone may be looking forward to buying the fanciest grill. There are many people, like you and me, who would rather settle for something simple, affordable and something that gets the job done. In dedication to such customers, today I’ll be reviewing the Elite Gourmet EMG 980B indoor grill, which seems like it could probably make the cut.
However, I don’t want my readers to decide a purchase based on just consumer buzz. I will, therefore, walk you through the entire grill, step by step and feature by feature so that you know if you are getting your money’s worth. We also talked about this unit here in our mega indoor grill guide. Let’s start!
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The Elite Gourmet EMG 980B Indoor Grill at First Sight
This indoor grill is not like one of those gigantic, boxy ones that you see most of the time. It is more of a pan-style grill, if you will, and is perfect for users who do not have the luxury of dedicating away a large chunk of premium space in the kitchen or dining just for a grill.
On the contrary, the Elite Gourmet EMG 980B indoor grill does have a spacious cooking surface considering that it could easily accommodate up to 3 to 4 servings at any given time. Essentially, it’s compact yet very generous with its cooking surface.
Grill
Before I shed light on any other feature of the Elite Gourmet EMG 980B grill, I would like to first begin with the most important one: the grills!
This indoor grill comes with a round body, meaning you have a circle grill. It has a large 14-inch cooking surface with very prominent grill ridges on the cooking surface. These ridges make for an excellent char and of course, grill marks which we all know and love. And the grill plate itself is removable from the unit which makes cleaning it SO much easier have. Fixed plates, in other words, translates to a very difficult cleaning. The Elite Gourmet EMG 980B grill furthermore features a non-stick cooking surface, so wiping away any grease and residue shouldn’t need much effort at all!
Temperature
Now, let’s move on to the second most important feature of the grill: temperature.
The Elite Gourmet EMG 980B indoor grill offers you 5 different temperature settings, which is great considering how most indoor grills in this price range skimp on temperature adjustments. You get the temperature from less than 195 degrees Fahrenheit (or “ON”) to maximum 445 degrees Fahrenheit. The other stops include 250 and 355 degrees Fahrenheit. Apart from this, one other feature of the grill includes its power cord, which can be detached from the unit. I know it may not sound like much, but it definitely helps with storage when they cord can easily bend and tear from being squashed in a corner.
Lid
The best thing, and probably the most useful accessory to come with any grill machine is a lid.
And the Elite Gourmet EMG 980B does not disappoint. The grill comes with a beautiful tempered glass lid which is also vented for pressure-control. Its stainless steel side fits perfectly into the circumference of the grill and prevents any splatters from hot oil. The lid is also great for steaming through foods which help it cook faster. It moreover helps to keep the food warm on the grill after you are done the cooking. And finally, it has a nice heat-proof knob or handles on the top for safe grip as well. I, personally, liked this feature a lot, and I know you will appreciate and acknowledge its significance from your very first use as well.
Construction
You also may want to know a little bit about the Elite Gourmet EMG 980B’s body and build as well.
The grill is made mostly out of quality aluminum and has cool-touch safety handles and base which prevent any potential burns when you touch the sides. Apart from that, the grill weighs just 6 pounds and measures 17.2 x 17 x 4.1 inches in dimensions. See? Compact! Next, you have the drip tray on the bottom of the base. The drip tray, like the grill plates, is obviously removable and dishwasher safe. You have to give this grill props for easy-clean design, that’s for sure.
And finally, you have the knob to the side of the unit which controls the temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the Elite Gourmet EMG 980B indoor grill
Q: Could I consider the Elite Gourmet EMG 980B indoor grill to be smokeless?
Answer: Good point. The Elite Gourmet EMG 980B grill produces little to no smoke. However, you must understand that if there’s fire (well.. .heat, technically), there will always be smoke.
So, there may be a little smoke here and there specially when you sear any meat of moisture-rich food like tomatoes, zucchini, etc. Nevertheless, in conclusion, it is a smokeless grill by all means.
Q: Does the grill plate tilt a little to drip out the grease?
Answer: Yes, it does. It in fact has a clip below the unit to make it tilt.
- The Elite Gourmet EMG 980B is very lightweight and compact; portable and great for small kitchens.
- Offers a large cooking surface.
- Is non-stick and smokeless.
- Offers 5 temperature settings.
- The grill plate is removable.
- Drip-pan is removable and dishwasher safe.
- Power cord is detachable.
- Comes with a lid.
- Features cool-touch handles and base
- The thermostats tends to malfunction.
- Grill plate is not dishwasher safe; manual cleaning only.
- Non-stick coating may come off to rigorous cleaning
Conclusion
The Elite Gourmet EMG 980B indoor grill is evidently as the very impressive grill, to say the least. Although I must deduct a few points for poor thermostat and coating; letting the non-dishwashers safe grill plate slide this time since it is a common trend. At the end of the day, however, the grill is powerful, smart, and most importantly, ridiculously affordable. It may not be the best indoor grill in the world, but will definitely not fail to impress you. In conclusion, I would recommend it.
This was my take on the Elite Gourmet EMG 980B indoor grill. I hope you got everything you needed to know from this review, but just in case, feel free to click on the product link for more details. Good luck!
