Best health grills, tried and tested by the Good Housekeeping Institute

Score: 90/100

A speedy two-and-a-half-minute pre-heat time ensures you don’t have to wait long to start grilling your favourite foods. There’s just one dial to adjust the temperature, but note, there’s no way of knowing the exact cooking temperature with labels only for the lowest and highest setting.

It was still easy to use though, and testers liked the 180-degree, fold-out design, which doubled the grilling space. Our burgers cooked in 12 minutes, while chicken took just over 18 minutes. Both came out evenly cooked, nicely browned, and juicy without being greasy thanks to the removable drip tray.

You can’t remove the grill plates though, which could make cleaning tricker. However, our testers did find that the non-stick surface meant you could easily wipe any residue off with a damp cloth.

Score: 89/100

From the original lean, mean grilling machine maker, this straightforward George Foreman grill is designed to be easy to use, and thanks to its removable control panel, easy to clean. The whole machine can be submerged in water or placed in the dishwasher for fuss-free cleaning. It also has a floating hinge to allow for thicker cuts of meat and fish.

This health grill ticked all our boxes with its speedy five-minute heat-up time, evenly cooked results and generous grilling space. Our burgers had satisfying char marks and were ready to serve in under seven minutes, while our juicy chicken breasts were fully cooked in 12 minutes. It was delightfully easy to clean and as its wide plates can fit four burgers at a time, it’s a great addition to any family’s kitchen.

There isn’t a timer included so have your stopwatch (read: phone) to hand to keep track of your grill timings. The exterior can get rather warm while it’s in use too, so be sure to only touch the handle.

Score: 87/100

This is a cleverly designed grill with an integrated temperature probe to ensure meat is cooked exactly as you like it. It can also open out flat for a larger grilling surface.

It scored highly across our meat tests, reaching full temperature in around four minutes, and had even coverage across the grilling area. Our vegetables charred well too, although they did cook slightly unevenly due to the thickness of the grill’s ridges.

Score: 87/100

This is Tefal’s newest health grill. It has an automatic sensor, a “searing boost” mode for meats and a manual setting – but it can’t open up flat. The plates sit at a steeper angle than other models, so fat runs off very effectively. Tefal claims this is its “most advanced grill ever” and it does come with a lot of functions, including 12 cooking modes and a searing setting. It also shares the same Automatic Sensor Cooking and frozen food function as the Optigrill+ XL above.

Heat-up time varies depending on the cooking programme (just under six minutes for a steak and around four minutes for burgers). There are plenty of veg-specific cooking options, including those for potatoes, peppers, aubergines and tomatoes, and our vegetables were well cooked with nicely defined grill lines. Just note, this is a large piece of kit, so may not be the one for you if you’re short on cupboard space.

Score: 82/100

Featuring 12 cooking programmes and enough space to make six portions, the ProCook grill put in a solid performance in our lab tests. It pre-heated in just five minutes and cooked our chicken breasts and beef burgers well, sealing in moisture and flavour. Vegetables were well grilled too, with nice charring on the outside.

The non-stick cooking plates worked like a dream, and the plates and tray are both dishwasher-safe, so cleaning is completely fuss-free. Our testers would have liked some more information on how to use each of the settings effectively – some guesswork was needed to get a better sear on the burgers – and the lack of a handle means you can’t carry it very easily.

Overall, though, it’s a good quality health grill that’s ideal for family dinner times.

Score: 80/100

With 19 recipes in its instruction booklet, this George Foreman is great for beginners. Testers appreciated the clear indicator lights that switched from red to green after the two-minute heat-up period and the floating hinges that allow you to cook thicker foods evenly.

The large, non-stick grill plate cooked burgers, chicken and veggies very well, leaving excellent grill lines and plenty of moisture in the food. However, the external casing recorded a temperature of more than 90-degrees during cooking – a safety hazard, particularly for families with children. Using the handle should avoid any burnt fingers though.

Cleaning the grill plates is a little tricky due to the deep ridges but there’s plenty of guidance in the manual to help you get it looking spick-and-span in no time.