Breville BGR820XL Smart Grill Review | Breville Smart Grill & Griddle
If you have been looking for a sizable indoor electric grill for a larger family, then the Breville BGR820XL Smart Grill should be the one that you should get.
I was surprised to learn that this grill can serve a family with four or more members. It is a big “manly” barbeque, one of these gadgets my husband would enjoy playing with, but it would be too difficult to handle for me.
However, this is going to be one of the kitchen appliances you would love to cook with, especially if you are looking forward to a steak dinner with your family.
When you have this die-cast stainless steel indoor barbecue and grill, you can cook your meats on its nonstick surface, so there is no more problem with cleaning afterward.
This Breville electric grill might be a bit on the bulky side, but that does not worry me – I just found a place in my kitchen where I can cook with it, and my wife puts it right there.
Please keep reading my Breville BRG820XL Smart Grill review to learn everything you need about this functional tabletop bbq from Breville.
Contents
Breville Smart Grill & Griddle Features
Here are the features of the Breville removable plate grill and griddle.
Related reading: Weber Q2400 Electric Grill Review
Dishwasher Safe Plates With Element IQ
The Breville BGR820XL is popular because of its unique element IQ technology, which makes it stand out from other grills.
Usually, when using a countertop grill, the surface temperature drops when you put on your meat or vegetables, even if the grill is preheated. The cold products make the surface lose heat which the regular appliances do not recover. What happens is that they start to heat up slowly.
With the Breville model, its smart technology notices that the temperatures have dropped, and then it adds the right amount of heat to ensure that the food continues cooking at the proper temperatures.
The grill and griddle part that forms part of the appliance can be cleaned in a dishwasher. This makes your work easier. All you have to do is give it a quick rinse and leave the rest to the dishwasher.
BGR820XL comes with a flat and a ribbed plate, which are removable. You can take them off and clean them.
Opens Flat To ‘BBQ Mode’
BGR820XL grill is designed in such a way that it can open to the point where it is flat, which makes it great for barbeques. Basically, with this device, you have a grill and a griddle at the same time.
When it is opened, the cooking area increases to 260 square inches. That is 50% more than the Weber Q1400 cooking area.
This surface can accommodate two steaks simultaneously.
Embedded Heating Design
Breville indoor grill has heating elements (1800 watts) designed inside the plates. This means that the elements do not lose the heat they generate. Instead, that heat goes into the grill plates, which is why the appliance takes a shorter time to preheat and can also recover heat fast. The results are shorter cooking periods and extremely tender meats.
Variable Temperature Control
This model allows you to choose different temperature settings. It has a dial on its right side, allowing you to make these changes and control the temperature. You can select the panini, the sear, or the low temperature depending on the dish you prepare.
Also, it comes with a switch that shows the temperature in Celsius or Fahrenheit, and you can choose either.
You may think this is an insignificant feature, but it saves you from spending on a thermometer to check the temperature of the cooking surface. The smart grill operates between 320°F to 450°F.
6 Adjustable Height Settings
The appliance comes with 6 height settings which you can quickly adjust depending on how thick the food you prepare is. The only thing you’ll do is adjust the upper plate so the dish doesn’t get squashed. The ability to control the temperature and the height ensures that you prepare your meals as you like.
You can cook various kinds of meals in it, from sandwiches to chicken, as long as you choose the height setting for that food.
Integrated Removable Drip Tray
Most grills will accumulate fat in the drip tray when cooking. The tray is integrated into the grill, and it is also removable. This makes cleaning easier because you only have to take out the tray, wash it, and put it back.
Panini Mode And Barbeque Mode
The BGR820XL offers you to use two different cooking styles because it has two modes, panini and barbeque.
When using it in panini mode, you place your food on the surface and then press the bottom and top parts of the appliance together to close it. You then let the meal cook. You can choose the plate you want to use in panini mode, whether the flat or ribbed one since they are interchangeable and removable. This is the perfect way to prepare sandwiches.
When using the barbeque mode, the grill plates need to be opened at an angle of 180 degrees. The smart grill will then be flat, and that is what you’ll use to prepare your dish. This works best for meat and vegetables.
You also get a larger cooking space, and you can grill on both plates (flat and ribbed).
Breville BGR820XL Review
You can prepare a variety of meals on this appliance.
Start with the basic steaks, and then cook some chicken, eggs, and even burgers or pizza.
Some sirloin or T-bone steak could be cooked in this on max temp but makes sure you have some fat in there.
You can make your steak just how you want it without paying so much. Steak dinners at home are now possible, and you can get it as well done as you wish.
Many people still recommend outdoor grills, but having an indoor barbecue gives you benefits that outdoor grills can’t.
The hot plates provide even heat all over for consistent cooking and better taste. You can close the bbq and leave your bacon inside so there is less splattering.
You can also leave the barbecue open and cook some pancakes on it! You can now enjoy grilled sandwiches, steak dinners, and other recipes now when you have this BBQ.
You have to love this appliance and the food you cook because it provides 260 square inches of hot cooking surface that is non-sticky for easy cleaning and scratch-resistant cleaning.
The plates are not reversible, so you get a flat plate on one side and a ribbed plate on the other.
Also, the barbeque’s height can be adjusted, and the tilt to suit your height.
Specifications
- Wattage 1800 Watts
- Total cooking area size 260 square inches in open BBQ mode
- Primary cooking area – 260 sq in
- Removable warming rack – not available
- Timer
- Backlit LCD
- Fuel – electricity
Dimensions
- Lid closed (in) – 6″H x 14″W x 14″D
- Weight 22 lbs
Shipping Dimensions
- Shipping Weight 24 lbs
Breville BGR820XL Smart Grill Reviews From Users
As stated by delighted users, Breville The Smart Grill and griddle is miles ahead of the competition. In an open market, where there’s always competition, the Breville engineers decided to find all possible design, functionality, and efficiency flaws and fix them all. The Breville smart BBQ is built like a tank and will last as long as one.
Heating super-fast and evenly across the plate, the Smart Grill is famous for its efficiency in grilling in all forms the user wants. With heating elements (Element IQ) installed in the plates and very well-made ones at that, the surface heats up correctly and without any hot spots.
The appliance even allows for slight inclinations or complete flat grilling, depending on the need of the users. And it’s built like a tank, sturdy and durable. The grease tray is flexible and unlike any other. That’s not all. The height is adjustable in 6 different settings for cooking in the utmost comfort.
Additionally, there are removable dip trays and removable dishwasher-safe plates. The grill opens flat to BBQ mode and looks great to cook on. With that level of cost efficiency, this BGR820 XL Smart Grill is undoubtedly one of the pioneers of the grilling industry.
Pros and Cons
Pros
Versatility
Most users love the fact that they can prepare a range of foods on the Breville grill. You can prepare something light like a sandwich and cook a whole meal like chicken or steak. Therefore, you can use this device daily for different kinds of foods.
Makes Food Tender
The Breville gives you very tender and juicy meat, unlike other grills that dry out your dishes, especially meat. This is because of its smart IQ technology that ensures it doesn’t lose heat.
With other grills, the temperatures drop when you add cold food to it, and by the time it picks up the heat again, all the juice has dripped off the food and ends up dry. This does not happen with the Breville smart grill, which holds constant temperature.
Easy To Clean
Since you don’t have a lot of preparation to do when using the appliance (you just switch it on and choose the temperature), you will not have much cleaning to do.
Also, you can put the grills and griddle plates in the dishwasher instead of manually cleaning them. The plates have a nonstick coating, so you are spared from having to get rid of the food particles that stick to them.
Cooks Food Fast
Your dish gets ready fast when using this kitchen appliance. This is because of its embedded heating design, which operates at 1800 watts. The food then gets exposed to a high temperature, lowering the cooking period.
Functionality And Efficiency
This device cannot be compared to any other indoor grill when you look at the power it has. It operates at 1800 watts, so it can take less than four minutes for a burger patty to be ready, even if it was frozen.
If you try to cook the same in a conventional oven, it can take up to 10 minutes. The BGR820XL also takes a short time to preheat, so you are ready to start using it a few minutes after turning it on.
Cons
Fragile Nonstick Coating
Some people complain that the nonstick coating used on the plates comes off after some time. When this happens, it becomes difficult to clean the grill because of food sticking to it. It may be a good idea to get a spare plate when you see it at a discount.
Alternatives
If you have found reasons why this Breville Smart Grill & Griddle does not match your needs, you should check out DeLonghi CGH1030D or the more affordable T-fal GC70, Cuisinart GR-150, and Hamilton Beach 25331.
Breville BGR820XL vs BGR700BSS
Please comment below if you want to read my comparison of Breville BGR820XL vs BGR700BSS!
Related reading: Best Outdoor Electric Grill Reviews
Conclusion
Buying the Breville Smart Grill BGR820XL is like having an indoor grill with some features of an outdoor electric grill. It is like using an outdoor grill in the kitchen. It is simply better than most indoor electric grills.
The appliance prevents the flavor of your food from escaping. That is why your meals will always have a fantastic taste.
This kitchen appliance is a good investment because it is of high quality. It delivers excellent results and is designed to last.
You don’t have much cleaning up to do when using it, and you can wash the removable plates in the dishwasher.
Don’t wait any longer and get your own Breville BGR820 grill!
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I have a Breville grill and love using it. One correction to the above article is that the plates are interchangeable. I bought an extra plate of each type from Breville and now use two flat plates for the griddle when making pancakes, for example, or two ribbed plates for a larger barbecue surface.
Thank you for the clarification, Paul! Yes, this model has interchangeable plates, and it is a clear advantage. I owned a similar appliance from George Foreman which had different size plates that could not be swapped. Not a major issue but less cooking options for sure.