If you take a trip through Koreatown, you’ll encounter stores and restaurants offing you a cultural experience. From entertainment to food, it’s all available for you to enjoy at your leisure. When most of us visit a new country or try to embrace a new culture, one of the first things we do is sample the local cuisine.
Food plays an instrumental role in our lives, and who doesn’t like experiencing new meals, snacks, and beverages? Asian cuisine has a wide variety of flavors, textures, and aromas, with thousands of different dishes.
Hosting a Korean BBQ at your home is an excellent idea during the winter when it’s too cold to cook outdoors. A Korean BBQ is also a fun way to add some variety to your cooking. There are several types of Korean BBQs available. In this post, we’ll review the best Korean BBQ grills.
Our Top Picks
If you want to get cooking right away, we put together this list of our top picks. There’s a model to suit any kitchen and any budget. Pick the BBQ that’s the right choice for you and prepare some authentic Korean cuisine in your home!
Last update on 2024-10-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
- The Best Pick: CookKing – Korean Traditional BBQ Grill
For the best overall Korean BBQ experience, we recommend purchasing the CookKing traditional BBQ grill. This model suits use with gas stoves, but it works on electric stovetops as well. The BBQ’s cast aluminum design absorbs heat quickly, getting the BBQ up to a sizzling hot temperature in minutes. - The Premium Pick: Iwatani Smokeless Korean BBQ
The Iwatani smokeless Korean BBQ is a compact all-in-one model with compatibility to butane canisters, giving you a complete cooking system, with no need for a stove or gas grill. The smokeless design makes it suitable for use indoors, and the cast aluminum grill heats up quickly. - The Budget Pick: TeChef – Stovetop Korean BBQ
Foodies looking for the best budget Korean BBQ grill will love the TeChef model. This grill comes with a solid cast aluminum base and a durable non-stick Teflon coating. The swirl design on the bottom of the grill helps with heat distribution, and the tapered edges of the grill collect the fat and oil from the dish, ensuring you get a healthy meal.
Korean BBQ Grills Reviews
Now that you know our top choices for the best Korean BBQ grill let’s unpack the top models in further detail. We’ll also look at a few other models we think are worthy of including in this review.
CookKing – Korean Traditional BBQ Grill – The Best Overall Korean BBQ Grill
This model wins our top honors for the best overall Korean BBQ grill. The CookKing grill features a two-piece design, with a base and a lid. Both feature design and construction with aluminum, cast for extra strength.
The cast aluminum design spreads the heat evenly across the surface of the cooking area, and the thickness of the plate allows for even heat dispersion. You get a multi-layer, non-stick coating, ensuring that your food never sticks to your grill. The smokeless design makes it suitable for grilling indoors, with no charcoal fumes.
- Korean Style Barbecue Grill - perfect tool for cooking pork belly, beef short rib, steak or any type of meats and fishes. It's a wonderful and fun way to have a BBQ party.
- HEALTHY COOKING - Fat/Grease Draining System
- Multi-layer Nonstick Coating
- INDOOR/OUTDOOR - Tabletop BBQ grill for use with a gas stovetop
- MADE IN KOREA - It delivers outstanding performance and exceptional quality.
Last update on 2024-10-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This model is an authentic Korean BBQ grill, designed and manufactured in Korea. The CookKing comes with a fat draining system to ensure you don’t get a greasy meal.
This model works best with gas stovetops, providing high heat for the best grilling result. This model is an excellent choice for your Korean BBQ, and it’s dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.
- Cast aluminum design for easy heat distribution
- Comes with a lid
- Fat draining system
- Suitable for use on portable gas stoves
- Multi-layer non-stick coating
- Not entirely smoke-free
Iwatani Smokeless Korean BBQ – The Best Premium Korean BBQ Grill
The Iwatani smokeless BBQ grill is a standalone system for portable use. This model is an excellent choice for an outdoor BBQ or mobile unit to take to a friend’s house for a cookout. The Iwatani runs off a removable butane gas tank, meaning you don’t need a stove or charcoal grill to operate this model. Pull it out of the cupboard, turn on the gas, and get cooking – it’s as simple as that.
The grill features design and construction with cast-aluminum, providing rapid heating and excellent heat dispersion. The grooves in the grill’s surface draw the grease away from the center of the grill, allowing it to fall into the grease trap to keep your meal heart-healthy.
- ● body size: 303 (width) × 278 (depth) × 149 (height) mm / ● Weight: about 2.0kg / ● plate size (diameter): 233mm
- Material 🙁 body): steel (powder coating) / (plate) aluminum die-casting (fluorine processing) / (burner) heat-resistant aluminum die-casting / (knob appliance plugs) ABS resin
- ● Continuous burning time: about 217 minutes (※ when the temperature 20 ~ 25 ℃, the measured value of the unexpired portion of the cassette gas one at high heat continuous combustion) / ● ignition system: piezoelectric ignition system / ● safety device: Pressure-sensitive safety equipment / ● container removable method: magnet system
Last update on 2024-10-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
You get an adjustable heat dial on the unit’s side, allowing you to control the output of the grill for a bespoke BBQ experience. This grill offers easy cleaning, with a Teflon non-stick coating that makes it easy to wipe it down before packing it away.
This model is an excellent option for people that don’t have a stove at home. This model’s independent gas-powered operation makes it a fantastic choice for college dorms and small flats where space is at a minimum in the kitchen.
- Complete unit for portable Korean BBQ
- Works off butane gas canisters
- Intelligent heat dispersion
- Cast Variable heat control
- Aluminum grill base
- Cleaning is challenging
TeChef – Stovetop Korean BBQ – The Best Budget Korean BBQ Grill
If you’re looking for the best budget buy in this review, look no further than the TeChef stovetop model. This Korean BBQ is a solid choice and great value for your money. This model features a cast aluminum design and a thick base for even heat dispersion.
The cooking surface has a slight lift in the center, allowing grease to run away to the grill’s sides. There’s an oil port in the grill side, allowing you to drain the fat into a container for use in cooking other dishes. We like the spiral design of the raised cooking area, allowing for easy drainage of the oil from the grill.
- Premium Construction: Made of cast aluminum for even heat distribution and durability
- Advanced Nonstick Coating: Built with 5 layers of nonstick coatings to ensure food releases easily and cleans up quickly
- Unique Swirled Channel Design: Innovative pattern allows oils to drain slowly, enhancing the flavor of your food while draining away fat and grease for healthier cooking
- Versatile Cooking Options: Perfect for pork belly, all types of meat, and more, infusing dishes with authentic Korean BBQ flavors
- Oven and Dishwasher Safe: Oven safe up to 450ºF and dishwasher safe for convenient cooking and easy cleanup
Last update on 2024-10-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
You mount the TeChef directly on a hotplate or stove ring for use. On the underside of this 12-inch grill, you’ll notice four raised feet with serrated edging. This design keeps some distance away from the grill, ensuring even heat dispersion. The serrations on the grill prevent it from moving as you tend to the food while it cooks.
- Safe to use in the oven, withstands temperatures up to 450F
- 5-layer non-stick surface
- This grill is dishwasher safe
- A thick, cast aluminum base for even heat dispersion
- No heavy metals used in construction
- Grease drainage hole
- Made in Korea
- No lid included
TeChef True Grill Pan
This TeChef model is another fantastic stovetop option. It’s an affordable model, costing less than $35. You get cast aluminum design with a thick 5mm base for even heat dispersion across the grill’s cooking surface.
This model comes with a 5-layer Teflon coating, ensuring that your food never sticks to the grill. The Teflon coating is durable and won’t rub off. The smokeless operation of this Korean BBQ grill makes it ideal for stovetop use indoors. However, it’s also a good choice for use with outdoor gas grills.
- GOOD INNOVATION - Set includes:12-Inch Stovetop Grill with Extra-Heavy Gauge Grill Plate, Aluminum Drip Tray for Smokeless Indoor Grilling
- HEALTHY COOKING - Fat/Grease Draining System - Good for Any Type of Meat
- INDOOR/OUTDOOR - Table Top BBQ Grill for Use with Gas Stovetop
- SAFE NEW TEFLON COATING (NO PFOA) - The world’s finest cookware with New Teflon Platinum coating without PFOA on TeChef products are affirmed safe for cooking by regulatory agencies worldwide
- MADE IN KOREA - Delivers outstanding performance and exceptional quality
Last update on 2024-10-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The straight grill bumps on the cooking surface feature a domed effect, allowing for easy drainage of fat away from the food. The grease drainage system pushes the oils to the grill’s sides, collecting it in the drip pan underneath. The TeChef features design and manufacture in Korea for an authentic Korean BBQ experience.
- Heavy-gauge cast aluminum base
- Safe Teflon coating with no heavy metals
- Suitable for use on electric and gas stovetops
- Fat draining system for healthy cooking
- Smokeless operation
- No lid included
Kitchen + Home Stove Top Smokeless Grill
This Korean BBQ grill is another affordable option. With the Kitchen + Home model, you get a two-piece design, with a cast-aluminum cooking plate, and a stainless steel catchment. The spiraling design of the top plate features holes on the grill’s outer diameter, dripping grease into the catchment pan underneath. You don’t have to worry about greasy food with the drip system providing you heart-healthy meals.
- PREMIUM QUALITY - Our durable, wear resistant double-coated stainless grill is one of the most convenient ways to cook outdoor food inside that taste amazing. Start eating healthier and better tasting food when you cook with this stove top grill without needing to spend as much time and effort.
- HEALTHY COOKING - Reduce fat and cholesterol in foods while sealing in flavor and juices when grilling shrimp, steak, chicken, fish, kabobs, burgers, vegetables and much more. Our stove top grill is non-stick, so you can cook all types of meat, vegetables and thawed food without needing oil or butter. A healthy and delicious alternative to pan frying or broiling that brings the great taste of outdoor food inside.
- NON-STICK SURFACE - Our stove top grill is made of 100% PFOA free, PTFE non-stick coating that provide quick and even heating without sticking. The double-coated non-stick surface makes cooking and cleaning safe and easy. Dishwasher safe, but hand wash is recommended!
- DRIP PAN - Unlike most other grills, our stove top grill has an integrated drip pan that catches excess fat and grease and prevents flare ups you get from regular outdoor grills. Adding water to the drip pan helps eliminate unpleasant smoke and grease splattering to create a cleaner grill experience. Fill the stainless steel drip pan with water or your marinade to add moisture to your food, infuse flavor, prevent drying and eliminate smoke.
- VERSATILE – Our stove grill is safe to use on both electric and gas stoves. Not just an indoor stove top grill, you can take it camping and grill delicious food right over your portable propane burner!
Last update on 2024-10-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The grill features a design with a durable non-stick PTFE coating that’s FDA approved. The outer stainless steel catchment rim on this model is sturdy and long-lasting, despite its flimsy-looking appearance. This Korean BBQ grill is an excellent choice, with an affordable price tag. This model is dishwasher safe, allowing for easy cleanup after finishing your meal.
- Cast aluminum design
- Even heat dispersion
- Smokeless operation
- Fat draining system
- Made in Korea
- The aluminum base feels a bit thin
Korean BBQ Stone Grill BBQ Pan
This Korean Style BBQ is a fantastic choice. We love how this model includes the use of a cooking stone instead of a steel or aluminum cooking surface. The Agalmatolite cooking stone is efficient at holding and dispersing heat across the cooking surface, providing even heating of your food.
The stone absorbs the infrared energy coming from the stove, providing a red-hot cooking surface. However, you’ll have to wait a little longer for the stone to heat than an aluminum model. The stone has a slightly domed effect, allowing grease to run away from your food, ensuring you get a healthy meal.
- Korean style barbecue grill pan with maifan nonstick coated surface, smokeless,the tilt design makes it easy to drain excess oil,provide healthy cooking methodsit,and when you cook with this stove top grill without needing to spend so much time to get a better tasting food.
- The bottom has a hole oil design to ensure that the oil droplets will not drip on the stove, there is a screw design in the middle, you can control the oil output, you can also tighten the oil,you need put a bowl to catch the oil.
- Double-layered and thickened, durable and evenly heated.Non-stick surface makes cleaning easy.It is recommended to clean with a soft cloth.
- This bbq grill pan can be used for roasting different kinds of meat and vegetable.
- Ideal for use with portable propane burner. Suitable for not just an indoor stove top grill, take it outdoor party camping bbq grilling delicious food right over your.
Last update on 2024-10-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The grease passes through the slats on the outside of the grill, collecting in the aluminum catchment area underneath. With design and manufacture in Korea and the stone cooking plate, this model has an authentic look.
- BBQ grilling stone included
- Aluminum base for even heat dispersion
- Smokeless operation
- Made in Korea
- Thin aluminum base
WaxonWare Nonstick Grill Pan
This model gives us a great first impression, with a matte-black finish accentuating the die-cast aluminum body and grill. WaxonWare makes some of the best kitchenware available, and they keep the reputation intact with the release of this outstanding at-home Korean BBQ grill.
The BBQ comes with a large 12.6-inch cooking area and a slated grill. The edges of the grill feature holes allow the grease from the food to fall into the catchment area. The entire grill comes with a non-stick PTFE Teflon coating, ensuring a non-stick cooking experience.
- ✔️DURABLE HARDWEAR – Enhanced thickness and durable coating of UPIT Korean BBQ Grill Pan make even heat distribution with lots of far-infrared ray, helping high-quality BBQ for the best meal without scorching and sticking on the pan.
- ✔️MEGASTONE COATING - Non-stick coating materials mixed with Zirconium & Ceramic materials such as biotite for more durability protecting against scratches and abrasions. Absolutely safe and no harmful chemicals such as PFOA & any other harmful chemical ingredients. Coating is strictly made from environmentally friendly and non-toxic materials. Megastone coating passed the abrasion test of 50,000 cycles whereas normal PTFE coating peels off over 10,000 cycles of abrasion test.
- ✔️AVAILABLE FOR ALL HEAT SOURCES - Compatible with all stovetops, induction, grill, hot plate, and electro. You can cook wherever you want, indoor and outdoor.
- ✔️EASY TO USE AND SAVE TIME - A hole in this Korean BBQ Grill Pan called Grease Draining Spout helps to drain off excess fat and grease to provide much easier and healthier cooking. You can pour them away through the spout! (The handle would be VERY HOT during cooking, so please use gloves to hold the pan.)
- ✔️MADE IN KOREA – Reliable and passionate R&D for high-quality product from original Korean BBQ Grill Pan company.
Last update on 2024-10-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The base of the pan features two rings to seat the grill securely on any size stovetop ring. This premium-quality Korean BBQ grill is a top choice, and we were considering labeling it as the best premium budget buy in this review.
- Heavy-duty rugged design
- Fat draining system
- Smokeless operation
- Non-toxic PTFE coating
- Large cooking area
- Even heat dispersion
- Suitable for use on gas or electric stovetops
- Somewhat expensive
Aroma Housewares 3-in-1 Grillet Indoor Grill
This electric Korean BBQ is a versatile 4-quart model. We like the cool-touch exterior base that ensures you never burn yourself on the grill while cooking. It comes with a durable tempered glass lid and an electronic thermostat for precision cooking.
The adjustable cooking temperature reaches a maximum of 450F, with fast heating times. You get an automatic shutoff with this model, preventing kitchen fires. The raised grilling surface drains away grease from your food, providing you with a healthy meal that won’t clog your arteries.
- 3-in-1 Cooking Pot – This portable, compact and versatile appliance can grill, simmer, stew and take the effort out of preparing delicious meals. It produces great grilled flavor that you can enjoy right on your kitchen counter, no charcoal or propane required.
- Covered Grilling – The provided tempered glass lid allows you to monitor the cooking process while keeping everything inside for reduced spilling and splatters. No more worries about the mess that can be caused while grilling in the kitchen!
- Versatile & Multi-Purpose: Our electric grilling pot allows you to adjust the temperature from 300° to 450°F, giving you the freedom to grill meats and veggies at high temperatures, cook pot roasts low and slow and everything in between.
- Thoughtfully Designed – Thanks to the nonstick grill, you never have to worry about your meats sticking while still getting that charred grilled flavor. The raised grill surface allows excess fat to drip away making it the ideal choice for both seasoned and novice chefs that want to make delicious and healthy meals.
- Easy Cleanup – All cooking surfaces are nonstick and dishwasher safe; spend less time cleaning and more time enjoying the food you love!
Last update on 2024-10-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Aroma 3-in-1 comes with a cast aluminum design for a lightweight finish that’s easy to move around the kitchen.
- Suitable for larger BBQs with a 4-quart cooking surface
- Electric operation
- Easy to take on vacation
- Comes with a glass lid
- Fat draining system
- Non-stick Teflon coating
- Not suitable for use on gas stoves
- Electric use feels inauthentic
Delonghi Perfecto Indoor Grill
The Delonghi Perfecto is our final model in this review – but it’s worth your consideration. The attractive, contoured design of this grill makes it an attractive appliance for the modern contemporary kitchen. We like the sleek matte-black finish and the intelligent design of this model.
- Distributes heat evenly for the best results due to the fully embedded grill plate heating element. The input power is 1500 watts. The frequency is 60 Hz and the voltage is 120 volts
- Improves cooking to keep food juicy with the tempered glass lid; It can also keep already grilled food warm
- Make a meal for the whole family with the large cooking surface. Drip tray: Integrated and removable
- Perfectly grilled food to your preference with the detachable, adjustable thermostat; Easy to clean with nonstick grill plate and removable nonstick drip tray; Simply wipe the grill plate and empty the drip tray
- Please review the user manual under product details for set up and safeguard related guidelines
Last update on 2024-10-19 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The Perfecto features a die-cast aluminum base and cooking surface, with an embedded grill plate heating element. This 1,500-watt grill has plenty of power to get your meat sizzling in seconds. The tempered glass lid helps to control your cooking to perfection.
You get a detachable thermostat, a non-stick cooking surface, and an integrated, removable drip tray, that’s dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.
- Electric operation
- Tempered glass lid
- Intelligent design with five heat modes
- Fat draining system
- Cast aluminum design
- Not suitable for use on gas stoves
- Electric use feels inauthentic
Korean BBQ Grills Buyer’s Guide
Before you settle on your preferred Korean BBQ grill, take the time to read through this buyer’s guide. There are subtle differences between each of the models. While they all perform the same function of grilling your food, they all have different design features that add to the cooking process.
If you enjoy hanging out in your backyard with friends, enjoying a drink while food cooks on the grill, you’ll love Korean BBQ. Koreans take a different edge on the BBQ process. In the west, when we talk about a BBQ, we imagine spending the afternoon in the yard cooking on the grill.
However, Korean BBQ, otherwise known as “Gogi-Gui,” is not an outdoor affair. Koreans cook this BBQ dish indoors, typically on top of a gas or electric stove. In restaurants, you have a chef that cooks the meal right at your table, with the BBQ built-into the dining table for an authentic Korean cuisine experience.
In this section, we’ll give you everything you need to know about choosing the right Korean BBQ grill to meet your cooking requirements.
What Is a Korean BBQ?
Before unpacking what to look for in a Korean BBQ grill, let’s answer the pending question, “what is a Korean BBQ grill, and how does it differ from an American backyard cookout? Korean BBQ is vastly different from the American counterpart. In Korea, most people live in large, overcrowded cities like Seoul. These megacities are like New York City in size and structure.
As you can imagine, trying to host a cookout in NYC is challenging, and it’s the same in Korea. However, Koreans innovated the art of grilling, bringing it indoors with the grill’s smokeless operation. Yes, that’s right – all the Korean grills in this review have a design for indoor use.
A typical Korean BBQ is nothing like an American cookout. With Korean BBQ, you cook on a type of hotplate. In Korean restaurants, the chef will sit you around a table with the grill in the center, cooking to food in front of you.
Some restaurants use charcoal BBQ systems, while most others rely on an electric or gas-powered operation. The most popular units are gas-powered or electronic, as they provide the best smokeless operation.
What are the Best Cuts of Meat to Cook on a Korean BBQ?
Korean BBQ menus are as unique as the cooking apparatus itself. When ordering at a restaurant, the most popular cuts include the following two dishes.
Bulgogi – This dish consists of paper-thin sliced beef or pork, seasoned with soy sauce, garlic, sesame oil, and sugar. The meat cooks in seconds, and you’ll have to be careful not to overcook the delicate cuts.
Galbi – This dish consists of beef or pork ribs, marinated in the same ingredients as the bulgogi, along with onions and water. On charcoal BBQs, chefs add woodchips to produce a smoky flavor to the ribs.
Other popular Korean BBQ dishes include the following.
- Dwaeji Bulgogi
- Jeyuk Bokkeum
- Dwaeji Galbi
- Dwaejigogi Doenjang Gui
- Dak Bulgogi
- Samgyupsal Gui (This pork belly dish is our favorite)
What are the Types of Korean BBQ Grills?
Grilling Korean style requires a specialized grill for cooking indoors. When selecting a Korean barbecue, you need to pay special attention to the materials and design. Your grill needs to reach a high temperature to produce the classic crusty BBQ finish without drying out the meat.
If you overcook the dish, the meat turns out tough. If the grill’s heat is too low, you’ll end up with a soggy finish to the meat with no crust or char. Learning the art of Korean BBQ requires a few sessions to get it right. However, if we can give you a tip, it’s to ensure that your grill gets red hot.
When selecting your grill, you have three models available, all with different cooking systems.
Stovetop Korean BBQ Grills
This type of Korean BBQ grill attaches to your stovetop and works with gas or electric stoves. It’s the most popular due to its convenience, and it’s easy to clean, with most models offering dishwasher-friendly design.
Electric Korean BBQ Grills
These models feature electric operation. They heat up fast and give you total control over the cooking process. Electric models don’t get as hot as a stovetop version, but they do offer stable heating throughout the cooking process.
The smokeless operation of these grills makes them an excellent choice for indoor use, but we prefer stovetop models for our barbecue. However, if you live in an apartment without a stove, one of these grills is a great way to broaden your cooking horizons.
Gas-powered Korean BBQ Grills
Gas-powered models come as a standalone system. You get a unit that connects to a gas line, or an independent gas bottle. Most of these systems work off butane or natural gas. They’re an excellent choice for a portable Korean grill you can take with you to a friend’s house for an authentic Korean-style cookout.
How to Choose the Best Korean Barbecue Grill for Home?
All models in this review feature a top-quality design, with premium materials. Choosing the right one for your home cookout requires the evaluation of a few factors. Some of the critical features and considerations for your new Korean BBQ grill include the following.
The Source of Heat
When assessing your Korean BBQ grill, the heat source is the most crucial aspect to consider. Review the sources mentioned earlier in this buyer’s guide and choose the model that meets your requirements.
Design and Materials in Your Korean BBQ Grill
Next, it’s essential to pay attention to the materials used in the design and manufacture of your grill. We recommend looking for a model with a cast aluminum base. Aluminum heats quickly, spreading the heat across the grill’s surface area, preventing hot spots from forming.
A cast-iron BBQ grill is another viable option, but they are typically more expensive. All the models in this review come with aluminum construction; we prefer the fast heating time and lightweight nature of the material over a cast-iron model.
Non-Stick Coating
Nothing is worse than building a beautiful crust on your ribs, only to have it tear away, sticking to the grill when you remove it from the heat. To prevent this calamity occurring in the kitchen, it’s vital that you choose a grill with a non-stick coating.
Most models come with a Teflon (PTFE) coating. However, you need to check that it’s a premium coating with no additional heavy metals included in the formulation.
Heavy metals like cadmium are common in older versions of PTFE coatings, and it’s dangerous for your health. Look for a model with a multi-layered non-stick coating that won’t flake or degrade with use.
Sizing Your Korean BBQ Grill
You get Korean BBQ grills in a variety of sizes. If you’re thinking about entertaining friends with your new Korean barbecue, make sure you choose a larger size. However, the larger the grill surface, the longer it takes to build a stable surface temperature. Therefore, you’ll have to adjust your prep time.
Collection of Fat Drippings
Grilling meat means there’s going to be animal fat included in your dish. However, we’re sure your health is a top priority, and you don’t want a greasy meal that clogs your arteries. Most Korean BBQ grill models feature a grease trap or vent that draws the fat away from the center of the grill to the outer edge. Some models allow the fat to drain away from the grill through a port, allowing you to collect the grease and use it for cooking other meals later in the week.
Maintaining and Cleaning Your Korean BBQ Grill
If there’s one similarity between American and Korean grills, they both make a mess. We recommend going for a model that offers you easy cleaning. Look for a grill that features dishwasher-safe design for easy cleaning.
If you don’t have a dishwasher, make sure you steep the grill in water with some dishwashing liquid. Never scrub the pan with a scourer or steel wool to remove stubborn grease and grime. The abrasive nature of these cleaning products will damage and strip the Teflon coating on the grill.
Korean BBQ Grill FAQs
What is the traditional name for a Korean BBQ?
If you’re heading into Korea Town for a traditional BBQ, it might interest you to learn that the locals call the practice, “Gogi-Gui (고기구이).” The Korean BBQ typically features cuts of beef, pork, and chicken on the grill.
Can I use a griddle for a Korean BBQ grill?
If you’re going to use a grill, make sure you get a Korean model. Look for models with raised ridging on the grill, and a drippings pan to catch the fat. Using a regular griddle isn’t recommended, but you can get away with it in a pinch.
How do you clean a Korean BBQ grill?
Scrubbing your grill clean is a hassle, and you’ll need to use plenty of effort. We recommend looking for a model where the grill and dripping pan are dishwashers compatible.
What is “Bulgogi?”
Korean BBQ involves unique cuts of beef, chicken, and pork. “Bulgogi” is a dish consisting of paper-thin cuts of beef. We prefer using rib-eye or top sirloin for our bulgogi. The thin-cut makes it easy to use tougher cuts like flank while maintaining a delicate finish to the meal where the meat falls apart in your mouth.
What’re the best sides to suit a Korean BBQ?
We love a serving or two of “kimchi” with our Korean BBQ. Kimchi is a blend of shredded cabbage, carrots, ginger, and chili, fermented in a stone jar for a few weeks. This Korean coleslaw develops a healthy bacterial culture as it ferments, providing it with a tangy, sweet, and spicy taste. Gochujang is a must-have chili sauce used in Korean cooking.
Korean BBQ Grills – The Verdict
By now, you should know what constitutes a top-quality Korean BBQ grill. However, you might be sitting on the fence about which model is the right choice for your kitchen. If that’s the case, why not choose one of our top picks?
- The CookKing Korean Traditional BBQ Grill is our top choice in this review. This model has an authentic design, with manufacture in Korea, bringing you a genuine BBQ grill. You get a cast aluminum design, and a lid included. The multi-layer non-stick coating is non-toxic and won’t peel away. This model is an excellent choice for gas stoves.
- If you’re looking to spend some money on the best premium Korean BBQ, we recommend the Iwatani Smokeless Korean BBQ. This model comes as a complete system, and you don’t have to connect it to a gas line. Featuring adjustable burner temperature, and a fat-draining system, this model is ideal for a standalone or portable Korean BBQ unit.
- If you’re on a budget and looking for the most affordable model with all the top features of the best Korean BBQ grill, we recommend the TeChef Stovetop Korean BBQ. This model comes with a spiral design and a curved bottom. You get a fat draining hole, and 5-layer, non-toxic coating.
