Customer Reviews

Meco 9309W Deluxe Tabletop Electric Grill

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

i moved to a condo with a balcony on which charcoal and gas grills are prohibited, but electric grills are permitted. after years of pleasure with my meco charcoal grill, i was prepared to be let down because electric could never be as good.

i am as happy with this electric grill as i was with my charcoal grill. actually, i am as happy with the grilled food as i was before; it's the outcome which counts more than the process.

there's nothing more i could ask for.

Update!- I finally gave up on the uneven cooking "wimpy" Meco grill, and gave it to Salvation Army!
I ended up biting the bullet, and buying the GREAT Weber gas grill with THICK iron grates at HD!
Wish I had done this years ago!- It cooks sooo even, and No flareups (sheilded burners/ less smoke than the Meco too! Weber costs more, but supposedly lasts for years longer than el-cheapos!
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I'm "REALLY!" in to a healthier lifestyle, and subscribe to "several" respected health e-zines.

1. 15+ years ago I read tests that charcoal BBQ's, really put "LOTS" of very bad carciniogens into your meat!

2. So I went to a gas BBQ. Not as good tasting as charcoal, but "SUPPOSEDLY" healthier?
NOT!- Now I read tests that gas BBQ's are little healthier than charcoal. The "deadly" carciniogens are in the drippings smoke- coming from the hot lava rocks below!

3. So I now go to the MECO electric grill.
Pros-
a. Healthier- as virtually no smoke (grill/elements are steeply slanted, and drippings collect in a handy pan under the grill).

b. No having to mess with expensive propane gas...

c. Well made, and sturdy.

d. Low fire danger- Acceptable for most apartment complexes. ASK!

e. Sears steaks well (preheat on high for 15+ min, and close lid FAST! Requires a "Heavy Duty" electric outlet!). Cooks just as fast (or faster) than gas. BUT, "NO!" BBQ taste! You will probably need a marinade...
Good "web search" recipe I found for steaks...-
I pre-mix & rub in, a blend of-
salt ("AlsoSalt"- is very healthy and GOOD tasting!), black pepper, chili powder (all in equal parts...), and a little cayenne pepper. You can also add any other seasonings you like, to taste...

PAM makes a "High Temp" cooking spray, for the grill.

This grill fills all your needs for grilling outside. No messing with charcoal, worry about gas leaks and explosions. Just plug it in and go. You can even add wood chips for extra aroma and taste without the hassel. We're so glad we chose the Meco 9309W Deluxe Tabletop Electric Grill.

I have had this grill for a little over a week and have used it about five times, cooking everything from country style ribs, to bratwurst, to hamburgers. It has performed far better than I thought any electric grill could. It is well built, easy to set up, clean, and store.
My main fear was that an electric grill could not get hot enough to properly brown meat. This was not a problem. Bratwurst, ribs, and hamburger were brown and crisp and could have been blackened if I had chosen to. I had no issues with uneven heat at all. I also had no flareups (in other words, the hood works well.)
I want to address two issues raised in the negative reviews. One is of weak/uneven cooking. Properly used, I found it to be neither weak nor uneven. Nor does it cost nearly half a grand, occupy a large amount of space, and weigh well over a hundred pounds like the grill it is apparently inferior to. The other issue was difficulty in cleaning. Well, the 12 x 16 grid lifts off and lays in the bottom of my sink. The glass comes out with the release of two wing nuts. The heat reflector snaps off the heating element and takes about 30 seconds to remove or put back. Once removed it can scraped, wire brushed, washed in the sink, or tossed in the dishwasher. I don't plan to clean the reflector often (hey, the more smoke the better), but it is not a major challenge.
Grill construction is quite sturdy. The grid is heavy 7/32" steel and is far heftier and stronger than I expected. The hood hinges are double on both sides and are not flimsy. The finish on the hood and body looks and feels like it will be durable. The steel thickness is about .04" or so. The unit felt stable even with the hood open. The handles are strong and nothing flexes or tips when lifting (with the lid closed!!!) the grill. The heavy duty electric cord is about 7 feet long.
The rotatable heating element/reflector is ingenious. This makes cleaning the reflector possible and enables rotisserie cookery. I don't plan to use the rotisserie a lot, but it appears to be very well set up. I made sure it functioned, but have not cooked with it.
I have used wood smoking chips when doing ribs and that worked quite well. I also used the grill to slow simmer the ribs in a covered aluminum pan after they were seared and smoked. This worked very well, since the thermostat allows a wide range of temperatures.
What would I change? I would make the glass retainer system more foolproof, so that the retainers lock in the correct position and make over tightening impossible. I would also replace the steel grid with cast iron. The black coating on this grid is not going to last and nothing is better than cast iron for grilling.
Overall, I love this thing. I have owned many grills (always charcoal) over the years. Nothing can match the taste of charcoal. But this little Meco gives excellent results far more conveniently and economically. My ritual of sipping beer, watching smoke waft, listening to drippings sizzle, reveling in the aroma of barbecue, and merging with the Colorado sky has never been so sweet. Happy grilling.

I love the Meco 9309W Tabletop Electric Grill. I live in an apartment building with a terrace and gas & charcoal grills are not permitted. I researched electric grills and decided on the Meco. It's perfect and the food has the taste of being cooked on a grill. It's easy to use and keep clean. I recommend this grill and would buy another one. Because of health & diet reasons, I use the grill as much as possible.

Use this item @ my Fla Condo - can't use a gas grille. This grille is good for the money - couldn't beat the price anywhere & shipping was prompt. Compared to other electric grilles ( Weber, patio chef etc.) that I shopped for at the box stores there's no difference in what they all can do & Meco quality is as good if not better than most. The Meco takes a while to heat up (approx.10 - 15mins) but does a good job after it has. The drip pan is finicky to get out & not easy to clean as everything really gets baked on. Covering it with heavy gauge tinfoil solves that problem. As well the shiny side of the tin foil helps in the pre-heating process & cooking. The porcelain grille needs to be sprayed with a cooking oil as, again, things really stick to it due to the proximity of the cooking element. It's not as good as a gas grille but what electric grille is. For balcony situations it's ideal & I'd buy it again.

The grill is light and can be stored easily in a condo. It meets all the county specs for use on condo balconies. The food tastes just as good as charcoal or gas grills.

Work great. Would be better with the charcoal flavor but when you live where you can't have it, at least you can still grill.

It is great. It's works great for living in RV. Small enough to transport, but yet big enough to cook for 4. It is easy to clean and take care of. Highly recommended for RV life.

We have an older Meco electric and just loved it, we wanted to upgrade to a barbi am well satified both with the grill and the shipment method, very timely thanks