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Three Indoor Grills You Should Consider

✇Lifehacker
Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

The indoor grill is the center of debate—is it really a grill? To me, it’s a bit like asking if an air fryer actually fries anything. At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is if you like what it’s doing. If the answer is “yes,” then who cares what the haters say. You’re grilling for you. Aside from being today’s motivational food speaker, I’ll mention a few other pros to indoor grilling that might even bring the outdoor grill stans to the yard. Well, kitchen.

The products mentioned in this post:

What is an indoor grill?

Indoor grills are electric appliances that have the grill rack set over a heating element underneath. They’re simple to use, with the convenience of an on-off switch and easy to operate temperature control dials. Many brands have a cooking surface similar to a Foreman grill where the plate is one solid piece of metal with raised bars. This allows the fat to drip down away from the food like on any other grill rack, but is also legitimately easy to clean.

Why indoor grills are helpful

  • No-worry heat source: Instead of controlling charcoal briquettes or wondering if anyone cleaned the grease pan of your gas grill, your indoor grill doesn’t involve any live flames to cause plumes of smoke or flare-ups. Simply plug it in like any electric appliance and enjoy the dial-controlled temperature. 

  • Great for apartments and small spaces. Most indoor grills range in size but many of them have a cooking surface about the size of a large laptop and are relatively easy to store, especially when compared to other major cooking appliances like a toaster oven or an air fryer. Obviously you don’t need an outdoor space to use it either; it’s safe to use in your studio apartment.

  • Year-round use. “Grilling season” can be fully extended to be 12 months a year. Since it’s all done indoors, you don’t have to wait until the weather warms up. 

  • Temperature control. This point is worth repeating simply because controlling the heat on a charcoal grill and the hot spots on a gas grill can be challenging for beginners. On an electric appliance, you can easily change the temperature from high heat for your steak, to low heat for your corn.

For kebabs and skewers, try the Zojirushi

The Zojirushi Indoor Grill has a hybrid grill top design where sections are completely punched through bars and areas that are simply raised. The top temperature is listed as 410°F and the grill top is removable for easy clean-up. The Zojirushi’s grilling surface does not have a raised lip or lid that cuts off the edges, so this model is great if you envision yourself cooking large or long foods, like kebabs and skewered foods, corn on the cob, or breads that might puff up and a lid or edges could interfere with the rise. 

For an indoor grill on a budget, check out the Chefman

The Chefman Smokeless Indoor Grill has surprisingly high reviews for an appliance that clocks in at just under $50. This grill sets you up with a 15- by 10-inch non-stick surface, a notably longer cooking surface than many others, and the parts are dishwasher safe.  

For high temperature searing, there’s the Ninja Sizzle

Aside from having a pretty rad name, the Ninja Sizzle is a versatile indoor grill. It has a reversible grill plate, one side with raised grill bars and divots for the fat to run down into, and another side that’s flat like a griddle. For those who want that outdoor grill level of searing, the Sizzle is one of the few that shows the actual degrees (instead of low, medium, or high) and can be cranked up to 500°F. 

Regardless of how you choose, the indoor grill is a great option if you’re limited on space, worry about sparks and flare-ups, or you just enjoy getting your grill on indoors during the off-season.

You Should Add Gua Bao to Your Shopping List

✇Lifehacker
Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

Bread is the one food that never lets me down. It’s always filling, delicious, and the variety offered around the globe always keeps it interesting. One of my favorite breads is the pudgy gua bao bun, and if you haven’t already, you should definitely add this one to your weekly rotation.

What are gua bao (buns)?

The gua bao (additionally transliterated as koah-pau, gua-pao, or simply called a bao bun) is a small wheat flour-based bread originating from China. The word “bao” already means “bun,” so similar to "chai tea," adding the redundant word “bun” at the end is more to help English speakers recall what it is. You might notice other types of buns or dumplings with the word “bao” on restaurant menus with or without the follow up of “bun.”

The special thing about it, in my fanatical bread-eating opinion, is its shape and cooking method. Gua bao are made from fairly typical bread ingredients: wheat flour, yeast, baking powder, sugar, salt, and milk. But instead of baking them at an aggressive 400 F to 500 F in a dry environment like a lot of Western breads, they steam at a much gentler temperature of 212 F. As far as shape is concerned, instead of a round ball like a dinner roll, gua bao are flattened into a long oval shape that’s then folded in half. What you see looks kind of like the face of a sock puppet. But fluffier, of course, and far more appetizing.

Where can you get gua bao?

While you can absolutely make them at home, I usually don't. Not because it’s hard to do, but because it’s easy for me to buy them pre-made. (But if you’d like to take a crack at it, here’s a recipe you can try.) I buy them frozen from Asian grocery stores. They’re affordable, and taste great. 

To reheat them, follow the package directions first and foremost. If there are no instructions, or it’s in a language you can’t read, you can technically re-steam them on the stove, but I usually just use the microwave. Pop one or two of the buns on a microwave-safe plate, and cover it with a damp paper towel. Microwave it in 15 second bursts, checking on it in between. It’ll only take 30 seconds or less.

How to eat gua bao

The steam creates a special sort of texture for a roll. It develops a shiny, slightly tacky skin, and the interior crumb is tight and airy. Gua bao are mild in flavor, making them the perfect vehicle for a wide array of flavors, and the soft texture invites a little bit of crunch in the fillings. The resulting morsel is the perfect size for picking up with one hand and scarfing down in three or four bites. 

Usually you’ll see them at restaurants stuffed with succulent braised meat, julienned carrots, cucumber, and a sprinkle of crushed peanuts. This is definitely something worth replicating at home. However, if that’s not an enticing option, they’re very versatile. You can stuff them with anything, sweet or savory. Try the gua bao as an alternative hot dog bun, scoop in some cheesy scrambled eggs, or sandwich in some crisp nutritional yeast-coated tofu. Stuff it with barbecued pulled pork, fried chicken, or Thai fried bananas. Put any unused buns in a container and store them in the freezer, because just like most breads, gua bao freeze spectacularly well. 

The Best Ways to Travel Home With Food Souvenirs

✇Lifehacker
Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

One of my favorite parts of traveling is eating. Experiencing the cuisine in a different locale is nearly always exciting and you have an excuse to do it multiple times a day on your trip. The bummer is when you have to get on the plane and give it all up. But this year I got some new insight on how to minimize the end-of-vacation blues by bringing home some of my favorite foods from abroad.

I’ve been deeply scarred by how movie theaters have treated me when they caught me smuggling in Taco Bell, because shockingly, the TSA doesn't really care if you bring outside food onto a plane. (Customs is another story, but I’ll let you handle that how you like.) As long as you can meet the liquid restrictions, you won’t get a lot of hassle from them. (You can check the TSA website for fun details, like how they will gladly do a live lobster inspection.) So the question isn’t if you can, but how to do it without spoilage or breakage.

Freeze butter and cheese

I took a trip to Paris this year, and while there is a wealth of incredible food, French butter is exquisite. While I set out to cram as much butter as I could into my mouth over the course of five days, a friend I was traveling with casually mentioned vacuum sealing it in plastic and freezing it. This was a double-take moment. 

While vacuum sealing is helpful to keep food aromas in check, it’s the freezing part that's crucial. Freezing keeps the food item firm and durable, and delays the need for refrigeration, thus buying you time before any spoilage can occur. I froze four blocks of butter and they were still chilly when I unpacked. That’s about 13 hours total from European freezer to Brooklyn fridge in late May. (That is probably the maximum amount of travel time most frozen foods will hang on, so jump to the next section if your travels will keep you on the plane for longer.)

You can freeze many of your favorite food souvenirs to give them a fighting chance in your luggage. Anything you’d normally freeze can work: butters, hard cheeses, sausages, cured meats, breads, biscuits, cookies, or nut butters. Things that are larger or solid will stay cold longer, versus breads that have air pockets, or smaller cookies. If you know you’ll be collecting food souvenirs on your trip, bring a small insulated bag to help prolong the cold temperature of your food. While you can use ice packs or gel packs, I don’t recommend it. They must be completely frozen solid during TSA screening, which you can’t really rely on, and it’s added weight. 

While La Grande Epicerie vacuum sealed my bevy of butter in a plastic bag, you don’t need to bring a vacuum sealer on vacation. Maybe you could argue that the suctioned plastic supports the shape of the item, but I don’t think it’s doing much in that regard. The plastic really just prevents any gross spillage, meltage, and odor from getting out into your luggage. You can just squeeze the air out of zip-top bags, or use one of these no-vacuum-necessary compression travel bags.

Just to be clear, traveling with food, even in your car, is a bit of a gamble unless you can monitor the temperature. The USDA says perishable food can only be left in the danger zone (40°F to 140°F) for up to two hours. If you unpack the once-frozen food and it feels like it's reached room temperature, you might opt to chuck it. That said, my family has always stored butter on the kitchen table. Freezing foods keeps their temperature safe for longer, but always be smart, and use your nose.

Swaddle glass

If perishable goods won't work for the length of your travels, you can still bring home a taste your travels with jarred items. Dry goods are easy to pack if the packaging is plastic, but glass can be tricky. If you’re bringing back 10 jars of Italian peperoncino powder, or three small bottles of Limoncello from Amalfi, make sure you pad them. Luckily, your luggage is essentially full of padding material. 

Unlike in the picture, your luggage shouldn't look like you have any food in it. It should all be swaddled up. Put any liquid souvenirs, like liquors, sauces, jams, oils, or vinegars, in sealable small plastic bags, then wrap the items in clothes you don’t love so much. I usually put jars in socks, roll bottles up in several underpants, or pajamas. The cloth will prevent aggressive collisions from happening, but in the rare case of breakage, at least you were ready to retire that One Direction t-shirt anyway.

Finally, stuff any especially fragile padded jars or bottles into your packed shoes or sneakers. This shoe fortress will protect your precious food once you close the lid of your carry-on, and as a bonus they’ll keep your shoes in shape, too. I once brought home a six-piece set of Venetian wine glasses this way in checked luggage and they returned to me in pristine condition.

Say Goodbye to Hot Honey and Hello to Spicy Ketchup

✇Lifehacker
Allie Chanthorn Reinmann

I’ve had it with hot honey. It’s been on the scene for years now, but I really started seeing it pop up around 2018. Despite how many times I’ve tried it (many) and the vast variety of foods I’ve put it on (several), it’s never hot enough. Not even close. And as much as I like sweet and spicy paired together (please don’t make me call it “swicy"), it rarely matches up with the flavor profile of what I’m eating. I’d like to propose that you leave hot honey behind, and instead try a condiment that delivers flavor, heat, and a bit of sweet: hot ketchup. 

To clarify, I’m not a fanatic spice-head. This isn’t coming from a person who pops habaneros as a snack. I like heat as a complement to a dish’s flavor, and I frequently use hot sauce or add chilis to my food. However, the minute spice becomes a distraction to my enjoyment, it’s too much. I know everyone has different tolerances, but truly, hot honey can’t effectively provide long lasting heat. This is no fault of honey.

Why honey can’t deliver the heat

Honey is a special gift, but it’s never going to make you feel spice the way other sauces will. Honey is mostly composed of carbohydrates in the form of sugars and a wee bit of water. Sugar can actually alleviate the effects of capsaicin (the spicy oil found in hot peppers) by functioning like a painkiller. Which means honey will actually make hot peppers feel less spicy to the pain receptors in your mouth. Hot honey is an oxymoron. 

If you must have hot honey, look for the brands that actually have a pepper mash that you can see. When you eat it with food, you’ll probably crack into one of these pieces as you chew and get a burst of fire. I recommend Melinda’s Ghost Pepper Hot Honey. The heat is short-lived but strong, and if that works for you then you’ll enjoy this one.

Hot ketchup is superior

Luckily, hot ketchup is here to help. It's been my condiment of choice in these early days of summer. I’ve been using Rao’s Arrabbiata Ketchup which has a surprisingly forceful kick. Hot ketchup is a far better vehicle for heat delivery because it sticks to food, the flavor is more flexible, and there’s not enough sugar in it to mute the spice. Honey has little in the way of structure, so it easily dribbles off food, while ketchup is spreadable and stays put for the most part. The flavor of ketchup is much less divisive. I know several people that hate sweet and savory paired together, but ketchup reads less like candy and still scratches the itch.

Now that outdoor grilling season is here, I think spicy ketchup should be the champion condiment of the summer. Put it on all the things you’ve tried to enjoy hot honey with. Add it to your barbecue sauce recipe, use it as a marinade, spread it on pizza, and obviously it should go on your hot sandwiches. If you’re wondering how you’ll ever make your blueberry pie à la mode spicy again (all two of you spicy dessert folks out there), maybe just reach for the hot sauce. 

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