Optigrill vs Breville

Compare what is it? Optigrill vs Breville

Optigrill – Optigrill claims to be the first indoor electric grill that uses Precision Grill Technology to cook food exactly the way you want based on the program you choose.

Breville – Breville Smart Grill uses Element IQ technology to its advantage and assures you that food will be cooked as well as on the barbecue but cleaned as fast as on the frypan.

Verdict – Optigrill has a distinct advantage here.

Compare How does it work? Optigrill vs Breville

Optigrill – Precision Grill technology is at the heart of the Optigrill and there are several programs for burger, poultry, sandwiches, sausages, fish, raw meat and more to choose from. The way Optigrill works is by adapting the grilling cycles depending on the thickness of the food being cooked. Moreover it also has a cooking level indicator that shows you whether the food item is cooked Rare, Medium or Well done based on your requirements.

Breville – The secret of Breville Smart Grill lies in its Element IQ Technology that bridges the gap between indoor and outdoor cooking. The grill plates have heat sensors that are capable of compensating heat drop when cold food is kept on a pre-heated surface. The 1800 watt heating design it has makes sure optimum heat is offered to the plate so that food is cooked quickly and that leads to a BBQ like sizzle and sear, while you cook comfortably indoors.

Verdict – Both the grills work on slightly different principles that are quite effective but Optigrill’s capability of cooking based on the thickness of food gives it the edge.

Compare Features: Optigrill vs Breville

Optigrill – Besides Precision Grill Technology and Cooking Level Indicator, Optigrill also has features like Defrost setting, which lets you cook food straight from frozen. The 1,800-watt heating element and die-cast aluminum, non-stick coated plates it has makes cooking very efficient. Its manual settings can be used to ensure that you can cook vegetables or make your own recipes.

Breville – Breville Smart Grill has an embedded heating element, which is more effective when it comes to recovering heat loss. It also means the grill takes less time to heat up and you can get on with your cooking tasks with ease. It offers two cooking modes; Panini mode, which lets you press paninis or grill ingredients on two sides at the same time, and Barbecue mode, which lets you open the plates at 180 degrees so that you can sear meat and vegetables.

Verdict – Breville Smart grill seems to be ideal in case you have specific cooking requirements, while Optigrill is quite versatile.

Compare Benefits: Optigrill vs Breville

Optigrill
• Optigrill lets you cook different types of foods; from meats to fish and vegetables conveniently and precisely, exactly according to your requirements and preference.
• The interface on handle assures you improved ergonomics while the angled plates allow easy draining of fat. The drip tray and plates can be easily removed and they are dishwasher safe for your convenience.
• You also have the option of cooking from frozen, which saves you time.

Breville
• Breville Smart Grill keeps you on top of things at all times with the timer and temperature control dials. You can set the time and temperatures for cooking based on your needs and it will alert you when the job is done.
• Element IQ auto adjustment is handy when there is a drop in temperatures due to introduction of cold ingredients to pre-heated surfaces. It thus maintains that it will take less time to get the grill heated to the right temperature.
• The integrated removable drip tray is dishwasher safe like the plates.

Verdict – Breville Smart Grill offers you more control over cooking while Optigrill is definitely more convenient for precise cooking.

Compare Wattage: Optigrill vs Breville

Optigrill – 1800 watts

Breville – 1800 watts.

Verdict – Both the grills are on par here.

Compare Heating Element: Optigrill vs Breville

Optigrill – 1800 watts heating element

Breville – It has an 1800 watts embedded heating design.

Verdict – The embedded heating design of Breville makes it a winner here because grill heating time and thereby cooking time is reduced.

Compare Temperature Settings: Optigrill vs Breville

Optigrill – The Precision Grill Technology it has ensures that the temperature is adapted every single time based on the thickness of the food. But you will also find different settings in the manual mode to make your own preparation.

Breville – It has three temperature settings, low, Panini, and sear, ranging from temperatures of 320F to 450F.

Verdict – Optigrill might be convenient for your regular cooking needs but the temperature controls in Breville work well for seasoned cooks.

Compare Plates: Optigrill vs Breville

Optigrill – It has die cast aluminum, non-stick coated plates that can be easily removed and are dishwasher safe.

Breville – It has removable plates with fully embedded cooking elements.

Verdict – Plates in Optigrill are well made but those in Breville hold the key to faster cooking because of the embedded heating element.

Compare Warranty: Optigrill vs Breville

Optigrill – It comes with a 1 year limited warranty.

Breville – One year limited warranty.

Verdict – Both are equal.

Does it do BBQ?

Optigrill – Yes it does.

Breville – Yes it does.

Verdict – While both the grills barbecue, Breville has a specific function for it.

Does it do Panini?
Optigrill – Yes it does.

Breville – Yes it does.

Verdict – While both the grills allow you to make Panini, Breville has a special function for it.

Compare Reviews and Complaints: Optigrill vs Breville

Optigrill Reviews, Pros and Cons

Automatic Cooking is a sham – Lauren who used Optigrill complained in her review that there is a lot of ambiguity in the claims it makes. One of its biggest selling points is the automatic cooking, which is what she tried when grilling chicken. But the problem was that at designated time it came out quite tough and there was an annoying stench to it as well.

Goes into manual settings – Natasha who reviewed Optigrill complained in her review that the automatic settings worked quite well initially and the indicators were spot on. However problems started creeping up after a few uses when the grill went to manual settings on its own. That was a big let-down for her because she had bought the grill given its automatic settings. The options provided by the customer support didn’t serve her cause.

Has its limitations – Reid who reviewed Optigrill revealed in his review that though it works well it does have its serious limitations. While some food items are cooked precisely, things like hamburgers and vegetables are not cooked well at all. He also believes that the grill is highly overpriced.

Breville Reviews, Pros and Cons

Plates could be better – Vera who used Breville exposed in her review the limitations of the grill, especially considering its high price. She admits that it works well but definitely not worth the money she paid for it. She would have preferred extra plates for cooking, more so with their individual controls. She also thinks that the plates are too heavy and only if they were a bit lighter, she would be using the grill more often.

Not like a barbeque – Angus who bought Breville complained in his review that though it does give you convenient results it definitely isn’t anywhere close to a real barbeque. You just don’t get the smoke effect you get from a barbecue and that’s something he really missed while using this grill.

Temperature issues – Greg who reviewed Breville claimed in his review that the top and the bottom of the grill do not heat at the same temperature. As a result you need to keep turning food over while the grill is closed to ensure that it is cooked evenly. According to him, that’s a hassle while cooking with this grill.