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TL;DR: Weber Q & Ninja Woodfire dominate apartment grilling; pure electrics struggle with sear & heat loss; pellet hybrids (Recteq/Yoder) king for flavor but check lease rules; Foreman/indoor options convenient but lack soul; cleaning coils/glass is a pain
TL;DR: versatile 7-in-1; real smoke flavor; compact size; essentially an outdoor air fryer
TL;DR: versatile 7-in-1; real smoke flavor; compact size; essentially an outdoor air fryer
TL;DR: reliable workhorse; cast iron grates; slow heat-up; widely recommended
TL;DR: reliable workhorse; cast iron grates; slow heat-up; widely recommended
TL;DR: apartment friendly; grease drainage; limited temp control; utilitarian
TL;DR: apartment friendly; grease drainage; limited temp control; utilitarian
TL;DR: premium build; very high heat; glass window; widely praised engineering
TL;DR: premium build; very high heat; glass window; widely praised engineering
TL;DR: larger capacity; built-in thermometer; smoker function; popular for couples
TL;DR: larger capacity; built-in thermometer; smoker function; popular for couples
TL;DR: pellet grill; exceptional build quality; expensive; versatile smoking/searing
TL;DR: pellet grill; exceptional build quality; expensive; versatile smoking/searing
TL;DR: infrared technology; widely available; mixed longevity; struggles in wind/cold
TL;DR: infrared technology; widely available; mixed longevity; struggles in wind/cold
TL;DR: pellet hybrid; high temp riot mode; sturdy stainless steel; customer service
TL;DR: pellet hybrid; high temp riot mode; sturdy stainless steel; customer service
all are disposable, consensus is buy cheap & replace (OXO, Tramontina, T-Fal); premium brands a pricey gamble on durability; proper care is crucial but coatings eventually fail; many just switch to cast iron or carbon steel instead
Cuisinart freezer bowls to start ; compressors for convenience; Lello is the BIFL endgame; Ninja Creami for protein/healthy options
overall consensus is a battle between reliability and price; Philips Hue is the gold standard but expensive; Lutron Caseta dominates switches; IKEA Tradfri is the best budget Zigbee option; enthusiasts prefer feature-rich switches like Inovelli and Zooz; WiFi bulbs like Kasa are cheap but can be unreliable
Encore/ESP reliable entry, Ode 2 filter fave, DF series value flats; Niche Zero workflow champ, Eureka quiet workhorse; hand grinders beat budget electrics, diminishing returns past ~$500
Victorinox Fibrox dominates value tier; German knives forgiving and BIFL; Japanese sharper but need care; skip sets buy individual; learning to sharpen matters most
Masterbuilt/Electric models are easy to use; WSM/Kamado offer better flavor, durability, and versatility; offsets require much more work for max smoke; pellet grills provide convenience, but may sacrifice smoke depth.
