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We compare products from their published specs and features; the verdicts below are our independent editorial opinions.
Updated: 2026-09-22 · 10 min read · Independent comparison
The Nuwave Bravo Pro is my #1 pick: it is the only machine here that genuinely covers both sides of the "air fryer vs grill" question in one countertop box, with a 100% faster fan, adjustable top/bottom heater zones and ten presets.
• Nuwave Bravo Pro — best for countertop air frying plus oven-style grilling and broiling; pick this if you want one 1800-watt appliance with 10 presets, a 12"x9.5" air fry basket and multi-layer cooking that holds a 0–1°F spread between racks.
• Gourmia Smokeless Indoor Grill — best for indoor Korean BBQ–style grilling without a kitchen full of smoke; pick this if you want direct contact heat from below onto a heavy-duty cast-metal grate and a PFAS-free, PFOA-free nonstick surface.
• BOSCH HEZ629070 — best for Bosch oven owners who want to add air fry and barbecue capability; pick this if you already have the oven and just need the 17.91" x 17.91" accessory tray that slots in.
• ZuKaYeHome Air Fryer Grill — best for replacing or upgrading the rack in an Emeril Lagasse Dual Zone 360 25 QT; pick this if you want a 14" x 12" food-grade stainless tray that is dishwasher safe and rated to 480°F.
• Blackstone 28 — best for backyard cooking for a crowd; pick this if you want 524 square inches of carbon steel griddle plus a built-in 2-quart air fryer drawer on a free-standing gas cart.
The Bravo Pro is a countertop oven first and an air fryer second — and that combination is exactly why it sits at the top of this list. It is a 21QT stainless steel box measuring 13"D x 17.6"W x 9.5"H with a dropdown tempered glass door, weighing 14.4 pounds. That footprint is small enough for a normal counter but big enough to hold a real baking pan, which is more than you can say for a basket-style air fryer.
The spec that matters most day to day is the fan. Nuwave rates the redesigned fan and housing at 100% faster fan speed, which is what pushes hot air across the food hard enough to get crisp, golden-brown surfaces instead of pale, steamed ones. In practice this is the difference between fries that come out limp and fries that come out with a shell.
Then there is the heater zoning. You can set the ratio of top to bottom heaters anywhere from 0 to 100%. Nuwave's own example is a thick pizza with bottom heaters at 70% and top at 30% for a crunchy crust and properly melted toppings. For me, that adjustability is the selling point: you are not stuck with one fixed heating profile, so you can go bottom-heavy for pizza and pastry, top-heavy for broiling and finishing, or balanced for roasting.
Multi-layer cooking is the other headline. The upgraded convection system keeps the temperature difference between layers to 0–1°F, so you can run two racks at once without swapping trays halfway. Ten presets — Air Fry, Bake, Reheat, Bagel, Pizza, Toast, Broil, Waffle, Dehydrate and Roast — mean most meals are a button press rather than a manual. It ships with a heavy-duty rack, baking pan, crumb tray, 12"x9.5" air fry basket, recipe book and quick start guide.
The trade-off is honest: this is an oven, not a grill. You get browning, crisping and broiling, but you do not get the char, smoke and open-flame character of a real grate. It also needs counter space and a free outlet for its 1800 watts. If you want grilled steak flavor, look further down this list.
Gourmia Smokeless Indoor Grill
The build is a 6-quart unit measuring 16.9"D x 15.8"W x 7.2"H, made from metal and plastic in black. The cooking surface is nonstick and, per the spec sheet, free of PFAS and PFOA — worth noting if you are trying to avoid those coatings in cookware you use often. The cast-metal grate is the part that gives food those contact sear marks rather than the all-over browning you get from a basket air fryer.
In daily use, think Korean BBQ at the table, weeknight burgers, chicken thighs, skewers, halloumi, vegetables. Because the grate sits over direct heat, you can cook fairly quickly and get real texture on the surface of the food. The 6-quart FoodStation capacity is generous enough for a family portion rather than a single serving, and the whole thing is a countertop footprint rather than a cart.
The trade-off is that "smokeless" is not "smoke-free." The extraction handles a lot, but very fatty, very high-heat cooking will still put some odor in the air, so ventilation is common sense. It is also a plug-in electric appliance, so you get even, controllable heat rather than the high, dry blast of charcoal or gas. It comes with a 1-year manufacturer warranty. If indoor grilling is the priority and outdoor space is not an option, I would start here.
The HEZ629070 is a different kind of product entirely: it is an accessory tray, not a standalone appliance. It is an air fry and barbecue tray in anthracite, rectangular, measuring 17.91"L x 17.91"W x 1.34" thick and weighing 1.1 kg. The material listing is stainless steel, cast iron and aluminium — a combination built for heat, contact and durability rather than lightweight portability.
Who is this for? Someone who already owns a compatible Bosch oven and wants air fry and barbecue results without buying another countertop machine. That is a genuinely smart move if your kitchen is short on space. Instead of adding a second appliance, you add a tray that turns the oven you already have into a crisping, grilling surface.
In everyday terms, that means you can run chicken wings, vegetables, fish and small cuts on the tray and get the airflow and contact browning you would otherwise chase with a dedicated air fryer. Being a single 1-count unit at roughly 18 inches square, it is sized for a full oven cavity, so you can spread food out rather than pile it up — which is the single biggest reason home "air frying" goes soggy.
The trade-off is obvious and worth saying plainly: this does nothing on its own. No oven, no cooking. It is also one fixed size, so it fits what it fits, and a heavy mixed-material tray needs a proper hand wash or careful dishwasher placement to stay in good shape. If you already own the matching Bosch oven, I think this is the most space-efficient answer in this whole guide. If you do not, skip it.
This is the swap-in option for a specific machine: the Emeril Lagasse Dual Zone 360 Air Fryer Oven 25 QT Extra Large with French door. The plate measures 14"L x 12"W x 0.8"H and is designed to drop into that oven as a grill pan, crisper plate and replacement rack. If your original accessories have warped, lost their coating or simply gone missing, this is the practical fix.
The material is the story here. It is food-grade stainless steel, BPA-free, non-toxic and tasteless, and the brand states it meets FDA standards. Heat resistance tops out at 480°F. That is a genuinely useful ceiling for wings, fries, vegetables, steak and pizza-style bakes — the kind of mixed menu a 25 QT dual-zone oven gets used for.
One instruction deserves repeating because it is unusual and easy to miss: preheat the pan before first use. The brand specifically says to run it in a 300°F oven for 10 minutes, and warns that skipping this can cause the pan to deform, bend or be damaged and shorten its lifespan. That is a real, spec-stated requirement, not marketing filler — do it once and you are set.
Cleaning is straightforward: it is dishwasher safe, and the brand notes that a quick soak loosens stuck-on food. They do ask you to avoid rough abrasive cloths or metal scrubbers, which makes sense for any stainless cooking surface you want to keep flat and non-stick-ish over time. The trade-off is compatibility — it is built around one specific oven size, so measure your device before buying. Within that one job, it does it well.
The Blackstone 28" Griddle with Air Fryer Combo is the outdoor heavyweight. It is a free-standing gas griddle on wheels, 25.5"D x 54.5"W x 45"H, with two burners, two heating elements, a stainless steel frame and hood, two side shelves and a carbon steel cooking top. That 524 square inches of griddle surface is the reason people buy it: you can cook a full breakfast, smash burgers for a party, or a pile of stir fry without crowding anything.
The interesting part for this comparison is the built-in air fryer drawer. It has a 2-quart air frying capacity with a temperature control knob offering three settings between 300°F and 475°F, plus a warming basket so you can air fry fries and hold them while the burgers finish on the griddle. That is a genuinely clever workflow, and it is the clearest "air fryer vs grill" answer in this guide — you stop choosing, because the machine does both in one station.
The cooking range is wide: griddle, sear, sauté, stir fry, roast, bake and air fry. The carbon steel top is what gives Blackstone its characteristic rich, savory sear, and the patented rear grease management system collects runoff into a trap at the back so bacon and juicy meats do not turn cleanup into a chore. Fuel type is listed as gas and electric, so the griddle runs on propane while the air fryer runs on power — note that the propane tank is not included.
The trade-off is that this is outdoor-only and it is big. It wants a patio, a level spot and a cover, and it is not something you roll into a cupboard. It also needs assembly and a tank before first cook. If you have the yard and you feed people regularly, I would pick this every time. If you live in an apartment, it is simply not your product.
We compared published specs and features — cooking surface, capacity, materials, heat ranges, heater control, included components and cleanup design — and weighed them against how each product is actually used. The ranking is our independent editorial opinion, based on what the data sheets say rather than hands-on testing. No brand paid for placement, and no brand reviewed or approved this list.
how to air fryer grilled cheese
Use a machine with a basket or rack and enough airflow, like the Nuwave Bravo Pro with its 12"x9.5" air fry basket. Build the sandwich, then air fry at a moderate temperature so the bread crisps before the cheese over-browns. If your appliance has top and bottom heater control, keep the heat balanced so both sides toast evenly.
how to air fryer grilled cheese sandwich
Butter or oil the outside of the bread, then place the sandwich in the air fry basket or on the tray without stacking anything on top. Air fry until the bread is golden and the cheese has melted, flipping once so both faces crisp. A tray-style accessory such as the ZuKaYeHome plate also works if your oven has a suitable rack position.
how to air fryer grilled chicken
Pat the chicken dry, season it, and cook it in a single layer so hot air reaches every surface. The Gourmia's cast-metal grate gives contact sear for a grilled look, while the Nuwave Bravo Pro's fast fan and adjustable heater zones let you brown the top and cook through the base at the same time. Always confirm doneness with a thermometer.
how to air fry grilled cheese
Keep the heat moderate rather than maximum — high heat will darken the bread before the cheese softens. If you are using the Blackstone air fryer drawer, its three temperature settings between 300°F and 475°F give you room to pick a gentler setting, then use the warming basket to hold the sandwich while you finish other food.
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