You're three weeks into cold weather, the burger cravings won't quit, and the backyard grill is sitting under its cover doing nothing. Every search funnel eventually spits out the same standoff: Indoor Grill vs Outdoor Grill: Which Should You Buy? We're settling the indoor half of that fight today, because two models keep landing on the same shortlist together.
Short answer, the Ninja® Sizzle™ Indoor Grill & Griddle wins for flavor-first cooks who want true char-grilled marks plus a bonus griddle for weekend breakfasts, while the Elite Gourmet EMG-980BX Indoor Electric Round wins for budget-focused households that want simple operation, low-fat cooking, and fast cleanup. Our team compared manufacturer spec sheets, parsed verified buyer reviews, and weighed long-term ownership reports on both units. Here's the head-to-head.
At a glance
Ninja® Sizzle™ Indoor Grill & Griddle is built for the daily-driver cook who treats sear quality as non-negotiable, while Elite Gourmet EMG-980BX Indoor Electric Round optimizes for the practical household that wants dinner handled with minimum fuss and minimum cost. SharkNinja engineered the Sizzle around a fixed 500°F plate and swappable grill and griddle surfaces, whereas Maxi-Matic's Elite Gourmet line keeps things round, affordable, and forgiving. As of 2026, both sit among the most-reviewed electric grills on Amazon, which hands us a deep pool of verified feedback to draw from. For context, George Foreman's round indoor-outdoor hybrids occupy the same budget lane as the Elite, and Hamilton Beach's windowed searing grill plays something like the Ninja's game at a lower spec ceiling.