SEAAN Electric Grill Indoor Teppanyaki Grill & Shabu Shabu Hot Pot Review
Shabu-Shabu hot pot and grilling has started to take the indoor grill world by storm. Seaan steps up to the table with this large, electric hot pot chamber with a non-stick griddle.
The hot pot section has a divider that lets you prepare two separate broths, while also giving you ample space in the electric grill section. There is also a tempered glass lid with a steam port to help you quickly heat your broth while reducing the risk of a boil-over event.
There’s also a thoughtfully designed grease management system built into the grill section. It will carefully redirect grease or any potential hot pot runoff with minimal smoking or caramelization.
Both sections are coated with a high-quality non-stick layer. Both the hotpot and the grill section have their own independent controls, with five settings. The underlying body is made from cast aluminum which heats up and then cools down quickly.
Construction & Ease of Assembly
It’s worth noting that this is a slightly upgraded or updated version of the Seaan electric grill Indoor Teppanyaki Grill And Shabu Shabu Hot Pot. This includes minor engineering improvements in the aluminum frame, and it now comes with a 2-meter power cord to position it farther from your chosen power outlet.
One thing to note in the engineering is that with both sides turned up to the maximum setting, this indoor grill and hot pot will consume up to 2,400 Watts. This is the absolute maximum that a 20-Amp breaker will handle. So, before purchasing you might want to double-check your breaker panel to make sure that it has a 20-Amp label. If you have a 15-Amp you likely won’t be able to turn both sides all the way up without tripping the breaker.
If you are a professional electrician, this might make you grind your teeth. If you love screaming hot pot and perfectly seared Teppanyaki grilling, then this represents the peak of high-heat performance.
When it comes to assembly there isn’t a whole lot to put together. Most of your time will be spent with the slightly complicated unboxing.
Grilling Performance
To accurately review this indoor cooking appliance, it’s best to separate the shabu shabu hot pot from the Teppanyaki grill.
The divider in the hot pot is arguably good or bad, depending on your personal preference. If you like to have one spicy hot broth, then you might lead toward a single reservoir hot pot to load it up with as much food as possible at one time. If you have someone who loves hot pot but doesn’t necessarily want to have steam blowing out their ears, the divider lets them enjoy a milder broth, or even something completely different.
The tempered glass cover with the built-in steam port is also nice. It helps the hot pot broth to come up to a quick simmer without having to simply crank the heat to the maximum setting.
It’s also worth noting that you don’t have to use this strictly for Asian-style hot pot. If you make a loose sauce and set the heat low, you could just as easily use this for fondue.
The Teppanyaki grill is larger than a lot of competitors. The built-in grease management system also diverts runoff without worrying about it pooling on the non-stick surface, which could affect the sear.
The ability to adjust the temperature of each is nice and lets you set it up for the type of broth or sauces you are using, while also making sure you have the heat you need to sear on the Teppanyaki side.
Grilling Areas
The Shabu Shabu hot pot measures in at .8-liters per side for a total of 1.6-liters of broth. The Teppanyaki grill offers up to 60 square inches of grilling space.
Seaan claims that this 2-in-1 hot pot and electric indoor grill will accommodate up to 8 diners, but 4 is more realistic.
Special Features
The divider in the shabu shabu hot pot and tempered glass cover with a steam port might not seem like all that much of an exclamation point. Yet you only see this in perhaps a third of the competitors.
A similar statement could be made for the dual temperature controls with five distinct heat settings.
Ease to Clean
Cleaning this grill is a little bit of a double-edged sword. The grease management system with pull out drippings up makes it easy to capture and dispose of excess runoff.
Unfortunately, the hot pot and Teppanyaki grill do not detach from the base in any way. This can make pouring out any lingering brother tricky. You also need to rely on multiple wipe downs with wet sponges and paper towels to get it fully clean.
Warranty
The SEAAN electric grill Indoor Teppanyaki Grill And Shabu Shabu Hot Pot is backed by a 24-month warranty against manufacturer’s defects. This is about what you would expect for this type of device at this price tag.
Conclusion
If you want a hot pot with a divider attached to an independently controlled indoor electric Teppanyaki grill, then this unit deserves a good hard look. The tempered glass lid with steam port makes it easy to develop a nice simmer, without risk of scorching a delicate broth. Yet you can still crank the electric griddle up to the max for a really near high-heat sear.
Just keep in mind that cleaning can be a little bit meticulous. You might also want to double-check your breaker box to make sure your chosen outlet has a 20-amp rated fuse. If you do happen to crank both controls up to the max, you will need to also think about any other devices you have plugged into the same breaker, or you might be making a trip to the basement in the middle of your elegant meal.
