A freestanding grill for approx. €37, and where our information comes from
The ALPINA BBQ grill is a 2000 watt electric grill that you either put on four legs or, without the legs, on a table. It costs approx. €37 (Amazon page on 21 October 2026: €37.49).
Almost everything we write about it comes from Amazon: from the product title, from five bullet points by the seller, from a few catalogue fields and from the product image. Alpina is a retailer’s own brand. We found no manufacturer page for this grill in October 2026, and no manual as a PDF either; the search results led exclusively to retailers. We have not had the grill in our hands and have not cooked anything on it.
Our assessment up front: for the price you get a plain appliance with a thermostat and legs. You get hardly any verifiable data. If you want to know before buying how hot the grate gets and how big it is, you will find those values for the Severin models in the table further down.
Tray, grate, control and legs
The product image shows a rectangular black grill tray with a wire grate on top, with sausages lying on it. At the front in the middle sits a box with a round dial and the Alpina lettering, with the power cable running down from it. A handle is visible on the right short side of the tray. The tray rests on four thin legs that carry a second rack at about half height, a shelf between the legs. The image shows no lid, and none appears in the bullet points either.
On the technology, the bullet points give three details. The power is in the title. An adjustable thermostat sets how hot the grill gets, and on the lowest setting it is meant to be suitable for keeping food warm. In addition, the heating element can be removed after use so that you can clean the grill. The heating element is mentioned in the singular, and the photo shows only one dial. So, going by everything available, the Alpina has no separate zones.
Where the heating element sits is not directly revealed by the image. In electric grills of this design, there is usually a heating rod on the control box that is pushed into the tray from the front and lies under the grate. In the manual for its eBBQ table grills, Severin calls this unit the connection box and counts the heating element, connecting cable, dial and indicator light as part of it. That the Alpina box is built the same way is our reading of the photo. It would explain why the heating element can be taken off for cleaning: with it, the electrics would come out of the tray, and tray and grate could go into the washing-up water.
For dimensions, the catalogue has three values in inches, 27.17 inches height, 17.32 inches length and 13.78 inches width. Converted, that is around 69 x 44 x 35 cm. Whether this refers to the assembled grill or the box is not stated. The height fits the grill on legs better, but that is a guess. One thing cannot be read from these figures with certainty, namely the grilling surface. An overall dimension includes the handle, control box and tray rim, and as a rule we do not calculate an area from outer dimensions.
Colour black, one piece in the box according to the catalogue, documentation language German. That exhausts the catalogue fields.
In detail: thermostat, keep-warm setting and the water in the pan
A thermostat in a simple electric grill usually regulates over time. The heating element runs at full power until the set temperature is reached, switches off and comes back on as soon as it cools down. Severin describes this quite openly in the manual for the PG 8596: during operation the indicator light goes on and off because the heating element cycles. For the Alpina we have no such description, but the principle is usual for thermostat controls in this price class.
For you, that means two things. A low setting means longer pauses, not a lower wattage. And the temperature at the grate swings around the set value instead of holding it. The keep-warm setting works on the same pattern, except that the heating element switches on only rarely there. How warm it stays is unknown. We would only park finished food there briefly and not plan on it as a replacement for an oven.
How quickly the grate is hot again after putting food on depends on the mass of grate and tray. A thin wire grate over an exposed heating rod heats up quickly because little material has to be warmed. But it also stores little heat. If you put a cold steak on, the appliance wins back the lost heat at its rated power, and it cannot go faster than that. A cast plate buffers more here, but takes longer to warm through.
Then the water. According to the seller, you fill the grill pan with some water, and this prevents smoke. “So you can even grill indoors!”, says the bullet point. The mechanism behind it is simple: with an electric grill, smoke arises mainly when dripping fat hits hot metal and burns there. If the drop falls into water instead, it stays at 100 °C at most, as long as the pan does not run dry.
That has two consequences. The smoke that arises directly on the grate, from fat and marinade on the food itself, remains. We therefore consider “prevents” to be overpromising; “reduces” is closer. In addition, the water evaporates over time, especially on a high setting. How much of it belongs in the pan, the seller does not state. More on the causes of smoke is in the guide Grill smoking too much.
Is a normal socket enough, and what does an hour cost?
As a rule, yes. 2000 watts at 230 volts gives around 8.7 amperes, and a household circuit is usually protected at 16 amperes. An hour with the heating element running continuously uses at most 2 kilowatt hours. At 35 cents per kilowatt hour, that is at most 70 cents.
Both figures are our calculation from the rated power. Because the thermostat cycles, actual consumption is lower; how much lower depends on the setting, outside temperature and wind. The 35 cents is an example value; you will find your own rate on your electricity bill.
It gets tight when a kettle or a fan heater is running on the same circuit at the same time, because the currents add up. Which fuse belongs to which socket is usually written on the labelling in the fuse box.
Outdoors, the cable comes into it. Severin states 100 cm of connecting cable for both the PG 8593 and the PG 8596, and one metre rarely reaches the grilling spot on a balcony or terrace. So plan for an extension lead intended for outdoor use. As a general rule for cable reels under load: unwind them completely, because wound-up cable can heat up.
What the manufacturer does not state
Because neither a manufacturer page nor a manual could be found, the list is long. Here it is in full:
- Grilling surface in centimetres
- Maximum temperature, temperature range in degrees Celsius, number and labelling of the thermostat settings
- Heating time in minutes
- Weight
- Material of grate, grill pan, tray and legs
- Purpose and load capacity of the shelf between the legs
- Voltage, frequency, plug type and cable length
- Protection rating against splashing water
- Whether an indicator light is present
- Dishwasher suitability of individual parts
- Height adjustment of the grate
- A manufacturer’s model number
- Warranty terms and warrantor
- Spare parts and their availability
- Safety instructions: minimum distances, residual current device (RCD), rules for balcony and indoor use
- The manufacturer behind the brand, country of production, market launch
Two points weigh more heavily for us than the rest. Without a temperature figure, it is hard to judge whether the grate gets hot enough for a steak with sear marks; that does not follow from the wattage alone, because grate size and distance from the heating rod also matter. And without a manual, the safety rules for indoor use are missing, even though grilling indoors is exactly what is advertised.
These three alternatives are worth a look
| Model | The difference | Price | Our rating | Choose this one if |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALPINA BBQ grill 2000 watts (this one) | Legs or table use, thermostat without a temperature in degrees, grilling surface unknown | approx. €37 | 7.0 | you want a grill on legs for little money and can live with few manufacturer details |
| Severin PG 8593 | Table grill without a stand, stainless steel grate 38 x 22 cm, control range 35 to 200 °C | approx. €34.99 | 7.8 | a table grill is enough for you and you want to know grilling surface and temperature range beforehand |
| Severin PG 8596 | Stand with shelf rack, die-cast aluminium plate 39 x 23 cm, 40 to 220 °C | approx. €61.99 | 8.1 | you want a grill on legs and would like to read the manual before buying |
| Landmann EG-II-590 | Grill trolley with 3,200 W, two separately controllable heating elements, 59 x 40.5 cm | approx. €550 | 9.4 | you regularly grill electrically for larger groups and have a fixed place for it |
The prices are guide values from our price boxes and change. The rating is our editorial assessment from the data comparison; no measurement is behind it.
When the Alpina suits and when another grill does
The Alpina suits you if price is the first condition and you need a grill on legs, for example for a terrace without a free table. In this table it is the only appliance under €40 with legs.
If a table grill is enough for you, take the Severin PG 8593. It costs approx. €35, the Alpina approx. €37, and Severin publishes a data sheet and manual. So before buying you know how big the grate is and what range the control covers.
If you want legs and can spend more (approx. €62 instead of approx. €37), we would take the Severin PG 8596. Like the Alpina, it stands on a frame with a shelf rack, but it has a cast plate and a manual with safety instructions that you can go through beforehand. In our rating it is clearly ahead.
For thick cuts that are meant to cook slowly, none of the three small appliances is suitable. For that you need a lid or a second zone that you can switch off. The Landmann EG-II-590 has two separately controlled heating elements, but costs approx. €550 and, as a grill trolley more than a metre wide, is better suited to a terrace.
On the balcony itself: an electric grill has no open flame, so it is more likely to be allowed on many balconies than a charcoal grill. But your tenancy agreement and house rules count, and smoke from hot fat still drifts to the neighbours. How to clarify the rules for your balcony is in the guide Grilling on a balcony.
The Alpina is wrong for anyone who wants to read up before buying on how hot the grate gets and what rules the manufacturer sets for the kitchen. If you are still unsure which type of grill suits you, the Grill Finder helps.
Cleaning, grilling in the kitchen and safety
On cleaning, the catalogue has two sentences, quoted here word for word: “Remove the heating element after use so that you can clean the grill quickly. Clean the grill and the grill pan with warm soapy water.” We know of no further care instructions from the seller, nor any statement on the dishwasher.
What follows is a general rule and not a manufacturer statement. Before cleaning, you pull the plug and let the grill cool down, and only then do you take off the heating element. Heating element and control belong neither in the sink nor under the tap. By “the grill” in the bullet point we therefore understand tray and grate, not the electrics. Before you put the heating element back in, everything must be dry.
Baked-on fat on the grate comes off more easily if it soaks in warm soapy water for a while first. A wire brush has no place on coated surfaces as a matter of principle, and as long as the grate material is not stated, we would leave it off here too.
The seller expressly advertises grilling indoors, provided there is water in the pan. As a general rule in the kitchen: open a window or switch on the extractor hood, put the grill on a level, heat-resistant surface away from curtains and wall cupboards, and never leave it running unattended. A smoke alarm can still go off, because the smoke from food on the grate also arises above water. You never put out burning fat with water. You pull the plug and smother the flames, for example with a fire blanket.
Outdoors, we would not run the Alpina in rain and would store it dry after it has cooled down, ideally indoors with the control box removed.
