Weber Q1400 Electric Grill Gray Portable 1560-Watt Cast-Iron Grates Review (2026)

Who the Q1400 actually suits

This is an electric grill built for people who are not allowed to use gas or charcoal on their balcony, deck or patio. Weber's own listing pitches it at condo and apartment dwellers facing fire-code restrictions, not backyard owners with room for a full-size kettle or gas grill. The single 1560-watt element at 120 volts plugs into a standard outdoor-rated outlet, so there is no propane tank or charcoal chimney to manage. Total cooking area is 189 square inches, enough for a family-size batch of burgers or chicken thighs but not a whole brisket or a stack of racks. If your building allows any open flame, a compact propane tabletop grill will give you hotter searing for similar money. But where electric is the only legal option, the Q1400 is the closest thing to normal grilling most renters can get.

What the specs mean day to day

The grates are porcelain-enameled cast iron, the same material Weber uses on its gas grills, so they hold and radiate heat evenly instead of just getting hot on the surface like thin electric griddle plates. The lid and body are cast aluminum, which will not rust the way steel bodies can outdoors. Closed, the grill measures about 14.5 inches high by 27 inches wide by 16.5 inches deep, and it opens up to roughly 23.5 inches high for lid clearance over taller cuts. A 6-foot grounded cord runs from the base, and Weber specifies it needs a grounded, weatherproof outdoor outlet rather than an indoor extension cord. Aluminum heat retention liners inside the lid and bowl help the unit hold temperature in wind, which matters more on an electric grill than a gas one since there is no flame to compensate.

Living with the Q1400

Setup is unplug-and-cook simple compared with propane or charcoal: no tank to fill, no coals to light, just a dial for infinite heat control from low to high. A removable catch pan under the grates collects grease and makes cleanup closer to a toaster oven than a charcoal kettle. Because there is no open flame, many buildings and HOAs that ban propane and charcoal specifically permit electric grills like this one, which is the whole reason to buy it. The trade-off is placement: you need a dedicated outdoor-rated GFCI outlet within 6 feet, and running an indoor extension cord to a balcony is not something Weber or most electricians recommend for safety. Owners looking at similar-size gas alternatives should expect a genuine propane flame smell and taste that an electric element cannot fully replicate.

Honest trade-offs against gas alternatives

Compared with the Masterbuilt Portable Propane Gas Grill, which uses an open propane flame across a similar folding-leg format, the Q1400 cannot match that unit's higher, faster sear because an electric coil tops out lower than a propane burner and takes longer to recover heat after the lid opens. Against the Cuisinart Petite Gourmet Portable Gas Grill, a smaller 5,500 BTU tabletop propane unit, the Q1400 wins on cooking area and on being legal in places propane is not, but loses on raw heat output and the ability to run it anywhere without a power source. If your building allows propane, either gas option will sear steaks and get better char faster. The Q1400 earns its place specifically when electric is the only legal choice, not as a general upgrade over gas.

Verdict: who should look elsewhere

Buy the Q1400 if you live somewhere that bans open-flame grilling and you want the closest legal substitute, with cast-iron grates and a cast aluminum body built to Weber's usual standard. Skip it if you have a yard or patio where propane or charcoal is allowed, since either will sear harder and give you more flexibility on placement without hunting for an outdoor outlet. It also is not the choice for anyone smoking low and slow or cooking for a crowd larger than the 189 square inches can hold at once. For renters and condo owners facing real fire-code limits, though, this is one of the few electric grills that still grills like a grill rather than just warming food.

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