){kind=avatar}
How to Buy an Infrared Grill | Infrared Grill Buying Guide
What is an Infrared Grill?
Infrared grills use radiant, infrared technology to create heat. On a standard gas grill, the flames heat the cooking grates directly and the hot air from those flames cooks the food, however, this can cause meat to dry out due to the air. Infrared grills on the other hand, have an infrared heating element between the flame and the cooking grate, which absorbs the heat and radiates it to the grates where your food is. The difference is that radiant heat is being used instead of air. In short, these grills heat the meat directly and not the air around it. This allows the grill to reach high temperatures quickly, which works well for searing meats and allows the food to to retain more of its own natural juices, so meat stays tender and juicy instead of drying out.
Infrared Grill Benefits
Quick Preheat
An infrared grill can preheat to high in as little as 3 to 5 minutes, allowing you to start grilling in no time!
Even Heat
Infrared grills provide even heat across the grilling surface, reducing hot and cold spots often found on other grills.
Faster Cooking
Sometimes we don't have time to grill after a long day at work. The faster cook times of infrared grills mean you can enjoy grilling more often, even after a long day.
Food Tastes Better
Infrared grilling means your food will retain up to 35% more of its natural juices, producing tender and juicy results.
Steakhouse Quality Searing
Infrared grills reach incredibly high searing temperatures that produce mouthwatering, restaurant-quality steaks.
Minimal Flare-ups
Infrared grills drastically reduce or even eliminate flare ups from grease and food particles catching fire.
Customizable
Choose from assorted styles, configurations, burners, and a wide variety of accessories that make gas grills easy to personalize.
Easy To Clean
After cooking, setting an infrared grill to high will turn any food particles left behind into ash for easy cleaning.
Key Features to Look for When Buying an Infrared Grill
When shopping for an infrared grill, it’s not just about picking the one that gets the hottest. It’s important to find a grill that matches your cooking style and preferences. There are several infrared brands out there, but they don't all utilize the same infrared cooking system. This is important to understand to ensure you are getting the perfect infrared grill to fit your cooking needs. Furthermore, it's important to consider the quality of the infrared grill you are buying.
Types of Infrared Burner Systems
The main advantage infrared burners have over traditional gas burners is their amazing efficiency and even heat distribution. These burners come in several types and have different advantages that focus on quick heat, even heat, or eliminating flare ups. Here’s the lowdown on what to look for to ensure your grill is a perfect match for your culinary ambitions and lifestyle.
Ceramic Infrared Burner System (Most Common)
- The most common type of burner system, found on brands like Solaire
- Feature a stainless steel burner topped with a ceramic surface, with the cooking grid sitting a few inches above the burner surface
- Provides quick and even heat
- Offers a balance of heat and control
- Has a temperature range of 600–1000°F
TEC's Radiant Glass Panel System
- Found exclusively on TEC grills, the founder of infrared grills
- Features the cooking grid sitting directly atop a radiant glass panel, over a durable stainless steel burner
- Provides incredibly even heat distribution and virtually no flare ups
- Wide temperature range can handle both delicate fish and thick roasts
- TEC grills have various temperature ranges that swing between a low of 200°F and a high of 900°F
Heat Emitter System
- Found on brands like Saber
- Features a stainless steel tube burner, with a metal heat emitter panel sitting over the burner and the cooking grid sitting directly atop the emitter panel
- Provides good even heat distribution and almost no flare-ups
- Solid temperature range of 300–650°F caters to a variety of cooking styles
- Pipe burners on these systems produce less heat than the other infrared system
Size and Cooking Area
Pick the size that works best for you, but don’t forget to plan for the unexpected. Think about how many people you would grill for on a typical day, the maximum number of people you can see yourself grilling for, and how often you think that might happen. Also know that the more burners you have, the more flexible you can be when it comes to multi–zone cooking so even if you don’t entertain very often, there is still value in more space and more burners.
Your grill size will determine not only how much food you’re able to cook at once, but what types too. Large infrared grills range between 34–42 inches and are good for entertaining large crowds, large cuts of meat, or using dual zone grilling to cook different foods at different temperatures. Medium grills are 27–33 inches, making them ideal for families, while also having enough space for dual-zone grilling without being overly large. Small ones (up to 26 inches) are great for single person households or couples, and in some cases, portability. Most grills have 2–4 burners. The largest ones have 5 and the smallest grills only have a single burner. Keep in mind that multiple burners are needed for multi-zone cooking and large cuts of meat turn out better with more burner coverage. Also, while you don’t need to use all your burners for every cookout, you can’t add more burners or cooking space later.
Hybrid Infrared Gas Grills: Get the Best of Both Worlds
In the past few years many advances have been made in the infrared gas grill industry. One of the most interesting has been the creation of hybrid infrared gas grills. These grills are a combination of traditional convection burners and an infrared burner zone, which allows you to grill foods that require lower temperatures over the convection burners while searing steaks over intense infrared heat from your sear zone and quickly transition from searing high temperatures to lower temperatures to finish cooking. There are 3 common types of hybrid grills.
Sear Station Side Burner
Some freestanding grills include an infrared sear station mounted on the side shelf, giving you the searing capability of an infrared burner without taking up any grilling space inside your grill. For those looking for a similar feature for a built-in grill, be sure to check out our built-in infrared searing stations.
Top Infrared Grill Brands
Top Infrared Grill Expert Reviews
If you still have questions about infrared grills, our experts are happy to answer them. Give us a call at (877) 743-2269 and ask us anything you’d like to know. Our Free 3D Design Service (a $500 value) is also an incredible resource for planning your backyard space.
