solaire infrared grill built into outdoor summer kitchen

Infrared grilling is the process of cooking with an intense direct heat.  An infrared gas grill burner pressurizes gas in the housing of the burner to produce thousands of small flames instead of a pipe burner with 30 or 40 blue flames.   Unlike a charcoal grill, the infrared grill can reach temperatures of 900 degrees or more; and , unlike a gas grill the heat is direct so the barbeque hood does not need to be closed to build up enough heat to cook.  This process allows food to be seared which locks in the juices that traditionally are lost while barbequing and is the main cause of dry meat.  Infrared grilling cooks food quickly and locks moisture and flavor inside the food where it belongs.

Gas grill infrared burner for flavor, moisture, speed and a self cleaning grill

While most barbeques rely on the use of heated air to cook the food on them, the infrared grill radiates and cooks the food directly. The entire process is faster as food is cooked faster, and there is considerably less time for the grill to warm up.

With an infrared grill, the heating surface remains heated uniformly. This means that no matter where you place your food, the temperature will be the same as any other location. Unlike charcoal grills that tend to be hotter where flames are present, and then cool the further away the flame is.

Consider this; in the pouring rain you are unable to use a barbeque because the rain will put out the coals. With an infrared grill you can cook in the hot summer heat, the cold snow of winter and the heavy rains in between. Not even the wind will stop the power of these grills.

The mess associated with an infrared grill is minimal compared to other grills. With the infrared grill burner, a user only has to wipe it down to clean it. With traditional barbeques a user needs to empty out coals, and do a labor intensive cleaning before each use.

In 1980 the original infrared grill that was released by Thermal Engineering Corporation. Upon its release TEC had the chance to continue to grow on this basic prototype, as they were backed with a patent that covered them for 20 years.

The first model was very basic. The original Sterling and Patio models had a single infrared gas burner separated within the burner for access to each side from two valves.  The later infrared modles of Sterling II and PatioII has an infrared grill burner for each valve.  A three burner grill had three separate infrared burners and three valves.  This design is easier to use, easier to repair and hence longer lifespans resulted.  Later TEC infrared grills stopped using the ceramic plates as ports on the infrared burner and stainless steel was used.  The stainless ports could be immersed in water without breaking.  However, customers’ reported less direct heat due to the supports that stopped the stainless from warping.  Like with the TEC grilling grate surface, a thicker stainless would conduct heat and ruin the infrared radiant heat.  Stainless that is too thin could warp.  Nickel solves the issue because the addition of nickel stops stainless from warping but it is also very expensive.

What followed in the evolution process were the glass infrared grills. While they remained similar to the previous model, the new technology simply added a glass pane between the ceramics and the food. This almost completely prevented the heated air to reach the food, and enclosed the flames so only the infrared heat would cook the meat. This resulted in tender and juicer foods being cooked, and the glass protecting the ceramics made the cleanup easier and more effective.

Finally, in the new generation of infrared grills, all the rules changed. Layers of metal were added to help produce the infrared energy now used to cook the meats. Better formed glass panels are placed over the burners preventing air flow in the grill. All the components on the interior are also setup to produce a uniform heating element, while eliminating the flare-ups that were once possible.

Infrared Grills deliver a better experience than a traditional BBQ on many different levels. Many of the annoyances that people encountered with charcoal are eliminated with the new technique.

Here is a list of all the benefits that are associated with an Infrared Grill:

• Less fuel consumption compared to a traditional grill
• Faster heating times. These grills can fully heat in 3 minutes.
• Food is seared to lock in flavors and juices
• Uniform cooking ensures an even cooking to grilled items
• Because of the high temperatures used and the glass cooking surface cleanup is faster and more effective.

Consider this. When you are barbequing traditionally, it can take you up to thirty minutes to properly heat the grill. During that time you may have to relight the grill several times and the flame may continue to go out during cooking.

Traditional means of barbequing also leads to a build up of carcinogens in meat. This is due to the blackening caused by the flames on the grill. With an infrared grill you don’t have the direct contact with the flames, which reduces the carcinogens that might end up in your meal.

Due to the technology and time it takes to build each infrared grill their price is significantly higher than a traditional grill. The cost of the plates and quality metal also increase the price, so do the heating elements that maintain the uniform heating.  But while these grills may be a little pricier, take a few things into consideration.

Less food will potentially be lost during the cooking process because of the uniform cooking. This means that less food is wasted because of it being dried out, or burned during the cooking process.

In time there will be less consumption of fuel so in time you actually start to save money. While the initial cost might startle you, depending on how often you use a grill it can start to save you considerable amounts of money.

There is also the fact is will save you time as well. While you need to heat up a barbeque and then watch is every so often and make sure it is working, with an infrared grill that is no longer the case. With a quicker ignition and heating process, you can be grilling your steaks and done in a matter of minutes.

Infrared grills also cool down much faster as well. While a traditional barbeque can take over an hour to cool down, the infrareds tend to cool down much faster. This makes them safer if there are small children in the household, as there is less chance of them being burned in the process.

With the amount of money and time these units save, they are certainly worth the price. Plus with the safety of your family in mind, they tend to cook cleaner and cool faster giving your whole family a safer way to enjoy grilled food.

In closing, when Bill Best created the Infrared Grill decades ago there was no way he could have known the well crafted and effective machines the grills have become these days. With juicier and better tasting food delivered, the world of infrared grilling is only going to get better as time progresses.