Infrared barbecue grills claim to cook food in half the time it takes an ordinary grill, which leaves many curious about how these grills accomplish that feat. Infrared grills have to heat up to 700 degrees Fahrenheit in around seven minutes in order to grill foods at such a fast pace. Meat cooks on infrared grills in about one minute per side and the heat is said to not dry out meat.
In order to reaches temperatures this high, infrared burners focus the grill fame onto a ceramic tile. The tile contains thousands of microscopic holes that convert heat into infrared energy. Standard grills do not contain these ceramic tiles and are therefore incapable of producing heat that is as hot and consistent as infrared grills.
Despite its advantages, infrared grills have received negative attention because they can be extremely powerful. Fish and vegetables are much harder to cook on infrared because they do not stand up well to high temperatures. To resolve this issue, some infrared grill manufacturers installed special burners to cook fish and vegetables. Since infrared grills cook at a significantly hotter temperature it is also easier to make mistakes when using these grills. It will likely take time and even a few failed attempts before someone is adept at using an infrared grill.
Until now, infrared grills have been extremely expensive. TEC, the company who released this technology, obtained a patent to prevent other companies from following suit. This patent has now expired and other companies are quickly getting into the infrared market.
If you are interested in purchasing an infrared grill some good brands to consider include Alfesco and Altima. TEC’s infrared grill also obtains high marks and has a loyal consumer base. The majority of these grills range in price from 1,500 to 5,000, but you may be able to find quality models below that price range.