Benefits Of Infrared Grills
If youre thinking about upgrading your current grill, then youre probably torn between going the gas or the charcoal way. However, theres a third option you might not be aware of: The infrared grill.
Infrared grills are not as new as you may think. The first grills were produced in the year 2000 after a four-decade-long patent to the infrared burner expired. This effectively paved the way for manufacturers to use the technology to build infrared grills.
But whats all the hullabaloo about? Heres everything you need to know about the benefits of infrared grills.
Nothing New Under The Sun
Infrared technology is not new. In fact, its as old as the sun and the earth. Essentially, it involves heating a surface rocks, bricks, ceramic, or glass and then cooking with the radiant heat produced by that surface.
Infrared energy is the energy that warms you from the sun, Rachael Best, president of Thermal Engineering Corporation which developed some of the earliest infrared grills in the 1980s explained to TechNewsWorld. These are radiant waves. If you build a fire in the fireplace and feel the warmth from the bricks, thats radiant energy. Its very common in nature. All you need is to heat a surface that can radiate.
What is new is the widespread adoption of radiant heat technology in gas grills, in part because of widespread access to now-expired patents. These infrared grills use a gas flame that heats plates or panels made out of glass, ceramic, or other heat-absorbing substances. These plates then radiate heat and cook food quickly and efficiently, both through the heat they produce and through the smoke and steam created when juices fall on their surface and instantly incinerate.
Infrared grills can be significantly more efficient, and they can also be healthier, since they dont char food and therefore dont create as many of the carcinogens produced by traditional charcoal and gas grills.
Another benefit of the technology is that it makes grilled meats juicer and more tender, since the radiant heat doesnt dry out food as much as direct heat.
Consumers Warm To Infrared Grilling
Like many sailors, Tom Dougherty likes to grill a juicy steak on his boat. And he has found that infrared technology sears his steaks to perfection, even on a small, sailboat-sized grill.
It creates an intense heat that allows you to sear your steaks and chops and holds in the heat, Dougherty, director of sales and marketing for boat grill manufacturer Magma Products, told TechNewsWorld. Infrared plates are under the grill grates, and anything that drips out instantly emulsifies into steam and smoke. All that flavor goes right back into the food, giving it a real smoky flavor.
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What Is Infrared Technology
In short, the technology behind infrared cooking is the use of infrared radiation , also referred to as infrared light: a type of electromagnetic radiation generally not visible to the human eye. Its a type of energy source thats commonly found in nature. For example, more than half of the suns energy arrives on Earth in the form of IR that we never see and is then absorbed by objects we perceive to be a certain temperature .
Infrared Grills: A Hot Idea Or Hot Air
INFRARED burners are a hot option on gas barbecues, but are we merely buying marketing sizzle instead of cooking a better steak?
The intense heat of infrared energy, the pitch goes, allows backyard grillers to sear meat the way steakhouse chefs do. Whereas flames and hot air cook food in charcoal or gas barbecues, infrared burners are topped with glass, ceramic or metal that emits radiant heat reaching temperatures of upward of 1,800 degrees — about three times hotter than traditional barbecues. The high radiant heat supposedly keeps food juicier than gas does and gives cooks more temperature control compared with charcoal.
Manufacturers are installing the expensive infrared units alongside traditional gas burners in most high-end barbecues. In July, Barbeques Galore is premiering its T Grill and Designer Series, models with only infrared burners.
Its not about performance, but paying extra for a brand, feature or benefit that makes you the hero, says Thomas Liu, director of products for the Carlsbad-based company. Prices have yet to be determined.
John Macchia, who has been testing barbecues for eight years at Consumer Reports, says inexpensive grills can perform just as well, and warranties on traditional gas burners often last five to 10 years.
Hes never conducted a longevity test on infrared systems, and many come with warranties good for only two years.
Advantages
Drawbacks
Prices
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Why Might You Want One Who Are Infrared Grills Best Suited To
So, who would want one of these grills?
Well, if youre looking for the cooking method that can give you the best steak experience consistently, then an infrared grill could be a welcome addition to your grill collection.
Or, if patience is not your strongest trait, then infrared can save you a lot of time, and deliver your dinner much quicker!
Maybe you like to keep on top of new technology and impress your guests? If so, an infrared grill would do precisely that.
These grills could also be well-suited to those that have cooked on an industrial scale before and who regularly host and grill for large groups.
Infrared Side Burners Provide Serious Versatility
If you’re building or upgrading an outdoor kitchen or grill island with a traditional gas burner grill, you can still reap the benefits of infrared grilling. Our selection of infrared side burners is sure to have something that’s right for you.
A prime example is this Stainless Steel Built-In 700 Series Infrared Burner by Napoleon. The infrared SIZZLE ZONE offers the kind of high-heat searing that infrared cooking is known for, and the signature WAVE cooking grids mean you’ll get serious grill marks every time, making it an excellent accessory for any outdoor kitchen.
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How Do Infrared Grills Work
Infrared radiation is part of the electromagnetic spectrum that is invisible to the human eye. At very short wavelengths like with your infrared remote this energy can’t be seen or felt. But at longer wavelengths, infrared can be felt in the form of heat. When you walk barefoot on hot sand at the beach, the heat you’re feeling is the infrared radiation emitted by the sand .
When it comes to grilling, that’s all infrared radiation is: heat waves that are emitted by a hot object which has itself been heated by a propane or natural gas-powered heat element.
The hot object in an infrared grill is usually a piece of steel, ceramic or glass, with a gas element underneath it.
So the difference between infrared and conventional grilling is that conventional grilling is accomplished by heating air that then cooks the food whereas infrared grills don’t produce hot air, they simply produce heat . As a result, infrared grills are capable of emitting much higher amounts of heat directly onto the food, rather than using air as a medium.
This is how infrared grills can produce temperatures of up to 1,200 F. Compare this to the 550 F or so you probably get from your conventional grill or maybe 700 to 750 F when you max out one of those Kamado-style charcoal grills. Moreover, it only takes two to three minutes for infrared grills to start producing these temperatures, which saves a lot of time with preheating.
Infrared Versus Traditional Gas Grills
Here are the primary differences between conventional and infrared grills:
Heating Method: This is the fundamental difference between infrared and regular gas burners. Infrared heats food directly via radiation, and regular burners heat the air around food via convection.
Temperature Range: Infrared burners are intensely hot, and most dont set to low very well. So conventional grills can often hold temperatures as low as 200 degrees Fahrenheit, while infrared grills cannot go much below 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cooking Time: Because of the higher heat involved, infrared cooking times will be much less than conventional grills. Preheat times are also much shorter.
Fuel Consumption: Infrared burners use more fuel than conventional burners, especially when set to high power. But because they are left on for shorter lengths of time, you will probably end up consuming less gas.
Price: No matter how you cut it, infrared burners are more expensive. They are both a newer, premium technology and more complex to manufacture. So even though infrared grills have been on the market for quite a while, the price is still higher than regular burners.
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Infrared Grill Vs Traditional Gas Grill: Which Is Better
Simply put, Infrared Grilling = High Temperature Radiant Heat while Open Flame = Traditional Blue Flame Grilling.
Youre on the hunt for a new grill, so youre faced with a decision: charcoal or gas?
You head to the hardware store and start perusing your options. Then, an eager sales rep starts telling you about this amazing new grill that they have in stock. Its cutting edge! It heats your food quickly! It uses less gas than atraditional grill!
Whats this mysterious thirdoption? Its called an infrared grill.
Now, the concept of theinfrared grill is nothing new it has been around since the1980s, originally invented by TEC Grills.But it still involves technology that few grill masters are familiar with. Ofcourse, you want to make an informed decision.
So, how do you decide if you should buy an infrared grill vs and gas grill? Read on as we cover how infrared heating works, and compare the pros and cons of these two types of grills.
Using Infrared technology in outdoor gas grills was invented and patented by TEC Grills in the 1980’s. This innovative concept in cooking brought intensely high heat, caramelizing the exterior of your food while locking in the juices. This technology is what you find in Steakhouse restaurants. This technology uses radiant energy, not air to cook the food. Eliminating dried out food.
What is an Infrared Grill?
Pros/Advantages of Infrared Grills
Heats Up Quickly
Even Heat Distribution
MaintainsMoisture
Steakhouse Quality
Less Prone to Flare Ups
How Does This Infrared Technology Work
Just like charcoal is the original infrared grilling product with the glowing briquettes emitting energy to the food, infrared technology works similarly. In every burner, 10,000 ports with each one have a tiny flame, they then cause the ceramic surface to glow red.
The glowing emits equal infrared heat to the food. It offers a consistent heated area that is easier to regulate compared to charcoal.
For fast cooking or roasting, one can set the burner to a high temperature, and it is also possible to lower it down for slower cooking. The best thing about this technology is that it produces searing heat for tastier steaks, juicers, hamburgers, and other types of meat.
Infrared grilling technology caters to both commercial and residential purposes.
The cooking technology comes in both commercial and residential models. The models come in various configurations as well as styles.
There are built-in, free-standing, and pedestal models. They also come in 2, 3, and 4 burners and cooking surfaces of 382, 764, and 763 square inches.
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Upgrade Pick Saber Cast 500 32
If you are looking for a high-end infrared gas grill, Saber are an excellent choice. They have developed their very own patented cooking system which uses infrared heat.
The Saber Cast 500 32 Inch 3 Burner hits the sweet spot for price and quality out of all the infrared options over $1,000 and earns our top spot for the best luxury infrared grill.
All the burners on the grill use this technology, and unlike most infrared grills that only have one temperature , Sabers patented technology allows for great temperature control.
Saber grills also offer fuel efficiency, the capacity for incredibly high temperatures, flare up reduction and the resilience and durability of stainless steel construction.
You get 500 square inches of primary grilling area plus an adjustable, enamel-coated 175 square inch warming rack can be folded down to keep foods warm or folded away to give you more space.
When it comes to durability, all burners, infrared emitters, side shelves, and cooking grates are made of 304 stainless steel.
This particular model also includes an 18,000 BTU side burner. The burner is dual control and offers you that extra spot on the grill for boiling, wok cooking or keeping food warm.
Like the Char-Broil reviewed above, the side burner has a lid so you can use it as a side shelf for extra prep area.
Manufacturer Specifications:
- 44
- 7
But before you shell out extra cash, its worth understanding what infrared actually means, and the pros and cons of infrared grilling.
What Is An Infrared Grill How Do They Work
To understand this fully we need to understand the difference between infrared and your usual go-to cooking method, which is usually either grilling with charcoal or gas-fired grilling.
Both these methods are convection cooking, in that the charcoal or gas flames heat the air between the fire and the food.
This hot air circulates around the food as it heats, which is known as a convection current.
This is the reason you close the lid while cooking, as it stops the hot air from escaping and allows the temperature to sit at a reasonably constant temperature, much like a traditional oven.
Infrared is different.
In simple terms, it is part of the electromagnetic spectrum, which measures the length and speed of waves. Only a small part of the spectrum is visible to the human eye as visible light, and IR is just outside of this scope, and thus it is invisible to us. However, because it heats things, we can feel, see and taste the effect of it.
It is a lot like the sun. The suns energy is made up of around 50% infrared, and this is why pavements are hot to the touch in summer, yet we cannot see the heating process.
An IR grill uses a gas burner to heat a plate made of metal, ceramic, or glass and in turn produces infrared waves as opposed to just hot air. This plate heats quicker than just air and reaches a much higher temperature much faster.
The infrared waves created are what heats the surface of an object, such as meat, quicker than circulating hot air can.
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Cleaning Can Be Tedious
Generally speaking, infrared grills should actually be easier to clean. So why is it showing up as one of the disadvantages of infrared grill models?
Simply because it doesnt apply to them all. For example, a grill with exposed ceramic burners can easily be clogged. The same goes for radiation panels and cooking grates that are purpose-built for infrared technologies.
Like all grills, you will have to do a certain amount of cleaning and preventative maintenance. While most grills can function just fine when a little gunked up, some infrared grills are far more finicky.
Of course, it all depends on the quality of construction and the precise design your grill uses, but you dont want to be replacing expensive infrared heating elements regularly.
Is Infrared Grilling Safe
Yes, infrared grilling is safe. Infrared grills do not use radioactive materials or rays to generate heat. ‘IR radiation’ is simply a scientific way of saying ‘IR heating.’
“Whether you are new to the scene or a long-time grillmaster, everyone has unique preferences when it comes to their cooking method of choice.” – Homaro Cantu
Because there are no radioactive materials involved in the cooking process, the grill does not change the DNA structure of your food.
Also, infrared grills do not increase your risk of cancer. In fact, since this type of grill is less likely to burn your food, produce char marks and flare-ups, it puts you at a lower risk of cancer than a standard grill .
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Benefits Of Using Infrared Grills:
It is fast and quick:
Temperature acceleration is much faster than the traditional one and it can produce much higher temperature than the conventional ones. As a result of which it lessens cooking time. That is why Infrared Grills are becoming popular for the Grills lovers
Economy:
As because of using infrared technology it is fast and effective and requires less fuel to effectively grill desired items. As a result, cooking in Infrared grills are comparatively cheaper than conventional grilling technology
Evenly distribution of heat:
Use of Infrared technology emits temperature quickly and distribute evenly over the surface. As a result of which we can grill meat/ vegetable or other items efficiently covering all over its surfaces. This shall also ensure very less probability of over cooking.
Easy Maintenance:
Infrared Grills are easy to maintain as it produces less trash. This is indeed a good outcome of high temperature
Easy and Flexible:
It is essentially important to know about the temperature variation at different stages of cooking. Temperature adjustment is very easy and simple for infrared grills depending on the the cooking process whether it is grill or barbecue
How To Make Best Use Of Infrared Grills:
As infrared grills use Infrared radiation to emit heats, it basically heats the plates or grids and transfer heats to the cooking items. So it is essentially important to put the metallic or ceramic plates or grids on top of the flame. This will transfer heat to the cooking items like beef/ Chicken steak or other items. As a result of using this technique, grill items like meat steaks remain juicier as opposed to conventional technique. Items exposed to direct fire causes breaking down the moisture blockade of the meat and ultimately cooking items become dry shortly. While using infrared grills, the cooking items do not come to direct contact of fire due to use of plates or grills.
Infrared grills are extremely helpful the keep those meat items juicy and tasty. Also while coming in direct contact with fire it is more likely to create flare-ups caused by liquids with the cooking items. On the contrary, it is very unlikely for infrared grills as metallic/ ceramic plates remain in between the fire and cooking items
Subsequently we want to provide you more information of Infrared grills including use of infrared grills, best available infrared grills, pros & cons of infrared grills and so on. Before buying infrared grills it is better to know insights of each technology and the products available in market. This is going to save you while buying your infrared grills.
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