Infrared grills

[MGLloyd]

I have been pondering the possibility of buying a stainless steel portable gas grill with an infrared burner to maximize my searing capability. I have heard about the Solaire and the Turbo Sport. What do people think of these brands, or do you have any other brand recommendations? Now that is it just two of us, I hardly ever use the big Weber anymore, and it never got hot enough to sear anyway.

PS: Edited to add: price is not necessarily an important criteria. Quality is. I would rather spend the money and get the right item the first time and be able to pass it on to my children.

[tim]

MG,

TEC Infra-Red Grills includes one commercial model that is available in one burner to four burner configuration. While not designed specifically for portability, it is small enough for transport. And, it heats like crazy.

TEC Searmaster II

Tim

[Joe Blowe]

I bought a Turbo Sport last year during a Memorial Day Sale (got it for $150), and I've been very happy with it -- heats up quickly and intensely, sears (or burns) quite nicely, and is easy to clean up. Downside is the limited usable surface area.

I know that the Solaire was the original portable infrared grill, but I'm not sure it's worth the extra cost. I've read that the Solaire's construction is much better than the T.S., but I don't see the benefit of that unless you actually plan on hauling it around (or giving it to your kids).

But let me throw something else into the mix: the Char-Broil TEC grill at Lowe's. This unit has the same undermount infrared unit as the Solaires and Turbo Sports, but it has two additional regular gas burners along with all that additional real estate -- great for searing, and then moving to the side to keep warm.

[MGLloyd]

To give an update, I did buy a Solaire portable infrared grill. I found one for $300 delivered. Due to all the rain and wind up here lately, I have only been able to use it twice.

On the pro side, it is very durable and robust construction. It really does reach a much higher temp then my gas Weber grill. I have used it thus far for steak and chicken, and it does an excellent job of searing and keeping the meat more moist than on the conventional grill. I have not yet used it for more delicate items such as fish, so I will have to see if it can be used low enough to not incinerate these items.

On the con side, the infrared burner seems far more susceptible to wind than does a flame burner. The first time I used it, it was blowing about 15-20 miles per hour, and the burner kept blowing out. Even though the instructions speak of keeping the lid open while grilling, I was only able to keep the burner lit by closing the lid. The second use was during no wind, and the burner had no problems.

All in all, I am pleased with the unit so far. The size works out very well when grilling for just my wife and I.

[EnglishTeacher]

Great post. I was wondering how infrared works. 1) The fact that infrared cooks stuff doesn't make sense to me. Why isn't the sun roasting my already pickled liver as we speak? How does one measure intensity of this sort of thing? How pertinent is proximity in this sort of heat? What separates these ceramics from others? Can I build my own by simply purchasing an infrared ceramic and throwing it over a gas burner?

2) What are the other sources of infrared heating? I've heard about other bulb sources used, but I know nothing. Do any professional chefs use this? Does anyone know more about this?

Thanks,

Nick Tang

[edsel]

It seems that high-heat infrared grills are becoming more affordable. Infrared fires up backyard barbecues:

With the expiration of a key patent, major gas grill manufacturers, including market leader Char-Broil, have scrambled to bring infrared cooking to the masses with models in the $500 to $1,000 range. Previously, such grills cost as much as $5,000.

Has anyone cooked on one of these grills? They claim that they can reach up to 900 °F in a less time than conventional grills.

[Fat Guy]

I haven't cooked on one of these units, but have used infrared broilers (including my own) and they're great. The infrared upright broiler is a pretty common fixture in steakhouse kitchens. I didn't realize there even was such a thing as an infrared grill, but it makes sense that there would be.

[edsel]

I found a review in the Cincinnati Enquirer that gives a qualified thumbs up to the $700 Char-Broil TEC grill. It seems the infrared is best for larger steaks and chops, but not so good for burgers or chicken, which is exactly what I'd expect.

Steve Raichlen seems to endorse the idea. From the article:

"One of the holy grails of grilling is achieving a "steakhouse steak," says author and TV cooking show host Steven Raichlen. "And infrared allows you to achieve it."

Raichlen, who wrote "The Barbecue! Bible" (Workman, $19.95) and hosts the syndicated TV series, "Barbecue University," says proper searing is the secret to a steakhouse steak.

"Searing does two things, in theory," he says. "It forms an impermeable membrane on the outside of the meat that holds in the meat's juices. And (searing) actually creates an outside crust from caramelized animal proteins."

In other words, searing keeps the inside of the meat moist and creates a pleasant-tasting texture on the outside.

Somebody needs to send Raichlen a copy of Hal McGee's book.

There are mainly two things I'd want to do with super high heat. One is to sear steaks or chops. The other is to bake pizza and flat-breads. Since the infrared burner occupies only about a quarter of the surface I doubt that it would work with a pizza stone.

FG, what kind of broiler do you have? Is it a commercial unit?

[tim]

Hi,

TEC's infrared burners appeared about 10 year ago. Since then, TEC has developed a second type of infrared burners.

1. The original infrared was a ceramic burner with hundreds of small holes (kind of like a perforated oven stone, that become separate gas jets.

2. TEC is not selling a radiant glass infrared burner with the gas jets fully covered. This is just a heated glass surface with a grill placed on top to hold the food.

I can't imagine the performance is the same with both burners. The new glass burner prevents flare-up. (Silly me, I thought that small flare-ups resulted in that grilled flavor.) A comparison would be interesting.

I also find it funny that Steven Raichlin touts the benefits of searing, saying that, "It forms an impermeable membrane on the outside of the meat that holds in the meat's juices."

I'll continue searing my steaks on the hot lump charcoal with a finish with wood chips in a smoke filled and closed kettle.

Tim

[MGLloyd]

Earlier this year, I bought a Solaire portable grill with a single infrared ceramic burner solely to be able to sear better than my Weber gas grill. It does a far, far better job of searing than my Weber ever could. The steaks are truly like what I can get at Morton's or Daniel's Broiler. It is important to note that I like my steaks rare to medium rare, so the infrared grill is especially well suited to that.

From what I have read on the interwebs, the infrared burner that is covered by glass does not reach as high of a temperature as the ceramic infrared burners. I wonder if that is correct.

Edited May 28, 2007 by MGLloyd (log)

[Fat Guy]

Just wondering: has anybody seen or used a restaurant infrared grill, as opposed to a broiler? Also, what specifically is the patent that expired?

[jpdchef]

[ Also, what specifically is the patent that expired?

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[Joe Blowe]

I've been using a Solaire-knock-off infrared grill since last year, and will never consider buying another grill that doesn't have an infrared element below the grill. My little grill has the "old style" exposed ceramic burner, not under glass, and it sears like a mutha. Yes it's delicate, and you're not supposed to grill foods that are sopping wet with marinade and so on, but nothing else compares IMO.

I've seen infrared grills (i.e. radiant char-broilers) at my local restaurant supply, and yes, they also use the exposed ceramic burners -- no gas-under-glass here.

NB: The "key patent", owned by TEC, was to use a ceramic "process burner" in an outdoor grill. That patent expired back in 2000, and it's taken this long for the other manufacturers to see the light. The ceramic burners were never that expensive, so I'm guessing it was fear of the unknown (i.e. how will the customer respond) that held them back for the last seven years...

[Msk]

I also bought a Solaire protable to play around with the technology. It rocks, for searing, better than any other grill I have ever had. Steaks, Burgers, and chicken breasts come out great once you get accustomed to the intense heat the thing generates. Its also ready to cook on 3 minutes.

I typically cook my steaks in cast iron, then finish in the oven, but this beats that for me.

The downside is there is a bit of a learning curve because, the heat is crazy on high, and you never cook with the top closed. The wind also seems to impact the flame more than others (as in knocks it out). I agree with the comment above, I will never buy another grill without an infrared element to it.

MSK

[sanrensho]

A question for Joe Blowe and Msk: What is your experience grilling meats with a marinade or vegetables with the knock-off Solaire grill? How about seafood (prawns, squid, thin fillets)?

I'm looking at the Solaire portable manual, and it only mentions removing excess marinade.

Thanks.

[MGLloyd]

I have successfully grilled marinated items on my Solaire. All I have done is to shake off the excess marinade, and I had no problems. I have not yet tried seafood.

[Joe Blowe]

Yes, grilling marinated items is not a problem. But do note what I said before -- sopping wet with marinade is a no no. You also wouldn't want to do any heavy basting over the element.

Vegetables dressed in a little olive oil and salt are outstanding over infrared! If you grill veggies dry, they usually just blister and incinerate.

Off the top of my head, I've grilled: salmon, sanma, tuna, mahi mahi, swordfish, and all sorts of beef, chicken, hot dogs, hamburgers, etc. For fish, I like to use a grill basket or an additional fine-gauge grate (looks similar to the item pictured here at the top) on top of the grate. The v-shaped grate channels on the knock-off and the Solaire allow smaller items (or sagging fish flesh, to coin a phrase) to "fall" into the grooves, making retrieval a bit difficult.

And before I forget, there's one more problem with that Cincinnati Enquirer article linked above -- they imply that you're supposed to preheat these grills for 20 to 30 minutes to properly sear. That's not how infrared works.

You only need to get the element up to proper temp, 7 to 10 minutes, and then you can start grilling. The grill marks do not come from the metal grates, they come from the infrared radiation passing between the grates. The sear marks are basically like a photographic negative!

Edited May 29, 2007 by Joe Blowe (log)

[Msk]

Joe Blow summed it up well. Just be careful with marinated meats, but I tend to wipe excess marinade off no matter where I am cooking it. Fish, chicken, veggies, they all are great.

You just need to keep an eye on veggies a bit more too, and turn the heat down. Roasted peppers are exceptionally well done on the ifra.

I cooked two 2 inch ribeye steaks last night with a perfect charred crust and no grey area before the nice pink center. I can even keep those store bought burger patties pink in the center and crusty on the outside with this thing.

Msk

[sanrensho]

Thanks for the comments. The IR grill sounds like a winner to me.

[MGLloyd]

I would only add, in reference to what was mentioned above, that the ceramic infrared elements seem really susceptible to being blown out by the wind. I was taken aback the first few times this happened, but have found that in windy conditions, if I preheat and grill with the lid down, this reduces the flameouts. The manual speaks of leaving the lid open while grilling, but if it is a choice between being able to grill with a breeze vs. not grilling, I will take my chances.

[tim]

Hi,

It sounds like the Solaire and Turbo infra red grills cannot be used with the grill cover down. Can you lower the heat and roast a chicken (spatchcocked or whole) with the cover down?

Tim

[Toliver]

Just wondering: has anybody seen or used a restaurant infrared grill, as opposed to a broiler? Also, what specifically is the patent that expired?

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Does watching "Iron Chef America" count?

During the recently aired (rerun?) "Cowboy Rib Eye Challenge" with Bobby Flay as the Iron Chef, Alton Brown mentioned that infrared grills were added to the Iron Chef kitchen. There were quite a number of shots of the rib eyes being cooked on the new grills.

I think the geek-factor (as in "I want one of those!") runs pretty high with those babies.

[joancassell]

The Solaire looks tempting but let me display my ignorance and inquire: how is it fueled? Do you plug it into an electric socket, attach it to a gas container, or some other method?

I guess I should know but I surely do not. I too was entranced by the Iron Chef cowboy steaks, they looked so deliciously charred on the outside and so wonderfully rare inside.

[MGLloyd]

The portable Solaire grill that I have runs off a one pound propane bottle. You can buy a connector to run it off of a 20 lb. propane tank. The larger Solaire grills run off a 20 lb. propane tank or a permanent natural gas connection.

[sanrensho]

Here's a link to the product manual for the Solaire portable grill:

http://www.rasmussen.biz/grills/pdfs/Solai...&U%203-06.1.pdf

The small propane bottle is supposed to last about one hour.