Infrared Grills

[Jzone]

Hi all, I am currently BBQ shopping and considering an infrared grill as one of the 4 burners (other 3 still gas)

I've heard good things about them for searing etc, but was hoping to find some reviews not done by the companies selling them :-)

If anyone here has one or even knows someone that has one and has any advice I would really appreciate it.

Thanks.

[Dg0113]

i use one at work, i think they work really well, but they cook faster then gas, they also cook pretty evenly, and they work great for zone cooking. i think they only down side is that they do cook the outsides of meat really fast so you have to watch it well.

[MikeLM]

When I was grill-shopping several years ago I looked at an infra-red grill - I think a Broilmaster - but the salesperson said it was great for steaks but too hot for anything else.

I wound up with a Member's Mark brand from Sam's Club. It is all stainless steel, has a 32" grill with three 18,000 BTU burners, a rotisserie with an 10,000 BTU infra-red burner, and a 12,000 BTU side burner. For $600, it seems to me like a very good deal.

I think Costco has a similar if not identical grill, made by the same Chinese company- Grand Hall Enterprises.

You can see comments at

» Grand Hall & Member's Mark Barbeque BBQ Grill FAQ from Sam's Club

Mike

[ChrisW4357]

I was also thinking about a grill with infrared and then read an article that said that infrared gas grills are just duplicating charcoal grills. The heat that the charcoal gives off is infrared. I went out Monday and bought a very nice and very large Brinkmann charcoal grill from Lowe's and it works GREAT! It has an adjustable charcoal tray so that you can raise it up to sear the meat really well and then lower it to finish cooking it through. For $200 it was 1/6 the price of the gas infrared grills which only have 1 infrared burner and the rest regular burners. I already have a nice big 3 burner gas grill so I saw no point in spending the big $$$ to have another one with only the one infrared burner.

The taste from the charcoal is also really good too.

Chris

[deltadoc]

Not more than a week ago I read that many major grill makers are excitedly getting ready to release new monster infrared grills at surprisingly low prices. The reason is that the patent for making grill infrared elements without ceramic (which degrades and burns out and has to be protected from drippings) has expired. So this new technology is rapidly being put into place.

I'm waiting it out just a little longer to see what happens.

doc

[mikex1337]

I bought a grill that matches your description from Sears last spring. I''m usually thrifty with my money, but they really sold this expensive piece of clunkery on me. The infrared doesn't function as the sales associate hyped it up to be, but I still use it all the time. I won't eat my steak now unless it's infrared laser-beamed.

[deltadoc]

Originally Posted by mikex1337

I bought a grill that matches your description from Sears last spring. I''m usually thrifty with my money, but they really sold this expensive piece of clunkery on me. The infrared doesn't function as the sales associate hyped it up to be, but I still use it all the time. I won't eat my steak now unless it's infrared laser-beamed.

Based on what I remember reading, I would be surprised if that infrared grill you got from Sears was producing the 900+ F temps of the purported soon to be available grills.

Anyway, Sears is not known as a grill maker, infrared or otherwise, so I'd wonder who they OEM'd it from.

doc