Best Infrared Gas Grill – Buyers Guide

Best Infrared Gas Grill – Buyers Guide – While infrared grills are becoming quite popular, to some, they may be a mystery.

Infrared grills are convenient and do a great job at maximizing flavor.

The food you grill will be surrounded by a moisture boundary – basically, this is a layer of water and air molecules. When you cook on a traditional gas grill, it isn’t able to get past the boundary without disturbing the moisture, so the food gets dried out as it’s exposed to drying elements while it cooks.

When it comes to infrared technology, it isn’t going to disturb that moisture boundary and dry the food out. This means that the food is able to retain a large portion of its natural juices, which makes it juicy and tender.

Benefits and Features of an Infrared Grill

Infrared cooking is very beneficial. Here’s a list of some of the benefits you will get from cooking on an infrared grill 

Even-Heat – Across the entire grilling surface, you will have even heat. This means you won’t have to deal with those hot or cold spots that usually show up on other grills.

Quick Preheat – For an infrared grill, the preheat time will be between 3 to 5 minutes, which is great. This means you can start grilling as soon as you’re ready, without having to sit there and wait for the grill to heat up.

Faster Cooking – Not all of us have time to grill all day long and that is another reason why infrared grills are so popular.  The faster cook time makes it so that you can have grilled food, even on those days you work.

Searing – You will get steakhouse quality searing.

The Food Tastes Better – Since the food will retain a large portion of its natural juices, you can count on the food tasting better than it would taste if you were to cook on a traditional grill.

Energy Efficient – These type of grills don’t take as much gas as the traditional gas grills do, so they burn less gas, which in return will save you money.

Easy to Clean– When you’re done grilling, you can set the infrared grill to high heat and burn away the food particles that you left behind. Those food particles will turn into ash, which is easy to clean.

We understand that finding a good infrared gas grill isn’t going to be easy, especially if you’re new to the world of infrared grills. For this reason, we have taken our time to do some research in order to find the best infrared grills for you.

We found the best for under $500, but if your budget is a bit lower, we also have the best for under $300. We even have the best portable infrared grill – go ahead and check them out …

Best Infrared Grill for the Money

Char-Broil Tru-Infrared 3-burner grill

When you cook on a grill, you want something that will cook your food evenly, and maintain the flavor and juices. For that reason, we are recommending this grill that comes to you from char-broil.

This grill has a total of 3-burners for you to use and is fully capable of taking care of all your grilling needs. With a simple push of the button, this grill will start up. It has an electronic ignition, making it easy and quick to start cooking.

The infrared technology makes the grill heat up much faster, and cooks more evenly. It even has a 10,000-BTU side burner that has a fold-down cover, which means you will have even more space to work with, but you will only be able to do this when the side burner isn’t being used. You can adjust the stainless steel burners so that they deliver just the right amount of heat, evenly across the grate.

You have a 150 square inch warming wrack and a total of 450 square inches of cooking space. As for the durable porcelain-coated  grates, when it’s all said and done, those are super easy to clean.

The TRU infrared cooking system is a real eye-catcher.

What We Like

10,000 BTU Side Burner – When it comes to cooking on a grill, it’s always good to have a side-burner. When not in use, you can fold the cover down over the side burner, and you will have an additional work surface where you can put your tools, rubs, sauces or use it for prepping.

Grates – The grates are porcelain-coated and offer a total of 450 square inches of cooking space. We personally like porcelain coating due to the fact that it is rust resistant, and when it’s all said and done, they’re super easy to clean.

Surefire Electronic Ignition System – This system is synced with every burner, making for fast start-ups.

Temperature Gauge – We personally like grills that have a temperature gauge built into it. The temperature gauge on this grill has been mounted on the lid, making it easy for the user to keep track of the temperature and control the heat.

Cart Design – In order to make it easy to move, the grill has two wheels.

What We Don’t Like

Assembly – The one thing we do not like about this grill would be the assembly process. In order to put it together, it could take up to two hours. Of course, this is based on the individual – some people may find the assembly process easy, while others will find it hard.

The Char-Broil Infrared 450 gas grill is perfect for mid-sized events. Simply by pushing the button, you will have your grill up and ready to go.

The infrared technology is great, because not only does it heat up faster, but it also heats up more evenly and hotter. Everything you need in a grill can be found right here, all wrapped up in one nice sleek design.

 

[amazon box=”B016ZIB8I8″ title=”Char-Broil Infrared 450″ description=”Great Mid-Range Option that’s fast and simple to use.”]

 

 

Best Infrared Grill on the Market

Royal Gourmet Mirage MG6001-R

If you have some extra money to spare, then why not go for the best infrared grill on the market? The best will have all of the bells and whistles you have ever dreamed of.

If that’s what you’re looking for, then the Royal Gourmet Mirage MG6001-R infrared gas grill might just be a suitable option for you. This is the type of grill that is capable of handling large family reunions or parties.

With this grill, you can cook different kinds of food and the side table is made of stainless steel with a hook so that you can store your tools while you’re grilling.

With 697 square inches of space for you to cook, we’re pretty sure you can’t go wrong here. The warming rack is a total of 264 square inches and is a great area for secondary cooking.

The grates are made of porcelain cast iron and what’s interesting about them is the fact that they have a unique slope design. The slope design will make the meat you cook even more flavorful.

This grill has a total of two heavy duty stainless steel lids and a stainless steel handle. It even has a thermometer built into the lid. The brass side burner, tube burners and infrared burner in the back puts out a total of 96,000 BTU.

What We Like

 

Two Cook Ovens – The two separate cook ovens will definitely come in handy for medium and large crowds. The ovens are made of high-grade stainless steel and die-cast aluminum in order to ensure heat retention and even heating – this gives you more control over the temperature when you’re cooking. It is also great because it increases the life of the grill.

Porcelain Cast Iron Grids – We really like the slow design on the cast iron grates. The even heat combined with amazing heat retention is a big plus because it locks in all of those amazing juices, making the food even more tender. As an additional bonus, the cleanup is super easy.

Flame Tamer – This grill has a W-shaped flame tamer. This is an interesting design that we have found helpful for even heat distribution.

Stainless Steel Burners – Yes, those stainless burners are a big hit in our book. Per burner, you will have two rows of flame.

Side Shelves – The stainless steel side shelves have hanging hooks on them. These shelves will give you extra work room, and the hooks make it easy to hang your grilling accessories.

Heat Control– When you’re cooking, being able to control your heat only makes sense. With this grill, you will have full control over your heat distribution.

All of the reasons stated above is what makes the Royal Gourmet Mirage MG6001-R Infrared Gas Grill the best grill on the market, in our opinion. If you’re looking for a grill that is capable of cooking flavorful food for a medium to large crowd, then this one right here is suitable for you.

 

[amazon box=”B01G3ELBUO” title=”Royal Gourmet Mirage MG6001-R” description=”Heavy Duty Stainless Steel Infrared Grill that is built to impress”]

 

Best infrared Gas Grill under $300

Char Broil Infrared 2 Burner Grill

You may not have a lot of money to spare, but that doesn’t mean you have to settle for low quality. While there are many infrared currently on the market under $300, the one that stands out for us would be the Char Broil 2 Burner Grill.

For those of you that are looking for a smaller gas grill that has some pretty cool features, then this would be a suitable choice for you. The only thing that seems to be lacking with this grill is the price tag (it’s low, but you get high quality).

It offers 300 square inches of space for you to cook and the porcelain-coated grates seems to be a big hit. For warming, you have a 120 square inch rack that is porcelain coated.

With every burner, due to the surefire electronic ignition system, you will have a reliable spark each and every time you go to use the grill.

Once you start cooking, thanks to the infrared technology, it will heat up faster and more evenly – as an additional bonus, you will have fewer flare-ups and some amazing food that is packed full of flavor.

As you’re grilling your food, you can keep up with the temperature by looking at the temperature gauge that is mounted on the lid (it really is easy to read).

What We Like

The Infrared Cooking System – Of course, we like the fact that this offers infrared cooking or it wouldn’t be on this list. Finding a good grill that offers infrared cooking for under $300 isn’t exactly easy, and we were a bit surprised at the price of this one. The infrared feature makes it so that food evenly cooks, and there’s never any cold spots on the cooking surface of the grill, unlike the traditional grills. Speaking in the traditional grills, this one isn’t going to take as much gas as they do.

Even Heat – When you’re cooking, you want even heat, correct? With this grill, that is exactly what you’re going to get. Like we previously said (and we believe this is worth mentioning again), the infrared technology evenly spreads heat across the entire cooking surface. The ending result will leave you with flavorful food.

Adjustable – You can easily adjust the stainless steel burners to very low or high temperatures. Once you change the temperatures, the temperatures will change across the entire cooking surface.

Side Shelves – Not only does this grill have side shelves that you can use in order to store stuff, they are also foldable. So, when it’s all said and done, you can fold up the shelves, which makes it easier to store the grill.

Electronic Ignition – When it comes time to cook, all you have to do is push a button and you’ll be ready to go. Yes, it really is that easy. As we said, it’s nothing like the traditional grills.

Porcelain-Coated Grates – You will have 300 square inches of cooking space and since the grates are porcelain-coated, this means they’re rust resistant and in the end, they’re easy to clean.

Warming rack – Along with cooking grates, there’s also a warming wrack on this grill. To be exact, the warming wrack totals out to 120 square inches and is also porcelain coated.

Storage Cabinet – We like the big door that hides the propane tank behind it. This is also a great place for you to store items such as grilling tools, wood chips, rubs, sauces and whatever else you need to store.

What We Don’t Like

There’s one complaint we found with this grill. At the bottom of the grate, you’ll find open slots – those open slots are important for the performance of the grill.

When you cook a nice juicy steak, the juice from the steak doesn’t flow through it very well. For this reason, the juice has a tendency to stick into those slots and after a couple of days of cooking, the performance of the grill isn’t so great. However, the solution to this would be to keep your grill clean, and you won’t have this issue.

This grill can be purchased for under $300 and it has all of the features you’d expect to find it an infrared grill, including a temperature gauge mounted on top of the lid.

 

 

 

Best  Under $500

Char-Broil Infrared 420 3-Burner

Looking at the market, we find so many different grills, which makes it hard to choose from. If you have a budget that is a little under $500 for an infrared grill, then we recommend the Char-Broil 420 3-Burner Grill.

This infrared grill has a total of 3-burners with 24,000 BTU – there’s a side burner on the grill that offers 13,000 BTU, which is pretty good. What you have here are 425 square inches for you to cook your food, along with a warming rack that offers 165 square inches.

The grill is durable and made of stainless steel. Due to the fact that it is dual fuel compatible, this grill can easily be converted from propane to natural gas. When it comes time to clean up, the grease pan can be removed.

What We Like About the Grill

Cooking Surface – The total amount of cooking surface you have with this grill is 420 square inches and a 155 square inch warming rack.

Even-Heat – The stainless steel burners have top ports that you can adjust in order to deliver high heat, but if you want very low temperatures, you can do that as well. The heat spreads evenly across the cooking surface.

Dual Fuel Compatible – Since it is dual fuel compatible, this means you can convert the fuel from propane to natural gas.

Surefire Ignition System – The surefire ignition systems ensures fast startups each and every time simply by pushing a button.

What We Don’t  Like

The Assembly – Hands down, the assembly is the one thing that some people don’t like about this grill and that is perfectly understandable. However, if you’re the type that doesn’t mind putting stuff together, this isn’t going to be a big deal to you.

This infrared grill has everything you’d want in a grill. If you want a grill that cooks your food evenly each and every time, then the infrared cooking system is a must-have. When you use infrared heat to cook, you don’t have to worry about those hot and cold spots on the cooking surface of the grill – this also makes for faster cooking using less gas.

 

Best Small and Portable Model

Char-Broil Patio Bistro Grill

If you’re looking for a great infrared grill that is so small that it can be portable and has a reasonable price tag on it, then the Char-Broil Infrared Grill might just be a suitable option for you. The footprint may not be that big, but don’t let this fool you, because it can cook a pretty good amount of food on it.

This is a nice little infrared grill that is easy to transport and when it is all said and done, it can be stored away. Since it is so small in size, it is capable of fitting on most balconies and it offers a total of 240-square inches of cooking space.

With this type of grill, you won’t have a problem with cooking food for four guests all at one time. So, if you want to cook a little romantic dinner for your partner, this grill would be a suitable option.

The modern look to the grill is what really catches the eye.

What We Like

Infrared Technology – This grill used infrared technology, so you can count on your food being heated up evenly each and every time. As an additional bonus, you won’t have as many flare-ups to worry about.

Easy to Move – This is a standalone grill that is easy to transport.

4-People – You can cook food for up to 4 people at one time.

Extra Features – The extra features like the lower shelf and the metal bar is nice.

What We Don’t Like

Heating Time – The grill takes about 15-20 minutes to get hot.

Not Heavy Duty – The metal that is used to make this grill isn’t heavy duty, but that’s expected in a grill that is easy to transport.

You may only have 13,000 BTUs, but it’s the infrared technology that makes this grill worth it. With infrared technology, your food will be evenly cooked and you don’t have to worry about those annoying hot or cold spots.

[amazon box=”B00FI0737A” title=”Char-Broil TRU-Infrared Patio Bistro Gas Grill” description=”affordable with a small footprint, comes with an electric ignition and would be suitable for 2-4 persons”]

Best Way to Clean Your Infrared Grill

Thinking about it, you can grill almost any type of food on an infrared grill – everything from corn on the cob to chicken and beyond.

Like gas and charcoal grills, infrared grills need to be maintained and cleaned on a regular basis in order to keep dust, dirt, grease and grime from building up on the surface of the grill. 

There’s no need to worry because cleaning infrared grills is fairly simple and doesn’t require a whole lot. Plus, most of the food debris will burn off when you cook. We recommend deep cleaning your grill and for this, all you need is a soft cloth and a stainless-steel wire brush.

Cleaning the Grill When It’s Hot

When you are done grilling, put the temperature of the infrared grill to “high” and let it stay on for about 15 minutes. This will burn off the food fragments that have been left on the grate. Afterward, turn the grill off and give it at least 5 minutes to cool off.

Now, take a damp cleaning cloth and wipe the surface.

Cleaning the Grill When it’s Cold

When it’s cold, clean off all of the dirt, ash and dust build up using a stainless-steel wire brush. If you are dealing with stubborn buildup, then you can use a nonabrasive cleaner – apply the cleaner to the soft cloth and scrub the area.

After you have cleaned the grill, take another clean cloth and wipe away the cleaner residue. When you’re cleaning the grill, avoid using abrasive cleaners and don’t use a dirty cloth to clean it.

If you have an infrared grill that has one of those “clean” functions, then you can use that function after you have eliminated any loose dirt, dust, and grime. Otherwise, before you use the grill to cook food, run it for 10 minutes beforehand.

Cleaning the Exterior of the Grill

This is where the work really comes into play. If you have a cast aluminum grill, take a half gallon of water and add 1 tbsp of dishwashing soap to it. Use a washcloth to clean the grill. If you have a stainless-steel infrared grill, you can use a soft cloth and an all-purpose cleaner.

Never apply an abrasive cleaner to the outside of the grill. If you need to remove rust, you can use a wire brush to scrub it off. You can also put a coat of rust-inhibiting primer on the exterior of the grill.

In order to make clean up easy, we recommend taking a brush and applying a light coat of high heat cooking oil on the grill grates. This can be peanut oil or canola oil – do this before you start the grill and afterward.

Conclusion

Infrared grilling has gained popularity over the last year or so. An infrared grill is basically a gas grill that utilizes infrared technology in order to heat the food. With the traditional gas grills, the flame is responsible for heating the grates, but with an infrared grill, you have an infrared element that is placed between the flame and the grates. The gas is responsible for heating that element and from there, the heat radiates up to the grates where it cooks your food.

When choosing which infrared grill is best for you, as long as you choose one from this list, you can rest with the satisfaction of knowing you made the right choice. In the end, it is all left up to you to decide on the grill you purchase.