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Infra-red Gas Grills

Infra-red Gas Grills

Infra-red Gas Grills

(OP)
I'm going to buy a new gas grill in the next few months and as I began the search, I found some that utilize infra-red heating instead of convection. Anyone got experience with these?

RE: Infra-red Gas Grills

I thought the purpose was for a BBQ to last at least a couple of hours.

Question: Why gas?

RE: Infra-red Gas Grills

Better before than after...

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

RE: Infra-red Gas Grills

(OP)
cranky--I run my grill nearly every day. Gas is just more convenient than charcoal. It also serves as a backup cooker if there is a power outage. I have been using propane grills; I'm tired of running out/chasing down propane and the other stage of this project is to switch to natural gas.

RE: Infra-red Gas Grills

Last year I bought a small two burner grill (Char Broil from Lowes) that was infrared, my wife and daughter like it for cooking fish and chicken, and some veggies, but I find that it really doesn't do a nice sear on a piece of meat (my favorite thing to grill) so for me I'm not overly impressed. So I just went ordered a "regular" burner type grill with ceramic briquettes after a demo locally, was impressed with it and it also does a nice job of doing lower temp cooking.

I had an older Duquane grill from Canada on natural gas that lasted for years, being close to the beach it was quite impressive, would get nice and hot, and had great even burners. If I wanted charcoal flavor I would add 4-6 briquettes to a cast iron smoke chip pan and it worked quite well, got a mesquite charcoal flavor and didn't have to wait long for the fire.

Good luck! Mike L.

RE: Infra-red Gas Grills

Not that I have anything with gas or propane, but they just don't add anything for flavor.

Has anyone tried pellets with the different wood flavors? Is it any better than using charcoal with wood chips?

RE: Infra-red Gas Grills

I start mine with charcoal, then put alder logs on for a wood fired grill and slow smoke flavor - indirect cooking/smoking too with a double chambered grill. Works well for chicken and ribs. Just use the charcoal for steaks and burgers.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

RE: Infra-red Gas Grills

Cranky, pellet grills are phenomenal. A couple of my co-workers have Traeger grills, and we are all regularly treated to salmon, brisket, pork roast, etc.

It is better to have enough ideas for some of them to be wrong, than to be always right by having no ideas at all.

RE: Infra-red Gas Grills

Thanks. I have been looking at all the flavors they have for wood pellets (different woods).

However I need to think about a bear issue before I do any outdoor grilling.

RE: Infra-red Gas Grills

The Traeger's I've seen in use were smokers, not grills per se. They use the wood pellets and do a great job. Can't come close to searing anything though.

Charbroil has a new line of grills they are billing as "TRU-Infrared". One of their claims is that they can quickly reach very high temps and really sear a steak. I looked at them and decided to pass. The burners look like they would be hard to clean and need cleaning often.

I went with a tried and true Weber S-330. It has an extra burner on one side to get extra hot for searing. It's being delivered tomorrow. Hopefully get to try it out this weekend if it doesn't rain too much.

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The Help for this program was created in Windows Help format, which depends on a feature that isn't included in this version of Windows.

RE: Infra-red Gas Grills

(OP)
dgallup--It was the "Tru-Infrared" grills at Home Depot that led me to start this thread. I was perusing the grills, and left unmolested for a while. As I moved closer to the front door, the greeter came up to me with the "Thinking of buying an infrared grill?" pitch. I told him I was just looking and he proceeded to attempt to sell me on the features of the "Tru-Infrared". He showed my how the burners came out for easy cleaning and then I noticed the full width sheet steel baffle below the grates. I asked if we could remove it and he took it out. Underneath were the same tubular stainless drilled hole burners that you find on most gas grills today. So, the burners heat the baffle which then radiates some infrared energy. This is what we had back with the lava rocks or ceramic tile arrangement.

RE: Infra-red Gas Grills

Swall, you haven't mentioned the new grill's inauguration party. I'll have a nice ribeye, maybe 16 oz class, well-marbled. Marinate in olive oil, white vinegar, claret, garlic, oregano, and habanero pepper for a day if you have time. A nice dribble of clarified butter when served is a nice touch with it too.

Date and time, please!

Best to you,

Goober Dave

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RE: Infra-red Gas Grills

Oh, and medium rare is my preference.

Best to you,

Goober Dave

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RE: Infra-red Gas Grills

(OP)
Does that marinade also work with Woodchuck?

RE: Infra-red Gas Grills

Got a 200 lb box dropped of at my front steps at 3:30 PM yesterday. It took about 15 trips through the house to carry all the parts to the deck. Twenty eight pictographs and 3 trips to the workshop for more tools later I had ignition. Two minutes later I had 500 degrees F and climbing. I let it burn off the shipping oil then sacrificed a cow in it's honor. The frame is a little less sturdy than I was expecting due to it's bolted construction although probably more than sufficient. The actual grill is fantastic. Cleaning looks like it will be minimal and easy.

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The Help for this program was created in Windows Help format, which depends on a feature that isn't included in this version of Windows.

RE: Infra-red Gas Grills

(OP)
Good to hear, dgallup. I am considering the 2 burner version of that same grill.

RE: Infra-red Gas Grills

dgallup and swall,

I have a Spirit E-210 in natural gas (just the wife and I, didn't need a bigger one), and its been a champ for the last 4 years. I may be due for a burner replacement, but that's not bad all things considered. The porcelain grates are still holding up great, the only complaint I have is the cheap metal they use for the warming rack rusted out after the first year. I live in the Northeast, and the grill stays outside year round (except for when Sandy came through, I pulled it in the garage for that) with a Weber cover on it. Nothing like grilling up a steak when it's about 10 F outside and I gotta shovel a path to the grill. Oh yeah, and never having to run for a propane bottle half way through dinner is great! I have a local shutoff on the gas line (I installed it) where the flex from the grill hooks up to the line, and there's another shutoff at the tap inside the house just in case I have to replace anything.

Regards,

Matt

Quality, quantity, cost. Pick two.

RE: Infra-red Gas Grills

I'm curious - how is the Broil King brand viewed over in north america? They're in the upper end of the price range over here but I got one at a reasonable price a few years ago and have had no complaints other than the igniter is a piece of crap. The cast iron grids are nice to cook on.

RE: Infra-red Gas Grills

Scotty:

I got a Broil King rain cover for my Atlanta Stove Works cast iron BBQ grill I have had for the past 15 years.

Works great!

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering

RE: Infra-red Gas Grills

Ha-ha, my cover is dropping to bits from 10 years in the elements.

The cast aluminium body is largely unaffected by our lousy climate and the cooking grids have enough oily residue baked on for them to resist rust indefinitely. I found my 21kg propane bottle on the roadside on the way home after a night out. My wife thought I was crazy (or maybe confirmed it) when I got her to stop the car to pick up the cylinder. Normally these cylinders are found on the back of LPG-powered forklift trucks. bigsmile

RE: Infra-red Gas Grills

Normally they won't refill the propane bottles here unless they are in good shape. No old rusty bottles.

I'm not sure how the propane bottle exchange thing works, but I see more of that. I assume it's like the 5 gal. water bottle exchange thing works, but I don't do that either.

RE: Infra-red Gas Grills

My Weber S330 is probably bigger than I need but one thing about having the 4 burner size is I can put a rack of ribs in the middle with the two outside burners on low and do a nice slow cook. I'm not sure a smaller two burner could do the same thing.

My previous grill was a Kenmore Elite. It was built like a tank with an all welded frame but the cast iron burners burnt them selves up in about 6 years and the porcelain grates were also pretty far gone. I gutted it and replaced everything inside the firebox and it lasted another 6 years. It was time to replace everything again but the parts were no longer available. Plus I wanted something with stainless burners and grates.

The one issue I have experienced with the new Weber is the surge valve in the regulator will trip if I open the gas bottle too quickly. This limits the gas flow and you can only get a tiny flame. The first two times it happened I had no idea what was going on. I had to disconnect the bottle and tap on the regulator to get it to reset. Then everything was fine. Evidently this is a common problem these days. When I mentioned what had happened at a Memorial Day BBQ every guy there had experienced it and it happened when the host lit his grill. Maybe my older grills didn't have one of these valves or it was stuck open because it never happened to me before.

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The Help for this program was created in Windows Help format, which depends on a feature that isn't included in this version of Windows.

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