Infrared Grills still use propane and natural gas to generate the heat used to grill the food, but that is where the similarities between Infrared Grills and charcoal and typical gas grills end.
Gas grills heat the air inside of a grill and that hot air is what causes the food to cook.
Infrared Grills also have some other important advantages compared to gas and charcoal grills as well:
- Enthusiasts say that food cooked on infrared grills taste juicier
- Infrared Grills maintain a constant and even heat source over the entire cooking area - no 'hot spots' to burn and char food
- Heat control is easier and more responsive than gas and charcoal grills
Infrared Grills use a gas flame to directly heat a ceramic tile just over the burner - this ceramic plate absorbs the heat from the flame and then redirects it as pure heat energy to the food on the grill which cooks the food directly, instead of using hot air to cook the food like in regular gas grills.
The major benefits of a Infrared Grill as opposed to the regular gas or charcoal grill is that because the food is being heated by infrared radiation directly, the cooking times are greatly reduced and there is less drying out of the food being cooked.
Grilling enthusiasts are being drawn to the unique properties of Infrared Grills due to the similar taste that infrared grills produce compared to old school charcoal grills - while still maintaining the benefits that draws most people to gas grills, instant lighting, quicker cooking times and less mess to clean up once the grilling is done.
