Now that I’ve got an apartment with a balcony, I get to do that most American of cooking activities: Grilling out. I’ve looked at a handful of grills, and I’ve noticed that there’s this thing that seems to be all the rage now: “infrared” grills. In fact, I’d almost have to make a special effort to get a “normal” grill. Now, I don’t know the first thing about these, and my glance over Consumer Reports and a few websites didn’t really help all that much. Could anyone fight my ignorance about these things? What are they, how do they work, should I get one?
Thanks!
Infrared grills use propane or natural gas to superheat a ceramic tile to 900°F. Standard grills run about 700°F, and use convection to heat food, while the infrared grill uses radiation to heat food directly.
I have one made by Char Broil. It’s this one: http://www.lowes.com/pd_404325-82210-463241413_0__?productId=3851995&cm_mmc=SCE_PLA-_-OutdoorLivingRecreation-_-Grills-_-3851995&CAWELAID=1594389362&kpid=3851995&“cagpspn=pla”
Mine doesn’t use any ceramic tiles although it does get significantly hotter than my old grill and that took a little getting used to. What it does have are removable grates that rest atop these diffuser plates that have hundreds of very small holes in them. The diffuser plates prevent any flare ups and you do get a nice even cook from my grill.
They get poor customer reviews because they are kind of a bitch to keep clean. Instead of a conventional grill where all your melted cheese bits and meat-carbon fall through the grating into a collection tray below the burner elements, pretty much all the gunk stays up top with the grates and diffuser plates. They are hard to clean because the little holes get plugged pretty easily and you have to really scrub them to clear them all out.
Overall I like it.
It is unlikely that your landlord / condo association will allow you to have any cooker that uses propane. It is probably also against local regulations. You might want to check that out before you spend the money.
I am in the same situation and my only option is an electric grill.