Best Infrared Grills

Infrared grills may not be the most common type of grill on the market, but chances are you’ve seen gas grills that have an infrared side burner. There are even grills that are entirely infrared. Are these grills something you should consider? If so, what are the best ones on the market?

Here at Angry BBQ, we think that the Char-Broil Pro Series Infrared Grill is the best budget option for its combination of price and performance. It has plenty of cooking space and even comes with a griddle to up the versatility.

We’ll dive into what an infrared grill is, the different options, what are some of the drawbacks of infrared grills, and even how to clean them. Then we’ll go through our list of favorites and break them down! 

So let’s light this up and dive in.

Our Top Picks at a Glance

What Is An Infrared Grill?

An infrared grill is a version of a gas grill capable of reaching higher temperatures. That makes it ideal for grilling steaks or other cuts of meat where you want well-defined grill marks and a seared crust. 

So what sets infrared grills apart from traditional gas grills? They both use gas, so how different can they be? 

Infrared Technology Explained

While infrared grills use gas to heat like a normal gas grill, how that heat is conducted to the meat is entirely different. With your standard gas grill, the burners provide some direct heat but mostly heat the entire air in the cooking chamber. Infrared grills use radiant heat (aka thermal radiation) conducted through a ceramic or glass element. The cooking grates sit right above the element, so the radiant heat is directly cooking the meat.

Infrared grills do not suffer from hot or cold spots due to the radiant heat provided by the heating elements that spread across the entire cooking surface of the grill.

The process of cooking with an infrared grill is faster and more efficient. The grill isn’t attempting to heat the entire cooking chamber, so it uses less fuel and comes up to temperature much more quickly. 

Speaking of temperatures, infrared grills are well-known for how high of a temperature they can reach. If you love steaks from a steakhouse, an infrared grill is the best option for you to reproduce that beautiful crust and flavor that steak houses usually provide. Some of our favorite infrared grills can hit temps of 1500F which is very high.

Those high temperatures also prevent grease flare-ups that gas grills can suffer from. Rather than drippings catching fire, the high heat of the infrared grill’s ceramic or glass element instantly vaporizes the drippings. 

The combination of radiant heat and high temperature also helps keep moisture locked into the food because the cooking process is faster. Meat cooked over infrared heat typically will be juicier than a standard gas grill trying to deliver on the same temperatures.

What Are The Disadvantages Of An Infrared Grill?

High-heat searing capable of producing steakhouse-quality steaks sounds fantastic. Yet they aren’t as widely used as a normal gas grill. So what is it about infrared grills that they are such a great searing option yet aren’t as prevalent as a regular gas grill?

One of the biggest drawbacks of an infrared grill is that they are typically more expensive than a similar-sized gas grill. The technology is different than a traditional gas grill and costs more to produce.

However, there are some drawbacks to the infrared grill when it comes to grilling as well. Ceramic-based infrared grills can struggle to stay at lower temperatures which can lead to burning food that requires a lower temperature. 

The other major disadvantage to radiant heat, the method that infrared grills use, is that you can’t set up two-zone or multi-zone cooking easily. If you like to slowly bring the temperature up on a larger cut of meat and then finish it over high heat, like a tri-tip or a tomahawk steak, an infrared grill might not be the best option for you.

If you’re convinced that an infrared grill would be a great option for your backyard grilling arsenal, read on for our list of the best infrared grills!

What To Consider When Purchasing An Infrared Grill?

Now you’re armed with some knowledge of the differences between an infrared and a traditional gas grill as well as their advantages and disadvantages. Next we’ll take a look at different qualities you’ll want to make sure your potential infrared grill has.

Durability

Every grill we purchase, we want to ensure that we get our money’s worth out of it. We understand that cheaper grills won’t last as long, and typically we’re okay with that. When you’re evaluating an infrared grill that carries a hefty price tag, you don’t want shoddy construction that will fall apart in a year or two and leave you with an expensive pile of junk.

You’ll want to make sure that your infrared grill is made from good-quality stainless steel. It will help your grill hold up to the rigors of outdoor grilling for years. While you’ll still want to invest in a good grill cover to protect your grill, starting with a stainless steel grill will ensure more summers spent enjoying the grill.

Portability

When you think of big outdoor grills, portability likely isn’t the first (or even fifth) word that comes to mind. However, you do want to think about how easy you can move your grill around your backyard patio, deck, or even to store in bad weather. Weight definitely plays a factor in how easy a grill is to move, but it’s not the only thing you need to consider. 

When you evaluate an infrared grill for portability, take a look at how it sits on the ground. Does it have legs, wheels that go in a straight line, casters, or some combination of those? Legs with no wheels will keep your grill stable but you won’t be moving it easily around. Inline wheels can be durable and help navigate uneven terrain, but they can hinder making small adjustments. Casters are the best for when you’re tucking your grill into that perfect spot on the patio or storing it in the shed or garage during bad weather. 

When you’re looking at an infrared grill, make sure you’ve got an idea of where you want to use it, how you need to get it there, and if you’re going to cover and store it there or need to move it to a better location for when bad weather is coming. That will inform how you look at the grill’s portability.

1. Best Budget Infrared Grill – Char-Broil Pro Series With Amplifire Infrared Technology 3-Burner Gas Grill Cabinet With Side Burner Review

Char-Broil is a well-known budget gas grill company. We’ve talked about them a good amount here at Angry BBQ and with good reason: Char-Broil makes good backyard grills. Recently, the company has gone through a bit of a brand shift and has started rolling out higher-end grills.

The new Pro Series grill here is a good example of that. It’s an upgrade over the Performance  TRU-Infrared grill that was one of the cheapest entries into the infrared grill space on the market. Now the Pro Series does have a bit higher price tag, but in the world of full infrared grills, it’s still one of the best values.

This grill features 430 sq inches of primary cooking space along with a 155 sq inch warming rack. This gives you plenty of room to cook burgers with Char-Broil saying it can accommodate up to 25 burgers at once. 

However, this grill isn’t just a standard grill. It also comes with a 284 sq inch griddle insert. That means you can cook pancakes, eggs, and bacon on your grill. Or you could grill steaks on the grates and then make quesadillas on the griddle without having to switch to a different grill.

The three main burners are capable of 25,500 total BTUs while the side burner is capable of 13,000 BTUs. The grill can heat up to 500°F within 10 minutes of ignition so you can be ready to grill quickly and efficiently. 

The grill itself looks sleek in an all-black design from the lid to the bottom of the cabinet. The grill sits on two locking casters and two larger wheels so you can navigate your backyard no matter how treacherous the terrain is.

 

What We Like…

• Compared to other full-size infrared grills, this is still a value buy
• Added versatility with the included griddle
• Porcelain-coated cast iron cooking grates retain heat for sear marks while still being easier to clean than standard cast iron

What Makes Us Angry…

• Personal preference here, but I do prefer all casters for best maneuverability on a deck or patio

2. Best Premium Infrared Grill – Lynx Professional 36-Inch All-Infrared Trident Propane Gas Grill With Rotisserie Review

When we talk premium, we aren’t just talking about the price tag. We’re talking about looks and performance. The Lynx Trident gleams in all stainless steel from the lid to the grill cabinet. Even the lid is premium with an included lid assist system and a rotating handle to make opening the grill as easy as possible.

Under the lid, you’ll find three main burners capable of pushing 69,000 total BTUs. Those burners heat a main cooking area of 640 sq inches of cooking space and a 295 sq inch warming rack. Just like the exterior of the grill, the cooking grates are stainless steel.

That isn’t the only cooking area that this Lynx grill features. It includes a three-speed rotisserie kit for roasting that perfect turkey, prime rib, or chicken. Even the rotisserie function uses an infrared burner that is capable of 14,000 BTUs at full power. 

The entire cooking chamber can be lit for nighttime cooking thanks to halogen lights to go with the LED lights around the control knobs. The grill sits on a cabinet with four swivel casters for easy movement. The grill also has two drop-down shelves for the best combination of prep space and easy storage when done cooking.

What We Like…

• Lights on the control knobs and inside the cooking chamber to make cooking at night easier
• Rotisserie kit included for roasting big cuts of meat
• Swivel casters for easy movement

What Makes Us Angry…

• Some customers have had issues with the igniters failing over time, so make sure you’ve got a lighter handy just in case (like me with every gas grill I’ve owned)

3. Best Salamander-Style Infrared Grill – GASPRO 1500°F Infrared Steak Grill Review

If you’ve had a steakhouse-style steak before, you may be familiar with the term “salamander broiler.” It’s an infrared grill but the heating element is above the food. The GASPRO Infrared Steak Grill is capable of producing temperatures of up to 1500°F from its infrared heating element. You can have a steak cooked as if at a high-end steakhouse in a matter of only a few minutes. 

This grill also has six different levels for the grill tray allowing you to determine how close your steak (or whatever you’re searing) is to the heat. You can also change the temperature with the infinite control valve from 200-1500°F. The grill is perfect for one or two people as you can really only cook one steak at a time. They recently came out with a larger format that cook more than one steak at a time as well.

At just under 20 pounds, you can take this stainless steel grill on the go for the best possible steak even at a campground. Just be aware that if you want to use a standard propane tank, you will need to get a different propane hose as the grill is designed to be used with travel-size one-pound propane bottles.

What We Like…

• Capable of reaching temperatures of 1500°F to ensure you get that steakhouse crust on your steaks
• You can adjust the level of the cooking grates and the heat to cook your steaks exactly how you want them 
• Lightweight so you can have steakhouse-quality steaks wherever you go

What Makes Us Angry…

• You need a AA battery for the electronic ignition
• Requires a separate hose if you want to use a standard propane tank like your gas grill
• It doesn’t make us angry, but it does take some getting used to how to control the heat and the distance

4. Best Infrared Gas Grill with Side Burner – Napoleon Prestige 500 Review

If you like the idea of having an infrared system but aren’t sure that you want your entire grill to be infrared, getting a gas grill with an infrared side burner can be a great compromise. The Napoleon Prestige 500 can grill like a standard gas grill while also providing that high heat in an efficient way with its infrared side burner putting out 18,000 BTUs and capable of reaching 1800°F.

The main cooking area features 500 sq in along with a 260 sq in warming rack. You can meet all your summer cookout needs as Napoleon says this can cook 30 burger patties at once. If you’re big on rotisserie chicken or other roasts, this grill even has an 18,000 BTU rear infrared burner and an included rotisserie kit. 

If you enjoy cooking late into the night, the Prestige 500 has light-up control knobs so you can see your settings to help keep your temperatures right. The knobs glow red when the stainless steel burners are lit so you won’t forget to ensure your grill is off, either.

Napoleon built this grill out of stainless steel from the cart to the burners and everything in between. Even the folding side shelves with tool hooks are stainless steel. The grill sits on a cabinet cart with plenty of storage for your grill tools alongside the propane tank. The cart rolls on four locking casters, ensuring you can move the grill with ease and keep it locked in place when grilling.

As with most Napoleon grills, you can get them in liquid propane or natural gas format.

What We Like…

• This grill is versatile with the ability to grill normally, cook on the included rotisserie, or achieve that steakhouse-level sear with the infrared side burner
• Large cooking area that is perfect for hosting a cookout
• The cabinet cart has plenty of storage and the four locking casters give you plenty of control when moving the grill or keeping it still

What Makes Us Angry…

• Some customers dealt with issues around the cabinet doors not lining up properly. Plus the handles are plastic which is a drawback, for such a high end grill

5. Best Portable Infrared Grill – Solaire Everywhere Portable Infrared Grill Review

Whether you like camping or tailgating, the Solaire Everywhere portable infrared grill allows you to sear at high temps wherever you want to go. It only weighs 15 pounds which means it can easily ride in the back of a car and be carried without a struggle to the perfect cooking spot. It comes configured to run off one-pound propane bottles, but you can purchase an adapter for running it off a standard propane tank.

The Solaire Everywhere features 140 sq inches of cooking space powered by a 14,000 BTU burner with a push-button ignitor. This grill is ready to sear up to six burgers within three minutes of ignition. 

So even if it may not be the biggest grill, you’ll be fired up quicker than anyone else at the campsite or tailgate which means you can cook more food more quickly. It will also hold up to cooking in the wild thanks to its all-stainless-steel construction. To help keep it safe during transport, the Solaire Everywhere has latches for locking the lid shut. No bouncing lid in the back of the truck and nothing getting in to mess up your grill grates or burner.

What We Like…

• Super portable at 15 pounds and configured to run off one-pound propane bottles
• Latching lid for safe transport
• Ready to sear within three minutes of ignition

What Makes Us Angry…

• The lid may tempt you to close it while cooking, but the clearance is minimal. It’s there for protection during transport only
• Some customers had a hard time regulating the temperature while cooking
• Some customers also reported having a hard time keeping the interior of the grill clean

Is An Infrared Grill Right For You?

Now that we’ve covered what infrared grills are and some of the best on the market, you’re now faced with a question. Are infrared grills right for you? If you want to do a ton of searing, like with steaks, then an infrared grill is one of the best options on the market. 

If you like the idea of searing steaks but you like doing multi-zone cooking,  you might want to consider a grill with an infrared side burner like the Napoleon Prestige 500. Adding a small infrared grill like the GASPRO Infrared Steak Grill can also help meet that need without needing to switch out an entire grill.

A full-size infrared grill can be expensive as well, so that can hamper your desire to do that. That’s why we love the Char-Broil Performance TRU-Infrared 3-Burner grill. It makes entering the infrared grill market easier on the pocketbook while you still know the name and quality of Char-Broil. 

How To Clean An Infrared Grill

Now that we’ve talked about the different materials that infrared grills use, you might wonder how to clean an infrared grill. We’re used to using a grill brush to clean grill grates, but how many of us have contemplated cleaning a ceramic element or an emitter plate? 

The first step is essentially universal regardless of the type of element that emits the infrared heat. Once all the food is removed and you’ve cleaned the grill grates, crank the heat to high and let it run for about 10 minutes. This will burn off any remaining debris.

If you’ve looked at the Napoleon Prestige 500 with the infrared side burner, it uses a ceramic block to serve as the heating element. The temperatures that it reaches ensure that most of the food debris that falls is vaporized on contact. With any ceramic-based infrared grill, you’ll want to use a brush with soft bristles and simply brush any remaining food debris. The Prestige also has a grease tray under the side burner that you’ll want to clean out every few uses as well.

Char-Broil’s TRU-Infrared system uses stainless steel emitter plates. Thankfully, the company includes a specific cleaning tool designed to clean stuck-on food from the valleys in the plates. Then brushing the emitter plates like the grill grates will clear off any of the regular food debris. If there are any particular stubborn food bits, you can even wash it in warm soapy water and dry it thoroughly before returning it to the grill. The video below demonstrates this.

Wrapping It Up

The price point can be a barrier to enjoying the benefits of an infrared grill, which is why we love the Char-Broil Pro Series 3-Burner Propane Grill. It’s got the added versatility of an included griddle, it’s still one of the most affordable quality infrared grills on the market, and it has a large cooking area for hosting friends and family.

If you want the best of both the traditional gas grill and infrared grills, then Napoleon’s Prestige 500 is a great choice as well.

While we’ve talked extensively about infrared grills and the great options out there, don’t forget that no backyard cooking arsenal is complete without a smoker. If you’re interested in adding the ability to smoke barbecue without breaking the bank or having to tend a fire, check out our roundup of the best pellet grills for under $1000. 

Have you used an infrared grill before? Are you considering it? Let us know in the comments!