If you love hosting barbecues in the garden as I do, you’d want a grill that’s both easy to use, durable, and large enough to accommodate enough ingredients to feed all of your guests. Infrared grills can do exactly that as they require minimal preparation work so there’s more time to focus on the food.
It can be tricky, however, to choose the best-infrared grill to suit your needs. To help, I’ve gone ahead and given an overview of infrared grills before reviewing eight of the best-infrared grills on the market.
10 Best Infrared Grills Review
1. Napoleon Stainless Steel Prestige 500 Gas Grill with Infrared Side and Rear Burners
I find this to be the best-infrared gas grill on the market because of all the features that it comes with. To start, you can choose which style you’d like – natural gas or propane. I love how this grill comes with four stainless steel main burners along with stainless steel sear plates for even heat distribution and intense flavor.
With over 500 square inches of space, I was able to cook enough burgers for a party of 20 people – all without breaking a sweat. It also helped that this particular infrared grill came with additional cooking space by the warming rack and side burner. It also has a JETFIRE ignition system on each main burner which allows them to light off each other.
As this grill comes with an infrared side burner, searing a steakhouse quality steak is an easy feat. Rotisserie cooked food can also be cooked with the infrared rear burner, and a rotisserie kit also comes with your purchase.
2. Char-Broil Performance TRU Infrared 450 Cart Liquid Propane Gas Grill
This is the best-infrared gas grill if you’re looking for one that comes in a cart style. Starting up the grill is easy as all I need to do is press the electric ignition button which helps with quick and reliable startups. The infrared technology also means that the grill heats up faster, hotter, and more evenly.
There’s a total of 450 square inches of cooking space along with a 150- square inch warming rack. Since these are made with porcelain-coated grates, I find them relatively easy to clean. With the convenient cart design, I was able to move this around my backyard easily, and I also liked how the front panel hid the propane tank from view.
To keep track of the temperature, the grill also comes with a temperature gauge to help with heat control. If you’re like me and heating up sides and sauces, this particular infrared grill also comes with a side burner. If you don’t plan on using the side burner, just use it as a work surface or even as a space to store tools.
3. Char-Broil The Big Easy TRU-Infrared Smoker Roaster & Grill
Looking for one of the best-infrared gas grills with a smoker? The Big Easy TRU-Infrared Smoker Roaster and Grill is the way to go. I liked how versatile this product was as I could smoke, roast, and grill with one product. It even works great for larger cuts of meat, and I was able to fit a turkey in the internal cooking basket.
The grill grate also spans 180 square inches so there’s plenty of space to cook some burgers, chicken, hotdogs, and more. It’s also portable, so all I had to do was connect to a standard liquid propane tank, and turn both knobs on to light the unit.
If you’re worried about cleanup like I am, you’d be happy to know that the grill comes with a removable grease tray for mess-free cleanup. Other features include a stainless steel smoker box to easily add wood chips and convenient carrying handles. I also liked how it had a sturdy construction, and doesn’t break the bank.
4. Northfire Inferno Single Propane Infrared Grill, Silver
This inferno grill is exactly what you’re looking for if you want to produce some restaurant-quality steaks. The grill climbs up to 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit which is the idea steak cooking temperature. While I’ve used this grill to cook steak, I’ve also used it for chicken, pork, and seafood – just remember not to take your eyes off your food.
Since infrared grills heat up quickly, I was able to get a perfect medium-rare steak in less than two minutes. Since it’s propane-fueled and portable, I do bring this grill with me for camping and tailgating. It also comes with a grill plate, food tray, tray handle, and a drip tray. It weighs about 24 pounds, which is okay for one person to carry alone.
Other features of the inferno grill include a push start ignitor and slide-out racks – which makes it easier to clean. It’s stainless steel construction also means that it’s sturdy, and provides the grill with a sleek silver look.
5. Char-Broil Grill2Go Portable TRU-Infrared Liquid Propane Gas Grill
One thing about infrared grills is that they can be insanely expensive. I was pleasantly surprised at how this portable TRU-Infrared Liquid Propane Gas Grill had such a stellar price. It’s also portable, and I was able to bring it with me for camping, outdoor events, and even for picnics.
While it may be small, it still has a sturdy construction as it’s made with durable die-cast aluminum. I liked how it came with an easy push-button ignition, and also had a lid-mounted temperature gauge for me to monitor the temperature.
The grates itself are also made with stainless steel, and a removable drip pan means that cleanup is a breeze. Since it’s powered by propane, it’s compatible with 1 pound propane tanks that can be easily connected to the side of the grill. As most infrared grills aren’t made to be portable, I appreciated how this grill allowed me to easily sear steaks even when I’m on the road.
6. Napoleon Prestige PRO665 with Rear and Side Infrared Burners Propane Gas Grill
If you’re looking for a high-quality infrared grill that’s one of best in the market, this is the infrared grill that you should be purchasing. It has a 1,140 square inch cooking area, which is enough to cook a sizable amount of ingredients. It comes with both infrared rear and side burners, which is convenient if I’m grilling for a lot of people.
Due to the construction of the grill, it has great quality and comes with superior heat retention that provides first-rate searing. I liked how I could use the smoker tray that’s integrated within the grill as well as the dedicated burner to add smoke to all of my favorite grilled dishes as well.
Constructed with stainless steel, the lid itself is also constructed with stainless steel for durability. As the grill has LED spectrum night light control, I had no issues using my grill at night, and night-time entertaining was a breeze. As a safety feature, the grill also glows red when the gas is left on – something which I appreciate as I have accidentally forgotten to switch it off twice.
7. Solaire Everywhere Portable Infrared Propane Gas Grill, Stainless Steel
Portable infrared grills are rare, and this is the best one there is on the market. It’s perfect to bring to tailgaters, camping, boating, balconies, and more. I liked how it heated up in just about three minutes so I was able to get cooking fairly quickly. This particular infrared grill also comes with a unique Solaire V-grate feature that helps in improving flavor and minimizing flare-ups.
Assembly is easy, and all I had to do was attach the handles and the four adjustable feet. The grill is completely constructed with stainless steel, and it operates on one-pound propane bottles. The unique shape of the grill also helps in enhancing the flavor of the food, so you get that juicy and flavorful steak.
I personally really liked this grill as I found it portable and easy to use. On top of that, I was able to get searing high temperatures quickly, and the food I cooked on the grill had flavors that I would normally get from a hot charcoal fire.
8. Royal Gourmet 6 Cabinet Propane Infrared Burner Gas Grill, Stainless Steel
Another infrared grill to add to the list is this Cabinet Propane Infrared Burner Gas Grill. Its primary cooking area is 700 square inches, and it also comes with a warming rack. On top of that, I used the secondary cooking area of 260 square inches to cook up some sides when I had larger groups of people over.
The porcelain cast iron cooking grates helped lock in that flavor, and it can also be used on both sides. I found it interesting how the design of the cooking grates was also shaped like a slope to help retain dripped oil for better flavor.
Side table hook makes it convenient to hang utensils, and the electric ignition system meant that the burners were able to start up instantly and heat up quickly. It’s not hard to operate the grill, and the generous storage space meant that I was able to place my other large grill accessories conveniently. Two lids are made with heavy-duty stainless steel and also come with built-in thermometers.
What are Infrared Grills?
To put it simply, infrared grills utilize a radiant heat cooking system rather than a convection cooking system that you’d usually find in traditional gas grills. This radiant heat is very similar to the warmth that you feel on your skin when you stand under the sun.
Unlike other gas grills, infrared grills don’t penetrate the moisture boundary that food is surrounded by. This means that food retains more of its natural juices and remains tender and flavorful.
Infrared grills are popular because this cooking method helps in maximizing not just flavor, but also energy and convenience.
2. Benefits of an Infrared Grill
Infrared grills come with multiple benefits. Perhaps one of the biggest benefits that an infrared grill has is that it provides even heating across the grilling surface, and cooks faster than other grills.
If you’re short on time and usually have more than a few hungry guests waiting, infrared grills also preheat quickly – in as little as three to five minutes, so you can start grilling quickly. Using infrared grills also helps to retain more of the food’s natural juices, and results in tender and juicy chicken, steaks, hamburgers, and more.
Since infrared grills can reach incredibly high temperatures, it’s perfect for searing restaurant-quality steaks that are sure to impress your guests. Infrared grills also aren’t prone to flare-ups since anything that drips from the food is usually vaporized whenever it hits the glass or ceramic.
On top of that, infrared grills are also energy-efficient since it’ll burn less to gas to reach the same temperature as a traditional gas grill. Best of all? They’re easy to clean as the high temperatures can turn any food particles left behind into ash.
Infrared grills also come in different designs so you’re able to pick whichever you feel would suit your needs best. While I’ve got a ceramic system – the most common type of infrared grill, there are also others available from a glass-panel system to heat emitter systems.
2. Drawbacks of an Infrared Grill
While many benefits come with an infrared grill, it does also have a few drawbacks. Infrared grills can be expensive, and I’ve invested a significant amount of money for my infrared grill.
Infrared grills are also mainly used in searing steaks due to their high temperatures. While you could use it to cook other ingredients, these infrared grills should come with variable temperature systems or you’re going to end up burning everything.
Since they usually handle high temperatures, cooking with an infrared grill means that there’s less room for error. Since the temperature of cooking rises quickly, one small mistake can result in an overcooked piece of meat or burning something. I have made the mistake of putting a steak on for too long and it quickly went from medium rare to well done.
Infrared grills also don’t usually come in a portable version. Instead, they usually have a bulky configuration which means that it’s pretty challenging to move the unit. While there are portable models, they may not be suited for regular use.
Conclusion:
Out of all of the infrared grills above, I would personally select the Napoleon Stainless Steel Prestige 500 as the best-infrared grill. It comes with all the features that one could need in an infrared grill from enough cooking space to a side burner to a durable construction. While I do find this grill to be the best in the market, it depends on what you’re purchasing an infrared grill for. If you’re looking for something that isn’t too expensive or want a portable grill, some of the other infrared grill options above may be more suited for you.