What's Up With Infrared Grills?
It sounds pretty high-tech, but the concept is relatively simple. Infrared grills have a mostly solid, corrugated grate between the flames and the food. The grate protects food from flare-ups—ideal for fatty meats. It also distributes heat more evenly, allowing for consistent cooking across the grill. More control also means less gas consumption, up to 30 percent less. The one downside is that you can no longer blame your burned burgers on a hot spot.
Grill on the Go
A Grill-Cleaning Robot
Infrared Upgrade
Infrared grills provide a more controlled grilling experience with even heat and no flare-ups, but they're not for everyone. Some folks like to see the dancing flames tickling their tenderloins. The GrillGrate is an interconnecting paneled system that can convert all, or part, of your existing grill into an infrared surface. So now you can sear your sirloin on one side of the grill while you slow-roast your carrots and rutabagas on the other. You can get one to three GrillGrate panels in various size sets to fit your particular grill.
Photo: GRILLGRATE
Skip the Lighter Fluid
Here's a product for you grilling purists who abhor even the notion of contaminating charcoal with lighter fluid. It's called the Bison Airlighter. It has a butane torch to ignite the coals, along with a built-in blower that literally 'fans the flames.' It can take your coals from cold to cook time in five or six minutes. The butane reservoir is refillable and the fan motor runs on a rechargeable battery.
Photo: BISON