The Best Infrared Grills
By Kings of Today | Updated Oct 09, 2019
Something is going on, outside: the snow is melting, temperatures are rising, skirt day is around the corner. Birds are coming back to settle, flowers are forming buds, the sun has made an appearance and restaurants are putting tables outside.
This can only mean one thing... Grilling time! Gather your buddies, get a few crates of beer and some raw meat to throw on the heat, because ‘tis the season to eat, drink and be very, very merry. Just make sure not to invite any vegetarians to spoil the fun or pass out from the meat smoke and you are good to go.
Sure, maybe you don’t see yourself as the grilling type. Maybe having watched your dad poke around in the coals only to serve up tough-as-nails bits of unidentifiable meat has deterred you from ever exploring the territory.
But grilling is a thing every man worth his salt must master, and the primal beauty of searing a prime cut is a joy reserved for the deserving. So come on, get it together and try it out, you might learn something about yourself.
Infrared Bbq Quick Review
| Product | Best For | Our Rating |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Royal Gourmet Mirage MG6001-R Gas Grill | Pros | |
| 2. Char-Broil the Big Easy TRU-Infrared Grill + Cover | Convenience | |
| 3. Char-Broil Signature TRU-Infrared 420 3-Burner Gas Grill | Parties | |
| 4. Char-Broil TRU-Infrared Patio Bistro Gas Grill | Versatility | |
| 5. Char-Broil Grill2go X200 Portable TRU-Infrared Gas Grill | Portability |
Top Choice: Royal Gourmet Mirage MG6001-R Gas Grill
Nothing for little boys, this monster grill is for the obsessive meat eater.
Infrared Grills
Be warned though that grilling is no joke, and there are rules you’ve got to follow if you want to become a master of the craft - rules like never using low smoke point oil if you want to avoid a mess, or never using a bristle brush if you want to avoid injuries (look it up).
You’ve also got to know your cut and season it well because grilled meat can take it: don’t skimp on the salt, fear not the garlic, bring on the chillies and douse with the lemon. Brine, marinade, do it with a rub or do it with coke, do whatever your heart desires, but do it well, and use the right technique for the right food.
Who knows, you may even try your hand at the ever-elusive brisket one day. If you have a grill, always keep it hot, clean and slippery. This prevents rust, sticking and sad lookin’ meat. But most of all, be mindful of safety. You're playing with fire, never forget that. And fire is a big boy’s toy, so keep the kids away. Never cut into your food to test doneness unless you want your friends to laugh at you.
Know it instinctively. But how, you say? Instinct comes from experience, and grilling is an art just like any other – it takes practice and it takes lots of falling on your face. As long as you don’t fall on the grill, you will be fine, better for it, even. Don’t use a meat thermometer, no matter what your buddy Steve tells you. You’ll never learn that way and look stupid in the meantime.
Thermometers deliver far, far less than they promise and serve only to confuse you. Cook it less and turn it less, leave the meat alone – but don’t multitask. Meat demands more attention than a woman does, but you can’t let either get tough on you and ruin your life. Find the balance. Most of all, don’t worry too much. Grab a beer, blast some Whitesnake with your buddies and get grilling.
How to Find the Best Grills
Now, if you’re thinking oh no, I don’t have a grill and have no idea where to get one, don’t worry about that either, we’ve got you covered. We’ve put together a few of the finest grills out there, one for every budget, style and function. Get the best grill you can afford and treat it well, it’s an investment.
Before we get to that, however, we better cover some of the basic lingo. Below, you’ll be reading about BTU and infrared heat. For those of you new to the grilling world, BTU stands for British Thermal Unit and is a measurement of heat, as the name suggests.
It measures the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of a pound of water by one Fahrenheit. A similar principle are calories, which are the amount of heat required to get the temperature of one gram of water up by one Celsius, i.e. how much weight you will lose by how much running on the treadmill.
On to infrared grills: they work by heating a ceramic tile through ignition which causes infrared radiation. Thermal radiation is generated when the heat resulting from the movement of charged particles within atoms is converted to electromagnetic radiation in the infrared heat frequency.
If the nerd-alert went off in your head, infrared grills allow you to better adjust cooking temperature than charcoal grills do and such grills are able to reach higher temperatures than standard gas grills. Now that that’s settled, gentlemen, without further ado, here are the nominees:
Best Infrared Grill Review
1. Char-Broil Grill2go X200 Portable TRU-Infrared Gas Grill
Handy little thing you can take anywhere if you don’t mind the overheating – but who does, with a price like that?
Buy this thing and your grilling needs will be met reasonably under a hundred dollars. No, this is not a dream, this is the Grill2Go X200. A sturdy build and latching lid ensure you can take this 20 pounder with you and nothing happens if you drop it on the way home after a few beers too many.
This little 9,500 BTU burner is an infrared powerhouse in a tiny package that can get your steaks done medium rare in the dead of winter, too.
It comes with 200 square inches of cooking space, so you can sear a couple side by side on the stainless steel grate. Just be sure to watch the temperature gauge on top, as this thing gets hot and bothered quickly, and the heat is somewhat more difficult to control than on a full sized grill.
The handles are heat resistant, but the legs get a bit warm, so do not place it on fragile surfaces like your finicky buddy’s patio, the one who doesn’t own a grill at all. The rust resistant steel construction features a black porcelain finish that adds class.
Plus, you can convert this model to more of a permanent grill with a 20 lb tank (if you’ve got one). All said and done, the Grill2Go is the best bang for your buck.
- Cheaper than cheap
- Portable
- Tiny
- Requires no batteries
- Heat control difficult
- Legs get warm
- Looks like a toolbox
2. Char-Broil the Big Easy TRU-Infrared Grill + Cover
R2D2’s even more useful cousin, The Big Easy will have you smoking, roasting and grilling up a storm.
With a roasting basket that holds 25 pounds of meat, 180 sq. Inches of grilling area along with a smoker box, this 3-in-1 is hard to beat. Especially when you look at the price, with or without a cover.
The temperature ranges from 9000 to 18000 BTU, which is more than fair. Just think, you won’t need oil or charcoal, and won’t need to bother balancing a spit rod because this is no rotisserie, but you will still end up with crunchy-skin chicken, and no one will be the wiser.
While you’re at it, also say goodbye to flare-ups, air dampers and water pans which everyone knows are a total mess. Next time you are at the supply store, the only thing you’ll need will be some wood chips for your smoker, after which you’ll make a pit stop at the butcher for some prime meat, of course.
Just drop a 25 pound turkey in the cooking basket or do a double decker with the included stackable grates and wait for the magic to happen. The propane tank makes air heat up the space between the two walls and escape out the top without ever getting a chance to dry out your meat.
It weighs just under 60 pounds, or as much as a seven-year-old child, so moving it is no hassle. You can get this thing without the grill cover if you want, but why would you want that?
- Super convenient
- 3-in-1 smoker, roaster and grill
- Great quality
- Not really portable
- Too small for a proper home setup
3. Char-Broil TRU-Infrared Patio Bistro Gas Grill
Small on size, big on design, this model is perfect for a smaller patio or balcony and just gorgeous.
It may look tiny, but the Patio Bistro Gas Grill comes with 320 square inches of cooking area split up into 240 of primary and 80 sq.in. of secondary grill real estate.
This one is the best choice if you care about optics and want people to think you paid an insane amount for something when in reality you didn’t. This impressive looking model comes with an electronic ignition and a durable, stainless steel cooking grate.
Before cupid hits you and the grill with his arrow, it must be said that there was a recall on this model due to an issue with the ignition button, but it looks like that’s a thing of the past, and you and your gorgeous pick can ride off into the sunset together and enjoy up to 12 burgers at a time once you’ve managed to put it together, which may be an ordeal depending on your handyman skills.
- Small
- Easy to keep clean
- Its got wheels
- Sleek design
- Assembly takes long
- Paint bubbles up after a while
- Parts rust easily
4. Char-Broil Signature TRU-Infrared 420 3-Burner Gas Grill
Fancy, large grill with 420 square inches of primary cooking over porcelain-coated cast iron.
Whether you are a liquid propane or natural gas guy, this thing will dance to your tune – once you convert it with the natural gas conversion kit it does unfortunately not come with.
But when something’s got a 13000 BTU side burner and a 155 sq.in. porcelain warming rack, you forget about all that pretty quickly. It’s got three burners all in all, all powered by TRU-infrared technology for juicy, tender meat, whether you need monster heat or a slight sizzle.
The main cooking area is a whooping 420 sq.in., which is some serious business, we’ve got to say. Aside from that and the previously mentioned features, you’ve got tons of storage and prep space to get the meat ready for a scary 25500 BTU hit. Now, this is a fine grill, especially for the price, but if your heart just started pumping faster, just read on.
- Completely versatile
- Perfect for family BBQs
- Can easily cater for parties
- Not recommended for beginners
- No small price tag
- Tough assembly and clean
5. Royal Gourmet Mirage MG6001-R Gas Grill
Nothing for little boys, this monster grill is for the obsessive meat eater.
When someone says the word grill, this is what you think of. Don’t deny it: it’s beautiful.
Al Bundy would pray to this thing. It’s not easy to know where to even start, here, but let’s begin with the grate: porcelain coated cast iron grates with a slope design to help with those sexy grill marks and prevent sticking and pooling, a built in thermometer and stainless steel everything, from the tube burners to the side table down to the doors.
An unreasonable power clocking in at 96000 BTU – that’s ninety-six thousand. Let that sink in for a minute.
You could grill your mother-in-law on this thing no problem – God knows there’s space enough over the 961 sq.in. Area. You’ve got two separate cook ovens made from die cast aluminium and stainless steel to make sure everything heats evenly and stays exactly as warm as you want it to.
We could go on and on, but the point here is that this is not an everyman’s grill. There’s a certain type of guy who simply must have this thing, and if that’s you, well, what are you waiting for?
- This thing is major league and a big investment
- A complete solution
- Too swanky with tons of extras
- Massive size
Our Favorite Grill
In conclusion, there’s a grill for each and every man, and that’s how it should be because every man should own a grill. Like a watch, a toolbox and a good suit, it comes with the territory.
Take your time in deciding which of these lean mean grilling machines floats your boat – whether you are the type who will bring his along on a tailgate or you are the friend everyone thinks of when someone says let’s grill some stuff.
If you want to floor everybody including yourself with one of these, it goes without saying that the Royal Gourmet, the last choice, is what you have got to go for.
