Infrared Grilling Pros and Cons

As we all are aware, grilling or barbecuing is one of the most popular and healthy ways of cooking. It is evident from the fact that more than 75 percent of American households have grills. Grilling can be considered as the ideal method for preparing vegetables, while retaining their nutrients. Out of the different varieties of grills, the most common types are the traditional charcoal grill and the gas grill. As the name suggests, the former uses charcoal as a fuel source, while the latter works either with natural gas or propane. Read more on grilling tips and tips for using a charcoal grill.

With the advancement in technology, new methodologies for grilling have been introduced, such as infrared grills and portable grills. Infrared barbecue is becoming very popular, especially among chefs and cooks. The proponents of infrared grills are of the opinion that they are much cleaner, energy efficient and quicker than other grills. Though there are several benefits of infrared grilling, it is associated with certain disadvantages. Let's take a look about infrared grills and infrared grills pros and cons.

Infrared Grills
In an infrared grill, a ceramic top is installed as the cooking surface. The basic fuel source for infrared grill and conventional gas grill is the same; the difference between them lies in the heat usage for cooking. In a gas grill, the cooking surface of the grill is heated by a direct flame, whereas in an infrared grill, the fuel source heats up the infrared element, which in turn transfers infrared radiation for cooking foods. In simpler terms, other grills use hot air directly or indirectly to cook food, while infrared grills use infrared radiation to heat and cook the food directly. Before purchasing infrared grills, it is important to understand infrared grilling pros and cons. Read more on cooking tips for gas grills.

Infrared Grilling Pros
As the market demand for infrared grills is on the rise, most manufacturers incorporate an infrared grilling option in the traditional gas grill. The benefits of infrared grilling are as follows:

• Uniform heating surface: In infrared grilling, the heating mechanism is configured below the ceramic tile, which help in uniform distribution of heat.
• Less time for ignition: As infrared radiation is used to heat the food directly, the preheating time for infrared grilling is much lesser in comparison to other types of grills.
• High temperature option: A major advantage of infrared grilling is the high temperature option, which can be as high as 700 degrees Fahrenheit. Hence, it is preferred for recipes that require high temperatures while cooking.
• Energy efficiency: Less ignition time and faster cooking are proof enough for energy efficiency of infrared grilling over other options of grilling.
• Tasty and juicy food: Since infrared grilling requires less time for ignition and cooking, it aids in retaining the nutrients and fluid content of the food items. Many people opine that food cooked by means of infrared grilling are more tastier and juicer than other ways of cooking.

Infrared Grilling Cons
As mentioned earlier, there are certain drawbacks of infrared grilling, which should be taken note of. Following is a list of infrared grilling cons:

• Low temperature range: With infrared grilling, you do not have option for low temperature regulation. Hence, due to the intensity of high heat, infrared grilling is not preferable for preparing vegetable and fish recipes.
• Health risks: Because of the extremely high temperature used in infrared grilling, the chances of burning and charring food is always high. Burned food increase the risk of cancer and other health conditions.
• Less portable: Once installed, most of the infrared grill models are difficult to move, especially due to their bulky configuration.
• Expensive: As infrared grills are configured with sophisticated technologies, they are more expensive than the conventional types of grills.

This was a brief about infrared grilling pros and cons. With practice and proper grilling techniques, you can succeed cooking good meals by infrared grilling. On the concluding note, analyze the pros and cons of infrared grilling before considering it as an ideal method for cooking food. Also make sure that you opt for infrared grill models that provide a wider range of temperature.