Outdoor Grills

I'm in a high-rise in Florida where grills aren't allowed on balconies(or a lanai as they say down south here). Downstairs by our pool are 2 horrid gas grills, which are going to be replaced. The suggestion is to put in 2 infrared cooktops by TEC, with over 15000 BTU's per burner. I'm not that familiar with them but I know they sear well, like a Viking cooktop. The specs claim it's like bbq, with smoke rising up, but I'm skeptical.

My other thought is to have an infrared and a gas grill, for variety sake. GWiv has recommended DCS systems as the best gas grills. Obviously, neither system will produce the taste that hardwood charcoal or even briquets will impart.

Are there any suggestions or recommendations from the experts? Is TEC a good system? They invented infrared cooktops. Will there be a noticeable difference in taste between the infrared and DCS? Or should we just stick to the infrared. Any help would be appreciated.

This doesn't directly answer your question but it may help shopping a bit; it's info I learned many years ago while doing copywriting for Weber. Part of that inimitable charcoal flavor comes from the fact that charcoal has a hot center but a relatively cooler ashen surface; what that means is, when drippings from meat hit the charcoal, they sizzle on the ashen surface for a while and produce that tasty smoke. Where in a gas fire, the drippings either drop to the bottom and merely collect, or they hit the immediate source of the fire and are incinerated more or less instantaneously.

This is why, 20 years ago or so, manufacturers like Weber started looking for something they could add to a gas grill that would replicate that charcoal effect. Lava rock does an okay job, considerably better is metal with an enamelized surface such as Weber's Flavorizer bars. I am a charcoal purist but have found myself in situations where a gas grill was the only handy choice. and a system like the Flavorizer bars does indeed give you a reasonable simulation of at least part of what goes into classic charcoal taste, though it's still obvious to me that you're missing a wood component to the flavor. All the same, you can certainly make something that tastes more outdoor-grilled than oven-baked, especially once you get some experience with how high to turn the heat to get the maximum smoke from the sizzle and all that.

So: I don't know much about the gas grills or cooktops mentioned but if they're claiming to produce smoke rising up, this is how they do it and there is some reason to believe what they say.

I have had a TEC for close to ten years now, and I can say that it is a most excellent grill for what it is intended for - namely, cooking steaks (or any plain piece of meat).

It is not good at dealing with any kind of marinade or sauce - the heating element is comprised of ceramic plates with very small holes drilled in them, and these clog very easily when any kind of sauce drips on them. I use my Weber whenever there's any kind of marinade or sauce involved.

I'd say your idea of one TEC and one "normal" grill is definitely the way to go.

This year I finally ditched my old lava-rock gas grill for a Weber Genesis Silver with flavor bars, and I'm much happier than I was before

Charcoal does still taste better, but for weeknight summer meals, the gas grill is indispensible for getting food to the table.

The higher-end (mainly the larger-sized ones) Webers and other brands include wood chip receptacles to add the natural smoke flavor. You can add a smoker box to most the other ones, too.

I've got no familiarity with the infrared units. My gut feeling is some fearful weasel in your association will threaten higher insurance rates for gas than electric. Do your research and find out if that will really be the case. Another factor, is who will be maintaining your grill? Is it easier to keep the infrared units in tip-top shape?

The TEC infrared is powered by gas. They make a smaller electric unit but we're going with the gas fired. Maintenence in the building keeps the grills clean. They check them every morning. Chinola, does this mean I can use marinades?

I, too, am interested in how well an infrared element will perform. It can only be superior to what I am presently using.
My favorite gas grill ( a ROUND 22 inch Weber lava rock gas model--with a single ring burner) finally died last year and I replaced it with a Genesis Silver---Big Mistake. In order to achieve any flavor, you must both marinate and use wood chips, and the result is mediocre at best. IMO, the folks at Weber idiot-proofed this model by using the Flavorizer bars---No direct flame ever hits the steak, the essential ingredient in producing the 'char' effect.

Can't you move the Flavorizer bars? Aren't they just laying there?

You can move the bars to impart some flame, but I am tempted to jimmy-rig this thing by removing the bars and installing an aftermarket grate and then adding lava rock.

I am positive that this would void the warranty, and it would probably be illegal in 29 states------but, I might just give it a shot.

Do not try this at home----------

RevrendAndy wrote:The TEC infrared is powered by gas. They make a smaller electric unit but we're going with the gas fired. Maintenence in the building keeps the grills clean. They check them every morning. Chinola, does this mean I can use marinades?

I'd definitely advise against it. The ceramic heating elements themselves are fragile & are protected with a 1/4" wire mesh, so there's really no way to get at them for cleaning.

The TEC gets really, really hot (1600 degrees if memory serves) and will reduce most anything to ash - I periodically give mine a shot of compressed air to clear any debris from the heating elements, but if you were to spill, say, barbecue sauce on them, the sugar in the sauce would burn & leave behind a ton of carbon that would surely clog the elements. The holes are very small - there are 1,400 of them in the four ceramic plates that comprise the heating elements (at least that's what the salespeople told me, I didn't count them myself).

Also, you should be aware that TEC makes different models depending on whether you are running propane or natural gas. Mine is a natural gas model & I have it hooked up directly to the gas line at my house (no messing with propane tanks that way).

The TEC is really a super grill - I love mine & use it a lot, but it is definitely a special purpose piece of equipment. I wouldn't want it to be my ONLY grill.

Thermal Engineering Corp (TEC) site

I absolutely love my fire magic grill.

http://www.rhpeterson.com/firemagic/

They are expensive but are a top-notch product. I configured mine with one inferno burner (infrared--1500 degrees) and two conventional burners. This combo is very flexible and works for all grilling needs. I can make steak pittsburgh style (black and blue) if I wanted to, but normally I sear the steaks on the inferno and then move them over to bring them up to the desired temp. They are truly steakhouse quality (I believe that Mortons and Ruths Chris use infrared technology by TEC in their kitchens.)

They come with a a heavy duty rotisserie and supposedly have charcoal-ability (although I read that using charcoal could have a corrosive effect on the stainless steel so I haven't tried it.)

I cannot recommend the grill more strongly. It is not great for BBQ/Smoking however. The airflow just doesn't seem to get the smoke into the meat (The Weber with the smoker box is much better)
. Accrodingly, I will be getting a smoker as a compliment for my fire magic soon.

Happy grilling.

It's time for a new bbq and I'm torn between infrared or regular propane. Charcoal isn't an option. I know the infrared is supposed to be very hot and cook much faster but I've never used it. Any thoughts or recommendations from the experts at LTH?

RevrendAndy wrote:Any thoughts or recommendations from the experts at LTH?

The "experts" would never use either of those fuel sources.

This is on a Florida lanai. As it is, I'm only supposed to use electric so charcoal is absolutely out of the question, as is electric. I do a bunch of grilling with sauces and marinades so it sounds like the infrared with it's potential clogging is out.

Sorry but I can't let this die. Since my original post years ago I just noticed that the infrared grills have noticeably changed. I was looking at the Charbroil and they don't have that that grid with all the holes and slots anymore under the grate but a concave solid metal plate. This means there are no holes to clog up and it looks like it's very easy to clean. Not sure if cleaning is necessary or you just run the grill a few minutes to burn the splatters. Anyone out there have experience with these grills? Will meat char on the outside? Is it too hot for veggies or fish?