Grill is a device that can prepare delicious beef or pork steak, vegetables, tender meat and fish without oil or additional fat. You can fry or bake on a grill. Under high temperature, fat that is contained in food gets rendered, and pores get closed quickly, which provokes the formation of crispy crust under which the meat stays tender and soft. Removal of excess fat makes grilled food healthier than fried one. Even dietitians point that out.
There are a few types of grills: traditional, working on charcoal, gas and electric. Lately, electric grills have become pretty popular due to versatility, simplicity and convenience in usage. Infrared grills take special place among them – it’s a know-how that allows to make delicious dishes with minimal electricity consumption. It should be pointed out that apart from open grills there are built-in grills: a lot of modern ovens and microwaves have this function.
Structure and Operation of IR Grill
Infrared radiation has been applied in many spheres of human life for a long time already. Remote control units, night-vision devices, medicine, astronomy is nowhere near a full list of areas where IR beams are applied. It is proved that they are safe for humans, so the ability of their useful application in manufacture and domestic life has been actively adopted.
The idea of using infrared radiation technology for cooking has already gone mainstream. Infrared kitchen stoves and grills have appeared, ready to take the place of more energy-consuming models.
Classic IR grill consists of a main body where glass ceramic heating panel is enclosed in, and a control panel. The device is convenient in usage. Despite the fact that the heating panel looks fragile, it is very durable: the material is resistant to scratch marks, high temperatures and pressure. Glass ceramic withstands temperature higher than 800ºС and even burnt food doesn’t affect the quality of coating, it just doesn’t stick to the surface. The only thing that can damage the panel is strong localized strike. So IR grills should be transported carefully.
Glass ceramic heating is performed with thermal IR beams that fry food quickly and decently by allocating evenly.
Stoves with Build-in Infrared Grill
In ordinary gas grills, a flow of incandescent air is used for preparing meals. With its help food gets roasted thoroughly, but moisture that is contained in it gets dried out. According to this website, infrared grill limits contact between dish and hot wind flow. Special layer placed between burner and food radiates infrared beams, which promotes even distribution of heat and quick preparation of food without overdrying. Such technology gets rid of dripping fat which flares up when falling on the burner’s flame, and makes the process of preparing food much more comfortable and safe.
There is an opinion that electric ovens are supplied with infrared grill only with the purpose of energy cost reduction. Halogen lamp indeed heats up and cools down a few times quicker than electric wire. But the combination of two technologies allows not only to save money. The effect of «open fire» gives food special tasty properties. A combination of two grills allows to cook even complicated exotic dishes quickly and easily.
Considering positive impact of IR-technology on the quality of dishes, a lot of manufacturers of gas and electric stoves started providing ovens with IR-grills.
The Advantages of Using Infrared Grill
IR-grill can be used at the kitchen, on the balcony or even in the room, which is a great advantage in comparison with a traditional grill. Apart from that, this device provides:
Quick preparation of food without cancerogens — products are placed directly on glass ceramic surface, there is no need to use oil and fat.
Saving energy consumption — IR-heater consumes much less electric energy in comparison with usual electric grills.
Safe cooking process — halogen heating element heats up quickly and cools down quickly as well, which brings the possibility of getting skin burns almost to a zero.
Durability — IR-grills proved themselves great in work, highly durable eco-friendly glass ceramic surface serves very long if carefully handled.
Saving time and energy when cleaning — it’s very easy to take care of IR-grill, food doesn’t stick to the glass ceramic surface, so to clean it you just have to treat the device with a soft sponge, moistened with soap solution or special solution for cleaning glass ceramic.
Now there is a tendency between a lot of food outlets to switch to IR-grills. This innovative technology not only simplifies the process of cooking, but also greatly improves tasty properties of the dishes. Despite the fact that IR-grill costs more than the traditional one, its purchase quickly pays off due to saving on energy bills.
Which Dishes Can Be Prepared on Infrared Grill
There are no limitations in the variety of dishes that can be cooked on infrared grill. Any product that can be cooked on a traditional grill will turn out equally good on the infrared one. Steaks, burgers, beef or veal cutlets, chicken thighs and wings, flavory sausages, fish, shrimp, mushrooms, vegetables and fruits – all these products can be cooked on IR-grill. What’s convenient is that there is no need to transfer cooked food from one part of the rack to the other thanks to the even heating.
Want sizzling steak, baked chicken breast or pork cutlet? IR-grill will help to prepare these dishes as well as in a restaurant. And, as icing on a cake, the process will be quick, saving and safe!
