Grill TipsGrills, Barbecues & Food

Solaire gas grills have a unique cooking system. Instead of using briquettes for lava rock as a convection heat source, Solaire gas grills use radiant infrared heat to cook the food. This is the same cooking technology that is used in the finest steak houses, so the great taste of professional grills is available in your own backyard.

Most gas grills on the market today cook by convection. There are several disadvantages to this method. The hood must be closed in order to raise the temperature of the cooking area, and whenever the hood is opened the temperature quickly drops. The food is cooked by the heated air, and this results in dried out food.

Solaire gas grills on the other hand, are specially designed to produce high temperature, radiant heat. The hood on Solaire gas grills can be left open because the heating elements are cooking the food rather than the heated air. The intense heat of the infrared burner seers the outside of the food, locking in taste and moisture. The result is succulent, flavorful food which cooks in a fraction of the time of traditional gas grills.

There are several models of Solaire gas grills to choose from. The 27″ Petite Solaire Infrared Built-in Gas Grill (model number SOL-IRBQ-27G) has three infrared burners producing 27,000 BTUs. The total grilling area is 461 square inches, and there is a an optional electric rotisserie available. This model can operate on either propane or natural gas with the conversion kit which is included with the grill.

The Solaire 30 Inch Infra-Red Gas Grill has two infrared burners producing 55,000 BTUs. There is a total of 703 square inches of cooking area, and an optional electric rotisserie. This model can be installed on a portable cart or it can be built in to a customized cabinet. It can operate on either propane or natural gas.

For heavy-duty professional style cooking, the Solaire 42 Inch Infra-Red Gas Grill on Cart offers 82,500 BTUs and 1027 square inches of grilling area. On the other end of the scale, the Solaire Portable Gas Grill is a compact grill that can be carried anywhere. It operates on 1 pound propane bottles that offer one hour of cooking time.

About the Author

Ross is editor of Patio Furniture and Barbeque Grills and is specialized in Barbecue related products

Written By: Ross MacIver

The cast brass and cast stainless steel burners have the smallest burrs — by far. This will mean less chaos in the gas flow, fewer trapped particulate matter in the burner and a cleaner burning grill. The following comparison shows how the ports are formed.

Why is port formation important? Several reasons. If the hole is punched into a sheet metal burner, it leaves a large tab inside the burner that will cause more chaos while burning. It is more apt to hold trapped food particles and grease, and is therefore more likely to burn through. (Note the Alfresco burner photo.)

Molded ports in cast burners seem like they would be a good idea, but there is considerable difficulty in making them uniform. Thus, it is quicker and less expensive to drill.

Drilled ports are the most uniform and the most precisely placed. They tend to leave a burr on the inside of the burner, which is more noticeable (oddly enough) in a sheet metal burner. Cast burners tend to have smaller burrs.

Fire Magic grill burner has drilled orifices.

Notice (from the photo on our site) the lack of extensive burring, allowing for a smooth flow of gas. Cast stainless leaves few, if any, burrs when drilled. This burner has a lifetime warranty, including against rust and burn-through.

Notice the placement of the ports: on the side, safely below the ridge. This placement will help prevent grease from dripping into the burner, minimizing the possibility of grease entering the burner.

Lynx grill burner is drilled.

Notice (from the picture on our site) the lack of extensive burring, allowing for a smooth flow of gas. Cast brass is similar to cast stainless steel when drilled, leaving few, if any, burrs. This burner carries a lifetime warranty, including against rust and burn-through. It is also interesting to note that Lynx does not offer a replacement burner for any of their grills: simply, you’ll never need one.

Orifice placement is not as good with this burner as with the Fire Magic, but when you consider that you’ll never replace this burner, it probably doesn’t matter all that much.

Alfresco grill burner has punched orifices.

Punched ports like these create substantial ledges where carbon particles and moisture can collect and foster burn-through. This burner has a limited lifetime warranty that only covers manufacturer’s defect. With this design, this burner *will* burn through, and faster than most other burners on the market.

Further, notice the placement of the ports: at 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock; if any grease were to drip onto this burner, it is almost guaranteed to enter these ports, thereby compounding the rust and burn-through issue.

DCS grill burner has drilled orifices.

At least DCS drills burner ports. The burrs, however, are substantial when compared to cast stainless steel, and these will also collect particulates and moisture, which will foster burn-through. This burner also has a limited lifetime warranty that covers manufacturer’s defects only, not rust or burn-through.

This burner has a thicker steel than the Alfresco, but it also has a serious design flaw: the ports are drilled directly on top. If grease were to drip on this burner, it is guaranteed to enter the burner, compounding the rust and burn-through issue!

About The Author

Will Kessel is a contributing author for GasGrillsNow.com. Gas Grills Now has a large selection of charcoal, electric and gas grills from the top name brands at low wholesale prices with free shipping. Click on our link or call toll free 1-877-669-4669 anytime.

Written By: Will Kessel

Everyone loves good, old fashioned charcoal grilling. Aside from being cheaper than other grilling methods, it adds a raw, distinctive taste to your sausages, burgers, ribs, and other grilled items. Some people prefer charcoal grills over gas grills because they are easier to transport and are safer to use than gas. While there are differences in opinion and preference among grillers, it still remains that charcoal grills are here to stay. So be it an picnic, or an outdoor grill, charcoal grills will more that make up their worth in usefulness and reliability. When choosing charcoal grills, however, it pays to know what your needs are and to know the pros and cons of having such a grill over the other available grills around.

1. Cooking Space

First of all, you have to determine how much space you need for grilling. If you are grilling for a small family of three, you will do well enough with a 75 square-inch grill. You will have to consider larger grills if you are cooking for more people. It doesnt make sense if you bring a puny sub-75 inch grill to a large picnic. Remember that the size of your grill increases the amount of items you can grill exponentially. Just looking at the grill wont give you a clear idea on how big the grilling area is. Some grills have a warming rack that increases the perceived size of your grill.

2. Portability

- Get grills that have wheels
- Try choosing grills whose parts are ergonomic and efficient
- Lessen the risk of damaging your grill when transporting
- Your grill also has to withstand the rigors of outdoor use
- It does not pay to purchase a flimsy looking grill – go for those that are durable and lasting

3. Convenience

Some charcoal grills come with their own igniters. Try choosing grills that have this option. Other grills need lighter fluid to fire up. With the built-in igniter, you will not need lighter fluid anymore. On the other hand, you may want to avoid lighter fluid altogether. Some people dislike the taste and smell this fluid adds to the grill. If you must, use alcohol instead. It burns odorless and does not ruin the flavor of your food. Choose grills that allow you to easily access the ash pan. This makes cleaning the grill a lot easier. It also lessens the amount of ash flakes that may settle in your food. Also, lids are a very important part of the grill. Choose a grill that has a lid to keep the heat trapped within the grill. This allows for faster and smokeless grilling.

4. Quality

The materials used in making the grill are also very important. Some grills are made of material that easily corrodes or does not stand up well against the elements. Stainless steel grills hold up remarkably well to both the weather and the heat of the grill. Try avoiding painted grills as the paint may easily flake of. Although lightweight, durable materials are hard to come by among grills, you would do best to look for such. Remember, though, that first and foremost, the most important built characteristic you are looking for in a grill is durability.

About the Author:

For more great charcoal grill related articles and resources check out http://charcoalgrills.dinningstyle.com

Written By: John Morris