Summer wouldn’t be complete without barbecue parties and grilled food. You will soon see a lot of people holding roadside barbecues and enjoying food. It is the national season for lovers of grilled meat, burgers, and sausages.
In a Hurry? Here are Our Top Choices
Most of the seasoned barbecue hosts know how to operate the grill and cook their food at just the right temperature. Their burgers and steaks neither get burned nor are they left uncooked. Whether you like your steaks rare, medium or well done, the expert grillers make them to perfection every time.
What are Infrared Grills?
People who are new to grilling and barbecues often give up on the hobby because their food doesn’t taste as good or they find it very difficult to set up a grill. Grilling doesn’t need to be difficult and manufacturers have been coming up with ways to make the experience easier and more fun for users.
Grill manufacturers started developing infrared grills more than a decade ago. These grills are very easy to operate even for completely new users. The infrared grills offer a much faster cooking experience because the grill is much quicker to set up and operate. They heat up the cooking element in a matter of minutes, and you can sear and cook the food in less than 10 minutes. This ensures that energy is not wasted, making infrared grills the most efficient type of grill in the market.
Since there is no fire involved, there is no chance of a flare up and the grills are very safe to use. The heating mechanism on these grills ensures that your burgers and meat are cooked to perfection by evenly cooking the food from the inside and out. The grills are very easy to operate and even a casual once-an-year only cook can also make delicious barbecues on them with ease.
In this blog, we cover some of the best infrared grills available on the market that you can buy for less than $500.
The 5 Best Infrared Grills Under $500
A lot of major grill manufacturers have come up with their infrared versions of cooking grills. We’ll look at the 5 best infrared grills in the market available for under $500.
Char-Broil – Bistro TRU-Infrared Smoker Roaster & Grill
Char-Broil has a long history as a successful grill manufacturer. The company was one of the pioneers in charcoal grills and popularizing them in the USA. They have been in operation since 1948 when they first inspired outdoor grilling and barbecuing with a variety of BBQ grills. Over the years their grills have included portable, electric and gas models. Now they have moved into infrared grilling and leading the way with their exciting new infrared grills.
This Big Easy is a roaster and grill that adds to their existing great reputation. It incorporates advanced technology into grilling without compromising on the quality of food.
With the Big Easy Infrared Smoker, you can prepare an amazing range of delicious barbecues and burgers with infrared technology while still maintain great tasting food. Food can be cooked by smoking, roasting, and grilling. The model uses the TRU-Infrared technology that prevents any chance of a flare-up during cooking. Food is grilled completely with the infrared heating system based on electronic waves.
This means you don’t have to put in any charcoal, oil or wood pellets. You don’t have to use a spit rod to balance food on this roaster, as infrared waves cook the food evenly from all sides.
What’s even more amazing is that the cooked food does not lack the tasty juices and meaty flavor. No matter what kind of barbecue or grilled food you are preparing, the Big Easy TRU gets the job done. You can use it to make ribs, turkey, and roast or any other meaty piece. You can grill fish on the model with ease while providing an equal quantity of heat in every area.
The grill is made with premium quality stainless steel. The cooking area is roughly 180 square inches which provide plenty of cooking space for 2 – 4 person meals. It includes an internal smoker box that generates smoke for that extra flavor, without the need of using wood chips or pellets. The water pan used for creating the smoke and the whole unit is very easy to clean after use.
The grill is quite efficient in using electricity. It can generate temperatures in the range of 9000 BTU to 18000 BTU. Its vertical barrel-shaped container can hold up to 25 lbs of meat.
It has a nice design, a durable structure, and very easy to operate. The model weighs around 60 lbs and very easy to move for outdoors or picnic barbecues.
Magma Newport 2 Infrared Gourmet
Magma is another recognized brand that has built a strong name in the market due to their high quality of products. They have been making grills and cooktops for over 40 years and focus on sleek design and utility.
Their Gourmet Series of grills offer exciting new features that you wouldn’t find on other similar grills. For instance, they renewed a part of this infrared gas grill series and made it entirely with marine grade, stainless steel that had a neatly mirror polished surface. The new model looks absolutely gorgeous!
The sharp edges have been removed compared to previous models, giving it a very sleek look. The new round edges remove the chance of any accidental bruises while adding style in the process.
But don’t let looks fool you. The sturdy Magma A10-918-2GS can withstand the roughest usage and operates effectively in all kinds of environments. It is highly resistant to corrosion and can last for years without any signs of damage.
It is a hybrid grill that includes both combustion and infrared heating system. The combustion system ensures that the grill keeps the flame on, even under windy conditions. There is a safety double shell that reduces the risk of flare-ups and heat discoloration. You can fully control the grill’s infrared heat level with the sealed thermometer.
The grill is very portable. It has fold-away tabletop legs at the bottom. It weighs just around 30 pounds making it slightly heavier but still manageable for carrying out barbecue parties and beach picnics.
The Magma Newport 2 has a strong tempered window made of glass that allows you to monitor the food inside. The grilling area is around 160sq inches, making it smaller than some of the other models. However, you will be able to cook food for 2 – 4 people on this infrared grill with easy.
It packs a lot of power and can produce an intense amount of heat when left on for a while. Since the heat is evenly distributed across the grill, you can be sure that food will get cooked thoroughly from the inside before any burn marks appear on the outside.
Hamilton Beach Electric Smokeless Indoor Grill
Hamilton Beach is a high-quality kitchen appliance manufacturing company. They make a wide variety of cooking products from food processors and blenders to deep fryers and everything in between. The company was originally founded in 1910 when they made the first electrical appliances for home users. They expanded their product offerings over the years and went international in 1995.
The Hamilton Smokeless Grill is an electric grill that generates a powerful heating temperature for cooking, seasoning and searing meat indoors. This infrared grill is one of the smallest in our picks and you can even operate it from the kitchen counter with ease.
It offers a decent cooking area that is roughly 150sq inches. That should allow you to prepare four medium sized servings without any problem. The grill is very easy to clean after use, unlike regular grills. Since there is no coal or gas involved, it does not create any smoke or foul odors.
It has removable grates and trays that can be popped into the dishwasher after use for keeping it clean. Since it does not create any soot marks, you may also find it convenient to just wipe the grates off with soap and water instead.
You can turn the grill on with its easy, push-button ignition system. Just turn the dial to set the cooking option you need and wait for the indicator light to turn on that tells you when the grill is ready for cooking.
You can prepare very juicy and succulent grilled food on this model. It is ideal for people who are looking for an easy infrared griller that doesn’t create a lot of mess. The grill is very small and very easy to move around.
Char-Broil Performance 450
The Char-Broil Performance 450 is perfect for people who grill regularly and want a model that can cater to large groups. It is a full-sized griller that is comparable to charcoal and gas grills in the market when comparing features and food flavor.
The model is built on the TRU-Infrared technology from Char-Broil. It uses metallic searing plates that are located under the cooking grates on all sides. The plates do an excellent job of evenly distributing heat all over the cooking area for balanced grilling.
The cooking area is roughly 500sq inches making it one of the biggest cooking grills in the infrared category. You can easily make food for a dozen people on the grill and still have space for more.
The cooking grates and body of the grill are made with stainless steel. The high quality steel finish makes this model a very sturdy and reliable cooking grill. It weighs around 85lbs and has four small wheels under the legs for ease of moving it around. Because of its size, the grill would, however, be a bit difficult to take on during trips.
The model offers a lot of versatility and many options for cooking. You can put food on the grill and close the lid for smoking. Open the lid and use the burners for grilling food and hosting barbecue parties. It can also be used for cooking potted food or making breakfast, dinner, or sautéd vegetables. You can even use the griller for baking cakes and cookies.
If you are looking to buy a full-function large grill that allows infrared cooking at an affordable price, then this is the grill to get.
Char-Broil Grill2Go X200
This portable infrared grill is made for grilling on the go. The grill is durable, lightweight, and easy to clean and store. Despite its small size it can generate a lot of heating power and offers excellent heat distribution and consistency for evenly cooked food.
The first thing that you will notice about this grill is its sturdy design and construction. The exterior is built with die-casted steel of good quality. The top is made of a sturdy aluminum lid that can take a lot of punishment without breaking down.
The grill weighs about 20 pounds, making it one of the lightest infrared grills on our review. The sturdy build quality and light weight make it ideal for taking on the road. The handles on the lid are heat resistant, allowing much better utility.
The seemingly small grill has a cooking area that is roughly 200sq inches. This will allow you to grill food for up to 4 people easily. The amazing features on this grill, combined with its low price tag make it a superb choice for outdoor grilling. You can take it out on beach parties, picnics, camping trips, and tailgating parties. The grill can be operated on charged up batteries.
Our Final Thoughts
Now that you’ve seen some of the best infrared grills under $500, you can make a knowledgeable buying decision. Any of these grills are great depending on your personal needs and preferences.
