"Thermal Engineering Corporation got its start making infrared paint drying equipment. They soon learned that their paint dryers were very good at grilling and the TEC infrared grill was born. For years they held the patent that kept everyone else out of the market and TEC grills were legend. Then the patent ran out and everyone started putting in infrared "sear" burners on grills. These burners promised the perfect restaurant-style steak.
Well not to be outdone, TEC has developed a better infrared burner. The old style, ceramic burners convert about 60% of the heat of a gas burner to infrared energy. The new TEC burner converts nearly 99%. Promising a flare-up proof grill that uses less gas and produces better, higher heat TECs new grills, in stores now, are all equiped with this new burner technology, and it is very impressive.
However, (you knew that was coming) this burner is very different from the traditional gas grill. Thermal energy is converted to infrared energy by use of a special tinted ceramic glass. So imagine this, you open your new TEC grill and there is a solid span of blue glass plates covering the entire area of the grill. Sitting directly on that glass is a stainless steel cooking grate. No space between the glass and the grate. Flare-ups can't happen because the infrared burner disipates the oxygen in close proximity to the burner.
My question is, would you buy a grill like this? If promises shorter cooking times, more intense searing, less feul consumption, but it just looks very strange. Maybe I'm a little old fashioned but this grill takes some getting used to. You never see flame with this grill.
Let me know what you think. TEC will own this one for the next twenty years (though they've already licensed the technology to Char-Broil). A two burner unit will start around $3,400 USD."
Comments
Derrik! i dont think this burners get as hot as the old honecomb..they take 8 minutes to preheat, verses 3 mith the older ones.put your hand near an older model and it feels like hadies..not so with these..
I agree. But still like it for the price.
Has anyone tried the Charbroil Tec from Lowes?
I just bought my TEC/Charbroil grill from Lowe’s and I LOVE it. But then again, I’ve never had a gas grill before. I did notice that my steak was juicer than on the old charcoal grill that I owned but it’s hard for me to say it’s a fair comparison. A better comparison would be someone who had a gas grill and then bought this TEC thing. My .02 worth — or rather $699 worth 8′)
A TEC/Charbroil replaced my ancient TEC which I used for at least 15 years.It ran so hot (1200 plus degrees) it took a long time to learn to use it.The new TEC. infra red burner runs at about 800 degrees. It is much easier to use. I am not sure if I like it as well—only time will tell.
I was responding to a comment from someone who said they thought their new TEC grill was not as “hot” as TEC’s previous grills. This is actually an understandable misconception. Our old patent was only about 50% infrared. The other 50% was hot air, exactly what you felt when you put your hand over the burner. Because there is no hot air involved now, it does not “feel” as hot as the older models but rest assured it cooks just as hot.
What is it about the new TEC grills. I bought the one from Lowes and then the red one from Home Depot. Both cannot cook an edible hamburger. Chicken and steak were better but both are way over smoked with burnt smoke. I have cooked many lbs of meat on these and am totally dissatisfied. I actually returned them both. Where is the infrared in the TEC/Charbroil Red BBQ. This is an absolute joke. The only red in the whole deal is the paint. I have bbqd with this one and real grills with real infrared burners and cannot understand what is going on here with TEC, Do they ever eat the hamburgers in the movies?
Rob
how does this work.