TEC's original ceramic infrared technology, introduced in the 1980's, was a great improvement over traditional convection style grilling. Convective grills cook food with 100% hot air, and hot air dries out food. But TEC's ceramic infrared burners cooked with 35% infrared heat and 65% hot air so food retained more of its natural juices. All other infrared grills today use these ceramic burners but TEC's new patented grilling system cooks with 100% infrared energy. These grills totally eliminate the hot air associated with gas grilling, so food retains the maximum amount of moisture. As a result, moisture loss and food shrinkage are reduced by up to 30% - even well done meats remain tender and juicy.

All other grills sold today, whether they are infrared or not, have hot and/or cold spots across the cooking surface. This is because the burners in these grills cannot distribute the heat that they generate evenly. But there are no hot or cold spots on the new TEC grills. Our patented all stainless burners were designed (with specially configured apertures) to distribute heat evenly across the cooking grids. So you can cover the entire grilling surface with steak, chicken or hamburgers, and each piece will cook exactly the same in the same amount of time.

An important part of TEC's patented infrared technology is the radiant glass panels located between the burner and the cooking grids. These panels, like the glass designed for residential stove-tops, are developed to withstand high temperatures. When heated, they radiate 100% infrared energy. But they also function much like charcoal to create TEC's famous outdoor grill flavor. When drippings from food touch the surface of the heated glass, they are incinerated, producing a smoky vapor that infuses food with our delicious charbroil taste. And expensive marinades can be poured on the food while grilling without wasting them because any excess that drips on the glass sizzles into steam that becomes part of the smoky vapor that flavors the food.

The patented design of TEC's new grilling system includes a radiant glass panel located between the burner and the cooking grids. These panels not only emit 100% radiant energy, they block rising hot air, preventing it from contacting the food and drying it out. An additional benefit is that flare ups are virtually eliminated during grilling because by preventing the flow of air at the grilling surface the oxygen required to ignite food drippings is also eliminated.

Most people associate infrared grilling with high temperature searing because TEC's original ceramic infrared burners have very little turn-down capability. These burners basically have two levels of cooking intensity—hot or hotter. But TEC's new grilling system is not only 100% infrared, it has an unprecedented range of cooking intensity that allows you to smoke a turkey on low fire (200° F) and sear a steak on high (800° F). Our grills heat up quickly too - reaching maximum infrared searing temperatures in 7 minutes after preheating on high fire with the hood closed.

The ceramic burners used in other infrared grilling systems today are known to be fragile - susceptible to moisture damage and impact breakage. But TEC's patented, 304 stainless steel, infrared burners are ultra-tough and built to last. These burners have been cycled in laboratory testing for thousands of hours and have proven to be virtually indestructible.

TEC's new patented burner systems are the most fuel-efficient burner systems ever developed for grilling. In fact, laboratory tests indicate that TEC grills are over 50% more energy efficient than traditional convection grills. And because the amount of harmful emissions produced by a burner is directly proportional to the amount of fuel the burner consumes, TEC grills also reduce emissions by 50% or more.