"Should I get the infrared one?" is the question we hear most once a customer has settled on a size for their built-in grill. It is a good question with a muddy answer, because "infrared" on a spec sheet can mean an entire cooking surface (rare), one dedicated sear zone (common), or only the rear rotisserie burner (nearly universal on premium grills). Underneath that sits a second decision most people never see: whether the main burners are cast stainless, stainless tube, or ceramic, and whether the heat reaches your food through ceramic briquettes or stainless flame tamers.
This guide sorts all of it out with the manufacturers' own numbers for Lynx, Hestan, Twin Eagles, Delta Heat, Fire Magic, Blaze and Summerset, and ends with what we would put in our own backyards in Queens, on Long Island, and in Palm Beach County.
The short answer
A traditional burner heats air and the briquettes or flame tamers above it, which then cook your food. An infrared burner heats a ceramic or glass surface until it glows and radiates heat straight at the food, so it gets much hotter (Lynx rates its Trident at 300 to 1,000 degrees F) and sears faster with fewer flare-ups. Infrared is not better at everything: it is less forgiving at low temperatures and for delicate food. For most families the right answer is a hybrid grill with conventional main burners and one infrared sear zone, such as a Hestan with its 25,000 BTU sear burner, a Lynx Professional with one Trident, a Twin Eagles or Delta Heat RS model, or a Blaze LTE+ with the drop-in infrared burner. Buy an all-infrared grill only if you cook steak more than anything else.
Key takeaways
- Infrared burners trade range for intensity. They are the best searing tool on a gas grill and the worst tool for a two-hour rack of ribs.
- Almost every premium grill already has one infrared burner: the rear rotisserie burner (10,000 to 18,000 BTU depending on brand). The decision is whether you also want one in the main cooking area.
- Hybrid grills with a single sear zone are the sweet spot. Hestan, Lynx, Twin Eagles, Delta Heat and Fire Magic sell them from the factory; Blaze, Summerset, Twin Eagles, Delta Heat and Broilmaster sell drop-in infrared burners that replace one standard burner later.
- Cast stainless burners (Fire Magic, Blaze) are thick and heavy and carry lifetime warranties. Tube burners (Twin Eagles, Hestan, Summerset TRL Pro) are lighter, cheaper to replace, and on the best brands are also lifetime. Lynx's ceramic burners cannot rust at all.
- Briquettes give more even radiant heat and vaporize drippings for flavor; stainless flame tamers are simpler, lighter and easier to clean. Neither is wrong. Twin Eagles, Delta Heat, Lynx, Hestan and Summerset use briquettes; Blaze and Fire Magic use stainless grids.
- Infrared parts often carry a shorter warranty than the main burners (Fire Magic and Twin Eagles cover theirs for 5 years), so read the burner line, not just the headline "lifetime."
In this guide
- Traditional vs. infrared vs. hybrid at a glance
- How does an infrared burner actually work?
- How hot do infrared burners get, and does it matter?
- Which is better for flare-ups, evenness and gas use?
- What is infrared bad at?
- Which grills have one infrared sear zone?
- Cast stainless vs. tube vs. ceramic burners: what matters?
- Briquettes vs. flame tamers: which is better?
- Does infrared change the warranty?
- Our recommended models
- Which should you choose?
- Frequently asked questions
Traditional vs. infrared vs. hybrid at a glance
| What you care about | Traditional (convective) | All infrared | Hybrid (one sear zone) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steak crust | Good with thick grates and a long preheat | Best | Best, on one zone |
| Low and slow, indirect, delicate food | Best | Hardest (only Lynx's Trident throttles down to 300 F) | Best, on the conventional zones |
| Flare-ups | Managed by briquettes or flame tamers | Fewest; drippings vaporize on the hot surface | Fewest on the sear zone |
| Learning curve | None | Real; expect to overcook the first few things | Small; you learn one zone |
| Choice in our store | Widest | One active model: Lynx L42ATR | Wide: Hestan, Lynx, Twin Eagles, Delta Heat, Fire Magic, plus drop-in burners |
How does an infrared burner actually work?
A traditional gas burner, whether it is a cast H, a tube, or a U, makes a row of blue flames. Those flames heat the air inside the hood and heat whatever sits between the burner and the grate: ceramic briquettes on a Twin Eagles or Lynx, stainless "flavor grids" on a Fire Magic, flame tamers on a Blaze. The food cooks from hot air (convection) plus the glow coming off those hot parts and the grate (radiation). It is a balanced, moderate heat, and it is why a conventional grill can hold 250 F for ribs as easily as 550 F for burgers.
An infrared burner removes the air from the equation. Gas and air mix and burn across the face of a ceramic tile with thousands of tiny ports, or beneath a glass or metal-foam emitter, until that surface glows. The glowing surface throws radiant energy directly at the food, the same way a broiler does. Lynx puts it plainly on its Trident page: the burner "directly heats the grate beneath your food" rather than heating the air around it, and because there is no mass of air to warm up or cool down, the temperature response is close to instant.
Three details that follow from the physics and show up at the grate:
- Surface temperature climbs much higher. The food's surface browns fast, which is the whole point of searing.
- Less moving air means less drying. Owners frequently describe infrared-seared steaks and chops as juicier at the same doneness. Broilmaster makes the same claim for its 18,000 BTU sear burner: radiant rather than convective heat "means less drying and less flare-up."
- Drippings hit a surface that is hot enough to vaporize them instead of pooling and lighting, which is why flare-ups drop on the sear zone.
From our install team
In our showroom the easiest way to explain it is a toaster versus an oven. The oven cooks with hot air and takes a while to change temperature. The toaster cooks with glowing elements and is at full heat in seconds. An infrared sear zone is the toaster, and you cook on it the same way: close, fast, and watching.
How hot do infrared burners get, and does it matter?
Manufacturers mostly publish BTU, not grate temperature, so the only verified temperature range in our catalog is Lynx's: the 23,000 BTU Trident burner runs from 300 to 1,000 degrees F, and Lynx stresses that it is adjustable across that whole range, which is unusual. Other brands describe the sear zone in relative terms (Twin Eagles says its 25,000 BTU ceramic infrared burner "runs far hotter than a conventional gas burner") and let the BTU figure stand in for the rest. Here is what each brand puts in the box.
| Brand / model | Main burners | Infrared sear zone | Rear infrared rotisserie burner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lynx L42ATR (all infrared) | Three 23,000 BTU Trident infrared, 69,000 total | Entire surface, 300 to 1,000 F | 16,000 BTU |
| Lynx L36TR | Two 25,000 BTU ceramic + one Trident, 73,000 total | One 23,000 BTU Trident, 300 to 1,000 F | 14,000 BTU |
| Hestan 36 GMBR36 | Two 25,000 BTU 321 stainless Trellis tube burners | One 25,000 BTU variable ceramic infrared | 18,000 BTU ceramic infrared with salamander position |
| Twin Eagles 36 RS | Three 25,000 BTU 14 gauge 304 tube burners, 75,000 total | 25,000 BTU ceramic infrared (RS models, or the TESZ kit) | Infrared; BTU not published |
| Delta Heat 32 RS | Two 18 gauge stainless U-burners; 49,500 BTU on the surface with the sear zone | One ceramic infrared sear zone | 13,000 BTU |
| Fire Magic Echelon E790i | Three cast 304 E-burners, quarter-inch walls, 90,000 total | Optional infrared burner in place of one E-burner | 13,000 BTU Quantum stainless-foam burner; Fire Magic claims twice the heat per BTU of a standard infrared |
| Blaze Professional LUX 34 | Three 18,000 BTU cast 304 H-burners, 54,000 total | 18,000 BTU drop-in, sold separately | 10,000 BTU |
| Blaze Premium LTE+ 32 | Four 14,000 BTU cast 304 linear burners, 56,000 total | 14,000 BTU drop-in replaces the left burner | 10,000 BTU |
| Summerset TRL Pro 40 | Four 20,000 BTU 304 U-tube burners, 80,000 total | Drop-in infrared sear burner available for TRL Pro, Quest and Sizzler | 15,000 BTU |
Two things stand out. First, BTU is not temperature. Fire Magic's 13,000 BTU Quantum backburner and Summerset's 15,000 BTU ceramic backburner are both infrared, and Fire Magic argues its metal-foam emitter delivers more usable heat per BTU. Second, the sear burners on Hestan and Twin Eagles are rated at 25,000 BTU, the same as a conventional main burner on those grills. The extra searing power comes from the radiant delivery, not from burning more gas.
Shop 34 to 42 inch grillsAll built-in grills
Which is better for flare-ups, evenness and gas use?
Flare-ups. Infrared wins on the sear zone, for the reason above: drippings vaporize on contact with the glowing surface instead of collecting and igniting. On a conventional grill the briquette tray or flame tamer does the same job less aggressively, so a fatty ribeye over a conventional burner still needs you nearby with the hood up.
Evenness. This one is closer than the marketing suggests. A good conventional grill with a full briquette tray (Twin Eagles, Lynx, Hestan, Summerset, Delta Heat) or heavy flavor grids (Fire Magic) spreads heat very evenly across its zone. An infrared tile is even across its own face but creates a hard edge where it meets the conventional zone beside it. That edge is a feature when you want a hot side and a holding side. It is a nuisance when you are trying to cook twelve burgers identically.
Gas use. Infrared sears faster, so a steak dinner burns less gas per meal, and a sear zone preheats faster than a full grill. Over a season the difference is small for most households. We would not choose infrared to save on propane.
What is infrared bad at?
We sell a lot of infrared and we still steer most customers away from an all-infrared grill. The reasons:
- Low temperatures. Most ceramic sear burners have a narrow usable range: they are either glowing or they are off. Lynx's Trident is the exception with its published 300 F floor, which is why Lynx can sell an all-Trident grill at all. Ribs, pork shoulder, whole chicken and anything you would smoke want a conventional zone or the rotisserie.
- Delicate food. Fish fillets, vegetables and thin chicken cutlets go from raw to burnt quickly over an infrared tile. They can be done, but with the burner turned down and the food moving.
- Learning curve. Owners who come from a Weber routinely report overcooking their first few steaks. The fix is a timer and a thermometer, not a different grill, but it is real.
- Ceramic maintenance. Infrared tiles clog if grease and marinade pool on them. They need a burn-off after fatty cooks and should not be hit with water while hot. A cracked tile is a replacement part, and on most brands the infrared burner carries a shorter warranty than the main burners.
- Cost of the all-infrared option. Only one all-infrared grill is active in our store today, the 42 inch Lynx L42ATR, and it sits at the top of the Lynx range.
Which grills have one infrared sear zone?
This is where most of our customers land. There are two routes: a grill built with a sear zone, or a conventional grill plus a drop-in infrared burner that replaces one standard burner. The drop-in route is cheaper and reversible; the factory route gets you a dedicated control and the correct ignition from day one.
| Route | Models | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Factory sear zone | Hestan 30, 36 and 42 inch "sear burner" models; Lynx Professional TR models (30, 36, 42); Twin Eagles C Series RS and Eagle One; Delta Heat RS models (26, 32, 38); Fire Magic Echelon and Aurora ordered with the infrared burner option | Sear zone sits on the left on most of these. Hestan and Lynx make theirs variable; the others are closer to on/off. |
| Drop-in infrared burner | Blaze BLZ-IR (14,000 BTU, LTE and Prelude grills), Blaze LUX IR (18,000 BTU), Twin Eagles TESZ kit (25,000 BTU, all sizes), Delta Heat sear zone kit, Summerset IRB, Broilmaster BSAVR (18,000 BTU) | Replaces one main burner in the existing position. Keep the original burner; you can swap back for a big low-and-slow cook. |
Where the sear zone sits matters in an island. If your prep counter is on the right, a left-side sear zone means reaching across the hottest part of the grill to plate. Tell us which hand you plate with and we will pick the model accordingly.
Not sure what fits your space? Send us a photo of the island or the patio and tell us what you cook most, and we will tell you whether a factory sear zone, a drop-in burner, or a conventional grill plus a searing side burner makes the most sense. Book a free design consultation and we will help you narrow it down.
Cast stainless vs. tube vs. ceramic burners: what matters?
The main burner is the part of a grill that works hardest and fails first on cheap grills. Premium brands take three different approaches, and each has a logic.
Cast stainless. Fire Magic casts its E-burners from 304 with quarter-inch walls, and says they weigh up to 12 pounds each. Blaze casts 304 H-burners for the LUX and linear burners for the LTE+ (316L on the Marine LTE+). Summerset lists cast stainless burners on the Sizzler Pro. Cast burners hold heat, shrug off the thermal cycling that cracks thin steel, and both Fire Magic and Blaze put them under lifetime warranty. The costs are weight and price, and a cast burner's ports can be slower to clear if they clog.
Stainless tube and U-burners. Twin Eagles uses 14 gauge 304 tube burners at 25,000 BTU each with a lifetime warranty, which shows that "tube" does not have to mean "cheap." Hestan's Trellis burners are tubular 321 stainless, a grade chosen for heat stability. Summerset's TRL Pro uses 304 U-tubes at 20,000 BTU. Delta Heat uses lighter 18 gauge U-burners. Tube burners are lighter, cheaper to replace when they eventually go, and heat up faster. The thinner the gauge, the sooner "eventually" arrives.
Ceramic. Lynx builds its Professional main burners from ceramic. They cannot rust or corrode, they hold heat like a cast burner, and Lynx covers them for life. The trade-off is that ceramic is brittle, so a dropped grate or a hard scrape can chip one.
Brass. Cast brass burners show up on some older and some imported grills. None of the premium built-ins we stock use them today, so we will not spend long on them, other than to say that brass valves (which Fire Magic uses and covers for 15 years) are a different and good thing.
From our install team
On Long Island installs the burner material has mattered less to us than the burner warranty and the briquette tray. We would take a 14 gauge Twin Eagles tube with a lifetime warranty over a heavier burner from a brand that covers it for three years. Read the burner line of the warranty before you weigh the burner.
Briquettes vs. flame tamers: which is better?
Between the burner and the grate sits one of two systems. Ceramic briquettes (Twin Eagles, Delta Heat, Lynx, Hestan, Summerset) are a tray of ceramic blocks that soak up heat and re-radiate it evenly, and catch drippings that vaporize into smoke. Stainless flame tamers or flavor grids (Blaze, Fire Magic) are shaped steel covers that do the same job with less mass.
- Briquettes give the most even radiant heat and the most "grilled" flavor from drippings. They also absorb grease, so they need flipping and a periodic burn-off, and a tray of them eventually needs replacing. Lynx and Delta Heat both put briquette trays on a 5 year term rather than lifetime, which tells you the manufacturers see them as a wear item.
- Flame tamers are lighter, do not absorb grease, rinse clean, and on Blaze and Fire Magic are covered for life. They run slightly hotter directly over the burner and slightly cooler between burners, which heavy grates and a long preheat mostly erase.
If you want set-and-forget even heat and love the flavor from drippings, briquettes. If you want the simplest cleanup and the longest warranty on the part, flame tamers. We would not pick a grill on this alone.
Rotisserie kitsPower burners and sear stationsSide burners
Does infrared change the warranty?
Usually, yes, and not in your favor. From the manufacturers' published terms:
- Fire Magic: cast stainless burners, grids and housing for life; "flavor grids and infrared burners on the grill" for 5 years; backburner assemblies for 15 years.
- Twin Eagles: main burners, hex grates and fabricated stainless for life; "sear zone burners, rotisserie burners" and briquette trays for 5 years.
- Lynx: Trident and ceramic main burners for life; the infrared rotisserie burner and briquette trays for 5 years; surface rust excluded.
- Hestan: Trellis burners, sear burner and rotisserie infrared burner all for life on the original purchaser; briquette trays and valves 5 years.
- Delta Heat: main burners and housing for life; grates 15 years; briquette trays and valves 5 years; "all other components" 2 years.
- Blaze: burners, grates, flame tamers and stainless parts for life; electrical and ignition 1 year; registration within 30 days required.
- Summerset: lifetime on burners, grates and briquette systems; 3 years on electrical; the drop-in infrared sear burner is listed with a lifetime warranty.
Hestan and Summerset are the standouts for covering the infrared parts as long as the rest of the grill. Everywhere else, plan on the sear zone and rotisserie burner being 5 year parts.
Our recommended models
Picked for how well the infrared and conventional parts work together, the burner warranty, and what our crews install most without callbacks. Every one is active in our store.
One honest gap: we do not currently have a standalone infrared searing side burner or searing station active in the store. If you want infrared searing outside the grill, the power burners from Blaze, Lynx and Hestan will get a cast iron pan hotter than any grate, and we can special order a searing station from Fire Magic.
Which should you choose?
Choose a hybrid with one sear zone if:
- You cook steak or chops weekly and everything else the rest of the time.
- You want fewer flare-ups without giving up low heat.
- You are buying Hestan, Lynx, Twin Eagles, Delta Heat or Fire Magic anyway.
- You like the idea of a hot side and a holding side on the same grate.
Choose all conventional burners if:
- You cook for a crowd and need the whole grate at one even temperature.
- You smoke, roast and cook indirect more than you sear.
- You want the simplest grill to learn and the longest warranty on every burner.
- You might add a drop-in infrared burner later; Blaze, Twin Eagles, Delta Heat, Summerset and Broilmaster all sell one.
Choose all infrared if:
- Steak is the main event most nights and you already know how to cook it fast.
- You want the Lynx L42ATR specifically, with its 300 to 1,000 F range.
- You have a second cooker (pizza oven, smoker, kamado) for low and slow.
Our recommendation for most Queens, Long Island, Westchester, New Jersey and Palm Beach backyards is the hybrid: conventional main burners, one infrared sear zone, and an infrared rotisserie burner in the back. The Hestan 36 is our pick if the budget reaches it, because every infrared part is under lifetime warranty and the sear burner is variable. The Delta Heat 32 RS is the pick if it does not. If you already own a Blaze or Twin Eagles, buy the drop-in burner before you buy a new grill.
Frequently asked questions
Are infrared grills better than regular gas grills?
They are better at searing and at limiting flare-ups, and worse at low temperatures and delicate food. A hybrid grill with one infrared sear zone and conventional main burners gives you the strengths of both, which is why it is what we recommend most often.
How hot does an infrared grill burner get?
Lynx publishes 300 to 1,000 degrees F for its 23,000 BTU Trident burner. Most other brands publish BTU rather than temperature; Hestan and Twin Eagles rate their ceramic sear burners at 25,000 BTU and describe them as far hotter at the grate than a conventional burner of the same BTU.
Can you cook low and slow on an infrared grill?
On most ceramic sear burners, not well; they are designed to run hot. Lynx's Trident is adjustable down to 300 F, which is why Lynx offers an all-infrared grill. On a hybrid grill you use the conventional burners or the rotisserie for low and slow and save the sear zone for finishing.
What is the difference between a sear zone and an infrared rotisserie burner?
A sear zone is an infrared burner in the main cooking area, under the grate, for direct searing. A rotisserie or back burner is an infrared burner mounted on the rear wall that heats food on the spit from the side. Almost every premium grill has the rear burner; only some have a sear zone.
Can I add an infrared burner to my existing grill?
If it is a Blaze, Twin Eagles, Delta Heat, Summerset or Broilmaster, yes. Each sells a drop-in infrared burner that replaces one standard burner in its existing position. Keep the original burner so you can swap back for a large indirect cook.
Are cast stainless burners better than tube burners?
Cast burners are thicker, heavier and hold heat longer, and Fire Magic and Blaze warrant theirs for life. Good tube burners, such as Twin Eagles' 14 gauge 304 tubes, are also lifetime parts and are lighter and cheaper to replace. Thin 18 gauge tubes wear sooner. The warranty term tells you more than the shape.
Are ceramic briquettes better than flame tamers?
Briquettes give more even radiant heat and more flavor from vaporized drippings, but they absorb grease and are a wear item with a 5 year term on most brands. Stainless flame tamers are easier to clean and usually covered for life. Both work well on the grills we stock.
Do infrared burners have a shorter warranty?
Often. Fire Magic and Twin Eagles cover infrared and sear zone burners for 5 years while covering the main burners for life. Hestan and Summerset cover their infrared burners for life. Check the burner line of the warranty before you buy.
Talk to a specialist
Want to see an infrared sear zone glow before you buy one?
We have been designing, selling, installing and servicing fire features and outdoor kitchens for over 30 years across New York City, Long Island, Westchester, New Jersey and South Florida. Our Maspeth showroom has Twin Eagles, Lynx, Hestan, Fire Magic and Blaze on display, and we will match the burner layout to the way your family actually cooks.
Book a free consultationCall 718-326-4328Showroom: 58-30 Maspeth Ave, Maspeth, Queens.
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Written by the NYC Fireplaces & Outdoor Kitchens team. Last reviewed October 2026. We sell, install and service the products discussed here.
Sources:Lynx Trident infrared burner, Lynx Professional warranty, Twin Eagles C Series, Twin Eagles Eagle One, Delta Heat gas grill, Fire Magic grill features, Fire Magic warranty, Blaze Premium LTE+ 32, Summerset infrared sear burners, Summerset warranty. Specifications change; always confirm with the manufacturer's current installation manual.