• Traditional grills don't necessarily have a leg up on infrared systems.Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
  
  Traditionally, when people wanted to grill up some food, they picked between using a gas, charcoal or wood grill. As of 2010, a new option is available, the infrared grill. These grills came on the scene in the 1960s. They appeared first in restaurants but now are available to the general public. Before buying one of these grills, you should look over the pros and cons you'll encounter.
  
  

Succulent, Juicy Food

• Some methods of cooking let moisture escape from whatever you are preparing. Infrared grills eliminate this problem with some foods such as steaks. Infrared grills heat very quickly and get very hot, which makes it easier to sear your food. Seared foods usually end up juicier because moisture is locked in.
  
  

High Heat

• The same high heat that makes it easy to sear on an infrared grill makes it much more difficult to cook other foods. You don't have the ability to regulate a low temperature the way you do with other types of grills, and, subsequently, cooking fruits, veggies or delicate meat like fish is a challenge. Fruits and veggies can shrivel, and fish or chicken can be cooked on the outside well before the inside is hot and safe enough to consume. High heat also means a risk of more severe burns.
  
  

Uniform Cooking

• With an infrared grill, the heating mechanism warms up a stainless steel burner or ceramic tile. Because the heat gets diffused over the entire burner or tile, you get extremely even cooking. You don't have to worry about hot spots.
  
  

Shorter Preheating and Cooking Time

• Infrared grills heat up and cook very fast. You can cook a lot of food in a short amount of time, which is desirable if you have a lot of guests or want a grilled meal when you're in a hurry.
  
  

Portability

• Infrared grills tend to be big and bulky. Moving them from place to place the way you can with other grill types isn't as easy.
  
  

Expense

• Compared to other grills, infrared is a fairly new technology. Subsequently, infrared grills cost more. They're also more expensive and troublesome to repair since not as many technicians are trained to handle infrared grills.
  
  

Flavor

• Even though infrared grills can lock in moisture for some foods, there's no way to get the distinct flavor of an open grill pit. You won't have a nice, smokey essence to what you cook.