Solaire Infrared Grills: Why Restaurants Use Ceramic Infrared
Updated September 2026: Solaire (Sonoma, CA) is the American premium ceramic-infrared grill brand. Restaurant kitchens that need instant-on high-heat sear (steakhouse-style) run Solaire or the commercial equivalent — TEC. In the residential premium bracket Solaire competes with Coyote's RapidSear infrared burner (as a whole-grill), not as a supplemental burner. Prices $2,500-$8,500. This is the correct pick if your primary grill use is steaks + burgers, not slow-cook barbecue.
What ceramic infrared does differently
Standard gas grills heat food via convection (hot air rising around the food) plus radiant heat from the burners below. Ceramic infrared burners emit infrared radiation directly at food surfaces — same wavelength as the sun's heat. This produces:
Faster heat-up: Solaire hits 1,000°F+ in under 3 minutes. Standard gas convection takes 10-15 minutes to reach 700°F.
Better sear: Infrared caramelizes food surface (Maillard reaction) at 4-5x the rate of convection. The steakhouse-crust exterior in 90 seconds per side.
Less flare-up: Ceramic radiant plates block dripping fat from reaching the burner. No sudden flare-ups when fat hits an open flame.
Tradeoff: Infrared is bad for slow-cook barbecue. Ceramic burners don't hold low sustained temps well (they're designed to run hot). If your use case is 12-hour brisket, infrared is wrong tool — use a pellet smoker (see Memphis Pellet Grills) instead.
The Solaire lineup
Anywhere Portable ($2,500-$3,200): Solaire's compact portable — 21" cooking surface. Runs on 1-lb propane bottles OR standard 20-lb tank with hose. Restaurant-grade infrared in a package that fits in a truck bed. Popular with tailgate and outdoor-catering setups.
Everywhere 30/36/42" ($4,500-$8,500): Solaire's residential built-in / freestanding line. 3, 4, or 5 ceramic infrared burners depending on size. Every configuration is 100% infrared (no convection backup) — this is a purpose-built sear machine, not a general-purpose grill.
Solaire vs Coyote infrared vs TEC
Solaire wins on: Purest infrared design — every burner is ceramic infrared. Made in USA (Sonoma). Portable Anywhere line has no direct competitor.
Coyote wins on: Hybrid design — Coyote SL-Series includes 1 RapidSear infrared burner + 3-4 convection burners, so you get both worlds. See Coyote guide. Better all-around grill for a single-grill outdoor kitchen.
TEC wins on: Larger commercial-grade infrared burners. If you cater or entertain 30+ people regularly, TEC's Sterling and Patio FR lines have more BTU output per burner.
When Solaire loads at BBQs.com
Solaire is in onboarding — Anywhere and Everywhere catalogs go live at our Solaire brand page in the coming weeks. If you want infrared today, see Coyote's SL-Series with RapidSear infrared burner as the closest available alternative.
