SCHOTT Concept Grill Brings Steakhouse-Quality Barbecue to the American Backyard

ORLANDO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ever wonder why the steaks you make on your home barbecue don’t taste like the ones in your favorite high-end steakhouse? It’s because many steakhouses use high-temperature infrared (IR) grilling technology that can sear meats evenly at 700 degrees or hotter while chefs watch carefully in order not to char and burn the meat.

“Our glass-ceramic monitoring panel allows any cook to tend to their steak while keeping flavor and juices in the meat, and heat and smoke inside the grill.”

That same advantage could be made available to the home barbecuer through the use of glass in grills. SCHOTT is inspiring new uses of glass-ceramic in barbecues by developing a new concept IR barbecue grill, which was unveiled today at the Hearth, Patio and Barbecue Association (HPBA) Expo at booth #2523.

The concept grill raises the stakes for home barbecuing, showcasing IR technology that sears and cooks the perfect steak at extraordinary heat. The concept uses a SCHOTT Nextrema™ high-performance glass-ceramic grate system to ensure no loss of IR heat which helps to perfectly seal in juices and flavors. An easy-to-clean glass-ceramic panel catches juices that infuse a rich, smoky barbecue flavor while a 25-by-29 inch SCHOTT glass-ceramic transparent viewing panel allows even novice barbecuers to keep a constant watch on their steaks so as not to char or burn them.

SCHOTT’s heat-tolerant glass-ceramics are the perfect medium for evenly dispersing heat, which a study commissioned by SCHOTT discovered is among the most important features in a grill. In fact, the study showed that 80 percent of barbecuers want features of IR grilling that only SCHOTT Nextrema™ can deliver.

Nextrema™ is an important feature of IR technology that eliminates the risk of drying out a great steak by efficiently transferring IR heat directly to meat with reduced airflow. With Nextrema™, heat of 700 degrees or more allows for that perfect sear. But cooking at such extremes doesn’t come without risk. Seconds can make the difference between a great steak and a disaster. SCHOTT’s inventive, transparent, heat-resistant glass-ceramic panel allows cooks to keep a constant eye on their meal without opening the grill top.

“Every backyard barbecuer knows that opening the hood crashes the temperature,” said Karen Elder, Marketing Manager at SCHOTT North America, Inc. “Our glass-ceramic monitoring panel allows any cook to tend to their steak while keeping flavor and juices in the meat, and heat and smoke inside the grill.”

At the same time, a Nextrema™ surface, made from the same easy-to-clean, heat-tolerant SCHOTT glass-ceramic material, protects the IR burners and allows the meat to be infused with sweet, smoky flavor.

“SCHOTT Nextrema™ already plays an essential role in infrared grills now available on the commercial market, such as those offered by TEC^® Infrared Grills,” said Elder. “SCHOTT’s concept home barbecue combines the advantages of IR and high-performance glass-ceramic materials to inspire the next generation of grills for the benefit of home cooks and chefs everywhere.”

See first-hand how glass-ceramics are enabling superior IR grilling and the potential for new grill innovations by stopping by SCHOTT’s booth (#2523) at the HPBA Expo 2013 from March 14 to 16, 2013 in Orlando, Fla.

Concept IR grill photographs: https://www.schott-pictures.net/presskit/196518.grill-concept

Additional press photographs: www.schott-pictures.net

Nextrema™ is a trademark of SCHOTT AG, Germany

About SCHOTT

SCHOTT is an international technology group with more than 125 years of experience in the areas of specialty glasses and materials and advanced technologies. SCHOTT ranks number one in the world with many of its products. Its core markets are the household appliance, pharmaceuticals, electronics, optics, solar power, transportation and architecture industries. The company is strongly committed to contributing to its customers’ success and making SCHOTT an important part of people’s lives with high-quality products and intelligent solutions. SCHOTT is committed to managing its business in a sustainable manner and supporting its employees, society and the environment. The SCHOTT Group maintains close proximity to its customers with manufacturing and sales units in all major markets. Its workforce of around 16,000 employees generated worldwide sales of $2.6 billion (approximately 2.0 billion euros) for the 2011/2012 fiscal year.