Zone cooking
Create heat zones on your Thermador grill for versatile cooking:
- Direct high heat: One section at maximum — for searing steaks, chops, and burgers
- Direct medium heat: Adjacent section at medium — for chicken, fish, and vegetables
- Indirect heat: Burners off on one section — for slow-cooking, smoking, and finishing thick cuts
This three-zone setup lets you sear on high, move to medium for cooking through, and rest on indirect — all without leaving the grill.
Infrared searing technique
The infrared searing zone needs 5-10 minutes of preheating to reach full temperature. Don’t rush it — an under-heated ceramic tile produces uneven sear marks. Once hot, sear each side for 60-90 seconds maximum. The infrared burner produces extremely intense heat — food goes from perfect sear to burned quickly.
Rotisserie timing
General rotisserie guidelines with the rear infrared burner:
- Whole chicken (4-5 lbs): 1-1.5 hours at medium
- Pork loin (3-4 lbs): 1.5-2 hours at medium-low
- Prime rib (5-7 lbs): 2-3 hours at medium, plus 20 min rest
Use a meat thermometer — grill thermometers measure air temperature, not food temperature. The rear infrared burner should run at medium for self-basting — too high dries the exterior before the interior cooks.
Smoke management
For smoke flavor, use the smoker box if your model has one. If not, create a foil pouch of wood chips, poke holes in the top, and place over a lit burner. Soak chips for 30 minutes before use. Start smoking before adding food — you want established smoke, not startup fumes.
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