Sear Box For Pellet Grill

Best Pellet Grills For Searing

In a Hurry? Our Top 3 Best Pellet Grill For Searing!

Searing is a technique used in grilling, baking, brazing, and roasting. It involves the surface of the food being cooked at high temperatures until it gets a brown layer. This technique enhances the flavor of the meat and leaves flavorsome sediment in the grill that is used for grey-glaze or gravy.

During this process, the surface of the meat is sealed at a temperature above 150° C , and the surface of the meat is kept free of water. The contrast in taste and texture between the crust and the interior makes the food palate more interesting. During grilling, the food will be shed in too much heat and then transported to the grills lower temperature area for cooking.

If youre looking for a grill that offers similar tastes, then youve hit the right page. Here weve rounded up with 10 Best Pellet Grill For Searing by top-rated brands. All the grills listed here come with unique features that stand with their value as well.

Below you will get a detailed explanation of each products properties, faults, and characteristics that help you make the right choice.

Pit Boss Classic Pellet Grill And Smoker

Pit Boss is a big name in the grilling world, so their classic pellet grill was sure to make a splash when it entered the market. The staple of this grill is its very large interior space that allows you to make a wide array of foods at once with ease.

Ideal for searing, this grill has an open flame design that allows you to grill your meat the way you like it. Combined with the ability to adjust the temperature using a smart gauge, this grill allows you to cook whatever you want in a wide variety of ways. The cast iron construction and smart design mean youll be grilling with this unit for many years.

Pros

• Multiple racks for cooking lots of food
• Cast iron construction for heat retention
• Wide range of temperatures for cooking
• Flame broiler for searing on an open flame

Cons

• The wheels are rather delicate

Camp Chef Smokepro Pg24

Camp Chef DLX 24 pellet grill is the most reliable, easy, and useful pellet grill. It is available in black and designed with a gen 2 controller, PID technology, and smoke control. For flawless cooking, you are given Various features in this model.

Features:

PID controller – the PID controller in this pellet grill is an important feature that controls temperature. For roasting, Baking, grilling, etc., the range should be between 160 to 500°F. PID controller lets pellet grill attain that temperature, and a dial-in menu enables you to choose the temperature you want for cooking.

2 meat probes: Camp Chef SmokePro PG24 offers 2 meat probe accessories. They are other useful devices that come along with a pellet grill. It has a digital display, and when you connect the probe to meat and the grill, you will easily be able to see the inner meat temperature.

Ash cleanout – it is the feature for easy cleaning of ash from the pellet grill. Cooking on pellet grill results in the burning of wood, and ash is generated. This ash, if it remains in the pellet grill for a long can hinder the healing process of the grill, therefore, ruining performance. Camp Chef SmokePro PG24 offers an ash cleanout that allows you to easily clean ash and keep your pellet grill perform properly.

Other features-low glare display, smoke setting, hopper cleanout, and grease management system.

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Maximum Temperature Settings On Pellet Grills

Many of the latest generations of pellet grills have a maximum temperature setting of at least 500 degrees. For instance, as I discuss in my Gen 1 vs Gen Traeger Pro Series article.

The same is true for budget/mid-range pellet grills from the likes of Camp Chef, Pit Boss and Grilla Grills, all offer pellet grills with a 500-degree maximum temperature setting. You then have the Weber SmokeFire which provides a 600-degree maximum temperature setting.

As I discuss in my Weber SmokeFire Gen 1 vs Gen 2 article, while I have issues with it as a pellet smoker, as a pellet grill its very capable.

For under a thousand dollars the Weber SmokeFire Gen2 EX4 with its 600-degree maximum temperature setting is an excellent backyard pellet grill for searing: Image BBQGuys.com

You then have other brands such as Broil King who also offer a maximum temperature setting of 600 degrees and the same is true of RECTEQ pellet grills when their FULL setting is activated.

When you start moving up into the premium/luxury pellet grill brands such a Cookshack, Memphis Grills, Coyote and Twin Eagles these pellet grills have maximum temperature settings between 600 725 degrees.

While a higher temperature setting on a pellet grill is going to provide better searing capabilities, what the cooking grate is made of is also important.

What Type Of Pellets Work Best On A Pellet Grill

When it comes to the various types of pellets that exist to go into your pellet grill, there is a wide variety for you to choose from. Choosing the type that works best for your grill comes down to personal preference and the best practices of others.

Even though choosing the best type of pellets that will work for you can be a chore, it helps to know what the different types are before deciding. In fact, some grillers believe that you should try out the various pellets before you decide on your favorite.

Here are some of the different types of pellets you can use on your pellet grill.

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Camp Chef Pellet Grill

WOODWIND WIFI 24″

You asked and we deliveredâthe new Woodwind line is Camp Chefâs most feature-packed grill, making it the smartest and most versatile grill on the market. Fully equipped with our innovative PID and WIFI enabled controller, youâll be able to stay connected to your grill using the Camp Chef app.

SMOKE CONTROL + PID CONTROLLER

Equipped with our new PID and WIFI enabled controller, youâll be able to change the temperature, set timers, and receive notifications when your meat reaches your set temperature all from the palm of your hand. Taste the difference and obtain flawlessly smoked food by tailoring your grillâs Smoke Number on the Camp Chef Connect App.

FEATURES & SPECIFICATIONS

• PID controller for consistent temperatures , Full color screen controller
• Camp Chef Connect App compatible, Smart Smoke Technology, adjustable smoke settings from 1-10
• Four stainless steel meat probes
• Slide and Grill Technology’s direct flame grilling reaches 650°F
• Ash Cleanout System

Best Pellet Grill For Searing: These 5 Get Hot

• Reviews, Pellet Grills

Pretty much all pellet smokers say you can grill on them. But, as you probably know, the indirect heat you get on most isnt ideal for searing. Yes, it works. But, its sort of like trying to grill a steak in a really hot oven. Its really not ideal.

Thanks to demand and growing innovation in the market, you now have options.

Some pellet smokers can actually do both with dual modes for indirect low and slow heat for smoking and direct high-heat for searing.

It can be time-consuming to find which models are actually set up for both indirect and direct flame modes. So, weve put together an assortment of the best.

Here youll find the best pellet grill for searing options.

All of the pellet grills here dont do anything in halves. Theyre ideal low and slow machines, and, you can open them up to sear over a real wood-flamed fire. They are the best of both worlds. And, theres options to suit all budgets.

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Can You Sear With A Pellet Grill

According to some in the BBQ community, pellet grills cant sear. This is entirely false currently!

Pellet grills had a bad reputation in the past since they could only get up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. The Gen 1 Traeger Pro Series, for example, was one of the most famous pellet grills for many years, but its maximum temperature setting of 450 degrees greatly hampered its out-of-the-box for searing capabilities.

Searing food demands high temperatures at the surface of the cooking grate. As a general rule, you need the temperature of the cooking surface grate, above at least 450 degrees.

These days, you can sear meat to your hearts content on pellet grills like the Z-600 series Pellet Grill. These grills go out of the box and are so good at searing!

Sear Box And Sidekick Reviews

To finish off this post and to further help you decide if the Sear Box or SideKick is going to be the best option for your Camp Chef pellet grill Ive included a couple of video reviews below. The best video review I found on the Sear Box was from Sports Man News.

In the video, they discuss you have the option of searing the food first or after its been cooked on the pellet grill depending on your preference

In terms of the SideKick, the best video review Ive found is from Tony Buddy. He purchased the SideKick along with the full accessory pack including the Delux BBQ Grill Box and Artisan Oven along with several pots and pans. Tony also gives a good little tip about using a heat diffuser plate on top of the SideKick when using it with pans.

Tony has done an excellent video review on the Camp Chef Sidekick and accessories

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Big Horn Pellet Grill And Smoker

With its classic looks and build quality meant to last for years, this BIG HORN grill is a great option for those looking for a large cooking surface with comfort features too. The wheels make it easy enough to move around and the sturdy legs make sure it stays wherever you put it.

Digital thermometer controls make this unit great for newer grillers who are looking for some help getting their food just right. However, it is to be noted that you will need to monitor this grill as it cooks because it can let out a higher amount of heat than some other units. Overall, this unit does the job and is built to last.

Pros

• Stable feet for a sturdy experience
• Large 700 square inch cooking area
• Easy to use and manage design
• Allows versatility to cook variety of foods

Cons

• Doesnt have the best seal for heat retention

What Is The Cooking Grate Made Of

You will find various materials used on pellet grills for the main cooking grate, and different materials produce different searing performance. Basically more metal means more thermal mass to absorb heat from the pellet fire below.

Therefore, lets say you have two pellet grills with the same maximum heat setting, but one has thin steel wire cooking racks and the other has thick cast-iron grates, the one with cast-iron grates will provide superior searing performance.

When it comes to cast-iron cooking grates three brands fit them across pretty much all the models in their ranges. Pit Boss across budget Pit Boss pellet grills, their Pro Series and Platinum Series pellet grills all feature cast-iron cooking grates.

Likewise their sister brand Louisiana Grills also fit cast-iron cooking grates. Then there is also Broil King which fit cast-iron cooking grates across all their models and also feature a high 600-degree maximum temperature setting.

Pellet grills from Pit Boss , Louisiana Grills and Broil King are commonly found with cast-iron cooking grates: Images PitBoss-Grill.com, Louisiana-Grills.com and BBQGuys.com

There are downsides to cast-iron cooking grates however. First, they are heavy, therefore the additional weight makes it more expensive to ship the pellet grill and its also more difficult for the end-user to move the grill around due to the additional weight.

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Who Is This Product For

This product is ideal for BBQ enthusiasts who love to offer their guests food which has a real smoky taste and flavor.

However, to achieve this it is often the case that while your food is cooking you must constantly stand over it in case flames get too high and the food gets badly scorched, overcooked, or burned completely.

This is not the case with this Camp Chef grill as it has an electronic control panel with which you can regulate the cooking temperatures so that food is cooked at just the right speed.

There is also a meat temperature probe which means, to make sure everything is going to plan, all you need to do is take an occasional look at the LED readout.

So, if you are a host who likes to entertain your guests while the BBQ food is cooking away at the same time then this grill is perfect for you.

It also very simple to operate so beginner BBQ chefs will enjoy cooking with this too.

It has auto-start ignition so getting the cooking process underway won’t be a problem and the control dial means you can set the grill to easily cook whatever is on the menu.

Those of you that hate the messy grill cleanup after a BBQ will be pleased to know there is a patented ash cleanout system which means getting rid of the ash is a simple matter of pulling a lever.

Camp Chef Woodwind Pellet Grill With Sear Box Reviews By Consumer Reports

In the market today, pellet grill is one of the best varieties to prepare any favourite food of your choice. This unit ensures that your chickens, ribs, steaks and other foods are cooked to perfection without the need for you to make a phone call to the local takeaway for a delivery. One of the best models of a pellet grill is the woodwind pellet grill with sear box. This product from Camp Chef is an excellent grill to make both indoor and outdoor cooking for your family.

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The Benefits/drawbacks Of Direct

I have a full article about direct-flame access on pellet grills, so I dont want to repeat myself too much here but Ill give a quick summary. As the term describes with direct-flame access the flames from pellet fire on some pellet grills can reach the cooking grate.

The benefit being a higher grilling/searing temperature of 650 degrees and beyond. With some pellet grills to turn the direct-flame access feature on/off you had to lift up the cooking grates and slide the grease tray open/closed, not ideal.

However, on later models from Pit Boss such as the Gen 2 Pro Series and Black Label Louisiana Grills models a slide lever on the outside of the grill can turn the direct-flame access feature on and off, a much better design.

It was Camp Chef with their Slide n Grill direct-flame access on their Woodwind pellet grills who were really one of the first to come up with the external leaver design for direct-flame access functionality.

Direct-flame broiling/searing is found on all Camp Chef Woodwind pellet grills: Image CampChef.com

The downside with direct flame access is that its only over a smaller focused area on the cooking grate, not the whole cooking grate.

Therefore, to get the best searing results when cooking a lot of food you will be moving food around over the cooking grate.

A To Z List Of Pellet Grill/smoker Brands

Back in 2007 when I first become aware of pellet grills and smokers the only brand I was really aware of was Traeger. Traeger is really where this whole concept of cooking with pellets started in the 1980s. It was a slow burner but since the 2010s is really when pellet grills and smokers started to get mainstream awareness, discussed alongside gas and charcoal grills. There are now over 30 pellet grill/smoker brands that Im aware of, and the link above goes to my A to Z list of brands article.

Now, you may already be aware of a few of the other brands such as Pit Boss, Camp Chef, Z Grills and Im sure you are aware of Weber, though you may not have known they have entered the pellet grill game. However, they are now many, many more brands to look into. Some may be what are commonly referred to as Traeger clones, but many others are offering their own unique designs and features.

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How To Sear A Steak On A Pellet Grill

Searing a proper steak on a pellet grill is not a hard process, but you need to consider some tricks to the trade to help you achieve that great flavored taste of well-cooked seared steak. To start you will need to get an accurate thermometer, but if your pellet grill comes with a meat probe like the Camp Chef pellet grill models then you are good to go. Also, if your grill doesnât have grill grates you should get some. The next pick is on the steak. This is a matter of preference seeing as how varied steak types are ranging are from ribeye, strip steak, sirloin, t-bone to four other primal cuts of beef. At this point you should also consider how rare and well done you would like your steak to be for thickness.

The next step is all about the flavor as you decide whether or not you want to marinate your steak. A dry surface is however ideal for a proper sear so all you need to do to your steak is throw in some salt and pepper . Salt both sides of the steak slightly prior to the searing event giving it a time frame of at least two hours. You could rub in other ingredients such as garlic and even ground coffee. This is the point that you get to pick pellet flavors as well.