Searing your steaks appropriately is an art that can only be done with the best pellet grill for searing. Many grillers claim perfect searing but end up burning your meat; thus, in this article, I am putting together everything you need to know about a pellet grill that can sear.
There are some options that offer dual functioning of grilling and searing by allowing you to set the temperature for smoking (slow heating at low temperature) and searing (high heat with direct heating).
What options are available for the pellet grill with sear box? Here is a guide for you. As I researched the best pellet grill for searing, I narrowed it down to the products, including
1. Cap chef 24 inches Pellet Grill
2. Pit Boss PB850G Wood Pellet Grill
3. eFire EX4 Wood Fired Pellet Grill
So, let’s get started.
What is a pellet grill?
A pellet grill or a pellet smoker are the two names of a single grill. This type of outdoor cooking unit work and uses wood pellets as its fuel. It cooks food efficiently and adds more flavor to your food with the flavored pellets.
My Recommendations for the Best Pellet Grills for Searing Include
Which pellet grill is best for searing steak can put you in a dilemma; hence, for your ease, I have compiled a list of the best wood pellet grill for searing.
1. Camp Chef 24 inches Wifi Pellet Smoker
Product Specifications
· Dimension: 30 x 48 x 49 inches
· Weight: 142 lbs.
· Inner material: stainless steel
· Cooking surface: 1236 sq. ft.
· Hopper capacity: 22 lbs.
· Meat probe: 2
· Heating temperature: 160 F to 500 F
Camp Chef is the first choice for the best pellet grill for searing. This grill comes with a slide and grill lever that allows you to open slits in the heat deflector, enabling you to grill directly over the pellet fire.
This feature enhances the grilling results, achieving higher temperatures while infusing a hint of natural wood-smoked flavor. Compared to a regular pellet smoker, it requires fewer pellets to reach and maintain the maximum temperature, saving you on pellet consumption.
You can take your grilling experience to another level by incorporating fantastic propane add-ons that replace the side shelf on the Woodwind grill, offering additional grilling and searing options. Two notable add-ons are the Sear Box and the Sidekick.
The Sear Box is equipped with a cast iron grate and connects to a gas bottle, providing an impressive heat of up to 900°F. This high heat capability allows for incredible sear marks on your food.
On the other hand, the Sidekick is a propane-powered single burner that offers versatility beyond grilling and searing. With the Sidekick, you can add a griddle, grill, oven, stock pot, or other compatible accessories to expand your cooking options.
Pros
· Multipurpose grill
· User-friendly operations
· Spacious grilling area
· Enriches meat with flavor without burring
· App-operated
Cons
· Probes are limited
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2. Pit Boss PB850G Wood Pellet Grill
Product Specifications
· Dimension: 37.01 x 57.95 x 47.05 inches
· Weight: 164.2 lbs.
· Inner material: Iron, stainless steel
· Cooking surface: 879 sq. ft.
· Hopper capacity: 28 lbs.
· Meat probe: 2
· Heating capacity:
The next best pellet grills for searing I have searched for is Pit Boss PB850G Wood Pellet Grill, a versatile and high-performance grilling companion that will elevate your outdoor cooking experience. This grill has features designed to provide exceptional results and make grilling a breeze.
The PB850G boasts a spacious 850 square inches total cooking area, providing ample space to grill, smoke, bake, roast, and more. This grill can handle everything like smoking, searing, grilling, etc., whether hosting a backyard barbecue or preparing a family feast.
It is equipped with a digital control board, temperature adjustment is effortless and precise. You can easily set your desired cooking temperature and monitor it using the built-in LED display.
The temperature range of this grill spans from 180°F to 500°F, giving you the flexibility to cook a wide variety of dishes with ease.
One of the standout features of the PB850G is its innovative Flame Broiler Slide Plate. This allows you to open or close the plate and have direct flame grilling or indirect heat cooking.
The grill's heavy-duty 8-in-1 cooking versatility allows you to smoke, grill, sear, bake, roast, char-grill, barbecue, and braise all in one unit.
Crafted with quality and durability, the Pit Boss PB850G features a solid steel construction that ensures long-lasting performance. The porcelain-coated cooking grates are durable and easy to clean, making maintenance a breeze.
Pros
· Slide plate flame broiler helps in searing and grilling
· Has a solid and heavy metallic build
· Impressive hopper capacity
· Comes with side shelves
· Allows manual heating with a prime button
Cons
· Fluctuation in temperature will produce more smoke
· Not versatile
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3. Weber SmokeFire EX4 Wood Fired Pellet Grill
Product Specification
· Dimension: 33 x 43 x 47 inches
· Weight: 176 lbs.
· Inner material: stainless steel
· Cooking surface: 672 sq. ft.
· Hopper capacity: 20 lbs.
· Meat probe: 4
The next best pellet grill for searing meat isWeber SmokeFire EX4 Wood Fired Pellet Grill. This grill is designed to revolutionize your outdoor cooking experience, offering versatility, precision, and exceptional performance.
The SmokeFire EX4 features a large cooking area of 672 square inches, providing ample space to grill, smoke, roast, and bake. Whether you're cooking for a small gathering or a larger crowd, this grill can easily handle it.
Weber is equipped with cutting-edge Weber Connect smart grilling technology, you can take your grilling to the next level. The Wi-Fi-enabled controller allows you to remotely monitor and control the grill's temperature and cooking time through your smartphone.
With the SmokeFire EX4, you can achieve a wide range of temperatures, from as low as 200°F for low and slow smoking to as high as 600°F for searing and quick grilling, and it maintains a consistent temperature.
The large-capacity hopper can hold up to 22 pounds of wood pellets, ensuring a continuous and uninterrupted grilling experience. The easy-clean ash and grease drawer also simplifies cleaning, making maintenance hassle-free.
Pros
· Makes your meat flavorful
· User-friendly, easy to operate
· Impressive grilling area
· Can work with the app
Cons
· Limited probe
4. Z Grill Flame Elite 700D3
Product Specification
· Dimension: 22 x 48 x 52 inches
· Weight: 142 lbs.
· Inner material: stainless steel
· Cooking surface: 697 sq. ft.
· Hopper capacity: 20 lbs.
· Grilling Grate: 2
The Z Grills 700D3 wood pellet grill combines sleek aesthetics with reliable slide and grill technology, offering a traditional grilling experience with modern features. With its angled side chimney and stainless steel waste pan, this grill looks great and performs exceptionally well.
It features a durable cast iron cooking grate, the 700D3 ensures longevity and easy maintenance. Even when juices and smoke accumulate on the grate, cleaning it is a breeze, allowing you to enjoy your cooking rather than worrying about cleanup.
The stainless steel grate material provides longevity and allows for optimal searing and cooking, ensuring that the meat retains its natural flavors and juices without any spillage.
To inform you about the searing temperature, this pellet grill has a built-in display and a temperature control knob that can be adjusted from 180 to 450°F. This temperature range is ideal for achieving proper searing results on your meats.
It's important to note that while the Z Grills 700D3 allows for searing at high temperatures, it does not support direct heat searing. If direct heat searing is a crucial requirement, there may be better choices than this grill.
Z Grills stands behind their product with a 3-year limited warranty policy. While the warranty period may be shorter, the company has built a reputation for reliability and responsive customer service, ensuring peace of mind with your purchase.
Pros
· Great cooking experience
· Water-proof covering
· Offers portability
Cons
· Lacks digital controllers
5. Traeger Grills Pro Series 780
Product Specifications
· Dimension: 48.7 x 26.7 x 54.4 inches
· Weight: 166.66 lbs.
· Inner material: stainless steel
· Cooking surface: 1236 sq. ft.
· Hopper capacity: 22 lbs.
The new Traeger Pro 780 grill takes grilling to the next level with its enhanced controller featuring WiFIRE technology. With a powerful output of 36,000 BTUs, this grill reaches high temperatures, making it perfect for achieving that ideal sear on your steaks.
When it comes to do Traeger grills get hot enough to sear? You do not have to worry about this because the cast iron grill grates are a standout feature. They retain heat exceptionally well and create those coveted sear marks on your steaks, adding a professional touch to your grilling.
The steel cooking grates are hinged, allowing you to lift a section of the grate on the side to access the coals without moving the entire grilling grate.
The grill's design also caters to direct and indirect heat cooking or combining the two, which is ideal for searing and achieving versatile cooking results.
Moreover, the Pro Series Wi-Fi pellet grills are designed to ignite, heat up, and produce smoke with exceptional quality. This ensures consistent searing results with that distinct wood-fired flavor that grilling enthusiasts crave.
However, it's worth noting that the Traeger Pro 780 pellet grill is heavier, weighing approximately 150 pounds. This may pose a challenge if you require a portable pellet grill for frequent grilling on the go.
The Traeger Pro 780 grill, with its advanced controller and impressive heat output, offers an elevated grilling experience.
The cast iron grill grates, convenient hinged design, and ability to achieve direct and indirect heat cooking make it a versatile option for searing and various cooking techniques.
Pros
· Broader grilling space
· Allows temperature control
· You will get recipes on the app too
Cons
· App works slowly
· Quite heavy
How to know which is the best pellet grill for searing steaks? A buying guide
If you are specifically buying a grill for searing, ensure it meets the following parameters.
1. The grill sizes
The manufacturers have made grills of different sizes that help cater to the needs of all kinds of families, whether small or large. You have the option for tabletop, backyard kitchen, and commercial ones that will match your tailgate requirement.
Before getting one, make sure to check the measurements that will meet your distance.
2. The cooking surface; grill grates
Different materials are used for grill grates; most commonly, cast iron and metal are preferred for perfect searing. It will help if you get a pellet grill that works as the best conductor of heat for excellent searing marks without overcooking your food.
Consider the pellet grills with cast iron or stainless steel grates for great performance, as aluminum grates are ineffective.
3. Construction
Whenever you buy a pellet grill, inspect the quality properly, ensuring its durability. Here is a quick tip, what you need to do is lift the lid; that way, you will be able to feel its weight; if it is light, then it would only last a short time; however, heavy grills are durable.
A poorly constructed and lightweight grill will also be dangerous and probably hazardous.
4. Temperature range
Ideally, a pellet grill with a high-temperature range is preferred, one above 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Since searing require intense heat, you need a grill with a high-temperature range that will provide better results.
5. Temperature control
That is the most important factor; you need to get a grill that allows a temperature control feature to cook exactly how you like it. This is because, for pre-heating, you need a high temperature which is followed by a lower-medium temperature, in order to cook perfectly.
6. Searing kit
Some pellet grills come with the Searing kit or accessories that help to sear, like sear grates or boxes. They contribute to getting you the perfect searing marks as well as perfectly cooked and caramelized food.
7. Hopper and Pellet Consumption
Hopper is a part attached to the pellet that holds your pellets simultaneously. The hopper size varies depending on the manufacturer and the grill size. The minimum pellet grill hopper capacity is 4 lbs. to 20 lbs. and above maximum.
Ensure the grill that you buy fulfills the requirement of your tailgate.
8. Versatility
Many grills are versatile in nature, i.e., they offer many features. This includes some modern specs like the latest grills that come with an auto-shut-off feature and a wifi-control feature that makes it a more user-friendly option with an easy-to-read LCD interface that displays the temperature.
9. Easy to clean
Pellet grills require a little more maintenance due to the wood pellets. Thus, you need to take care of it even more and empty the ash from the firebox when it fills up.
Other than that, you also need to maintain the regular cleaning of grates to ensure the smooth operation of your grill. Here is a quick tip, to prevent excess dripping and drainage, place a foil underneath before starting cooking. This will create a minimal mess.
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Frequently Asked Questions | Best Pellet Grill for Searing
1. Are pellet grills good for searing?
Yes, pellet grills are a good option for searing than other traditional grills like charcoal or gas grills. The factor that can impact the searing ability is the temperature which can be controlled with the pellets. You can add or reduce the number of pellets to control the temperature to cook it at the perfect level with slow and steady cooking.
High temperatures can burn your food. Hence, it would be best if you were very picky when getting a grill for searing for the first time.
2. Do wood pellet grills get hot enough to sear?
It is a common concern of many grillers that can you sear steaks on pellet grill? The precise answer is, yes; pellet grills are good to sear. In fact, they are ideal for achieving perfect searing as they are designed to reach a high temperature, which is suitable for searing the meat perfectly along with the desired grill marks.
For that, you need to preheat the grill to its highest temperature setting; this will create a crust on the outside of the meat that locks the juice and keeps your steak flavorful and tender.
3. What is the best temp to cook steak on pellet grill?
Speaking of the right temperature, you must know that it depends on your preference, like how you want your steak is it cooked, medium rare or rare. However, if you have a pellet grill and want to cook the steak according to your taste, here are a few guidelines.
Guidelines to Cook Steak on a Pellet Grill
Here is how you can cook your perfect steak, follow
· Preheat: Before you start cooking your steak, make sure to preheat your pellet grill at a high temperature, usually at 450 degrees F (232 degrees C) and 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). This will give excellent sear marks on your food.
· Sear: Place your steak on the heated grill grates for around 2 to 3 minutes to create a flavorful crust outside.
· Minimize the heat: Reduce the heat to the medium settings, around 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) to 400 degrees F (204 degrees C). Minimizing the heat will cook your steak according to your requirement without burning or overcooking it.
· Internal temperature: Use a meat thermometer to track the correct temperature of the steak. Here is a quick temperature guide for you.
o Medium-rare: 130°F (54°C) to 135°F (57°C)
o Medium: 140°F (60°C) to 145°F (63°C)
o Medium-well: 150°F (66°C) to 155°F (68°C)
o Well done: 160°F (71°C) and above
4. What is the required amount of BTU for searing a steak?
The BTU (British Thermal Unit) for searing a steak on your grill is minimal, around 75 to 100. However, you must remember that the amount of BTU required is measured by the cooking surface per square inch.
5. How long would a reverse sear take to cook a steak on a pellet grill?
Almost 20 minutes are required for the reverse sear to cook a steak on a pellet grill. The temperature must be 225 degrees if you want it to be medium-rare meat. If you want your steak well done, wait until the meat's internal temperature reaches 125 degrees F to 130 degrees F.
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Conclusion | Best Pellet Grill for Searing
It could be tricky to find one perfect grill that can work as a smoker, grills, and sears perfectly. I have compiled a guide with relevant information related to the best pellet grill for searing. Based on the features, I have mentioned a buying guide along with the best searing grill.
I hope that this guide has stood helpful for you, so enjoy grilling.
