5 Best Pellet Grills for Searing the Perfect Steak at Home
A grill might give you what you need when you are cooking for yourself after a hangover. But when friends and family come over to join you in the winter barbeque spree, don’t you think they could do better with the low and slow of the pellet grills for searing?
For the perfectly seared exterior and tender meat inside, there can be no exception to the best pellet grill for searing mentioned here.
But how do you pick the best one? Not every pellet smoker can give you the ideal searing from their indirect heat, which very much resembles grilling in a hot oven.
This is why you need to look out for the smoke level, wide temperature range, pellet hopper capacity, and much more.
In this article, you will find which machines will help you sear the mimicking the professional way, over the real wood-flamed fire. Let’s hop in!
Comparison Table of Best Pellet Grill for Searing
| Image | Name | Features | View |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Z GRILLS ZPG-550B Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker | Temperature Range: 180F to 450F Power Source: Wood Pellet Fuel Type: Electric Cooking Area: 538 sq. in. | |
 | Camp Chef Woodwind Pellet Grill & Smoker (PGSEAR) | Temperature Range: 160F to 500F Power Source: AC Fuel Type: Liquefied Petroleum Gas Cooking Area: 1236 sq. in. | |
 | Green Mountain Portable Wood Pellet | Temperature Range: 150F to 550F Power Source: Wood Pellet Fuel Type: Wood Cooking Area: 219 sq. in. | |
 | Camp Chef Woodwind Pellet Grill with Sear Box (Woodwind SG) | Temperature Range: 160 to 500 °F Power Source: Hardwood Pellet Fuel Type: Wood Cooking Area: 811 sq. in. | |
 | Camp Chef Sidekick Grill Accessory | Temperature Range: Not Given Power Source: Gas Powered Fuel Type: Liquefied Petroleum Gas Cooking Area: 231 sq. in. |
Best Pellet Grill for Searing in a Video Review
Product Reviews on the Best Pellet Grill for Searing:
After a thorough run-down of what could deliver the best, here are the top 5 picks that made it to the list of all that is great in the searing world:
1. Best Value Pick: Z GRILLS ZPG-550B Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker
The first product on the list today is a neat choice from Z Grills. This duo of pellet grill and smoker has a reasonable size to allow you to grill and sear that steak with direct flame access.
- This pellet grill takes electric and wood pellets as fuel.
- It weighs around 84 lbs and is 45 inches tall.
- You can fire up a temperature between 160°F to 500°F here or as much as 750°F if you heat in the direct flame mode
- The barbecue material in this grill is made of heavy-duty steel with a stainless steel lid
- Porcelain-coated steel has been used as the grate material here.
This 8-in-1 master machine can be used for chargrilling, grilling, searing, smoking, braising, roasting, baking, and of course, doing a BBQ with the scintillating flavor of wood smoke seeping through the cuts of meat.
So compared to gas and carbon grills, you have a more elevated taste from this wood fire pellet grill.
It is very easy to operate and forget with setting the temperature. With the PID technology, it can hold the temperature consistently as you cook, you have the same results for seemingly unlimited slices of meat!
You can easily feed multiple people with it at a time, thanks to the two tiers of grill racks that give you just enough cooking space to make the steak for 4-5 people.
- Comes with an open flame mode which acts well in the favor of searing.
- Gives you consistent steaks each time for the PID technology.
- Has a covered storage cabinet that makes it easy for you to store and clean the machine.
- Provides you with an even distribution of temperature throughout the grilling process.
- Highly durable construction that focuses on steel and stainless steel combinations.
- Does not support Wifi connectivity in the grill.
- The metal is thinner than what you get in other grills.
2. Best Mid-Sized Wood Pellet Grill: Camp Chef Woodwind Pellet Grill & Smoker (PGSEAR)
A huge leap from what you saw in terms of connectivity in the Z GRILLS ZPG-550B above, this one from Camp Chef supports Wifi. But can this be the only reason for it to be the best grill for searing? Let’s see!
- In terms of the barbecue material, this pellet grill construction features stainless steel as well as powder-coated steel.
- The grate here is of enamel-coated steel in the lower rack and a nickel-plated construction in the upper rack.
- It features a cooking capacity of 811 sq. inches in the smoker, and an additional 184 sq. inches in the Sear Box.
- The hopper capacity here is 22 lbs, while the weight of the grill itself is 184 lbs.
- It features a heat range of 160°F to 500°F if you want just smoking
For an all-in-one pellet smoker and grill, there is no substitute for the Camp Chef Woodwind. The best feature of it is the Slide n Grill lever.
This lets you conduct smoking, baking, and roasting over indirect heat. If you want to grill straight on top of the pellet fire, you can do that here too, by simply opening up the slits in the heat deflector for some naturally wood-smoked flavor.
And if you want some marvelous sear marks, then you would love the cast iron grate here that can give you as high of a temperature as 900°F.
Besides the sear box, you also have a propane-powered Sidekick that helps you add a stockpot, girdle, or oven for cooking the perfect meal.
- The sear rack is made of durable, enamel-coated cast iron.
- Comes with a precise temperature controlling mechanism for the PID technology.
- You can adjust the smokiness you want without needing to tamper with the heat settings.
- Has an easy-to-use Ash Clean Out technology for a good cleaning.
- You get 3 sizes of pellet smokers here, and a Sear Box attachment in each of them.
- The seal could be better to prevent smoke leakage.
- Can cause you to lose the space a little on the side shelf.
3. Popular Pick: Green Mountain Portable Wood Pellet
For a pellet grill with an infrared sear burner that has customers raving about it, take notes from us and Get the Davy Crockett from GMG.
Compared to Camp Chef Woodwind Pellet Grill & Smoker (PGSEAR), this is much lighter and has 1/6th of the cooking area. But is it any good?
- This one comes with a digital WiFi controller that can be used to control and monitor the grill through the iOS/Android mobile app.
- Ir runs on 120AC and comes with a 23-feet, 12V cord and a 5-feet, 110V cord.
- Weighing 68 lbs itself, it has a hopper capacity of more than 12 pounds.
- The source of power to run this grill is to use wood pellets.
- Customers or grilling enthusiasts can avail of a 2-year warranty on the parts and elements of this grill.
To use a pellet grill at home that you also take away with you, Davy Crokette is a boss in the game.
Featuring strong metallic legs as a part of its construction, this grill can be wrapped around and carried with the transformative handle. For camping, this handy design is unmatched.
The Wifi programming ability here, just like Camp Chef, allows you to connect with and control the grill from your handheld devices.
So no need to hurt your face while standing near the smoking machine as you can do it from a greater distance, with equal precision, making it one of the best pellet grills for tailgating.
- Sense-Mate thermal sensor monitors the internal temperature for perfect steaks.
- Foldable legs that also function as handles.
- Can give you 3 different power sources to choose from, increasing convenience.
- Weighs a lot less than other pellet grills to be carried and used outdoors.
- Doesn’t use a lot of pellets but still gives you a great smoke and grill.
- May give rise to hot spots after years of operation.
- The Wifi connectivity needs to be stronger.
4. Best Grill with Searing Box: Camp Chef Woodwind Pellet Grill with Sear Box (Woodwind SG)
Considered to be the best pellet grill with sear burner by many who have used this before, this one from Camp Chef is a more efficient grill compared to the Green Mountain Portable Wood Pellet.
With its Smart smoke technology up its sleeve, let’s see what else it has.
- The grill temperature settings on this smoker ranges from 160°F to 500°F. Including the sear, it can reach up to 900° F.
- Compared to previous Woodwind models, this grill has an increased Hopper Capacity of 22 lbs.
- Comes with dual meat probes as a part of its accessories.
- The frame material of this machine features Ash Wood and is built from heavy-duty cast iron
- You will find a one-foot Sear Box located to the right of the grill.
The digital temperature controlling and regulating feature is quite good.
Here, you have an automatic auger that helps you to feed the pellets into the grill so that you can maintain the heat and produce the right amount of smoke.
You can also swap the wood pellets easily using the dump feature of the grill hopper and change wood flavors.
Again, with the patented Ash Cleanout system, you can easily have the grill cleaned without wasting a sweat on how to do it!
This propane-powered sear grill also gets a lot less dirty and you can go without a month of cleaning, even if you’re bbq-ing 4-5 times a week.
- Very easy to clean and remove the ashes from.
- Perfectly seared and smoked steaks resulting from the grill every time.
- The sear box can help you with higher temperatures when you need it to.
- A more updated version of the previous Woodwind with a larger cooking area.
- Can be used for roasting, braising, baking and smoking.
- This grill could do with more smokiness.
- The temperature adjustment could have been better.
5. Also See: Camp Chef Sidekick Grill Accessory
If you thought you were done with grills with a sear station at this point, stop and look at the Camp Chef Sidekick grill accessory.
For the right sear irrespective of the meat cut, the addition can be just what you need!
- The barbecue material of the Side Kick is made of powder-coated steel, and it comes with a stainless steel lid
- You get enamel-coated wires in the grate for the sear marks.
- It features a cooking capacity of an area of 211 sq inches, enough for a few people to enjoy their grilled steaks.
- The pellet hopper capacity of this station is 10 lbs with a total weight of 38.4 pounds.
- The heat range in this girl is between 160°F to 500°F and can reach up to 28,000 BTU with its cast-aluminum burner.
If you had bought a wood pellet grill that was only good for producing smoky flavor and not enough for making sear marks or cooking the perfect meat, then this one from Camp Chef can change your thoughts.
With your compatible grill from Camp Chef, you can attach the Side Kick with it and get a great sear on any type of meat!
Thanks to its exterior made of stainless steel, can trap and retain the heat inside itself, cooking the meat evenly and without giving you the issue of smoke leakage that some grills are guilty of.
The handle to the front of the box stays cool all the while so that you can check the food without burning your hands safely.
- Cast iron grate inside the sear box that gives you the perfect sear marks.
- Helps to lock in the natural flavors of meat with the wooden flavors of the pellet.
- Can increase the temperature of your compatible Camp Chef grill by 400F.
- Easy to attach, remove and clean using the grill.
- Comes with a heat output of 16,000 BTU.
- This does not include the grill, it is only the side box.
- More expensive compared to similar accessories for grilling.
What gear do you need to sear steaks on a Pellet Grill?
To sear steaks on the pellet grill, you will need the following additional gears:
- Firstly, a thermometer that acts fast and is accurate enough to read the internal temperature of the meat.
- Secondly, you should get some good Grill Grates to amplify the searing and add an additional 500 to 700 degrees for the steaks.
Tips and tricks for heat searing on your Pellet Grill
You will need to remember that no matter which pellet grill you get, the pellet you pick can decide on the levels and flavors of smoke that you will get.
You can get mesquite wood pellets if you prefer a stronger smoky flavor or hickory pellets for moderate strength or maybe even cherry and apple pellets for great meat color and a mild dominance.
When it comes to seasoning, adding Himalayan salt or black pepper can be basic yet so much more. The outer crust will be much better tasting with these two rubbed in.
Also, remember that you always flip a steak once. Never rush your searing process and then you can make sure that the center is no longer raw or that the juice is not running out.
Some more ideas to help you find the right Pellet Grill
You can look at the following features if you want to find the right pellet grill:
Dimensions
The dimensions of your pellet grill should match with the space where you plan on setting it up.
If you don’t want a stationary grill, portability should be a part of the dimension too. If you lack the right space, portable and compact grills are always the safer option.
Temperature Control
If your pellet grill can not only heat up to but also maintain a steady heating temperature, then you have won already.
Even the natural elements should not get in the way of making your perfect steak, as it will adjust automatically.
For this, PID controllers are great as they allow you timely and precise temperature readings.
Material
More than looks, the material of your pellet grill is important. While a stainless-steel exterior is eye-catching, you need more than that.
You need durability and strength in everything from the grates, right to the firepots, drip pans, and, of course, the flame deflectors. Make sure these grilling accessories do not attract rust or dust.
Cooking Area
If you have a larger pellet grill which naturally calls for a larger cooking area, you know that the searing will be taking place on a fixed base.
The more the size goes up, the more stationary your grill is going to be for more stability while cooking.
So if you like a traditional grilling surface and you need to cook for your big family every now and then, you would be better off with these than the smaller units.
Pellet Grill Vs. Sear Box
If you do not want to spend on an extra appliance but still want the advantages and taste of seared meat, then you could do with a searing box.
However, not every searing box is compatible with the grill, so make sure you get the details from the manufacturer about it.
Also, just because it can be an accessory, doesn’t mean you need it. If you use your grill for purposes other than plain old grilling, then you don’t need a searing box.
But for cooking steaks, this can be a great addition. For vegetables, not so much!
Hopper Capacity
Before feeding the pellets to the auger, the hopper is what holds them. So the larger the size of the hopper, the more its capacity and the longer your grilling is going to run.
So if you need to have a grill and sear set up for a BBQ party, you need to have a larger hopper capacity as opposed to grilling for yourself at home.
Extra features
Other additional features that you could get from your pellet grill is to have WIFI connectivity or some additional meat probes.
Having a computerized grilling machine can help you operate your machine more smoothly while having Meat probes can give you the details on the meat temperature without needing to use any thermometer.
Frequently Asked Question of Best Pellet Grills for Searing
Final Words
And that brings you to the end of the hunt for the best pellet grill! As you saw, the numero uno option was the Camp Chef Woodwind Pellet Grill & Smoker (PGSEAR) for hotter results that are wood-smoked to perfection and give you consistent steaks every time!
If you are willing to invest in just a Side Kick and not the entire machine, you could also do with the Camp Chef Sidekick Grill Accessory for a decent cooking area big enough to make scrumptious steaks for a few close friends simultaneously.
Make sure your next grilling adventure is as good as these two!
