Best Pellet Grills for Searing
Searing grilled meat allows it to have that crispy, caramelized and brown characteristic on the exterior. If you love having your meat like this, then you need a pellet grill for searing. We have a handpicked list of the best pellet grills for searing units available;
Image Of Products | List Of Products | Main Features | Check Price |
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Recommended | Camp Chef 24-inch PGSEAR |
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Second Best | Camp Chef Deluxe PG24DLX |
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Third Best | Broil King Regal 500 496051 |
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PIT BOSS 700FB Pellet Grill For Searing |
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5. Green Mountain Portable Wood Pellet Grill |
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PIT BOSS 71820FB BBQ Pellet Grill |
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Traeger Pro Series TFB57GZEO 575 |
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Z GRILLS 2020 ZPG-450A Upgrade Pellet Grill |
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BIG HORN Pellet Grill For Searing |
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Z Grills 2020 ZPG-700D Pellet Grill & Smoker |
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This guide is specifically written with grills searing capabilities in mind however we have separately reviewed the best pellet grills so you may want to check it out.
1. Camp Chef 24-inch PGSEAR Pellet Grill & Smoker
This grill utilizes slide and grill tech to allow for direct flame cooking with temperatures up to 650F. With its most up-to-date Wi-Fi and Bluetooth PID controller, this pellet grill is able to automatically maintain a constant cooking temperature with four meat probes and four meat probe ports. And with its sear box getting up to 900F, you get the perfect heat for an excellent searing experience.
The temperature range of this grill ranges from 160 to 500F, which goes from slow smoking and to grilling at 25000-BTU of heat. Additionally, this grill offers a total cooking area of 811 square inches, which is enough to cook food for several people at ones. The 382 square inches of warming rack provides a spacious room for you to keep your food warm after cooking.
Constructed using heavy-duty stainless steel, this grill guarantees durability with the ability to handle the pressures of constant outdoor cooking. Its cooking grid has a porcelain coating, which means that they are stick-resistant and easy to clean.
To enhance the cleaning process, the unique Ash Kicking cleanout system allows you to easily dispose the ash after every cooking session. What’s more, the grill comes with a side table that you can use for prep work.
With this grill, it’s simple for you to control the amount of wood-fire flavor that your cook can get. All you just need to do is choose a number between 1 and 10 on the grill’s Smoke Control function.
Key Features
Convenient Smoke Control function
Ash cleanout system
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth PID controller
Heavy-duty stainless steel construction
811 square inches of total cooking area
382 square inches of warming area
Porcelain-coated cooking grid
Pros
Cons
The unit is easy to clean
Smoke Control allows for customizable smoke flavor
Stainless steel construction enhances durability
Spacious cooking surface
Effective searing box
The unit lacks a thermometer
2. Camp Chef Deluxe PG24DLX Pellet Grill & Smoker
If you’re not planning to sear a lot of meat but enough for your family and friends, the 573 square inches of cooking surface that this grill offers will be good for you. The warming rack is 144 square inches, which also isn’t as big as other grills offer but it’s perfect for someone who just want to cook small amounts of food.
The grill’s maximum temperature is 900F, which is ideal for an excellent searing experience. Additionally, this grill allows unlimited convenience and user-friendliness to ensure that your cooking experience is hassle-free.
The integrated ignition let you light the grill immediately and effortlessly. Moreover, the heat diffuser plates allows for a smooth infrared cooking. Its stainless steel burner produces up to 16000-BTU of heat. The side table allows you to find a comfortable place for prep work.
With the stainless steel construction and enameled-coated cast-iron cooking grates, durability is well-taken care of and you’re guaranteed of a long life of service. The large-capacity pellet hopper allows you to only fill the pellets a few times throughout your cooking, which saves a lot of time. With an automatic pellet auger, the pellets are auto dispensed when required and shuts own the grill when you’re done cooking.
Key Features
Large-capacity hopper
Stainless steel burner
Automatic ignition
Heat diffuser plates
573 square inches of cooking area
144 square inches of warming area
Pros
Cons
Stainless steel construction for durability
- Large-capacity hopper means less filling
Automatic ignition saves time
Auto pellet auger allows for auto pellet dispensing
Up to 900F temp for the perfect searing
Sear box makes an extra purchase
3. Broil King Regal 500 496051 Pellet Grill
Broil King Regal 500 496051 Pellet Grill offers an 865 square inches of cooking surface and 240 square inches of warming area, which gives you great convenience and capacity to cook for a ground of people.
Additionally, this grill is designed to offer the perfect grilling experience with low-and-slow smoking ability to searing steaks at high temp and everything else in between. With a digital control and display, you can simply set the cooking temperature depending on what you need to do such as smoking, roasting, or searing. The temp control knob lets you adjust the heat precisely to the level you want.
Moreover, the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth features, you can simply control the grill right from your phone. Other features like the built-in timer, 3 quick-set temperature options for roasting, smoking, and grilling as well as 2 temp probes, make your grilling experience even more convenient.
The hopper is also large enough holding up to 22lbs of pellet. With a clear-out chute for easy emptying of the pellets, ash collector and grease tray, it’s very easy to keep the grill clean and tidy. The grease collector and ash tray are removable for fast cleaning.
Key Features
865 square inches of total cooking surface
Digital display and control
3 quick-set temp options
2 temp probes
Temp control knob
Removable Grease collector
Removable Ash tray
Pros
Cons
Easy to set the perfect temperature
2 temp probes for price temp control
- Large capacity hopper
The unit is easy to clean
Designed for the perfect grilling experience
Grill doesn’t come with all the accessories
Conclusion
Broil King Regal 500 496051 Pellet Grill is an excellent option for someone looking for the ultimate grilling and searing experience, and at the same time wants a unit that’s made to last. With the 3 temperature controls, you can adjust accordingly to roast, sear, or smoke. The 865 square inches of cooking surface is also enough to allow cooking of food for a large ground.
4. PIT BOSS 700FB Pellet Grill
PIT BOSS 700FB Pellet Grill utilizes the power of natural wood to provide that authentic smoke flavor to your meat. With 700 square inches of total cooking area, the grill is fairly large and ideal for cooking food enough for your family and friends.
Its burn system is digitally controlled, which allows you maximum convenience for a world-class grilling and searing experience. This pellet grill is also built with durability and longevity in mind. Additionally, it’s very user-friendly thanks to the digital control panel with a dial-in control that allows you to set temperature range from 170 F to 600 F for a perfect searing.
With an electric ignition, it’s also easy and fast to light this grill. The fan-forced air enables the grill to deliver a clear burning flame that offers enough convection heat and flavorful smoke. Its flame broiler lets you experience both indirect and direct cooking while still adding flavor and channeling away excess grease.
As a simple slide-plate, flame broiler allows you to enjoy a complete control of your cooking. Its cast-iron grills also allow for smooth cooking and are easy to clean.
Key Features
- Unique flame broiler
- Electric ignition
Heavy-duty construction
700 square inches of total cooking area
Digital control system
170F to 600F temp range
Cast-iron cooking grills
Pros
Cons
The unit is built to last
- 700 square inches
Digital control makes it user-friendly
Convenient slide-plate
Fan-forced air for smooth cooking and flavorful smoke
Doesn’t come with a Wi-Fi function
5. Green Mountain Portable Wood Pellet Grill
For many reasons, the Green Mountain Portable Wood Pellet Grill makes the perfect portable grill option for you. First, this model is rich in features that are meant to make your grilling experience hassle-free and enjoyable.
The digital Wi-Fi controller allows you to take full control of your grill right from your Android or iOS smartphone. That offers unmatched convenience in your cooking. Additionally, the meat probe lets you control the temperature precisely for superior results.
Additionally, the peaked lid for stand-up chicken, large fowl or rib racks is a convenient tray equipped with hooks to hang your important utensils and accessories. The included Sense-Mate thermal sensor constantly monitors the temperature of the grill to ensure you’re kept up-to-date about the progress of your cooking. There’s a side table to help you make prep work easy.
Running on 12V, this unit is an excellent choice for homes or outdoors, including tailgating, camping, etc. Moreover, it’s a lightweight model weighing only at 57 pounds, meaning that it’s easy to carry.
The grill is made of stainless steel material, which means that it’s durable and resistant to elements on the outdoors. The cooking area also contains porcelain-coated steel grates, which are long-lasting and easy to clean. Offering 219 square inches of total cooking surface area, this is a small grill ideal for someone who just wants to experience fun and enhance their grilling and searing skills.
Key Features
- Porcelain-coated steel grates
219 square inches of cooking area
Lightweight and portable design
Sense-Mate thermal sensor
- Digital Wi-Fi controller
Pros
Cons
Portable design makes it ideal for outdoors
Stainless steel construction for durability
Precise temperature control
Wi-Fi control allows enhances convenience
Doesn’t come with a storage rack
6. PIT BOSS 71820FB BBQ Pellet Grill & Smoker
PIT BOSS 71820FB BBQ Pellet Grill & Smoker offers unique and great features to make you cooking a breeze and as convenient as possible. The digital dial-in temperature control is equipped with LED read out lets you monitor the internal temperature hassle-free for superior results.
Unlike the unit above, this one is designed for those looking for a unit to entertain their family and friends with professionally seared steaks. With 820 square inches of total cooking area, this grill gives you enough area to cook a lot of food for everyone. The 340 square inch of removable upper rack is also a sufficient space for keeping your food warm.
The temperature range for this grill is 180 to 500-degree F, which allows for smooth searing. Additionally, the flame broiler allows for better opening of the flame for searing. The grill utilizes fan-forced convection technology, which gets rid of the need for rotisserie and makes a perfect environment for roasting, grilling, braising, baking, smoking and searing. This 6-in-1 convenience offers a cost-effective way of cooking.
Grills from PIT BOSS are made to last and this one is not different. It’s made of steel material, which ensures durability and longevity. The cooking grid too is porcelain-coated for durability and ease of cooking.
Key Features
Porcelain-coated cooking grates
180F to 500F temp range
820 square inches of total cooking area
Fan-forced convection technology
6-in-1 versatility
Dial-in temp control with LED readout
Pros
Cons
The unit offers a 6-in-1 versatility
Precise temperature monitoring
Spacious cooking surface
Flame broiler enhances searing capability
Made with durability in mind
Doesn’t have a side table
7. Traeger Pro Series TFB57GZEO 575 Grill & Smoker
Here’s another pellet grill for anyone looking for versatility without sacrificing performance. The grill is powered by 100% wood, which means you’ll never utilize charcoal or gas. This unit also gives you that signature flavor of wood.
When it comes to temperature control, the integrated meat probe allows you to enjoy precise temperature control, eliminate guess work and achieve superior results. The 575 square inches of cooking surface provides a sufficient cooking area for an entire family’s food.
Additionally, the grill utilizes your home Wi-Fi and through the Traeger app, you can control it from anywhere via your smartphone. The Alexa technology also lets you control the grill with just a voice. The D2 drivetrain allows the grill to start quickly, heat up faster and produce better-quality smoke.
For the ultimate bbq cooking versatility, his grill offers 6-in-1 cooking ability so that you can grill, roast, bake, and bbq, braise, or smoke your food. Its porcelain-coated cooking grates are stick-resistant and easy to clean.
Key Features
- 575 square inches of total cooking surface
Porcelain-coated steel cooking grates
540-degree F max temperature
Wi-Fi and Alexa technology
Integrated meat probe
D2 drivetrain function
154 square inches of warming rack
Pros
Cons
Offers a 6-in-1 versatility
Compatible with smart technology
Spacious cooking surface for a family
Easy and quick to start
Produces better quality smoke
Meat probe allow precise temp control
The unit is costlier than other grills in the same category
Conclusion
If you’re looking for the ultimate pellet grill for searing that suits you and your family, you should consider this one. With 575 square inches of cooking area, you can cook up to 24 burgers, 4 chickens, or 5 rib racks without a problem. The unit is also made to last, which gives you great value for money.
8. Z GRILLS 2020 ZPG-450A Upgrade Pellet Grill & Smoker
Z GRILLS 2020 ZPG-450A Upgrade Pellet Grill & Smoker also offers 8-in-1 versatility meaning that you can grill, smoke, and barbeque, bake, braise, roast, and sear as well as char-grill. It makes a perfect grill for a small family.
With 452 square inches of total cooking area and 128 square inches of warming area, this grill offers a sufficient space enough for a family food. The grill utilizes pure wood pellets for cooking, which gives your food an authentic smoke flavor that you won’t find in a charcoal or gas grill.
Additionally, this grill is fully automatic when it comes to temperature control. You just set the ideal temp for cooking and you sit back and allow the unit to do the rest; you won’t need to babysit it. Thanks to the PID tech, the grill holds a high temperature of 450-degree F throughout the cooking and the consistency allows you to enjoy superior results.
The grill is made with durability in mind. The materials used for constructed are steel reinforced with a high-temp powder coating finish to increase the longevity of your grill. With that, it allows you to enjoy many years of perfect natural-wood grilling experience.
With a 15lb pellet hopper means that you can cook without constant refill. That saves you time when cooking and makes the exercise enjoyable.
Key Features
- Porcelain-coated cooking grates
15lb pellet hopper
219 square cooking surface
- 128 square inches warming rack
Convenient PID technology
Pros
Cons
- Large-capacity pellet hopper means few refills
Advanced tech helps maintains consistent temp
Heavy-duty construction
- 8-in-1 versatility
- Enough cooking surface for a small family
- Not ideal for large amount of food
9. BIG HORN Pellet Grill and Smoker
If the above unit was small too for you, then the BIG HORN Pellet Grill and Smoker may be the ultimate option for you. With 700 square inches of total cooking surface and over 266 square inches of warming rack, this grill can accommodate up to 6 racks of ribs, 3 chickens or 20 burgers.
Additionally, with 6-in-1 versatility, this grill lets you and your family to enjoy smoking, grilling, baking, braising, roasting, and barbequing your favorite foods. With a digital automatic control, you’re able to get real-time LED temp screen lets you set your grill temp without guessing.
This grill is easy to use thanks to its rich in features. The grill is constructed using durable materials. The folding surface shelf, flexible smokestack damper enhances your convenience and usability. When it comes to portability, the all-terrain wheels help you to easily push it around easily when you want to change your grill-spot.
Key Features
700 square inches of total cooking surface
266 square inches warming rack
- 6-in-1 versatility
Digital auto control
Real-time LED temp screen
Durable construction
Foldable surface shelf
Pros
Cons
Spacious cooking surface
Highly versatile pellet grill
Digital temperature control
All-terrain wheels for enhanced portability
Doesn’t have a thermometer on the lid
Conclusion
There are many reasons why you should invest your money in this grill, especially if you’re looking for a good unit for a family. Besides the generously spacious cooking area, the grill also offers 6-in-1 versatility, which means that you can cook your food in 6 different ways. Its ease of use, cleaning and the cooking consistency make this an ultimate choice for anyone looking for versatility, performance and durability.
10. Z Grills 2020 ZPG-700D Pellet Grill & Smoker
Z Grills 2020 ZPG-700D Pellet Grill & Smoker offers you with all the convenience and comfort you need to enjoy a smooth grilling and smoking experience. Additionally, the 8-in-1 versatility means that you can do much more than just grill and smoke. You can bake, braise, and sear, barbeque, roast or char-grill.
This grill utilizes 100% natural wood pellet technology, which allows you to enjoy that authentic wood-fire flavor in your food that you can’t find in a gas grill. Accuracy and efficiency is important when it comes to this grill. With the grill, you can cook for up to 20 hours with only 20lbs of pellets, which is very cost-effective than gas grills.
User-friendliness is what sets this pellet grill apart. From the auto start ignition to the digital auto temp control with LED temp readout, this grill is easy to everyone, and perfect for beginners. Moreover, cleaning this grill is also a breeze thanks to the patented waste grease collector to help you with easy and safe cleanup. With the locking cast wheels, moving this grill from one grill-station to another is also a matter of a simple push or pull.
You won’t have to guess anything when it comes to temperature control. You do it precisely with the digital control system. The system automatically ignites this grill and lets you set the ideal temp from 180-degree F to 450-degree F. Using the fan-forced convection technology; you won’t need to baby sit the grill when cooking.
What’s more, this technology lets you handle all the cooking without the need for rotisserie and lets you perfectly cook your food the way you want it. The 700 square inches of total grilling area can serve you well if you have a large family to feed.
Key Features
190 square inches warming rack
Auto start ignition
Digital auto temp control panel
- Locking caster wheels
700 square inches total cooking surface
20lbs large-capacity hoper
- Fan-forced convection tech
Auto electric feed system
Pros
Cons
- Large-capacity hopper allows fewer refills
Auto ignition enables faster lighting
Spacious cooking surface for a large family
- Locking caster wheels enhance mobility
Offers 8-in-1 versatility
Advanced tech ensures a smooth cooking experience
The unit is quite heavy
Buying Guide – Things to Look For While Shopping for the Portable Smokers:
Buyers Guide – Things To Consider Before Buying:
If you’ll be purchasing the best pellet grill for searing for the first time, you might get overwhelmed by the numerous units available in the market. Since not all the pellet grills for searing are ideal for your needs. For that, we’ll need to consider the following factors to ensure that you make the right choice for the money:
1. What size of grill do you want?
This should be the first question that comes to your mind when looking for the best pellet grill for searing. When considering the size, the following are some of the aspects you should consider:
a.) Cooking surface
Different pellet grills for searing come in varying sizes. The cooking surface also varies depending on the overall size of the grill. Depending on you specific cooking needs, you can choose either a small cooking surface or a large one.
If you want a Grill with a spacious cooking area to be cooking for a large family and friends, then you should go for a unit with at least 570 square units of total cooking area. On the other hand, if you just want a small unit for a small family or one to get you started into grilling and searing and enhancing your skills, then a unit with 500 and less total cooking area should be a perfect choice for you.
Grills with small cooking surfaces are also popular with the lovers of outdoors such as camping and tailgating. If that’s what you want, there are many compact and lightweight grills with small cooking surface areas to choose from.
Keep in mind that the surface area consists of the primary cooking area and warming rack. You should pay attention to the size of the primary cooking surface as well as the warming surface depending on your needs.
b.) Portability
The size of your grill also affects the portability of a grill. The bigger the size, the bulkier it is and the more difficult it is to move from one point to another. So, if portability is your priority when going for a pellet grill, then we suggest you go for small unit with a lightweight and compact body.
However, if you want a portable unit without sacrificing the size of the cooking surfaces, you can look for the foldable units, which are easy to transport. Some models come with foldable size tables, foldable legs and other components to allow for easy carrying and storage. Most of the best pellet grills for searing also come with locking caster wheels, which let you transport them with ease.
Hopper capacity
The hopper is where pellets are stored. Small pellets grills with small hopper capacity means that you may need to keep refilling it, especially when cooking a lot of food. That can be a waste of time and can make you cooking very uncomfortable.
However, pellet grills with large-capacity hoppers allows you to cook your food with no or without refills at all, which saves time and let you finish cooking quickly. If you have to add pellets constantly, then it means that you’ll be experiencing inconsistent heat, which can drastically affect your cooking experience and results.
2. How User-friendly should it be?
Whether you’re a seasoned cook or just a beginner, you want a grill that’s as user-friendly as possible. There are several factors that determine how much user-friendly your grill is, including:
a.) Auto Ignition
If you have used a traditional charcoal grill before, you understand how much of a hassle it is to light it. The process is tedious, sometimes frustrating and very time-consuming. This is something you wouldn’t want to encounter with your new pellet grill for searing.
Some of best units come with auto electric ignition systems, which enable them to light with a simple press of a button. That allows you to save time and makes your cooking experience as enjoyable as possible right from the start.
b.) Side Table and Shelf
Searing meat or cooking involves using several tools and accessories as well as ingredients or seasonings. All these things can make your cooking area very disorganized and reduce your efficiency and possibly end up obtaining poor cooking results.
But, the same thing can happen when you have to go for the things you need at a table that’s several steps away from the grill. Your meat might be destroyed by heat or something of that sort. So, as much as you don’t want all these things to be on your way, you also need them within reach.
A side table or shelf comes in handy in this case. A pellet grill with a size table allows you to prepare your ingredients there and place your tools as well. Similarly, a shelf allows you to keep the most important things that you need during the entire process.
c.) Digital temp control
You don’t want a grill that requires you to keep opening the lid to check the progress of your food; see if the temperature inside the okay. With a digital temperature control, it’s easy to monitor the temperature and set the ideal amount of heat you need your food to cook in.
That makes the cooking not only smooth but by eliminating guess work, it allows you to have the best restaurant-quality results that everyone, including yourself will be proud of.
c.) Compatibility with smart technology
The best pellet grills for searing utilizes smart technology to enhance your cooking process by allowing you to take full control of your grill even when you’re not allowed. If you want to enjoy such kind of convenience, you can go for units that come with Wi-Fi connectivity or utilize Alexa technology to allow you to control them with your voice right from your smartphone.
d.) Fun-forced convection system
You don’t have to babysit your grill to check and monitor every bit of the cooking, especially if your friends are there and you want to enjoy some chatting as the meal cooks. The fun-forced convection technology allows your grill to maintain a consistent temperature that you have set so that your food can cook evenly without so much monitoring. This technology also allows the unit to be energy-efficient so that you utilize small amount of pellets to cook a lot of food.
e.) Versatility & Easy to clean
A versatile unit allows you to do more than just grilling and searing. Some of the best units offer 6-in-1 versatility while others offer up to 8-in-1 versatility. That means you can use the same grill for grilling your food, BBQing, baking, braising, roasting, char-grilling, smoking, and searing. Such a versatile unit can be a perfect fit for a large family with difference preferences on how they like their food cooked.
After every cooking session, you’ll need to clean your unit so that it’s stored clean, ready for the next session and enhance durability and longevity. You must go for an easy to clean unit that won’t give you any headache. Some grills come with removable ash tray and grease cans so that you can easily dispose the waste after cooking.
3. How durable is it?
Generally speaking, pellet grills aren’t cheap and you’ll be investing a lot of money to get. Therefore, you have to ensure that you buy a product that will give you years of service. If, for example you’ll be buying a pellet grill for outdoor purposes like camping, tailgating, and the like, then you’ll need to purchase a product that can withstand the elements.
You don’t want a poorly built grill that will succumb to rusting after a few uses at camp site. Some of the best grills are constructed using heavy-duty stainless steel or coated with high-end finishes to ensure that they rust and corrosion resistant.
Also keep in mind that the grill should also be durable enough to handle the pressure and mistreatment it might get during the process of carrying from home to the place you’re going. If some of its elements are fragile, then it might break them or get their shape distorted. You don’t want any of that to happen.
FAQs
Are pellet grills good for cooking steaks?
Pellet grills are good for searing steaks. Some pellet grills come with a slider plate or sear box that allow for cooking with direct flame while others use a cast iron skillet.
What is the best pellet grill to buy?
Best Overall: Camp Chef 24 in. WIFI Woodwind Pellet Grill & Smoker with Sear Box (PGSEAR) – WIFI & Bluetooth Connectivity
Best for a small family: Z GRILLS 2020 ZPG-450A Upgrade Pellet Grill & Smoker
Durability and performance: PIT BOSS 700FB Pellet Grill
Lightweight & portability: Green Mountain Portable Wood Pellet Grill
What is the best pellet grill on the market today?
Z Grills 2020 ZPG-700D Pellet Grill & Smoker happens to be one of the best pellet grills in the market today. It offers unmatched temperature consistency, ease of use and cleaning and performance. PIT BOSS 700FB Pellet Grill also offers great performance, durability and a spacious cooking surface for a large family. When you want a small unit for outdoor purposes, the Green Mountain Portable Wood Pellet Grill may be the ultimate option for you.
How do you sear a wood pellet grill?
When you’re ready for searing, ensure that the temperature of your grill is 350-degree F at minimum for the perfect sear (It is best if the temperature is 450-degree F). Open the lid of your grill and quickly place your meat on the hot spot of the grill. Then quickly close the lid and allow it to cook for 3-5 minutes uninterrupted.
Final Thought
The best pellet grills for searing are characterized by performance, durability and value for money. One of the above grills can be the perfect option for you. As a fun of searing, investing in one of these grills will be an excellent way of adding more fun to your grilling experience.