Is the sear kit worth it?

[Keister]

@spartanhuntr I tried doing bacon on mine and while the bacon turned out great, I ended up with a ton of grease in the bottom that went on the rails. Do you turn yours sideways?

Like spartanhunter said, try to use them upside down for bacon.. turns out fantastic and I think you'll be a fan. I wish I would have snapped a photo yesterday when I made my last batch.

 

[Fhughes]

@Keister I still have my grates on and plan on doing bacon today, so I will give it a try ??

 

[Charlie]

SOLD ON IT

 

[GH41]

I couldn't justify getting the sear grates. A pellet grill is nothing more than a smoke filled oven.. Sear grates may put sear marks on the food but don't do much else. They don't make the grill any hotter. I would have less criticism if they called them sear mark grates. The don't sear anything other than you wallet.

I'll quote myself. I am trying to salvage my Weber 410. I have hated it from the day I got it. It doesn't get hot enough to get out of it's own way. I got a set of grill grates this week to cover the entire surface of the grill. Test cooked some chops last night. I thought it would concentrate the heat and make the limp heat somehow better. It didn't. I am now out another $200 trying to salvage a $1,000 POS grill. Anyone want to buy the grates for 50 cent on the dollar?

 

[GH41]

Got the infrared thermometer today. By weeks end I'll report the results of my test. I will be shocked if the grates do anything more than separate you from you money.

 

[Smoked Turnip]

Just bought a Bull over the weekend and I'm anxiously awaiting it's arrival. I'm curious what folks think about the sear kit. Is it really worth it?

So, I’m literally brand new to smoking and to my 340, but I knew this was going to be my only grill so I ordered the sear kit with it. My first smoke was a couple of ribeyes. I smoked them at 225 to 120 and then blasted the grill to 600 degrees (wow, thought it maxed at 500) and seared them. Picture perfect sears and they were amazing. Definitely worth it if it’s your only grill!

 

[mcs7062]

My grill grates came in today for the bull. I wanted to test and verify temps with them along with season the grates. The temps in the bull climbed up to around 550 (was set at full for 45ish mins) and I had the IR gun reading on the grates and they were around 630-650, very impressed. My 36” Blackstone never got above those temps. Not sure if they’ll perform the same, but I’m really looking forward to using the flat part for smash burgers and steaks, along with using the grill side for the sear marks.

 

[GH41]

My grill grates came in today for the bull. I wanted to test and verify temps with them along with season the grates. The temps in the bull climbed up to around 550 (was set at full for 45ish mins) and I had the IR gun reading on the grates and they were around 630-650, very impressed. My 36” Blackstone never got above those temps. Not sure if they’ll perform the same, but I’m really looking forward to using the flat part for smash burgers and steaks, along with using the grill side for the sear marks.

Please tell us how the grates increased the ambient temp of your grill from 550 to 630-650. I just cannot wrap my head around it being hotter. I'll buy sear marks but not the hotter claim.

 

[Greg Jones]

Please tell us how the grates increased the ambient temp of your grill from 550 to 630-650. I just cannot wrap my head around it being hotter. I'll buy sear marks but not the hotter claim.

I’m not who you asked, but I don’t think that @mcs7062 was saying the ambient temp increased. I agree that the grates don’t increase the ambient temp of the grill, but the grates do get hotter than the ambient temperature of the grill. I’ve tested this myself, with similar results. The most extreme example is on my Bullseye, where I’ve recorded temps on the grill grates over 940*, and I know the ambient temp is probably somewhere around 200* less than that.

 

[mhazan]

Just bought a Bull over the weekend and I'm anxiously awaiting it's arrival. I'm curious what folks think about the sear kit. Is it really worth it?

I agree with other member. I use my gas grill with a flat cast iron pan to reverse sear. I have the sear kit and it is decent but have to wait for grill to come up to high, not a big deal but I hate waiting . If just doing burgers and not reverse searing then it is worth it.

 

[mcs7062]

Thanks @Greg Jones for the reply back to @GH41. Yes, I wasn’t claiming ambient temps in the grill was over 100 degrees hotter with simply the grates installed, rather surface temp on the grill grates/sear kit was 100 degrees hotter (if that makes sense). The grill grates promote this on their website as well, claiming that the hard anodized aluminum conducts heat better and they get hotter than the ambient temp of the grill. Sounds like you had similar results on the Bullseye. Can’t wait to try them! Smash burgers this weekend!

 

[sweetride95]

I have the sear grates for my 590. I have been 50/50 on them. I find them to be a pain when not using them. Greasy things to clean and hang up. I don't think I use them enough to warrant the cost.

 

[ugafan73]

Replaced my gas grill and charcoal burner with the 700 so I picked up the Sear Grates for burgers and Steaks to put some nice marks, etc.

Any recommendations on how to season and prep the grates? I’ve read their website and FAQ’s but I trust this forum more than what their customers say!
Thanks for the help.

 

[ccmjr77]

I have used my sear grates a couple of times and then moved them over to my weber gaser and use them some, but the 700 is just too slow to heat up for high heat and searing for me. I will smoke on the 700 and then if I need to finish sear, I will have the gaser heated and ready. The package I bought included the sear kit, but I personally would not have purchased them knowing what I know now.