Do I need sear plates?

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Smoking Audi

Meat Mopper
Original poster
May 19, 2021
157
172
New to the pellet world. Do I need to get sear plates or do they really only give me the grate marks I used to get from my gas grill?
 
I'll let the pellets guys chime in but doubt the plate does much. See if you can add a sear burner to your gas grill. Total game changer with temps of 1500F. Throw a tube in there if you want smoke.
 
The new Traeger replaced the old 15+ year gas grill so no way to add a sear burner to it. Somebody else has it now or the metal scrappers grabbed it up on garbage day.
 
Sear Plates depend on if your Traeger has a dedicated Sear Zone or not. Some makes of Pellet Grills, Louisiana Grills is one, have a Sliding Plate that can expose your meat to the direct flame of burning pellets. The area is usually pretty small but effective at an over all sear. Pellet Grills with solid grease trays rely on 500°F or higher to heat the stock grates to give sear marks, much like your Gasser did. A set of Aluminum Grill Grates appear to give better Grill Marks, I have not used them, because they Conduct Heat to the meat more efficiently than Chromed Steel or Stainless Steel Grates. Grills with Cast Iron Grates perform in a similar manner...JJ
 
The new Traeger replaced the old 15+ year gas grill so no way to add a sear burner to it...
I think Zwiller meant to add a sear burner to your Traeger (standalone or rigged to the side)...so you smoke with pellets, then sear with the burner, or vice versa.
My gas grill is basically gone too....gathering cobwebs in the side yard. I only care about a sear with steaks and for that I use a large cast iron fry pan set on a 3/8 rebar stand I made that places the CI pan .5" over the top of the pellet crucible. Set the pellet smoker temp to whatever. The pan gets hot quick. Throw a couple steaks on it, couple minutes later, flip them, and soon you're done. Then turn off the pellet grill.
If I need to grill steaks for a crowd, yeah, I need a gas grill but for just the 2 of us the CI pan over the crucible works fine (the VW approach) but so would a separate small side burner (the Mercedes--or Audi?--approach).
I've also toyed with getting one of the little apartment-sized tiny gas grills...they're not expensive and can roast coffee beans every week or two as well too!
 
I have heard of some folks who have successfully adapted Camp Chef's dedicated side sear station or side burner with sear accessory to other grills. Might be something else to look at.


 
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I just keep the Weber kettle for this...I'm cheap.
For cheap AND easy, some folks adapt a small 12" grate to the top of their chimney-style charcoal starters (a "Vortex" type of conical section can prove useful in the mounting) and final sear there. If a "chimney" is how BigFurMN gets his Weber going, he's doing this step already.

If you're short of real estate, a small "Smokey Joe" mini-Weber kettle could be the Cheap Man's "side sear station".

Either way, as BigFurMN says, if you get the coals going midway through the pellet cooker smoking time, it's no wasted time, and the slight added work is worth the effort.
 
I have them but have never used them...so not really needed. I usually use the gasser, CI pan or torch when searing is needed.
 
I do use a chimney. If I had less room I'd use the Smokey Joe. I have plenty of room. Either way I prefer finishing on a gas or charcoal grill.
 
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You want sear? Get a Blackstone Griddle, crank it to high, and toss that steak on there for a few seconds each side. I make some great smash burgers on mine. Breakfast is fun. My wife made fried rice on ours today.
 
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I'm not familiar with sear plates, but for cooking steaks/burgers on my Camp Chef 24" Woodwind Wi Fi I use GrillGrates. They substantially increase the surface cooking temperature; and leave excellent grate marks. That company's Web site is grillgrate.com

Thanks, these look similar to what my buddy is calling his sear plates. I will have to look into them more.

So far we have really enjoyed the pellet smoker and find ourselves grilling / smoking more than before on the old gasser. We are just missing that finishing look / touch of the final higher heat. We have been experimenting with brats lately and while they come out tasting EFFING amazing we are still trying to perfect the skin as it comes out a slight bit tough to bite.
 
I'll throw out another option to my list of 5 days ago. In the "side-mounted" searing category....how about an electric air fryer for final sear? Ninja, Emeril Lagasse, etc. You can fit a lot of brats into their tray or basket and folks here are showing some awfully nice browning of meat with them.
 
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