Sear station with $100?

Sear station worth $100?

I am debating over a grill with our workout the sear station. I have no use for side burner so really im paying $100 for the sear burner. Im thinking it might be just another part that will need to be replaced and cleaned. And would probably be better going without and using cast iron pan or griddle. Input appreciated. Thanks!

I have the sear burner on my Genesis E-330, and I don’t use it that often. That being said, it’s a nice feature to have when you want to cook something really with really high heat (I use it for thin cuts like flank steak so I can get a good crust without over cooking). It also is nice when warming up your grill, you can get it up to temp a lot faster with the extra burner - really nice when you’re in a hurry to get dinner on the grill. I’ve used my side burner maybe 2 or 3 times to keep some basting sauce warm, but otherwise unnecessary to have.

If you do a lot of high heat cooking the sear station will serve you well and well worth the money.

Bill

The only thing Weber had gotten right on this (searing) subject was when instead of a "sear station" they made all the burners have extra power so you were not confined to the space above just one burner

However, the space between the burners stayed the same.

Bill W San Diego said:

However, the space between the burners stayed the same.

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And the point? Waht's the difference? If anything that is an advantage. It gives you more control and cooking area rather than one little area for one or two steaks. More times than not when doing a special cook for people I am doing 5 or more steaks. Can't fit that over one little burner

LMichaels said:

And the point? Waht's the difference? If anything that is an advantage. It gives you more control and cooking area rather than one little area for one or two steaks. More times than not when doing a special cook for people I am doing 5 or more steaks. Can't fit that over one little burner

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It's not one little burner it turns almost half of the grill into a sear station, in the older style the whole grill would have to be the sear station and in some cases that may not be desirable.

Larry the point is with the sear station you have two burners closer together giving you a more concentrated heat in one area. I cook six burgers or six NY strip steaks using only the #1 and sear burner. The concentrated heat and Grill Greats give me all the heat needed for a delicious med rear steak or chop or burger.
OK Ok Larry I know I touched a nerve with the Grill Greats but have mercy on me.

I could certainly do 5 steaks on the side of my Genesis 330SE that had the sear burner. I used a kind of reverse sear, starting on the "regular" side and then switching to the sear side while spinning enough to create diagonal sear marks. I always liked this aspect.

It is also true, I think, that Weber and probably other manufacturers have tuned down their grills to avoid liability for grill spawned fires. The newest Genesis II grills, I think, could be safely amped-up with slightly wider orifice openings to achieve higher heat. I can see why this would be appealing also, but that doesn't make the extra sear burner bad in and of itself. As I said, I used mine a lot and liked the concentrated effect.

I was really on the fence about the sear station but guess if i plan on having the grill for close to 10 years its a small cost to have averaged out. I really wish they didn't have the e325s exclusive to places cuz i just don't see the need for it or reason to pay for it. At this point i think I'll get the e335. Any notice a difference in taste of the steak with a sear station vs without?

Not me. I don't think sear marks make any taste difference, and if anything those who say you should have an overall crust are probably correct. But, when it comes to the visual reaction of family and friends, then, yes, sear marks DO make a BIG difference. When people are already hooked by how something grilled looks, they tend to think it tastes better, too. Aesthetics is not an unimportant part of grilling. Look at the efforts BBQ champions go to in order to make the "presentation" of their submission as appealing as possible.

Jon Tofte said:

Not me. I don't think sear marks make any taste difference, and if anything those who say you should have an overall crust are probably correct. But, when it comes to the visual reaction of family and friends, then, yes, sear marks DO make a BIG difference. When people are already hooked by how something grilled looks, they tend to think it tastes better, too. Aesthetics is not an unimportant part of grilling. Look at the efforts BBQ champions go to in order to make the "presentation" of their submission as appealing as possible.

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How do you like the grill grates?

Yah, I don't think you need the sear station but it's nice to have it, you don't have to use it if you don't have to and it's there if you want to use it....just like side burners, are they needed? Probably not but it's nice to have. I believe Weber brought back the sear station for the newer grills because people complained not having them so they listened to the public and brought it back (hey, at least they listened this time). Here is an article on searing steaks...if you read more into it it tells you why you should sear and stuff...

https://amazingribs.com/more-techni...king-science/myth-searing-steaks-seals-juices

Oh boy! That will get things going around here...I do personally like them very well. They even out hot spots on your grill, reduce flare-ups, and if you like bold grill marks, well you can see they produce. Here's a picture of some fish I tried to do for my wife. (I am not experienced with this yet, so the results are only so-so.) One piece on a really nice cast iron insert and one just on the GrillGrates:



Also, pork chops:



These things are, however, controversial. A brief summary of the primary objections (I am sure we will hear some more) are (1) they are made of anodized aluminum. The anodized coating, in a tough grill environment could conceivably come off resulting in grilling on raw aluminum. There are conflicting views on whether this can contaminate your food and become absorbed in your body raising the risk of dementia/alzheimer's. I am not a scientist and cannot answer this. I can only say that I have read that the National Alzheimer's Association does not believe that there is a correlation. (2) Some people feel that GrillGrates essentially turns your grill into a glorified griddle. While it is true that it does cover over more of your grill space, there ARE definite openings and I don't really see a lot of difference from this and flavorizer bars or "flame tamer" plates used on other grills. I have used a smoker box underneath GrillGrates, and the smoke comes up through the grate openings very well. It still seems like grilling to me, but that is my personal opinion. (3) Other objections center around the price and whether they will hold up. Certainly, high grade stainless is the strongest material for grills. However, I have found GrillGrates to be very stout. As to price, a set of these is less than some higher end stainless bar grates. So, if someone likes them as well as others like quality stainless bars, I don't see how they are spending excessively. It is all a matter of preference as far as that goes.

In short, I REALLY LIKE GrillGrates, and like Meathead of AmazingRibs.com can heartily recommend them for gas grills, especially ones that may not have ideal even grilling without them. I gave a set to my friend for his Genesis 300 3-burner front control model. He is still amazed and says that it is like a whole new grill!

Uh oh, you may have just opened up Pandora's box...

Nope not going there. After thought I guess I had not thought about the ability to use a whole side of the grill as a sear zone. For some reason I only saw it as the one burner. Interesting thing on how the Wolf is built is it is built (by design of the burners) to run hotter at full throttle in front and slight less in back. So when I have been taking advantage of it's enormous heat output if I get a flare up I can simply slide the offending piece back and it quiets down. It's not a huge diff but it is there