Lazy Old Weber Guy Here - Thinking of the Searwood: What's all the fuss over Grill Marks?


 
Robby-Ribeye

Robby-Ribeye

New member
I’m 67 and have been grilling and smoking with Weber kettles and the WSM (after the Brinkman) my entire life. I’ve always been a fan of Weber products, but I’m starting to get too damn lazy and I’ve decided on the Searwood 600 to smoke and grill. Seems like so many others are looking for the same. I’m not worried about low temp smoking just in the ability to grill. So, before I spend almost 1k on this unit, something is confounding to me on YouTube (T. Horsman), this and other forums. People complaining about searing. They’re looking for “grilling marks” as a sign that it’s properly seared. I’ve cooked steaks for 50 years and with great results, but too many people assume grill marks = cooked right or that it’s authentic, flame-kissed flavor, even though a perfectly seared steak should ideally have an all-over Maillard crust. I had a good Weber kettle buddy who got a gas grill years ago and was so proud of his “crosshatch” marks as if it proved his gassers’ bona fides. I can’t imagine a thick steak on a 600-degree surface doesn’t get a good crust. If not just cook until it hits 115, then finish on a griddle. I’m not expecting it to grill like my kettle, but if I can do a decent steak and burger, I can convince my sweetheart to pull the trigger. Help!
 
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Honestly I think on tis subject Horsman's complaints are mostly due to his crazy fascination with stipes on his meat and constantly opening the grill to look at his little pucks and such. I have a large Z Grill 1100 2B, and a Members Mark Pro Series pellet grill. Both have "top speeds" of 500. But, I'm here to tell ya, reaching that magical number is very very time consuming and fuel consuming. When I crank them up (at least in mild spring/summer weather) they will climb up to 400 fairly easy. But then from 400-450 is slower. And that final elusive 50 deg takes as long as getting to the 400. So, when I am doing steaks I go for a "middle ground". As a qualifier here if a steak is not 1.5" thick minimum it has no business in my grill :D That outta the way. I run the grill on "smoke" setting orr just slightly above (say like 190-220). Let the steak cook until just under "rare". Then I remove, tent with foil and set the grill to 425. This seems to be a happy temp the grills reach pretty easily. Once up the steaks go back in, I do NOT open the lid (a pellet grill cooks like a convection oven no need to be opening and playing with the steak). Just leave it alone when my thermometer reaches my desired level of "done" steaks come off, rest a couple min at most (since they already rested previously) and serve. They come out with a nice crust, perfect level of done and taste incredible every time. No I don't have stripes but really all they add is "visual" or bragging rights. At my table the taste does all the talking that is needed
 
LMichaels said:
Honestly I think on tis subject Horsman's complaints are mostly due to his crazy fascination with stipes on his meat and constantly opening the grill to look at his little pucks and such. I have a large Z Grill 1100 2B, and a Members Mark Pro Series pellet grill. Both have "top speeds" of 500. But, I'm here to tell ya, reaching that magical number is very very time consuming and fuel consuming. When I crank them up (at least in mild spring/summer weather) they will climb up to 400 fairly easy. But then from 400-450 is slower. And that final elusive 50 deg takes as long as getting to the 400. So, when I am doing steaks I go for a "middle ground". As a qualifier here if a steak is not 1.5" thick minimum it has no business in my grill :D That outta the way. I run the grill on "smoke" setting orr just slightly above (say like 190-220). Let the steak cook until just under "rare". Then I remove, tent with foil and set the grill to 425. This seems to be a happy temp the grills reach pretty easily. Once up the steaks go back in, I do NOT open the lid (a pellet grill cooks like a convection oven no need to be opening and playing with the steak). Just leave it alone when my thermometer reaches my desired level of "done" steaks come off, rest a couple min at most (since they already rested previously) and serve. They come out with a nice crust, perfect level of done and taste incredible every time. No I don't have stripes but really all they add is "visual" or bragging rights. At my table the taste does all the talking that is needed
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That Z grill looks like a beast. Should I consider?
 
It's a nice grill BUT Z Grills support software for the PID controller is primitive at best, and their customer support is very sllllooooowwww to non existent. If I was gonna buy another I'd buy a Searwood, or a Traeger both of which have far better customer support where you don't have to email China and wait and wait and wait
 
The Searwood doesn't do all things perfectly, but it does them all very well. Every cooker has its pros and cons and this one is no different. Could I sear better with a bonafide griddle or gasser that hits 800 degrees? Sure. Could I get better smoke flavor from a Big Green Egg? Sure. But those have their drawbacks as well. Searwood is a great all around cooker and I'm happy I have mine.
 
Robby,
If your focus was more on low and slow with just moderate expectations for high heat grilling, I would say the Searwood would be a very good choice. But given your expressed reservations - and even though I agree with Larry’s assessment of Tom’s reviews on the Searwood - I wonder if a Ninja Flexflame might not be a more attractive option?
 
I am going to express some caution on FlexFlame, given some "issues" I am seeing on my Woodfire Pro XL which uses the same smoking technology. I have to dig into my Woodfire a bit and I will report back. But for example I just did some baby backs tonight on the Woodfire. It generated smoke but none of it inside the grill to flavor my ribs. So, until I get this figured out I'd say approach this with caution. They cooked just fine. But the smoke generated stayed outside the grill not circulating inside.
Honestly I'd feel perfectly good buying a Searwood. From what I can see other than some places I feel they cheaped out big time (like no casters and those IMO dumb wagon wheels) it really looks like they hit that one outta the park.
Hell, I cook a drop dead wonderful steak on my pellet grills I have no issue recommending the cookers
 
LMichaels said:
I am going to express some caution on FlexFlame, given some "issues" I am seeing on my Woodfire Pro XL which uses the same smoking technology. I have to dig into my Woodfire a bit and I will report back. But for example I just did some baby backs tonight on the Woodfire. It generated smoke but none of it inside the grill to flavor my ribs. So, until I get this figured out I'd say approach this with caution. They cooked just fine. But the smoke generated stayed outside the grill not circulating inside.
Honestly I'd feel perfectly good buying a Searwood. From what I can see other than some places I feel they cheaped out big time (like no casters and those IMO dumb wagon wheels) it really looks like they hit that one outta the park.
Hell, I cook a drop dead wonderful steak on my pellet grills I have no issue recommending the cookers
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Definitely want to hear your follow-up, Larry. I picked up a used smaller Ninja Woodfire a while back. I regret not holding out for the XL, but then again for how I use it, the regular size is adequate. If anything, my results on simple things like grilled burgers or chicken, is that the smoke flavor seems pretty strong. I made some sliders for my son a while back using Weber GrillMaster pellets, and he said they tasted like "barbecue." I have NOT tried doing any low and slow, though.

I also like having an outside air fryer available.
 
Everything was satisfactory except the smoke that was generated did not enter the cooking chamber. So I think your wife would have liked them LOL. But I've been noticing this trend developing on the grill and it's beginning to bother me a bit. Since all the Ninjas utilize the same smoke technology I am going to have to assume what I am seeing could become a potential issue on all of them. So stay tuned. Right now as most know I have been battling a rather malodorous situation. So, the grill's issue is on the back burner (no pun intended). But I will follow up with what I find out
 
@Robby-Ribeye, you state above that you’re “not worried about low temp smoking just in the ability to grill.” My I’m misunderstanding, but why are you looking at a pellet smoker if you’re not smoking, just grilling? Wouldn’t a gas grill make more sense if your main goal is grilling?
 
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