Hi I am looking to get a dedicated charcoal grill for searing steaks and chops and other foods I cook Sous Vide. I currently use my Weber but would like to use a smaller grill that could handle 2-3 steaks at a time and get ripping hot.
CaptainMike and I own the 30 by 20 model. They are sold at Costco in CA. If you call them and are a Costco member, you may be able to get a price reduction. I bought the charcoal riser for mine and put a giant cookie sheet under it for easy ash clean up. It really is a beast for grilling. Put a flat piece of metal on the grill and with an IR gun you can tell the surface temp for raising and lowering. Last - I bought GrillGrates for mine. Strongly recommend for your cited needs.
Don't know what size Weber you have been using for searing but if you haven't already tried it look at the Weber Smokey Joe 18". Good Weber performance and you can get it good and hot with less charcoal than the 22 incher. It can easily handle 2 or 3 steaks. For me it's just right for the two of us for more than just steaks.
My gear:
22 Weber Kettle
Napoleon PRO Charcoal Kettle Grill
Broil King Keg
Traeger Pro 34
Napoleon Prestige Pro 500
Pit Barrel Cooker
Blackstone Range Combo Griddle
I’m relatively new to the SnS but in my few experiences you can get some really intense heat out of that. That and the Smokey Joe are shallow enough that a chimney gives you more than enough coals to get them right up to the grate for searing. Those two and Meatheads method above are probably your most economical I would think.
If economics don’t matter then the world is your oyster. Personally a SantaMaria grill always seemed like it would be fun to cook on.
I learned on Hibachis and Weber BBQ's. My dad always grilled steaks at ballgames on one and at home he would (I'm coining this) WBQ - Low and slow on a Weber and transfer to grill on a Hibachi. The surface area may be limiting.
CampChef has a searing station but it would need to be mounted to something... it is made to be mounted to their pellet cookers....
Personally I would LOVE to find a way to convert my Weber Q 1000 into a sear station.... I'm just not good with tinkering with things like LP valves, regulators, etc....
I like using my PK Grill to sear. The charcoal grate is closer to the cooking grate than the Weber and can get things freaking hot. Other than that a Jumbo Joe or right on the chimneys would be my other recommendations.
This is searing power of a Santa Maria - Not trying to pressure you, or anything. Hahahaha. CaptainMike - Fun is the perfect word! A bit of beef fat and heat make the flames happy.
John "JR"
Minnesota/ United States of America
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I have a Kamado Joe Jr. and I love it. It works great for searing and you can do everything else you can with a regular kamado, just on a smaller scale. I can even smoke a rack of ribs, brisket point or shoulder in that little guy. And it rips when you wanna sear something.
They are also great if you are going to do a small cook for yourself. You can fire up the Mini Max or the KJ Jr. and let it rip. I use it more than I though I would actually.
Looked hard at the KJ Jr. and BGE Mini Max. Both would do the trick. I like how the BGE grate is closer to the fire than the KJ Jr. Though the KJ is $399 and the BGE is $699. Want to see them in person.
If not cooking outdoors, I am cooking on the stovetop with my 14" carbon steel wok, 12" CI skillet, or in the oven with my two Lodge CI pizza pans, or two dutch ovens. I've also got a nifty Lodge carbon steel grill pan that rocks for veggies outdoors.
How about something like the Lodge Sportsman, which is a cast iron hibachi? Certainly not as cheap as a Weber Jumbo Joe, but the friend who sold me my Weber Performer Deluxe has one and likes it when he is just doing a couple of steaks.
That said, a lot of your searing will be from screaming hot cast iron grates, and you would have "grill marks", whereas the thin wire grate on something like the Jumbo Joe will make most of your browning be from radiant heat.
Last edited by jfmorris; January 22, 2020, 09:31 AM.
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