Searing locks in the flavor of your meat and makes your food look incredible.
Getting the best gas grill with searing burner can make cooking easier. Instead of keeping space in your primary cooking area to create intense heat to sear, you can use it for something else and use the dedicated searing space.
Have a look at the grills we’ve selected for their incredible searing power. Each offers a unique way to sear. The choice of which to buy is going to be very difficult.
List Of Gas Grill with Searing Burner
- Char-Broil Performance 4-Burner Cart Style Gas Grill
- Weber Genesis II S-435
- Monument Grills 35633
- Royal Gourmet GA5403C
Comparison Chart for Best Gas Grill with Searing Burner
5 Best Gas Grills with Searing Burner Reviews
1. Char-Broil Performance 4-Burner Cart Style Gas Grill
The most affordable grill on the list today, this 4-burner Char-Broil is capable of excellent performance despite its comparatively modest price.
For searing meats, you can try to use the side burner if you wish.However, we found searing on the main grill to be much more effective. In fact, we found searing on the main grill so effective that we included the grill in the list, despite the issues we have with the extra burner.
This grill can get temperatures up to 650F. For searing, you need heat of between 500-550F. The porcelain-coated cast iron grates and intense heat help you get a perfect sear on any meat you choose to cook.
So, the lesson here is to use the side-burner for simmering sauces and anything you want to warm in a pot and create a cooking zone on the main grill for searing.
With 425 square inches of cooking space and four burners, you can most definitely have a few steaks searing on one half of the grill while letting the seared steaks cook on indirect heat on the other side.
Pros
- Least expensive grill on the list
- Porcelain-coated cast-iron grates aid searing
- Can reach temperatures of 650F
- Burners come with a five-year warranty
Cons
- Searing more effective on the main grill than side burner
- Made from thin materials
2. Weber Genesis II S-435
The first thing to say is that this grill is the best grill you can buy from all those on the list. Weber is a globally recognized brand with a reputation for high quality. The grill is also the most expensive on the list by quite a large margin.
So why is it worth spending a huge amount of your hard-earned cash on this grill?
Weber’s ten-year warranty is one reason. You know you will get many year’s usage from this grill, while with others, you may be buying a new grill every 3 to 4 years.
The workmanship and quality of materials on a Weber mean people have kept using their Weber grill for much more than a decade. Cost-wise, you can spend the same amount of 3 to 4 grills over that time as you have on this one.
In terms of searing, the sear station burner isn’t the most powerful, but it is highly effective. Weber gets away with a less powerful sear burner because the overall design of the grill ensures effective heat retention and the ability to maintain a high temperature.
Pros
- Dedicated sear station and side burner
- Huge cooking space totaling 844 sq. inches
- Compatible with iGrill 3 technology
- Comes with Weber’s ten-year warranty
Cons
- Most expensive grill on the list
- May require expert help to assemble
3. Monument Grills 35633
We can’t tell you exactly how powerful the sear burner on this grill is. Despite searching the internet and scouring the manual three times, the actual BTU figure is unavailable. However, with all the burners combined offering 72,000 BTU total, you can assume the sear burner is powerful.
The main grill itself is so good at searing meat that the sear burner is actually something of a luxury. We’d go as far as suggesting you sear thick cuts of meat on the main burner and use the sear burner for lighter cuts and sear food.
513 square inches of primary cooking space means room for a lot of meat on your grill. That cooking space is home to a porcelain-coated cast-iron cooking grate, which makes searing all the more impressive.
While the casing of this grill may appear slightly flimsy – the stainless steel is quite thin – you can be happy with the build quality considering the price.
Most importantly, the burners come with an eight-year warranty, so even if the exterior is a bit dinged up, you can keep grilling for many years.
Pros
- Highly effective sear burner
- The sear burner heats up in a couple of minutes
- Glass window lets you see food with lid closed
- Available for under $500
Cons
- Temperature gauge not always accurate
- Can dent easily
4. Royal Gourmet GA5403C
This grill from Royal Gourmet almost seems too good to be true. It has a huge 549 square inches of cooking space, powerful burners, searing and rotisserie features, and much more than that. Yet the price doesn’t even come close to $1000, which is what we’d have expected to pay just looking at the specifications.
We love this grill because of the thought that has gone into the searing zone. The powerful 14,000 BTU sear burner means you are ready to sear quickly and do so with intense heat. Not only that, the cast iron grill in the sear area has been designed with the criss-cross pattern we love on our meat. So you won’t need to change the position of your meat to get that gorgeous effect.
Pros
- The most powerful sear burner on the list
- Burners come with a five-year warranty
- Cast-iron porcelain coated grill grate aids searing
- Allows you to use most cooking techniques
Cons
- Very limited warranty on parts other than burners
- May require professional assembly
FAQ
What Is The Best Gas Grill On The Market?
This is a great question with no simple answer because what makes the ‘best’ grill is subjective. A grill that suits you may not suit the needs of another.
Each grill you see comes with a unique selling point that may make it the best for a specific consumer.
Therefore, we will give you insight into four grills right now that may be considered ‘the best’ under the right circumstances.
1. Char-Broil Performance 4-Burner Gas Grill
This grill is fantastic for anyone who doesn’t want to pay a load of cash for a grill. Dollar for dollar, it offers the best value for money as it has a large 425 square inch primary cooking space and four burners for creating multiple cooking zones.
2. Weber Spirit E-330
The Weber Spirit E-330 is the best 3-burner grill for anyone willing to spend $1000+. What makes this Weber grill great is its durability and longevity. Weber quite simply cooks the best and outlasts the competition.
3. Cuisinart CGG-7400
For the best mid-range 4-burner gas grill with a cast iron grate, look no further than the Cuisinart CGG-7400. At under $300, this grill is great without being expensive. The reason for putting this grill here is the cast iron grate. This is the best material for cooking on, so long as you know how to look after it.
4. Char-Broil Performance Series 2-Burner Cabinet Liquid Propane Gas Grill
Finally, this grill is the best grill for those cooking for a small family or a tiny gathering. It won’t take up much space, but with 300 square inches of primary cooking area, cast-iron grates with a porcelain coating, and 24,000 BTU, you can cook up to 10 burgers and get an amazing sear on your meats.
What Is A Searing Burner On A Gas Grill?
A searing burner is used for rapidly browning and searing food.
The process involves a ceramic plate that is heated with small flames. This ceramic plate will get to extremely high temperatures. You will sometimes see it referred to as infrared cooking, as the plate gives off infrared radiation.
Is Weber Sear Grate Worth It?
Yes. Thanks to higher heat retention, your meat can cook quicker, making it more flavorsome.
Additionally, you will get beautiful grill marks on your food, and you don’t even need to turn the meat to do it.
Finally, it is a very easy to clean bit of equipment.
How Do You Sear A Steak On A Gas Grill?
Bring the temperature of the grill up to between 400-450F. Once at temperature, add your meat.
Cook the steak for between 2-3 minutes on both sides.
If you want to get diagonal grill marks on the steak, rotate the steak 45 degrees after roughly two minutes of cooking.
Should You Sear A Steak Before Grilling?
You can sear a steak before or after grilling.
Many people sear a steak before grilling as they believe it helps the steak retain moisture. However, this isn’t actually true.
Reverse searing is also an option. This method requires the steak to cook at 275F before the high-intensity sear takes place.
Both searing methods are valid. Just ensure you always sear at some point to get the best flavor from your steak.
Can You Use A Sear Burner To Boil Water?
Yes. Put a pan full of water on the sear burner, and it will boil.
Gas Grill With Searing Burner Buying Guide
Searing meat is an essential part of grilling. If you want the best gas grill with searing burner, consider the following:
Sear Burner BTU
The greater the BTU on offer, the hotter your sear burner can get. Therefore, as searing requires intense heat to be done effectively, it makes sense to opt for as powerful a sear burner as possible.
In order, the options on this list are:
- Royal Gourmet GA5403C –14,000 BTU (Sear Burner)
- Char-Broil Performance 4-Burner Cart Style Gas Grill – 10,000 BTU (Side-burner)
- Weber Genesis II S-435 – 9000 BTU (Sear Station)
- Monument Grills 35633 – 72,000 BTU across all burners. Specific sear burner BTU not given.
Burner Quality
A great indicator of the burner quality is the warranty offered on the grill. The longer the warranty, the more confident the manufacturer is that they have built something of quality.
Be aware, different parts of the grill can come with different warranty lengths. The figures below tell you the warranty on the burners. However, other parts of the grill may have a much shorter warranty.
- Weber Genesis II S-435 – 10 years
- Monument Grills 35633 –8 years
- Char-Broil Performance 4-Burner Cart Style Gas Grill – 5 years
- Royal Gourmet GA5403C – 5 years
Price
Price can reflect many things, from the number of features a grill has, to the size of the grill, to something as simple as brand recognition. Some grills can cost thousands of dollars, while others can cost a few hundred. The prices of the grills reviewed may fluctuate. However, here is a general guide from most expensive to least expensive.
- Weber Genesis II S-435
- Royal Gourmet GA5403C
- Monument Grills 35633
- Char-Broil Performance 4-Burner Cart Style Gas Grill
Conclusion
Didn’t we tell you you’d have a difficult choice to make?
If you asked us to choose a grill for you, we’d say the Weber Genesis II S-435. Yes, it’s expensive in terms of one-off cost, but in the long run, you will spend equal money replacing inferior grills every few years.
Look after a Weber grill, and it will look after you.
If you don’t want to spend that much money, we will pick the Monument Grills 35633 as our next choice. It just pips the Royal Gourmet GA5403C as we have a little extra confidence in the build quality.