Weber Smokefire Sear+ Pellet Grill Review (ELX6)

The Weber Smokefire Sear+ is a versatile pellet grill that offers precision temperature control from 180 degrees to 600 degrees. You can easily achieve restaurant-quality sear marks or smoke food low and slow. The Smokefire Sear+ is packed with features like wifi connectivity, Weber Crafted Dual-Sided Sear Grates, and Smokeboost technology, to help you grill and smoke barbecue like a pro.

Weber Smokefire Sear+ (ELX6)

MSRP: $1599
Type: Premium Pellet Grill
Grilling area: 1157 square inches
Temperature Range: 200°F to 600°F
Wifi Enabled: Yes
Hopper Capacity: 20 lbs of Wood Pellets
Weight: 166 pounds
Dimensions (WxDxH): 55.5 in (W). x 33 in (D). x 27 in (H)
What I Like: High temperature for searing and grilling, Dual-Sided Sear Grate included, Weber Connect App
What I don’t: No front shelf, long shutdown time

Key Features

Weber is one of the best grill manufacturers in the US. They are renowned for creat time gas and charcoal grills. The original Smokefire Pellet Grill was introduced in 2019 and was Webers first pellet grill. Unfortunately, Weber had a few issues with the pellet hopper and glow plug with the first-generation model, but all issues were quickly corrected with a second-generation model. The Smokefire Sear+ is Weber’s third-generation pellet grill and is by far the best offering to date. Not only has Weber fixed the minor issues in the first generation model, but they are also several new features that are truly great.

The SmokeFire Sear+ has several unique design elements that set it apart from other pellet grills including a sleek pellet hopper, Flavorizer bars rather than a large heat diffuser, and patented smoke vents rather than a typical chimney. In addition, the center location of the SmokeFire’s auger (and its shorter design) makes it quick to heat and less likely to jam.

Weber Crafted Dual-Sided Sear Grate

If you want to grill steaks with restaurant worthy sear marks this is your grill. The Weber Smokefire Sear+ ELX6 comes standard with Weber Crafted grates that easily give your steaks restaurant quality sear marks. The sear grates have a durable, non-stick finish to keep food from sticking while grilling. They are made of porcelain-coated cast iron is the best material for holding heat for great grill marks. Plus cast iron will last a lifetime, so you will not have to worry about these grates rusting and falling apart. Cast iron also offers consistent heat across the grates, eliminating hotspots. The diamond pattern makes it easy to achieve pro-level sear marks for a real wow factor when you are serving food for guests..

Flavorizer Bars

The Smokefire Sear+ features an open grill design which is pretty unique for a pellet grill. This means there is a very small heat deflector over the fire pot rather than a large heat deflector like other pellet grills (Check out my article What is a Pellet Grill that goes into all parts of a pellet grill like the fire pot and heat deflector). Instead of a large heat deflector, there are four Flavorizer bars, which are inverted v-shaped pieces of steel that sit below the cooking grates.

The Flavorizer bars serve three main purposes:

1. Even heat distribution: the Flavorizer bars help create even heating throughout the firebox.

2. Protect the firepot: The Flavorizer bars catch grease and debris from dripping into the firepot clogging the firepot

3. Flavor and Aroma: The vaporized grease from the Flavorizer bars adds to the aroma and flavor of the meat to help you achieve perfectly grilled food.

Weber Connect Smart Phone App and Control Panel

The SmokeFire Sear + is also a smart grill, that uses Wi-Fi or Bluetooth to pair your phone with Weber Connect technology. The app is very intuitive and makes it easy to remotely monitor the temperature of the four probe thermometers, change the grill’s temperature, activate the SmokeBoost function, or shut down the grill. Recent firmware upgrades to the app provide better temperature monitoring with the two included meat probes.

The control panel on the grill unit is controlled by one large round knob and three buttons. The menu is very easy to navigate and the buttons each have a specific function so there is no confusion on what button does what.

SmokeBoost

SmokeBoost is a flavor mode that smolders pellets at lower temperatures that creates more smoke to produce meat with a supercharged smoky flavor. Weber recommends using it for the first hour or two of cooking to enhance smoky flavors, but I have used it many times for the entire cook when smoking chicken thighs, pork butts, and ribs. Using this mode for the first few hours during a brisket cook will ensure you get a nice thick pink smoke ring.

Overall Build Quality

I love how solid this grill is. The Smokefire Sear+ has a beautiful enamel finish that is very high quality. The grill is constructed of heavy steel and the door hinges and handle are high quilty. Since the Smokefie Sear+ does not have a smokestack or chimney it has a very sleek, clean look that resembles a normal gas grill unlike traditional pellet grills.

The Sear+ is compatible with the Weber Crafted Outdoor Kitchen Collection. This collection consists of a variety of accessories, such as a griddle or wok, that fit into a special frame that replaces the standard cooking grate. The Weber Crafted is also very high quality and will last a lifetime

This grill also has a 5-year warranty on the body, legs, and hopper, and a 3-year warranty on the grates and controller and other electrical components.

Cooking with the Weber Smokefire Sear+ Pellet Grill

Grilling

The Smokefire Sear+ is able to reach temperatures up to 600 degrees F, which is at the top end of pellet grills. The high temperature and included Weber Crafted sear grates make this one of the best grilling and searing pellet grills on the market. The diamond pattern of the sear grates will produce restaurant looking grilled steaks and chicken every time with a delicious wood fired taste.

The open internal design and flavorizer bars help distribute heat. One thing to note is because this grill does not have a large diffuser plate there is a greater chance that you may see some flare ups at high heat compared to other pellet cookers. This comes with the territory anytime you are grilling at a maximum temperature like 600 degrees. It is important to keep your grill clean or buildup and grease so that you don’t start a grease fire. Check out my article How to Clean a Pellet Grill for some tips and tricks.

The unique angled auger and pellet delivery system ensure that you will have more than enough pellets in the firebox to maintain high heat when you are grilling. A relatively common problem in cheaper pellet grills is a poor pellet hopper and auger design, which lead to pellet jams and inconsistent delivery of pellets to the burn pot. When that happens your grill stops producing heat and your cook is interrupted.

The slanted hopper design on the Sear+ ensures that pellets will be delivered quickly and consistently during your cook. The Smokefire Sear+ is also equipped with a low pellet sensor that will send you an alert on your Weber Connect app when the level of pellets in the hope gets low.

Although there is less smoke flavor imparted on the food when grilling as compared cooking low and slow, the Sear+ still creates a rich wood fired flavor profile to your food.

Smoking

With its digitally controlled pellet feed system, the SmokeFire Sear+ provides precision temperature management ideal for true low and slow smoking. The digital control panel allows you to dial in exact temps between 150°F to 600°F, perfect for smoking large cuts of meat over several hours. The Sear+ can maintain temperatures within about 15 degrees of your set point, for consistent results. This level of precision is unmatched among backyard pellet grills.

The Smoke Boost feature provides a burst of extra smoke by with the push of a button. This enhances smoky flavor just when you need it most. The Sear+ also has a relatively large 22 lb pellet hopper so you can smoke for long periods without refueling, up to 20 hours. The hopper sensor will send you an alert on your phone when the pellet level is getting low in the hopper.

The Smokefire Sear+ also comes with 2 external meat probes that pair with Weber Connect technology for wireless monitoring. For set-it-and-forget-it smoking ease with technology enhanced precision, the Sear+ is hard to beat.

The main cooking space is also large enough to fit a whole-packer brisket, two pork butts, or three racks of ribs easily.

What I Like/What I Dont Like

What I Like

• Searing – The Smokefire Sear+ excels at cooking at a high temperature. Weber includes an upgraded dual sided sear grate that makes it much easier to achieve perfect sear marks than standard grates.

• SmokeBoost – The Smokeboost function provides an amazing boost of smoke that helps create the rich smokey flavor that you crave. This setting is activated with the push of a button and really helps provide more smoke than other pellet grills on the market.

• Fast Heat Up Time – I love how fast the grill heats up. It’s nice to know within 10 minutes of turning on the grill you will be ready to roast vegetables, smoke ribs low and slow, or grill some burgers.

• Durability – Weber grills are known for quality and long-lasting durability. Many pellet grills less expensive are not built to last like the Weber Smokefire.

What I Don’t Like

• Long shutdown cycle- Weber decided to make the shutdown cycle 15 minutes, which can be an annoyingly long time. The grill runs an auger cycle after shutdown to empty any remaining pellets from the auger tube. The cooling fan also runs to actively cool the grill and prevent the reignition of pellets. Unfortunately, this process can not be stopped once its starts. If you turn the grill off in the middle of the shutdown, it will restart once you turn the grill back on.

• No front shelf- The lack of a front shelf is a real disappointment. Weber offers an aftermarket front shelf that you can purchase separately, but it would be nice if it came with the grill out of the box. The Sear+ comes with two convenient side tables, but they are small and not as useful as a front shelf.

• Frequent ignition failures – If all the ash is not properly cleaned out of the fire pot, the grill will have trouble igniting. This happened a few times to me but is easily solved by making sure all the ash is off of the glow plug before starting the grill.

Wrapping Up

The SmokeFire Sear+ takes wood pellet grilling to the next level with innovative features like the dual fuel system for both low and slow smoking plus high heat searing up to 600°F. The Sear+ delivers precision temperature control from 150-600°F using the digital controller and smart technology like the food probe and Smoke Boost settings. The convenient porcelain enameled lid, stainless steel construction, and easy ash cleanup system make cooking simple. And with 672 square inches of total cooking space, it has ample room for large cookouts. If you want the authentic hardwood taste in a high-tech pellet grill that can sear steaks after smoking brisket, the SmokeFire Sear+ is a stellar choice.

The Weber Smokefire Sear+ is not cheap, but when you consider that Webers are known to last decades, the price is easy to justify.

The Competition

• Traeger Ironwood 885 Wifi ($1499) – The Ironwood 885 offers 885 square inches of cook space backed by Traegers outsanding product history. This grill is 50% pricier than the PitBoss for a smaller cooking area, but offers some more features and a better fit and finish. It features a patented WiFIRE Pro control panel that pairs with a smartphone app for remote monitoring and control of the grill from anywhere. Antoher great feature is the DownDraft exhaust and TRU Convection circulates smoke evenly throughout the cooking chamber. The Ironwood 885 Pro also come standard with two meat probes, TurboTemp for quick recovery, large all-terrain wheels, and a double-sided locking lid.

• Louisiana Grills LG1200BL Black Label Wifi ($1199)
  The LG1200BL is a 1,180 square inch pellet grill with WiFi connectivity standard. Th Louisiana is just about the same size as the Pit Boss Navigator. The LG1200PL features a PID controller and two meat probes that help provide precise temperature management from 180°F to 600°F. Louisiana Grills LG1200BL also features the innovative SearTECHcontrol that provides instant direct heat to achieve an awesome sear. The large 18 pound pellet hopper is nowhere near as large as the massive 32lb hopper on the Navigator 1150.

• Camp Woodwind Pro Wifi 36-Inch ($1499) – The Woodwind Pro WiFi 36 is a higher end pellet grill that comes equipped with Wifi smart technology. It has 1,236 square inches of cooking surface similar to the Navigator 1150. The PID temperature controller and WiFi/app connectivity allow you to precisely target temps between 160-500°F and monitor your cooks remotely. A unique feature on the Woodwind Pro is the built-in smoke box lets you cook with wood chunks or chips for extra smoke. The Woodwind Pro is also Sidekick Compatible, so you can add other cooking capabilities like a Sidekick Flat Top griddle or Sidekick Searing Station.

Comparison Table