Camp Chef: Sidekick $149.98, SmokePro ZD pellet grill $299.98 FS

blitzpa9

Dec 10, 2019 12:31 PM

329 Posts

Joined Nov 2011

Dec 10, 2019 12:31 PM

blitzpa9Dec 10, 2019 12:31 PM

329 Posts

Great price on the sidekick I wish I didn't have the sear box already.

Fibrocyte

Dec 10, 2019 02:52 PM

1,190 Posts

Joined Apr 2010

Dec 10, 2019 02:52 PM

FibrocyteDec 10, 2019 02:52 PM

1,190 Posts

The first link is broken

Iamstrykerr

Dec 10, 2019 02:59 PM

5 Posts

Joined Nov 2018

Dec 10, 2019 02:59 PM

IamstrykerrDec 10, 2019 02:59 PM

5 Posts

Working 1st link

https://www.dickssportinggoods.co...pchef%20zd

Jklitch

Dec 10, 2019 03:11 PM

27 Posts

Joined Sep 2014

Dec 10, 2019 03:11 PM

JklitchDec 10, 2019 03:11 PM

27 Posts

Anyone have experience with Sidekick vs Searbox?

backforwardback

Dec 10, 2019 03:26 PM

4,453 Posts

Joined Jun 2009

Dec 10, 2019 03:26 PM

backforwardbackDec 10, 2019 03:26 PM

4,453 Posts

Quote from Iamstrykerr

:

Working 1st link

https://www.dickssportinggoods.co...pchef%20zd

UGLY....no smoke stack...really. Amazon had the DLX with shelf and smoke stack for 308 on Sale.

Looks like a but of cut outs in the back to vent the smoke. Only on the lower ends do they do that. Looks like slide and grill so you can smoke and grill which really means better to grill than to smoke versus other models.

Probably why the vents on the back to allow greater heat for grilling.

see the flames in the picture below. Just what I wanted to do is clean out a ton of grease after grilling before smoking. Waste a ton of pellets just to cook burgers.

https://www.campchef.com/camp-che...grill.html

Last edited by backforwardback December 10, 2019 at 07:28 AM.

AdamHD

Dec 10, 2019 03:35 PM

590 Posts

Joined Sep 2014

Dec 10, 2019 03:35 PM

AdamHDDec 10, 2019 03:35 PM

590 Posts

I love my Camp Chef DLX Pro, BUT.... I just cannot bring myself to buy the Sidekick or the Sear Box. Even at $150. Not only does it remove the shelf from the smoker (which I use almost every cook), you can get a completely separate gas grill (for the same price or cheaper) that has a WAY bigger cooking surface. If space is an issue, I understand. But, for me, it just does not make any sense at all. Am I missing something?

homedigger

Dec 10, 2019 03:36 PM

66 Posts

Joined Feb 2011

Dec 10, 2019 03:36 PM

homediggerDec 10, 2019 03:36 PM

66 Posts

Bought a sidekick when they had the last flash sale on and it's awesome. Converted it to natural gas and added the deluxe grill box. Flexible setup with lots of options for accessories. Great deal.

jslama912

Dec 10, 2019 03:50 PM

37 Posts

Joined Nov 2014

Dec 10, 2019 03:50 PM

jslama912Dec 10, 2019 03:50 PM

37 Posts

Interested in anybodys thoughts on the practical uses for the sidekick vs the sear box. I was looking into potentially just grabbing a set of sear plates, but from what it seems the sear box is essentially a tiny propane grill? Any and all thoughts are appreciated.

Side note, Kohls has the Sear Box for the same $179.99 as Amazon, but you earn $30 in Kohls cash for what thats worth to anyone.

jfreemansd

Dec 10, 2019 04:07 PM

290 Posts

Joined Dec 2016

Dec 10, 2019 04:07 PM

jfreemansdDec 10, 2019 04:07 PM

290 Posts

Quote from jslama912

:

Interested in anybodys thoughts on the practical uses for the sidekick vs the sear box. I was looking into potentially just grabbing a set of sear plates, but from what it seems the sear box is essentially a tiny propane grill? Any and all thoughts are appreciated.

Side note, Kohls has the Sear Box for the same $179.99 as Amazon, but you earn $30 in Kohls cash for what thats worth to anyone.

I have the sear box. It is like a small propane grill, but the heat it puts out is immense (which is exactly what I wanted). I like my steaks with some char. This made that happen. I originally had a 2 grill setup, with a 2 burner Webber as my main propane BBQ. But it couldn't get my steaks seared without over cooking them.
Let this heat up for 5-10 mins and steaks will get a grill marks in less than 30 seconds

kolte45

Dec 10, 2019 08:17 PM

255 Posts

Joined Nov 2015

Dec 10, 2019 08:17 PM

kolte45Dec 10, 2019 08:17 PM

255 Posts

Quote from backforwardback

:

UGLY....no smoke stack...really. Amazon had the DLX with shelf and smoke stack for 308 on Sale.

Looks like a but of cut outs in the back to vent the smoke. Only on the lower ends do they do that. Looks like slide and grill so you can smoke and grill which really means better to grill than to smoke versus other models.

Probably why the vents on the back to allow greater heat for grilling.

see the flames in the picture below. Just what I wanted to do is clean out a ton of grease after grilling before smoking. Waste a ton of pellets just to cook burgers.

https://www.campchef.com/camp-che...grill.html

The new Weber pellet grill has no stack and the same cutouts in the back. Must be some kind of advantage and its definitely not cheap.

backforwardback

Dec 10, 2019 11:53 PM

4,453 Posts

Joined Jun 2009

Dec 10, 2019 11:53 PM

backforwardbackDec 10, 2019 11:53 PM

4,453 Posts

Quote from kolte45

:

The new Weber pellet grill has no stack and the same cutouts in the back. Must be some kind of advantage and its definitely not cheap.

The stack allows you to vary the smoke output. The stack looks cool. Chicks like stacks.

Yes...to Sear foods. Its a combo smoker and grill. At 600 degrees....watch your pellets disappear to maintain that high of a temps. Note that reviews stated it has hot spots.

You can take a smoke pro and add a sear station for under 150 bucks or after finishing smoking just move the steaks to your cast iron barbeque (which I have) and sear away.

Just dont like dumping a ton of grease into a smoker. At 600 degrees it will be hot but will not smoke at that temp. Burning a ton of pellets to get that temp when you can have a side burner or side bbq that will be easier and faster. Of course, if you only have room for one BBQ...then this is the choice.

The answers are No, No and No. Pellet smokers generate all their heat and smoke in a small beercan sized cup, aka firepot, so they just can't generate intense, infrared radiant heat across the entire cook surface to create that even brown crust of deliciousness. Click here to learn why brown is beautiful. There was a definite hot spot in the center of the model we used, and the right side was hotter than the left, as shown in our flaming steak flipping photo. So it appears from this one test, that one can't sear perfectly across the entire

SmokeFire's 200-600° temperature range gives it the versatility to sear, smoke, bake, and everything in between.

TedNugent4Prez

Dec 11, 2019 05:47 AM

81 Posts

Joined Nov 2016

Dec 11, 2019 05:47 AM

TedNugent4PrezDec 11, 2019 05:47 AM

81 Posts

Quote from AdamHD

:

I love my Camp Chef DLX Pro, BUT.... I just cannot bring myself to buy the Sidekick or the Sear Box. Even at $150. Not only does it remove the shelf from the smoker (which I use almost every cook), you can get a completely separate gas grill (for the same price or cheaper) that has a WAY bigger cooking surface. If space is an issue, I understand. But, for me, it just does not make any sense at all. Am I missing something?

I have a Grilla and a Weber Genesis. If I were to do it over id get a camp chef with sear box or side kick, as all I use the Weber for is searing steaks after smoking them to just under the temp I want. I'd get whatever the flat one is. Check amazingribs.com for more grill and smoking info then you'd ever need. Grill marks look good but you get better crust with more surface area.

Camp Chef: Sidekick $149.98, SmokePro ZD pellet grill $299.98 FS

$150

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