--- title: Alfresco Grills Review - Solid Fuel Insert vs Infrared Sear Burner description: Check out the beginning stages of a 2.5 inch thick ribeye steak test on an Alfresco infrared sear burner! --- - [CONTACT](https://rofgrills.com/contact/) - [(914) 215-1436](tel:9142151436) - - - - Open Close ![ROF-logo-new](https://blog.rofgrills.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ROF-logo-new.png?width=120&height=110&name=ROF-logo-new.png "ROF-logo-new") - [HOME](https://www.rofgrills.com/) - [ABOUT US](https://www.rofgrills.com/about/) - [OUR WORK](https://www.rofgrills.com/our-work/) - [BBQ Supplies](https://www.rofgrills.com/bbq-products/) - [Outdoor Kitchens 101](https://www.rofgrills.com/outdoor-kitchens-101/) - [Blog](https://blog.rofgrills.com/) - Visit Our Showroom - 1968 Central Park Ave. Yonkers, NY 10710 - [(914) 215-1436](tel:9142151436) - [questions@rofgrills.com](mailto:%20questions@rofgrills.com) - MON – TH : 9am – 6pm FRI – SAT : 9am – 5pm SUN :          12pm – 4pm ![ROF-logo-new](https://blog.rofgrills.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ROF-logo-new.png?width=120&height=110&name=ROF-logo-new.png "ROF-logo-new") Open Close - [HOME](https://www.rofgrills.com/) - [ABOUT US](https://www.rofgrills.com/about/) - [OUR WORK](https://www.rofgrills.com/our-work/) - [BBQ Supplies](https://www.rofgrills.com/bbq-products/) - [Outdoor Kitchens 101](https://www.rofgrills.com/outdoor-kitchens-101/) - [Blog](https://blog.rofgrills.com/) - Visit Our Showroom - 1968 Central Park Ave. Yonkers, NY 10710 - [(914) 215-1436](tel:9142151436) - [questions@rofgrills.com](mailto:%20questions@rofgrills.com) - MON – TH : 9am – 6pm FRI – SAT : 9am – 5pm SUN :          12pm – 4pm - - - - Open Close # [Alfresco Grills Review - Solid Fuel Insert vs Infrared Sear Burner](https://blog.rofgrills.com/alfresco-grill-solid-fuel-insert-vs-infrared-sear-burner) Written by [Appliance Dude](https://blog.rofgrills.com/author/appliance-dude) on 08.02.17 - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) **Alfresco Grills Solid Fuel Insert Provides Serious Heat** Yesterday I hosted a customer from Indiana who wanted to test drive the Alfresco ALXE42SZ grill, which is Alfresco's flagship model that comes with the Hellfire sear burner.  The question for him was whether he should buy the ALXE42 with the sear zone, realizing that the Alfresco sear is insanely hot, running between 1100-1700F, or should be bypass it since it would take up 33% of his grilling space, and go with my advice, which is to use the solid fuel insert as your sear machine. Not only can you remove the solid fuel insert so in essence it becomes a flexible sear zone (the Hellfire sear burner cannot be removed) but you are also searing with smoke / wood / coal so you are getting that FLAVOR which any gas burner or infrared sear burner will never deliver. For the test he brought a beautifully marbled  2.5" thick ribeye steak, seasoned it up with kosher salt and pepper, and then on to the infrared sear she went. After about 3 minutes (and one 45 degree turn for cross hatch marks) he placed the other side of the steak on the already ripping solid fuel insert which had been ignited with lump charcoal ten minutes prior.  Results to follow... Topics: [alfresco solid fuel insert](https://blog.rofgrills.com/topic/alfresco-solid-fuel-insert), [Grill Review](https://blog.rofgrills.com/topic/grill-review), [Alfresco](https://blog.rofgrills.com/topic/alfresco) ### SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER ###### Popular Posts - [![Are Napoleon Grills Better Than Weber Grills?](https://blog.rofgrills.com/hubfs/PRO665RSIBPSS-3-Web-Gallery-02-Prestige-Pro665-3-RSIB-Prod-Ang-Knbs-On-ProxLight.jpg)](https://blog.rofgrills.com/are-napoleon-grills-better-than-weber-grills) [Are Napoleon Grills Better Than Weber Grills?](https://blog.rofgrills.com/are-napoleon-grills-better-than-weber-grills) September 11, 2025 - [![Should I Buy an Alfresco Grill or a DCS Grill?](https://blog.rofgrills.com/hubfs/dcs%201.jpg)](https://blog.rofgrills.com/should-i-buy-an-alfresco-grill-or-a-dcs-grill) [Should I Buy an Alfresco Grill or a DCS Grill?](https://blog.rofgrills.com/should-i-buy-an-alfresco-grill-or-a-dcs-grill) September 08, 2024 - [![Outdoor Kitchen Rules: Remember to Vent!](https://blog.rofgrills.com/hubfs/vents.jpeg)](https://blog.rofgrills.com/outdoor-kitchen-rules-remember-to-vent) [Outdoor Kitchen Rules: Remember to Vent!](https://blog.rofgrills.com/outdoor-kitchen-rules-remember-to-vent) January 17, 2020 - [![Are Napoleon Grills Made in China?](https://blog.rofgrills.com/hubfs/rogue%20pro.jpg)](https://blog.rofgrills.com/are-napoleon-grills-made-in-china) [Are Napoleon Grills Made in China?](https://blog.rofgrills.com/are-napoleon-grills-made-in-china) August 24, 2025 ![](https://rofgrills.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/ROF-logo-new.png) ###### Visit Us 1968 Central Park Ave. Yonkers, NY 10710 ###### LET’S TALK questions@rofgrills.com (914) 215-1436 ###### FOLLOW US - - - - Open Close [![](https://rofgrills.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/curtos-logo-white.png)](https://www.curtos.com/) © 2020 Curto's Inc. 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