A precision sear uses extreme heat to instantly char the outside of cooked food without increasing the internal temperature. An increase in the core internal temperature could negatively affect the food quality.
In modern cooking, you use the highest heat source possible to sear the outside without heat penetrating the inside.
Searing is difficult on most cooking appliances because it is difficult to maintain searing temperature.
Heating a pan to a high temp will not work well as the cooler food can quickly decrease the surface temperature of the pan, preventing the surface of the food from charring. This is why people like cast-iron skillets – they are thick, dense pans capable of holding high temperatures even when cold food is added.
However, one of the problems with cast-iron pans is that it's difficult to know the temperature. With experience, you can learn to watch oil on the surface shimmer, but the rule of thumb is to heat until black smoke billows everywhere. This is unreliable! Smoke indicates that you've reached the smoke point, but the temperature could be as low as 302°F if you are using butter.
You also don't want large amounts of smoke filling your kitchen and setting off fire alarms. Ever notice your amateur chef buddies have disconnected the alarms?
You could use a butane torch...But this can be daunting and typically wouldn't be used every night.
We made searing simple.
With Cinder, you know the exact temperature you're cooking at all the time. You don't have to worry about smoke filling up your home.
For a modern, thin, extreme high temperature sear, we recommend Safflower or Avocado.