The 2 Star w/ Flame Zone can't sear? Sear as in leave a bit of char? Or just sear and leave a nice brown crust on the surface of meat? How's the 2 Star do when loading down the entire grilling surface with simple things like burgers and chicken? Does the food come off with a "grilled/seared" appearance?
Will it sear and char to the same degree as a "Vortex" or "Slow 'N Sear" over blazing hot charcoal? No, but for someone who grills occasionally (like me), YES, it can sear, and so will the MAK 1 Star with the FlameZone!
Here are a few tips I've learned about searing on the MAK:
1) This is crucial: If you want to sear with the FlameZone setup
You HAVE to let the MAK preheat on "High" for at least 15 minutes or so FIRST! If you think about it, it's no different than preheating a Gas grill, or or less convenient than waiting for charcoal to ash over.
2) The MAK searing grates work better than the regular grates. They hold a lot more heat.
Some people like using the GrillGrates brand grates on their MAK's. I find them to work OK, but I prefer the MAK Searing Grate better because I can get a little char on the edges.
3) When searing, ignore what the temp sensor is telling you. That's the overall temp of the air in the grill, and will drop every time you open the grill. The temperature at grate level above the FlameZone is much hotter than that.
4) The blacker the FlameZone is (from use) the better it seems to work. My guess is it's radiating infrared heat.
5) The MAK Griddle gives one heck of an all-over sear as opposed to grill marks if that's your preference.
6) The type of Pellets you use makes a HUGE difference! Alder based pellets will NOT give you nearly as good results as Oak based pellets.
For optimal heat when grilling the best pellet I have found is the Lumberjack brand "Charblend Hickory" pellets. They have charcoal in the blend, which burns hotter, and my MAK does get just a little hotter than using regular pellets!
Here are a few pics of our MAK 1 Star in grilling action with the FlameZone and MAK Searing grate:
Note how black the FlameZone drip pan is in this pic, and that there IS a little char around the edges of these chops:
Hope this helps!