SnS Grills Slow 'N Sear Kettle Review

Why the insert matters

In a bare kettle, a banked pile of coals sprawls, collapses and drifts hot. The Slow 'N Sear is a heavy stainless basket that holds them vertically in a tight column, so they burn down like a slow fuse rather than all at once. The attached reservoir holds water, which caps the indirect side near 120°C (250°F) and adds humidity that helps smoke stick. A full basket will run six hours or more without a refill, which a bare kettle will not do.

And it still sears

The same basket, without water, concentrates the coals into a deep bed two inches under the grate, which is a genuinely fierce searing zone, hotter than a spread bed in a standard kettle. That combination is the reverse sear in one cooker: bring the steak up slowly on the far side, then slide it over the basket to finish.

Is it worth double a plain kettle?

Only if you cook low and slow regularly. For burgers on a Friday it is money you do not need to spend. Note you can also buy the Slow 'N Sear insert on its own and drop it into a kettle you already own, which is the smarter purchase for most existing Weber owners.