General News
Pellet grills are known for the smoky flavor they impart on everything from brisket to veggies. They offer home cooks a great deal of versatility in cooking temperature and style. Weber, one of the leading names in grilling (thanks in no small part to the iconic Original Kettle), offers its own spin on the pellet grill: The Weber Searwod.
This Weber pellet grill rises up to the reputation set by its charcoal-using cousin. Our Product Testing team, led by grilling expert Catherine Ward, applauded the Searwood’s ability to produce flavorful, tender meat while being easy to use. After putting it to the test with 10 competitors, the aptly named Searwood was named the best for searing on our list of the best pellet grills. Here’s what makes this backyard appliance stand out.
What is the Weber Searwood pellet grill?
The Weber Searwod is a pellet grill celebrated for its searing abilities. As far as pellet grills go, its features are pretty standard, with 648 square inches of cooking space (less than many of the others on our best list) and a 20-pound hopper capacity. It falls on the small side, weighing 125.4 pounds and measuring 59.5 inches high, 38.5 inches wide and 28.5 inches deep. It won’t take up too much space in your backyard or on your patio. If you need something bigger, there’s always the Traeger Ironwood XL or Traeger Timberline.
With a dome top that’s similar in style to the Weber Master Touch or Performer and a red accent line, it has a vaguely retro but still unobtrusive design. You’ll find a fair amount of storage space (perfect for stashing these gifts for grillers), including three hooks, an open shelf under the grill and a stainless towel bar that’s also good for pushing the grill around.
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We appreciated the WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity that allowed us to monitor the grill remotely and do a lot from the app, with features like “Start SmokeBoost” or “Shut Down.” On the flip side, the screen readout on the grill wasn’t super intuitive without the use of WiFi.
The Searwood comes with several different warranties: five years for the cook box, three years for the electrical components and three years for components including the grates, burn pot and heat diffuser.
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How We Tested the Weber Searwood
We started with the assembly, which was fairly typical for grills and took about two hours from start to finish with an easy-to-follow guide (not always the norm!). We recommend having two people to help get the grill upright once you’re done.
The Searwood was simple to season and it was even easier to prepare the hopper. All we had to do was lift up the lid and pour the pellets in. That’s the simplicity we hope to find so we can focus our efforts on the actual cooking.
For all of our pellet grills, we tested five foods: salmon, chicken breasts, pork chops, pork shoulder and corn. We used Pit Boss apple blend hardwood pellets for every test.
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The salmon smoked at 181 degrees Fahrenheit for about two hours. We noticed that the salmon was secreting a lot of albumin (not ideal) and the edges were looking almost burnt, so we reduced the smoke mode. While there was a lot of smoke, we found the salmon came off the grates very nicely without requiring oil. Part of our struggle with the burnt edges may have been due to setting the super smoke option at the highest level for a few minutes as we figured out the settings, and we would have taken out the salmon earlier. But for the sake of testing, we carried on.
The chicken breasts took two hours—a little longer than expected—when smoked at 225 degrees. However, the grill’s temperature didn’t fluctuate at all, which was pretty impressive.
It’s worth singing the praises of our experience cooking both cuts of pork. The pork chops were seared at 500 degrees for 10 minutes and had the best sear off the bat, easily surpassing other grills we tested. We would likely have seen more color if they were on a charcoal or gas grill, according to Catherine. Like the pork chops, the corn was also considered the best of what we made on any of the grills thanks to its smoky taste.
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The pork shoulder was where our team agreed a level of “just perfect” was reached. It took the longest of any grills we tested, cooking for 9.5 hours at 275 degrees Fahrenheit. But it was worth it. The meat was smoky, tender and juicy with a nice, dark bark. The smoke flavor was the right level: noticeable, but not too intense. This is what you want to prepare when you have guests over.
Like assembly, cleanup was straightforward, and the grill cleaned up better than some others we tried out. Our Test Kitchen used a steam grill brush while the grill was warm followed by some grill spray with a standard grill brush and paper towels.
Pros
- Easy-to-remove disposable pan in the tray system
- Good amount of space to hang utensils
- Stainless handles don’t get too hot
- Great temperature regulation
- Adjustable smoke level
Cons
- Not very intuitive on how to start it up or change its settings without WiFI
- Not that easy to empty the pellets
- Only has two wheels
FAQ
Are Weber pellet grills any good?
Weber grills have a reputation for quality—their Original Kettle grill has been a mainstay in grilling for over 70 years. The pellet grills are no exception, producing delicious, well-seared meats.
Are Weber pellet grills made in the U.S.?
Yes, Weber pellet grills are made in the U.S. They include components that are sourced domestically and globally.
Why You Should Trust Us
Our Product Team tested the Searwood alongside other pellet grill models, including those from Pit Boss, RecTeq, Yoder and Cuisinart. We also tested four Traeger models, including the Pro 575 and Tailgater. Our goal was to assess assembly, performance, ease of cooking and quality of food. Grilling expert Catherine Ward oversaw all of our tests.
I specialize in food and lifestyle writing and helping consumers find products that meet their budget, habits and cooking expertise. For Taste of Home, I cover gifts, wine and gluten-free foods.
Where To Buy the Weber Searwood Pellet Grill
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Craving something fresh off the grill? The Weber Searwod costs $899 and is available from Weber, Amazon, Lowe’s and Ace Hardware. If you need something a little bigger, you can upgrade to the Searwood XL 600.
