Weber Searwood: All-Purpose Precision with Flame-On Versatility
What Is the Searwood?
The Searwood is Weber’s second swing at the pellet grill game after their Smokefire debacle. And this time? They came to play. The Searwood ditches the old tech, brings in an updated controller and lets you cook with direct flame. No need for hacks, no lifting grates and diffuser plates. Just fire. You can smoke low and slow all day, then twist that knob and sear your ribeyes with high heat. Weber calls it “DirectFlame."
I've been cooking on my Searwood now for over a year and I'm still enjoying it to this day. I've had several other grills on my deck and I can tell you that I always end up returning to my Searwood for one reason or another. There are other machines that are the best at the one thing they do very well, but the Searwood is good at everything. Smoking, searing, griddling, and rotisserie - you can do it all here.
I did have one major issue where the auger got super jammed (I'll never use Pitboss pellets again) but kept turning and ended bending the frame out of shape. But Weber support is very good and they ended up sending me a full replacement machine. With any electronics and machines like pellet grills, you can expect that something will go wrong from time to time. It's certainly a big plus that Weber support is responsive and stands by their warranties.
Models & Price
You’ve got two sizes:
- Searwood 600 – 648 square inches of cooking space
- Searwood XL 600 – 972 square inches
If you can spare the extra $300, my advice is to go for the XL. You'll have lots of room for big cooks. You know what they say: "Buy once, cry once."
Must-Have Accessories
- Rotisserie Kit (for the 600)
- Rotisserie Kit (for the 600 XL)
- Cover – Keep the weather and raccoons out
I can't recommend the rotisserie enough. It is a must have. The first time your guests see Picanha or whole chickens turning over your pit, their eyes will go wide-open and their jaws will go slack. It is a site to behold for the uninitiated. See it in action here.
Other Recommended Accessories
- Front Shelf and Side Shelf - Very helpful during cooks
- Griddle Insert - Turns your Searwood into a full-fledged griddle!
- Crafted Frame Kit - Must have if you're going to get the Sear Grates
- Sear Grate - For great grill marks and searing over that flame
The griddle is also awesome in its own right. It's not just an external griddle plate that you slap on top of the grates, it actually INSERTS to replace 3/4 of your standard grates, with a perfect fit and finish. The smashburgers that come off my Searwood griddle are famous in my household. See it action here.
The Weber App
Like all modern pellet smokers, Weber provides a mobile app to monitor and control your rig from afar. It works great, no matter how far away from your machine you are as long as you have a wifi or cell connection to the internet. You can change your temps, set smokeboost, monitor ambient and meat temps, and shut the machine down with the app. And it's super easy to use.
What Can You Cook On the Searwood?
We've smoked brisket, smashed burgers, reverse-seared ribeyes, and much more. Searwood hits temp, lays down smoke, and gives you sear without fiddling around. Just make sure you keep the "flavor bar" free of gunk before you do a hot n'fast cook to avoid flare-ups like this one.
What’s Not So Great?
- Pellet hopper is middling at 20lbs, though that's plenty for most overnight cooks. The Recteq Flagship, for comparison, has a monstrous 40lb hopper.
- Because it doesn't use a traditional smoke stack and drip tray to cover the flame, I supplement with a smoke tube to get more smoke flavor.
- Compared to the beefy look of rigs like the Recteq Flagship 1100, the Searwood's profie is a little boring.
📊 Searwood 600 vs. XL 600
| Feature | Searwood 600 | Searwood XL 600 |
|---|---|---|
| Cooking Space | 648 in² | 972 in² |
| Direct Flame | ✅ | ✅ |
| Pellet Dump | ✅ | ✅ |
| Fuel Gauge | ❌ | ✅ |
| Rotisserie-Ready | ✅ | ✅ |
| Griddle-Ready | ✅ | ✅ |
It really is all about the size and cook space. True the 600 doesn't have the fuel gauge that the XL does, but that's more of a bonus feature than a must have. That said, as mentioned before, I recommend going with the XL whereever budget allows for it.
🎬 More Searwood Content
🔥 Final Verdict?
If we had to go back and start all over, would we buy the Weber Searwood again?
Absolutely.
The Searwood has turned out tons of food here at the hangout and the experience working with it has always been fun. For $999 or $1299 depending on which model you go with, you are getting a lot of grill for your hard-earned money.
