Slow N Sear Buyers Guide

What is the Slow N Sear?

The Slow N Sear is a multi-function charcoal divider for the Weber charcoal grill. The Slow N Sear dramatically improves the cooking experience for both grilling and smoking on the Weber kettle.

The Slow N Sear sits snugly into the Weber kettle grill and creates a perfect two-zone setup. The porcelain exterior of the Weber grill is protected from the extreme heat of banked charcoal by the stainless steel sidewall of the Slow N Sear – A MUST HAVE for grilling on a vintage Weber!

Where to Buy Slow N Sear
Amazon currently has free shipping on the Slow N Sear Plus 2.0 for 22″ Weber grills.

The ABC Store has additional sizes, options, and accessories.

How to use / How to light Slow N Sear

To light the Slow N Sear for a low and slow smoking setup, fill the Slow N Sear with unlit charcoal and a few chunks of un-soaked wood. Add 8-10 lit briquettes to the corner of the Slow N Sear and give the grill 5-10 minutes to come up to temps. Keep the bottom vents <25% open and the top vents >50% open to keep your temps in the thin blue smoke barbecue zone. Adding water will help moderate temperature while adding moisture to the smoke. I personally do not use water unless my temps are running too hot.

To light the Slow N Sear for a searing set up or an indirect cook zone simply pour your lit chimney of coals into the Slow N Sear. Place the grate on top and you’re ready to go.

For a raging hot fire, I find two half chimneys work considerably better than one full chimney.

Is the Slow N Sear WORTH IT?

If you’re cooking in a vintage Weber grill, or you care about the porcelain finish of your grill – YES. The Slow N Sear reduces the surface temperature of the porcelain by more than 200 degrees F.
Don’t care about the porcelain? Do you care about the cooking experience? The Slow N Sear works so well for every cook that I leave it in the grill 100% of the time.

The Slow N Sear makes high heat cooks more efficient, which means less charcoal or faster cooks.

The Slow N Sear makes smoking meat easy. No fuss spending time stacking charcoal or adding fuel every 2 hours. The Slow N Sear can run 8 hours at 225F without refueling.

I was originally a skeptic. I now own 4 Slow N Sears.

Slow N Sear Compatible Grils

Weber 22″ Grills
All standard* 22″ (57cm) Weber Kettles will work with the standard Slow N Sear 2.0. I highly recommend using the SNS with all colorful and vintage kettles to help preserve the porcelain.
*Jumbo Joe Premium isn’t a standard 22″ and the SNS will not work in it

Weber 18″ Grills
There isn’t technically a Slow N Sear for the 18″ Weber grills; however, ABC has created a charcoal basket that serves the same purpose minus the water reservoir. I recommend using this char-basket in your vintage 18″ Weber grill cooks to help preserve the porcelain.
The Char-basket is also the product to get for both Jumbo Joe models (18″ and 22″)

Weber 26″ Grills
If you’re using a vintage 26 where the grate sits lower, you need to use the Low Profile Slow N Sear.
If your 26″ is modern and made within the last 10 years the Slow N Sear XL is the one for you. The older 26″ kettles have slightly smaller grates and there is less space between the grates so the XL will not fit vintage 26″ Weber charcoal grills..

Weber Charcoal Summit
There’s less space between the grates in the Charcoal Summit. You’ll need the Low Profile Slow N Sear.

Weber Ranch Kettle
The Ranch Kettle is a 37″ diameter monster grill. ABC makes a Ranch Slow N Sear or you can use two Slow N Sear XL or even two Char-Baskets.

Slow N Sear Alternatives

Slow N Sear VS WSM
Aside from the huge price difference… The Weber Smokey Mountain is a dedicated smoker. Compared to other smokers, the WSM is easy – but it’s still a significant commitment. The Slow N Sear is an add-on for your Weber grill.
The only thing worth talking about is capacity. A 22″ Weber with a Slow N Sear can smoke three slabs or ribs, two chickens, one brisket, or two pork butts. Obviously, a WSM will hold more.

Slow N Sear VS Vortex
This isn’t even fair. The Vortex is a one-trick pony, good for a hot ring of crispy skinned chicken wings. You can do other things with it, like flip it upside down, throw it like a frisbee, wear it on your head like a hat, etc. I’ve already proven that the Slow N Sear can crisp up Kettle Fried Chicken just as well as the Vortex.

Slow N Sear VS Smokenator
The Smokenator was an alright accessory for converting your Weber into a smoker until the Slow N Sear came out. The tiny water pan and clunky refueling of the Smokenator gives it a significant handicap compared to the Slow N Sear. The SNS does everything that the Smokenator does and more. The SNS converts your grill into a smoker, but then it also stays in the grill and improves normal grilling. The Smokenator needs to be removed and stored/hidden.

Snake Method vs Slow N Sear
The Snake Method is a great way to achieve low and slow bbq in your Weber kettle. However, it’s involved and a bit cumbersome. A ‘fuse’ of unlit charcoal briquettes is carefully stacked along the outside of the charcoal grate. One end is lit and you rotate your grates as the cook progresses. With the Snake Method your cooking real estate is limited by how infrequently you want to rotate the grate. Since the fire is essentially moving around the grill, you have to move your food as well.

Slow N Sear VS Baskets
The Weber charcoal baskets are actually a great alternative to the Slow N Sear. They are great for grilling and roasting and even lighting – especially if you have a Performer. The charcoal baskets don’t really make low and slow easier, but they do keep the coals off the wall – which is better than banking.

Baskets are also a great accessory for re-using your un-used charcoal. Just give the baskets a shake to remove loose ash and add fresh unlit charcoal to top it off.

Where to Buy Slow N Sear
The Slow N Sear Plus 2.0 for 22″ Weber grills is available on Amazon with free shipping.

The ABC Store has additional sizes, options, and accessories.