SnS Grills Patented Slow ‘N Sear® Deluxe Insert - Stainless Steel Charcoal Basket with Removeable Water Reservoir for Low ‘N Slow Smoking & Charcoal Grilling on Weber & Other Kettle Grills - 22 in

After only 5 uses or so, I can confidently say that the Slow 'N Sear is one of my favorite accessories for the Weber Kettle. It makes it super easy to use the Weber kettle as a smoker, and it can put out really tasty brisket, smoked chicken thighs, smoked wings, and really anything else you can think of smoking.Before having a SnS, I would use the snake method with charcoal briquettes to smoke meat at a relatively steady temperature (anywhere between 225 F to 300 F) for extended periods of time. Look up the snake method if you are not familiar with it, because there are plenty folks online who have explained it really well and with pictures and videos. The primary downside with the snake method is the setup time. It requires extra time and effort to set up the 2x2 or 3x2 snake of briquettes prior to cook. A secondary downside is that it is somewhat difficult and finicky to add to the snake in the case of longer cooks that require extra fuel.With the Slow 'N Sear, both of those downsides are eliminated, and the temperature control is maintained. To start the cook, I can simply dump charcoal briquettes (or even lump charcoal, which doesn't work with the snake method) willy nilly into the SnS. I don't have to carefully place and stack charcoal briquettes like I do with the snake method, thus drastically reducing the setup time and effort. I then light the charcoal at one end using a tumbleweed starter or Weber wax lighter cube. A full tray of charcoal lasts 8 hours easily, and probably lasts closer to 10 to 12 hours. If I am smoking a larger cut of meat that requires more time, I simply flip up the side of the grill grate (I have a the Weber hinged grate) and dump more charcoal into the SnS. This takes only 1-2 minutes.Regarding temperature control, I have found that temps can be held very steady (in a 15F or 20F range) with the SnS and with very slight adjustments to the bottom and top vents of the Weber kettle. If I am doing a cook where I want to smoke at a higher temp such as 275-285F to speed up the process, then I open up the vents a little more. If I am doing a cook where I want to smoke at a lower temp such as 225F and for a longer time, I close the vents a little more.The last thing worth mentioning is that the SnS includes a removable water pan that slots right into the overall SnS charcoal tray. This saves me the hassle of having a separate water tray set up in the Weber kettle. I recommend always having some hot water in that tray while using the SnS; this means that you will very likely have to refill it during longer cooks, as the water boils off and evaporates. (It is really easy to refill. Just pour in more hot water.) The water helps to maintain higher humidity in the kettle chamber during the cook, thereby reducing the chances of drying out the meat. Also, water has high heat capacity, meaning it can absorb a lot of heat before its temperature rises. This helps prevent the stainless steel sidewalls of the SnS from absorbing too much heat from the lit charcoal and then deforming. Also due to water's high heat capacity, I suggest pouring hot or boiling water into the water tray when starting a cook or when refilling during a cook. If you use cold water, a lot of the thermal energy from the charcoal will ":be wasted" since it would go towards heating up the water (because of water's high heat capacity). Instead, if you heat up the water first, say using an electric kettle or on a gas stove, then when that hot water is added to the water tray, the kettle's internal temp won't drop or fluctuate as much because the heat from the charcoal can continue being used to maintain the kettle's internal temp rather than to heat up the water.I lied--one more thing is worth mentioning. Since the SnS sits off to one side of the kettle, it allows for two zone cooking. You can sear meats at high temps in the area of the grill grates that are directly above the SnS, since all of the charcoal in the tray concentrates its heat directly upwards. At the same time, you can smoke meats at lower temps in the area of the grill grates that is away from the SnS, allowing for indirect cooking. The Slow N' Sear is definitely one of the more versatile accessories that you can add to your Weber kettle, and it is well worth the investment.From the length and detail of this review, you can probably tell that I am really happy with my SnS. I would highly recommend it as an upgrade to anybody using a Weber kettle to smoke meats.

The Slow N Sear is amazing! I have the Slow N Sear Plus for a 22.5 Weber Kettle. I just completed my first BBQ using the Slow N Sear. I used kingsford blue bag and a few pieces of hickory and apple. I have never smoked a pork shoulder in my life on a BBQ Smoker or anything for that matter. However, I have been cooking on my Weber with indirect heat for things like beer can chicken, chicken thighs, chicken drums, chicken wings, brats, steaks, burgers and dogs. I followed Slow N Sears simple directions, that came in the box, on how to light the grill for a 225 cook. Next, I put the meat, a 7.78lb pork shoulder, on at 10:51pm. I set my digital thermometer to wake me up if the grill got anywhere above 290F or below 200F. It was a little windy and the air temp was 62F. I got the temp dialed in between 225F-230F and fell asleep around midnight. My low air temp alarm did not go off until 6:00am that morning. I brushed the ash out of the way, moved the remaining coals to one side, refilled the Slownsear back up with coals. I was just reversing the process. Cooked for 3.5 more hours before I had to open the lid again. My temps were dropping a little and I think it was because I needed to get some more of the ash out of the way and through the bottom of the grate. I think it was clogging the airflow. As soon as I made sure the the ash was cleared I closed the lid and I got it ack to temp around 245-250. I only had to open the lid twice during the entire 13.5 hour cook. I Cooked it until 12:23pm. I took the pork shoulder off the grill when it had an internal temperature of 203F. I never wrapped the Pork Shoulder for the entire cook so I could get a great bark. I also only filled the water pan once right at the beginning. The water ran out and I didn't need it after it emptied from the initial fill. I let the pork shoulder rest for 1.5 hours with a tinfoil tent over top. The bone pulled right out and I could shred it with my hands. The family loved it. My neighbors could smell it from blocks away. I had some friends stop by to try it after I sent them some pictures and they all loved it. It turned out amazing! It was so easy. Two friends stopped by, tried the pork and immediately went home and ordered the SlowNSear for their own Weber Kettles. The bark was delicious, I had a great smoke ring and the meat was moist. What more could I ask for?A side note, I called Adrenaline BBQ during the cook, left a message and a real human called me back to answer my question. They were so polite, very helpful and happy to hear my cook was going well. They seem like a great company located in NC.I paid full price for my Slow n Sear and I do not work for them in anyway. I am just a man trying to elevate my skills on my Weber Kettle. The Slow N Sear is worth every penny. I am so happy with the purchase.