Weber Searwood XL 600 vs Weber Smoque
972 sq in and a 600 ceiling against 594 sq in and 500, for around $400 less. Whether Weber's searing pellet grill beats its dedicated smoker.
No single winner. Here is how to choose.
Buy on whether you want one cooker to sear as well as smoke. The Searwood XL 600 spans 180 to 600 with no large sheet diffuser, across 972 sq in over two grates, for $1,199. The Smoque stops at a published 500, holds it with a PID controller, and gives 594 sq in (only 385 of it primary grate) for around $799. Both ship with two probes and app control, so neither needs a first-day purchase.
What actually differs
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600 against 500, and what that is for
The extra hundred degrees is the whole reason the Searwood exists. If your cooking is brisket, pork and ribs, you will never ask for it; if you want one machine that also finishes a steak, the Smoque has no answer.
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385 sq in of real grate against 630
Read the primary figures, not the totals. The Smoque counts 209 sq in of warming rack in its 594, and the Searwood 342 in its 972. The usable gap is wider than the headline gap.
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Both carry an unresolved spec
Weber prints the Searwood grates as cast-iron on the badge and plated steel in the table: one page, two materials. The Smoque is plated steel throughout and does not pretend otherwise.
How they score, category by category
The Weber Searwood XL 600 scores higher in 1 category, the Weber Smoque in one. 4 are level.
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Heat Performance
Counts for 25% of the scoreWeber Searwood XL 600 9.0 Better by 1.0Weber Smoque 8.0Why the Weber Searwood XL 600 scores 9.0A 180 to 600 span with no large sheet diffuser is unusual reach for an auger-fed cooker.
Why the Weber Smoque scores 8.0
A PID controller and fast recovery serve low and slow well, but Weber publishes a 500 ceiling and no sear story.
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Long-term Reliability
Counts for 20% of the scoreWeber Searwood XL 600 7.0Weber Smoque 7.0Level: within a tenth of each other.
Why the Weber Searwood XL 600 scores 7.0Weber covers the cook box for five years, and everything that burns or fails for three.
Why the Weber Smoque scores 7.0The cook box carries 5 years while the burn pot, pellet slide, heat baffle, grates and electronics carry 3.
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Build Quality
Counts for 18% of the scoreWeber Searwood XL 600 8.0Weber Smoque 8.0Level: within a tenth of each other.
Why the Weber Searwood XL 600 scores 8.0157.80 pounds, a porcelain-enameled lid and stainless Flavorizer bars, but the grate metal is printed two ways.
Why the Weber Smoque scores 8.0102 pounds of enameled steel cabinet feels settled, though the grates are plated steel rather than cast iron.
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Ease of Use
Counts for 15% of the scoreWeber Searwood XL 600 9.3Weber Smoque 9.5 Better by 0.2Why the Weber Smoque scores 9.5Two probes, two ports, an LCD controller and app control ship in the box with nothing else to buy.
Why the Weber Searwood XL 600 scores 9.3
A fuel gauge that alerts you at low pellets, two probes, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, all included.
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Value
Counts for 12% of the scoreWeber Searwood XL 600 8.0Weber Smoque 8.0Level: within a tenth of each other.
Why the Weber Searwood XL 600 scores 8.0$1,199 buys probes and connectivity, but the cover is $94.99 and the front table another $99.99.
Why the Weber Smoque scores 8.0Around $799 buys probes and connectivity outright, but the bottom shelf and the cover are both charged as extras.
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Maintenance
Counts for 10% of the scoreWeber Searwood XL 600 9.0Weber Smoque 9.0Level: within a tenth of each other.
Why the Weber Searwood XL 600 scores 9.0Grease and ash pull out together from the front, rather than from under a loaded cabinet.
Why the Weber Smoque scores 9.0The enclosed grease and ash system is aimed squarely at the chore that puts people off pellet cookers.
See all six scores in one table
| Category | Weber Searwood XL 600 | Weber Smoque |
|---|---|---|
| Heat Performance (25%) | 9.0 Better | 8.0 |
| Long-term Reliability (20%) | 7.0 | 7.0 |
| Build Quality (18%) | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| Ease of Use (15%) | 9.3 | 9.5 Better |
| Value (12%) | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| Maintenance (10%) | 9.0 | 9.0 |
| Avid Griller Score | 8.3 | 8.1 |
Both reviews are scored on the same six weighted categories, on the same 0 to 10 scale, and each reason is the one that review gave. A category is marked better only where the two differ by a tenth or more. How we score →
Where the spec sheets differ
Quoted from each maker's own specifications, as each review records them. Figures the two products publish identically are left out, so only the differences are listed.
Which one is for you
You want one pellet cooker that smokes low and still reaches searing heat.
Check price →You smoke, and would rather put the $400 somewhere else. The Smoque holds a set temperature just as well.
Check price →More head-to-heads
Every score and figure on this page comes from our own reviews of these two products, linked above. We have not tested them side by side in one place; the comparison is between two full reviews, each built from the maker's published specifications and documentation. Prices move, and the ones quoted are the ones each review checked on its own date.