Kamado Joe or Vision Pro
 

I am a new member and being from Kansas City originally I have BBQ and smoked ribs for a lot of years on various wood and charcoal grills. I am looking at replacing my old smoker with a kamado grill. I have been looking at the Kamado Joe (which I have seen at Ace hardware) and the Vision Pro which I have only seen photos of and have read a lot about on the internet and on various forums. I can purchase both for about the same price and I am leaning towards the Vision Pro or Classic. Any thoughts or pros and cons on these units would be appreciated...

Kj..

I think they are both good grills. I just recently got a Kamado Joe Classic. There are two elements to the Vision that I'm not fond of. I like the powder coated cast iron top vent on the Kamado Joe is quite solid compared to the thinner steel top vent on the vision. The Kamado Joe has a separate fire box and fire ring where the Vision has a single piece (unless that has changed recently.) The firebox itself on the KJ has a heat expansion gap in it, and so does the one on the Vision, but being a single piece on the vision, it could be a lot heavier and a little more difficult to move. I have only seen photos of the Vision but I have a couple friends online who use them. I'm not sure how thick the inner ceramics are on the Vision compared to the KJ.

Also on another note, I have read a few complaints about air leaks on the Vision Pro lower vent/ash removal system, so you might want to investigate that as well.

Thanks for the quick replies. The review on the KJ was very informative. Does anyone have a similar review or additional information on the Vision Pro or Classic. I will definitely be doing a lot of slow/low cooking, but want to use for a variety of cooking.

All the aftermarket accessories for BGE also fit the KJ. Not sure about the Vision. There are some really cool things for BGE and KJ. Check out ceramicgrillstore.com (Tom) and Ceramicgrillworks.com (Franco). They make the stuff that will totally trick out your Kamado and they are always innovating. If they are near the same price, I would get the KJ so you can expand it with all the cool accessories

I've had the Vision Pro for about 6 months now and absolutely love it. So much so that my brother picked up the Classic and my friend picked up the Pro as soon as they saw mine. The Vision customer service is top notch as I had a few very minor issues to resolve. For exapmle, I had one of my ash drawer vent knobs become loose and call and before I said anything they sent me out a new drawer within 5 day of me contacting them. The cermaic vessel, the lid, the firebowl etc. are just as good as BGE and the rest. All the parts on it are pretty much stainless steel which is a plus. JM also mentioned on the top vent being stainless steel but on the pro the top vent is powder coated cast iron as well. Classics are the only ones with SS top vents. I have been extremely happy with my PRO and the food it puts out is amazing. I've done pizza, briskets, butts, ribs, tri tip etc with excellent results. The KJ cooking surface is about an inch or so smaller IIRC. Most Large BGE and KJ accesseries also fit on the Vision. Case and point, I have the KJ heat deflector and pizza stone on my Vision. There are guys that have used the LBGE plate setter as well. Again, most accessories will fit on the Vision. Funny thing is I was debating between the KJ and Vsion as well and went for the Vision for the price and have been happy. If it weren't for Vision I wouldve gone KJ for sure though. YOull do fine with either. Good luck and feel free to ask any other questions you may have.

It's been a while since I've seen both, but I believe there is more room in the vison dome because of the 19 inch grid. With the larger grid, you'll get more working area as you go vertical in the dome. It's beneficial if you want to stack stuff, especially the long meats like ribs. The best cooking space in these cookers (searing excluded) is in the dome, so more the better.

Check the reviews but I think KJoe gets better reviews on build quality for the metal parts - carts, bands and such. On both, it's still a little to early tell about the ceramics as neither has a long enough history in the market.

In picking a ceramic cooker, how easy to get warranty parts is important. Doesn't do much to have something warrantied for life if it cost you a C note to get it shipped to you.

tom

Right on cue Tom. Does your stuff fit the vision as well? My bro in law has one and would like to pass your info along to him.

Great points on the warranty. A good dealer network can really save you. Just had my egg base replaced and my dealer took care of everything. He brought in the base with his normal shipment with no freight charges to me so it was truly free to me. Highly recommend getting one from a dealer and not a big box store for this reason.

I have a Vision Classic and have been very happy with it. I bought it based on price and build quality. I checked out a freind's BGE and a KJ and the differences in quality did not make up for the differences in price. The Vision has a lifetime warranty and thus far their warranty service has been good - I recently burned my felt and sent an email asking if I could buy another, they replied with a tracking #! They shipped it right away, no cost.

You really can't go wrong with either grill. With the Pro, you could be giving up a small amount of air tightness for the added features of the electric starter door and The ash removal tray.However, unless keeping temps much below 250 is a big concern for you, it shouldn't be a problem. Removal of ash in a conventional Kamado such as KJ can be an unwanted chore.

I might add, many Pro users have had great success keeping a prolonged 225-235 low and slow cook. It may just be a little more of a challenge with the added bottom vents.


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I have a Vision Pro and have no problems holding temps between 225-250. The customer service is second to none!!!

I also have the Vision Classic and can't say enough good things about it and the customer service. I use mine with the BBQGuru PartyQ and have no problem with overnight low n slow cooks. I asked about purchasing the cast iron top for my classic and they just sent one along with some extra gaskets since mine were also burned a bit. This thing does everything the others do but cheaper. I don't have any experience with the KJ but I'm sure you can't go wrong either way. Good Luck

I love my Vision Classics. I bought it based on price and quality. A BGE or similar Kamado was not an option due to price. I am about 6 months in and absolutely love it. I second the other remarks about customer service. My cover came in ripped and I was missing a bolt to attach the side table. Both were in the mail the same day I made the call for free. Brand aside I think a good Kamado grill is a must have. They are so versatle and easy to use (once you figure them out).

I called VISION customer support yesterday and very please with there quick response. They told me that the Pro sold at HD did not come with the lava stone or ignitor, but that they are included in the Pro models sold at True Value or other Hardware stores. Also Costco will continue to carry only the Classic and Home Depot will continue to carry the the present "S" series Pro next year and True Value will sell the new "C" series Pro, which appears to address some of the air leakage problems of the current Pro Model. (a thumb screw to lock ignitor box, and improved air vent controls) Interesting that only the hardware stores include the stone and ignitor accessories in the price, easily a $75.00 value. You can see the various model on the Vision web site. http://www.visiongrills.com/product.php.
Thanks for all your response. I am leaning towards the Vision Pro and will get a chance to see one at our local True Value dealer on Monday. I also have found an Ace hardware store the has the KJ and will look at it this weekend.