I've cooked on one a few times. It is indeed a pellet-fired, single-grill surface kamado cooker very much like a BGE. It's so simple to use my wife who is intimidated by charcoal grills used and loved it. She christened the Black Olive the wood-fired grill for people like her who only use gas grills.
Here are my thoughts...
Pro's..
- Easy to start, easy to use. Fill the hopper with pellets, turn a dial and your cooking in a few minutes. No charcoal to load and light.
- Quickly went from 0 to 225 to 500+ Great for a reverse sear.
- Good smoke flavor
- Fairly easy to clean up.
Con's...
- Non-digital temp control makes tuning in specific temps difficult (I understand a digital thermostat has been added to the newer models correcting this con)
- HEAVY! It took all two of us had just to load in on/off a simple utility trailer.
- Limited grill space.
- Cost. I believe the retail price is almost double that of an equivalent BGE.
Overall, I loved using this cooker but given the portability issues and small grill space for the dollar, it's a difficult purchase to justify. If newer models do indeed add a digital thermostat and lower the price-point this would be a great substitute for a propane grill or for someone who wants that charcoal/wood flavor without the 'hassle' using charcoal brings.
