I'm happy with my Akorn, have cooked tons of good food on it, and don't feel like I "settled" for anything-it's a great cooker, don't see how I would be any happier with a ceramic. As a matter of fact, I would rather have the Akorn because it's portable. I've cooked on the green cult cooker, and I just don't honestly see much difference. As for the "mods" everybody talks about, I've been using mine nearly a year just exactly like it came out of the box, and it holds temp for hours and hours like an oven. I don't see what the alleged leak and not holding temp problems are myself, because I've never experienced any of them?
But then, I'm not a snob, either. Some folks just can't seem to like something no matter how well it functions, unless it's really expensive and hip and all the cool kids like it.
I don't have to have a ferrari to drive to work, and I don't have to have a $1000 grill to cook good food on.
I think people sometimes put more emphasis on the cooker than the cook, or define themselves by what cooker they own. If you're a good cook, you can turn out good food on anything from a campfire to a top-of-the-line cooker. The only difference in most cases is learning curve and ease of operation. I love my Akorn for long cooks, simply because I can set it and forget it. I usually dont adjust vents more than maybe a couple small adjustments during an 8-10 hour cook. To me, that's the advantage of any kamado style cooker, along with the ability to use it like a wood-fired oven to bake pizzas and stuff. I don't use mine much for high-heat grilling, it's easier and better to do that on my barrel grill, IMO.
