Kamado Joe Ceramic Grill "I need Brethren comments"

I'm looking at new Kamado style cookers myself. I recently looked at the KJ, Primo and BGE at a local BBQ store. The KJ is a nice cooker.

The more I evaluate the pros and cons of each, and the way I'm going to use my Kamado, I'm leaning more to the Big Steel Keg.

i have no experience with the KJ, but one of my fellow homebrew club members has the BSK and he loves it.

GreenDrake recently bought one & posted this cook/video: http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?t=102298

If he doesn't see this post & chime in you might want to send him a PM.

5-0 BBQ said:

Like I said I am just looking for Kamado Joe reviews. If anyone has used one, owns one, touched one, customer service anything Kamado Joe related please let me know. Even if you decided not to buy let me know.

The reason is we are bringing the Kamado Joe line into our store and I just want to make sure we are making a good move.

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I've touched one.

There is a guy with a stove shop that used to advertise Kamado Joe on CL, he's also a Primo dealer and owns a L-BGE, I talked to him at length about them and he just wanted to have something more to offer customers. He said it was one of the first grills customers gravitated to because of the color. When asked about cooking differences between the other ceramics, he uses a Guru and noticed none. He had concerns about welds on the steel parts of the KJ and lack of dealer support from the manufacturer/distributor. He no longer advertises the KJ and its been a long time since I've seen any Kamado Joe offered on CL along the I-5 corridor.

At Whistler, BC there were a few of them being used by teams and a dealer and I know a couple cooks that won them at contests in Canada and they like them (wouldn't you?).

I sent a couple requests for info through their website when they first hit the scene here in the Northwest and never got any responses.

That's my review, I also touched one.:doh:

I bought one about 3 weeks ago after owning a medium bge for 10 years. I have cooked everything from steaks to tri tip to pizza to cookies and today I am smoking an 8lb pork butt. the butt was put on at 7 this morning and after getting the temp regulated i have only had to touch the grill one time and that was to open it up just a little because the outside temp dropped about 10 deg. when making my decision to buy we posted on the Kamado Joe facebook page and Bobby Brennan the co-owner of the company replied as did Derald the Marketing manager. We have had nothing but a good experience with this cooker so far. Our local bge store got to the point that they didn't think they had to sell their product anymore it was going to sell itself. from what i've used it I have better air flow control over this cooker than i did with the egg because of the gasket design they have used it just plain seals tighter. give them a try and talk to a local distributor representative I don't think you will be disappointed or better yet go to their facebook page and talk to Bobby yourself this is one company that is seriously committed to customer service and listening to what you have to say.

You won't be disappointed, here are the main differences, and I don't bash BGE, they are awesome as well. The KJ has powdercoated stainless steel, 3" dome thermometer, is thicker, comes fully assembled, uses finished bamboo hardwood for shelves and handles (very very nice, no stains or water seepage) has a 20 year warranty, comes in black or red and is just plain fun as all get out. Look the Kamado style cooker has been around for 3000 years, these things are rock solid.

I, being a pellethead, am doing my best to learn more tools, this being one of them. I can attest that these things are awesome fun, like probably any other cooker would be of the ceramic variety. The fact they they are $200 less expensive is also a HUGE savings. All markets change, competition breeds value and quality, the KJ is a family member now and I love it.

I had some fun with silly videos yeah, I sent a cleaner one with some Zac Brown to Bobby at KJ and they posted it up on their Facebook site. Good guys, they won't touch the "ours is better argument" They offer a nice grill and it works well at a great price, win win. I love the red one too, I have named him El Guapo.

5-0

I sent you a pm.