$299 Char-Griller Kamado First Looks

[JS-TX]

2 excellent videos, great job Nice res too on them as well.

I have the same gasket on my kegs. My 2 kegs are almost 2 years old and the gasket is still ok, shows some wear from being closed most of the time but no problems. The only time I get smoke leaks is when I'm running a probe wire into the keg. But that's just when the smoke is heavy in the beginning. My guess is since your lid is not as heavy, the gasket will hold out even longer. As far as rust is concerned, I keep them under cover so no big concerns there. Any cooker is likely to show some rust or a little wear on it's parts if you expose it to the elements. Can't wait for your next vid.

[OKinVA]

Great walkthrough! I've been eyeing that at Lowe's for about a week now. Looking forward to your next video.

[nic]

I've had my eye on a primo for awhile, but the difference in price does a lot of work on the house. I might stop by Lowe's today.

[JMSetzler]

Originally Posted by El Ropo

Nice looking cooker!

Can't wait to see the butt video.

I'm kind of hoping you choose to go hot and fast with it though

No hot and fast on this cook. My objective with this one is to see how well the Kamado maintains temps in the 250 degree range. I already know that it will cook hot with no problems. I just put the butt on and it's coming back up to temp. I'm targeting 250-275 degrees on this cook. If it handles that well it will be able to handle anything.

[BBQJack]

Great video - I wish there wasn't any background music though

How heavy is that sucker? Looks like a good camping grill to me.....

[bbqchicken]

Originally Posted by JMSetzler

No hot and fast on this cook. My objective with this one is to see how well the Kamado maintains temps in the 250 degree range. I already know that it will cook hot with no problems. I just put the butt on and it's coming back up to temp. I'm targeting 250-275 degrees on this cook. If it handles that well it will be able to handle anything.

using lump or KB?

[Phesant]

Thanx for the review, I've been thinking of getting one of these......


Nciely Done

[JMSetzler]

Originally Posted by bbqchicken

using lump or KB?

I'm using lump, and that is another new element for me too. I have used Kingsford Blue exclusively for the most part since I started. I'm not very happy with the Cowboy Lump at this point but I bought it because it was convenient at the time.

This low and slow cook is going to be a challenge. I'm having a difficult time keeping the temp down. It hasn't stabilized yet.

[BillywannaQ]

Excellent videos. I really enjoyed them. I really like the removable ash pan. That's the reason I got rid of my Big Steel Keg. It was a pain to clean out the ash. Looking forward to your next video.

[Triple T BBQ]

JM,

Thanks for the review. Nicely done. Could I suggest you drop the music out when you are doing the actual reviews? Having it playing in the background is rather distracting. Thanks for doing the review!!

[bbqchicken]

I LOVE lump but still haven't used it for long cooks. Not saying it won't work but some low quality lump can be a nightmare.

[JMSetzler]

Originally Posted by Triple T BBQ

JM,

Thanks for the review. Nicely done. Could I suggest you drop the music out when you are doing the actual reviews? Having it playing in the background is rather distracting. Thanks for doing the review!!

I'll see what I can do with that. I'll drop it down a little lower and see what happens. My little video camera is a little picky with sound too and sometimes it lets my voice drop below something else since I'm behind the camera rather than in front of it.

[smokeyw]

I agree that the removable ash pan is a nice feature. However, I have concerns that over time it will develop air leaks. I know the lid uses the same type gasket but I think air leaks in the bottom will cause far more issues.

Originally Posted by BillywannaQ

Excellent videos. I really enjoyed them. I really like the removable ash pan. That's the reason I got rid of my Big Steel Keg. It was a pain to clean out the ash. Looking forward to your next video.

[powerpig]

I have a BGE and Viking Egg. I was on the fence about this one, but after seeing the video, I pulled the trigger and bought one. In fact, it was the last one available in my area. Just got back with it and about to put it together. Will report back.

[JMSetzler]

Originally Posted by powerpig

I have a BGE and Viking Egg. I was on the fence about this one, but after seeing the video, I pulled the trigger and bought one. In fact, it was the last one available in my area. Just got back with it and about to put it together. Will report back.

I'm glad someone else here has decided to give this cooker a try. There is another guy (I can't remember his ID) who has a thread going about his RED model which is very similar but not identical to this one. He made some mods to his air intake vent and I might want to investigate those a little later, but 2.5 hours into my butt cook (7.15lbs) I'm stabilized at under 275 degrees. A few minutes ago, I checked it and it was at 267. The bottom vent is completely closed and the top vent is just cracked open at the "1" setting. The cooker is definitely getting air with the vent closed, but it doesn't appear to be too much to mess up a low and slow cook at this point. I'm also inexperienced with lump charcoal, so I probably could have lowered my temps by allowing less lit lump to start the cook.