I went down the Kamado Rabbit Hole

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BurnMac42

Got Wood.
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Well like the title says, I've apparently found myself down a rabbit hole. I've been shopping around for several years now looking for a replacement to my UDS. I've shopped standalone, pellet's, Assassin's, etc and I just couldn't justify the price for essentially a piece of equipment that my UDS could match low/slow wise. I don't need to cook for huge crowds and, don't full disclosure, I don't want/have the room to keep multiple cooking units all over the place.

So that lead me to eventually looking at the Kamado cookers. I've tried searching thru all the threads about them but most seem somewhat dated so I wanted to get some more real world feedback with the current generations of Kamado's.

What really attracts me to them is the versatility. Like I mentioned above, I don't have the space nor does my wife have the patience for me to have another big, multi-part hobby (even though she loves my meat :twisted:). Before someone says she needs to be replaced she ENCOURAGES my car and wakeboarding boat obsession SO...I'll give her a pass on the only keeping 1 smoker haha...I like the idea of being to do low and slow but also if need be crank it all the way up for some "bick fire" pizzas and the full range inbetween. So with all that being said here is what I have gathered so far:

1. Komodo Kamado: Seems to be regarded as the Ferrari of this world. Looking at them I'm somewhat tempted by the 19" one. Keeps it under $3k and with a dual stack grate, I'm still almost doubling the cooking area of my current single stack UDS. The Hot/cold smoker generator has me curious as well...

2. Kamado Joe's: Some of the new tech really attracts me. The Divide and Conquer has been discussed on here before but does anyone have experience with the SLo Roller Hyperbolic Smoke chamber they are advertising on their website?

3. BGE: From what I gather I can trick out a BGE pretty much the same as a Kamado Joe so I feel like these two are very similar other than the new SLo Roller thing for the KJ.

One of my biggest concerns is all being equal will I be dissappointed going from a UDS to a Komodo style cooker? I've read smoke rings aren't as prominent on the Komodo's however that doesn't impact flavor so with all this is a Komodo style cooker still considered the swiss army knife of the Q world?
 
Never had an UDS but do have the kamado joe III. Divide and conquer is nice. Only used the slo roller once. It was ok I think it is more marketing than anything. I think if I had to do it over again I might save money and buy the II. I do enjoy the extra features though so take it for what it's worth. I have no issue getting smoke rings out of the joe. I do like being able to take it up for high heat.
 
I've had a large BGE for the last 11 years. I think swiss army knife is apt, alternatively it's a jack of all trades master of none*

*it gets screaming hot for searing/pizza oven use - not quite hot enough for a true Neapolitan oven, but closer than anything other than a pizza oven IMO.

I haven't had an issue with a smoke ring generation on my BGE. The low/slow smoke to me is a bit on the stale side (like a WSM/UDS) as the coals smolder.

That being said, were I to buy another ceramic I'd probably go with the KJ as they seem to be the more innovative company. When BGE didn't feel like they had much competition they didn't really innovate much. KJ come out with a few versions and in-house mods/parts that BGE is just now catching up to (yes there are 3rd party mods available for the BGE).
 
I was a big time kamado enthusiast for quite a few years. Had 2 KJ BigJOE’s, a Classic and a Joe Jr. Added a stick burner back in 2016, and then a few months later added a pellet grill. All of a sudden the low n slow flavor profile from the kamado’s began to taste like a dirty campfire to not only me but my family as well. I no longer own the KJ’s. It was during this time back in 2016, that I came to discover that ultra-low airflow cookers are not for me. IMO, they produce a very dirty/stagnant flavor profile. And yes, I tried all the tricks to clean up the taste profile. I know there are lots of guys that absolutely love their kamado’s, and that is totally cool! I also know that there are a lot of guys that wholeheartedly agree with me. Bottom line, I would strongly encourage you to do some taste testing before making the leap… :)
 
I would lean towards the KJ in that it has a rotisserie attachment. I have a BGE and several other smokers but none of which have a rotisserie. Would love one for birds and a good prime rib.
 
Been a stick burner for a few years. Love the flavor. Picked up a primo XL. Still haven't used it. Why? Went over to a good friends who has one. Didn't like the flavor... Started researching on here, and found many posts from stick burners that didn't care for it. So now I don't want to use the thing. Been trying to sell it, but there not easy to get rid of, at least in my area.
 
If I was forced to only keep 1 grill I'd keep my egg. So versatile.

Those Komodo Kamados are works of art. I'd love to have one.
 
Have you considered the Weber Summit Charcoal Grill? It is essentially a Kamado. I have thoroughly enjoyed mine and find it very versatile. The cooking area and cost is comparable to the KJ Big Joe. It does have a gas assist start, but I never use it (using a chimney is much easier)
 
I like my Primo XL for grilling due to its size and shape. I don’t often use it as a smoker anymore but found that as long as I kept it around 275* and used a modest amount of wood chips instead of chunks, there is not an overpowering off flavor from smoldering charcoal or wood. Kamados are heavy and can be damaged relatively easily...you won’t be taking it anywhere. I never cook at insane high temps on mine...rarely even 500*. I have owned several kamados including a BGE, Vision, Chargriller Akorn, and the Primo. Of the ceramic Kamados the Primo is my favorite due to its size and versatility that the shape lends. I really liked the Akorn though, it was better insulated than its ceramic counterparts yet was lighter and quite a bit cheaper.

That being said my Mak gets most of the smoking duties when it comes to a cooker of that size.
 
For me, and you mentioned it was versatility. I can't tell you how many times I've cooked beef ribs at 250 on Monday and a pizza on Friday with one vessel. I didn't really notice the lack of smoke ring, here is a picture using Texas Post Oak that doesn't exactly stain the meat like apple :
picture.php
[/IMG]

In my humble opinion the "true" BBQ guys are the stick burners here or Jeanie using wood as a heat source, me... I'm lazy and after going down the rabbit hole I bought my XLBGE for three distinctive reasons:

1. Laziness. Look, I love a brisket as much as the next guy but I love my sleep more. When I cook a brisket I will throw it on at 8:00 P.M. and not even look at until 10:00 the next day. I have never been disappointed.

2. Moisture. Not knocking any other cooking method here but since the BGE / Joe are so air tight you really don't have a lot of air circulating to dry out leaner cuts like turkey or chicken.

3. Versatility. You get it :-D

Now the bad news...

1. Lump charcoal! Do not, I repeat Do not buy cheap garbage lump. I promise you if you do you will take a bite of the final product and throw it right in the trash. I personally buy Rockwood, yeah it is super expensive but it has the most neutral flavor in my opinion... I do stay away from BGE and Big Joe brand, I found them expensive and not that good. Here is a link of charcoal reviews that might be useful (his methods and recipes are also solid). http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lumpindexpage.htm?bag Not sure why he calls his website naked wiz though :-D

2. You will have a learning curve no doubt, learning when the VOC's have burned off and how to accurately dial in the vessel temp. Trust me, after time you can set the vents and walk away and the temp is within 10 degrees of where you thought it would be. Another link for you, and I love this product is Flameboss, it is true cheating, you can control the temp of the kamado remotely through the internet, in addition you can save the results and review for the next cook. https://www.flameboss.com/


At the end of the day it sounds like you have your mind made up regarding your cooking vessel. I bought a XLBGE but I'm sure I would of been just as happy buying a KJ. Both have lifetime warranties and they both produce a great end result.

A final note... Do not buy a BGE or Joe used, both warranties only apply to original owners.

Thanks,
Greg
 
Selfishly I would urge you to get the Komodo Kamado. They are pretty and I would enjoy seeing you post pics of the cooks.
 
I had a primo oval xl for about 8 years and liked it. They, and most all kamados, are jacks of all and master of none. I do not care for the flavor of smoked foods off them as much as a stick burner or even a pellet cooker. That said, I’d likely try the weber summit charcoal kamado over a ceramic one again...u less you want to spring for the big kamodo kamado...they are an awfully impressive cooker


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 
Thanks dudes love all the input. So any opinions on the flavor profile of a Komkdo vs a UDS? My wife actually didnt balk at the KK which honestly shocked me because we just snagged another car so I thought she would slam the door right away....

So assume a KK.....honest opinions a KK vs. UDS and..........go!
 
dealgagrill said:
Have you considered the Weber Summit Charcoal Grill? It is essentially a Kamado. I have thoroughly enjoyed mine and find it very versatile. The cooking area and cost is comparable to the KJ Big Joe. It does have a gas assist start, but I never use it (using a chimney is much easier)
Click to expand...

This.

I love my Weber Summit. Light weight. Durable. Can use either lump or briquettes. So glad I didn’t go ceramic.
 
So break down the Weber Summit option....its still 1600+ dollars so what brings it into the convoy? Honest question cause I'm looking at buying something that I. Ight pass on to my kiddos
 
BurnMac42 said:
So break down the Weber Summit option....its still 1600+ dollars so what brings it into the convoy? Honest question cause I'm looking at buying something that I. Ight pass on to my kiddos
Click to expand...

Webber Summit = 10 year warranty
BGE = lifetime
KJ = lifetime
 
GO with weber summit charcoal over ceramic. I bought one 2 years ago. I don't see the need to add anything to my arsenal except a stick burner one day.
 
Your asking....
I'm with those that do not care for the low air flow. I had an Acorn which I modified to get more air flow but still do any temp from 180* up. Between the size limitations and low airflow. Example: a coffee can worth of coals would go 20 hrs.
Which is where I started working/experimenting to get my UDS's to smoke, grill, or cook pizza's at 750*+. Run 20+ hrs on one load of coals, 16 lbs worth.
Burn pure wood when required.
No gaskets to replace/fail. Easy to move. Dual cooking grates and drip pan grate when required. Height to hang proteins when required.
The past couple years my UDS has changed into a "stubby" UDS.
Does everything it could when full size. But much easier to clean, move around etc. And no grease stain on coats/shirts from reaching down in for the basket.
Here are some pics from another thread where I just posted pics to. If your so inclined.
Any questions, just ask.
https://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/showthread.php?p=4284461&posted=1#post4284461
 
rwalters said:
I was a big time kamado enthusiast for quite a few years. Had 2 KJ BigJOE’s, a Classic and a Joe Jr. Added a stick burner back in 2016, and then a few months later added a pellet grill. All of a sudden the low n slow flavor profile from the kamado’s began to taste like a dirty campfire to not only me but my family as well. I no longer own the KJ’s. It was during this time back in 2016, that I came to discover that ultra-low airflow cookers are not for me. IMO, they produce a very dirty/stagnant flavor profile. And yes, I tried all the tricks to clean up the taste profile. I know there are lots of guys that absolutely love their kamado’s, and that is totally cool! I also know that there are a lot of guys that wholeheartedly agree with me. Bottom line, I would strongly encourage you to do some taste testing before making the leap… :)
Click to expand...

Agree with rwalters. After buying and cooking on a Pellet grill I sold my KJ Big Joe and KJ Joe Jr. Haven't missed them at all.
 
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