BGE? Nope it turned out to be something else.

[Hoorenga]

I told you about the BGE I found at a yard sale for $20? It turned out to be a Kamodo King. Same thing but different brand. Aparently there are a number of manufacturers of this type of cooker. I was able to repair the cracks in the fire box and replace the seal between the top and bottom where the lid comes down. I hung out on the Big Green Egg site for a few days. Kind of weird. They do strange stuff like soak their wood. I gotta tell you though that's some cooker. I am in the process of cooking a chicken and a pork butt and controlling the temperature is as easy as it is on my kitchen range. Up or down I just have to adjust the intake or exhaust and it responds almost immediately. I'm looking forward to the 15 hour burn on one load of fuel.

Doug

 

[Norcoredneck]

You say tomato I say tomato, deal. So long as you love it, what's in a name? Unless your famous ,sponsored by them and going to be in Rancho Cucomonga this month.

 

[thillin]

I'm sure a few others will chime in. Yours will cook like the BGE, just maybe not as hot due to Kamodos being clay instead of ceramic. Swamp can give you lots of info. Let us know how it cooks.

 

[thirdeye]

I told you about the BGE I found at a yard sale for $20? It turned out to be a Kamodo King. Same thing but different brand. Aparently there are a number of manufacturers of this type of cooker. I was able to repair the cracks in the fire box and replace the seal between the top and bottom where the lid comes down. I hung out on the Big Green Egg site for a few days. Kind of weird. They do strange stuff like soak their wood. I gotta tell you though that's some cooker. I am in the process of cooking a chicken and a pork butt and controlling the temperature is as easy as it is on my kitchen range. Up or down I just have to adjust the intake or exhaust and it responds almost immediately. I'm looking forward to the 15 hour burn on one load of fuel.

Doug

I was wonderin' about that cooker.... the price was right on and no matter what vintage, the design is sound. It's worked for a VERY long time. If it is clay it is perfect for low cooks. Stay away from the hi-temp steak cooks. My buddy from high school has cooked on one just like yours for 33 years and just did his first crack repair with JB weld. He cooks with briquettes with a little lump mixed in and the only time he is timid about firing it up is when the temps are 32° or below.

Remember the Doors?? ...People are strange when you're a stranger... The Eggers are a good bunch (hell, I'm one of 'em), very focused. There are a lot of younger cooks that hang there, but just like here, everyone is respected. Listen to the older hands....they have a lot of technique to share. Also like here, I learn stuff every day.

Anyway, let's see some photo's of that cooker. Are you going to hang on to it?? I would be glad to hook you up with a couple of mods that will expand your Kamado cookin' experience.

 

[Hoorenga]

Yup, she's a keeper. I threw a mix of stuff in it. Some chicken for dinner, a pork butt for tomorrows dinner and a fattie for breakfast. The chicken was the most succulent bird I have ever pulled out of a smoker. It was unbelieveably moist and tender. I was a little late in getting back to pull the fattie out and it got a little over done. I tried to rescue it with my hand but it was too hot and I ended up juggling it. I finally set it on top of the hand rail going to the back door. I knew my dog wouldn't touch it. He's a good dog that way. I didn't count on the neighbor coming over with his wild ass mutt. Sure enough things got busy and before I knew it my fattie had disappeared. Guess I tried to do too may things at once. I was also spreading manure with the tractor on the field. I didn't count on the temperature of the Komodo running away either. When I finally got back to check on it, the temp was up to at least 350 and my poor pork butt was barely alive. I thought it was toast but after re assessing it and cutting away the burned bottom it turned out pretty damed good! A little over done but better than a little under done. All in all a successful cook, except for that poor fattie. It will be missed at breakfast tomorrow. I hate that dog.

Hoo

 

[tony76248]

No difference that I can tell. The thing will get to the same high temps. Just open up the draft door for a while and walk away and you will be up over 500 degrees....ouch....

The exterior is earthen (clay) but the interior is ceramic where it counts. that was a major league score.

Did you notice how the BGE folks were sort of proprietary when you mention Komodo? That is where I got my info for changing out my gasket as well.

Due to the forum, I would rank the BGE a better product but they do cook the same. It is also hard to beat solid ceramic, those things should last many lifetimes. That is no exageration either. It is also sort of like the Cookshack and the Smokin-Tex. But in our case the Komodo has been around longer.

 

[ckkphoto]

Hoo,
I think you struck gold! I have toyed with the idea of getting an egg for a long time. As soon as 'dera number two dies, maybe it it time for a BGE. Probably more than enough cooker for the amount of qing I have time for anymore and the fuel economy is the clincher.

 

[itschris]

I'm considering getting one now that they have the x-large model. I'd probably use primarily for grilling high temp. I made some 2 inches thick ribeyes on one a couple of years back over the course of a 2 days at my buddy's place and they were easily in the top 5 best steaks I ever made. We were cooking at some crazy high temp like 600 or 650... it was intense, but made damn fine steaks. That alone is reason enough to get one. My only complaint is that they're just weird looking and I need to figure out a way to incorporate one into an outdoor kitchen.

 

[thirdeye]

I'm considering getting one now that they have the x-large model. I'd probably use primarily for grilling high temp. I made some 2 inches thick ribeyes on one a couple of years back over the course of a 2 days at my buddy's place and they were easily in the top 5 best steaks I ever made. We were cooking at some crazy high temp like 600 or 650... it was intense, but made damn fine steaks. That alone is reason enough to get one. My only complaint is that they're just weird looking and I need to figure out a way to incorporate one into an outdoor kitchen.

This is one of my favorites. There are a bunch of Egg tables and built-in's HERE.

 

[itschris]

Good link thanks. I find it odd that very few places have a BGE in a really high end looking setup. There's a couple of nice ones there, but most of them are just wood tables. I want to incorporate one into the outdoor kitchen I'm working on with granite counter tops, and Viking or DCS stainless grill top.

 

[swamprb]

I told you about the BGE I found at a yard sale for $20? It turned out to be a Kamodo King. Same thing but different brand. Aparently there are a number of manufacturers of this type of cooker. I was able to repair the cracks in the fire box and replace the seal between the top and bottom where the lid comes down. I hung out on the Big Green Egg site for a few days. Kind of weird. They do strange stuff like soak their wood. I gotta tell you though that's some cooker. I am in the process of cooking a chicken and a pork butt and controlling the temperature is as easy as it is on my kitchen range. Up or down I just have to adjust the intake or exhaust and it responds almost immediately. I'm looking forward to the 15 hour burn on one load of fuel.

Doug

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you won't get anywere near a 15 hour burn in a clay Kamado, if you fill up the firebox like a BGE you risk destroying the firebox and grate and cracking the shell of the K. If you haven't done it already, you should download the "Pre 1976 BGE manual" from the Naked Whiz site. It is the Kamado Smoker BBQ Cookbook that was sold by Pachinko Palace here in the Pacific Northwest. It will give you all the info to keep that badboy hummin' along for another thirty years! I wish I had it when I found mine years ago, it would have saved me a lot of frustration and a few meals too! I was on the BGE forum the day the manual was posted and it got a lot of chuckles from the faithful, and I know what you mean, they can be harsh or give you the cold shoulder for even mentioning a Kamado! I love mine but respect it's limitations and when I came across a BGE I jumped on it!

[/IMG]

Still waiting for pics of your find, does it look like this one?

[/IMG]

 

[BBQ_MAFIA]

Thirdeye,
Thanks for the link. Those are some great set up for the Big Green Egg.