Anyone use a kamado style grill/smoker?

[Harpy Eagle]

I am going to get one for the spring and was not sure if anyone had experience with them.

 

[Donald H]

I am going to get one for the spring and was not sure if anyone had experience with them.

I would recommend 'cedar planked' on the bbq instead.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

I would recommend 'cedar planked' on the bbq instead.

The two are not mutually exclusive. I use cedar planks when I cook any fish on the grill. I had an eclectic smoker for a while but it developed a short and would pop my fuse every time I plugged it in and turned it on.

Now instead of a separate grill and smoker I want one that can do both very well.

The kamado style grill fits the bill.

 

[TNHarley]

My buddy has one.
I have a kettle.
From what I have gathered, the only thing that might be better on a Kamado is a steak as they get a lot hotter than the kettles. And it probably holds heat a bit better, but the kettle is very good at that..
IDK man, go for it! At least you arent going to electric or gas

 

[JoeMoma]

Does that mean that the cook doesn't wear underwear?

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

I am going to get one for the spring and was not sure if anyone had experience with them.

I have the Kamado Joe and it kicks ass!!
You can load it up with charcoal and cook on it 3 or 4 times before you need to add more. You just empty the ash pan and take out the charcoal basket and shake out the used ash and fire it up again. It holds temps better than my kitchen oven.
If I had to pick just one cooker out of the five I have it would be a hard choice between the Kamado and the Lang offset smoker.
If I were really pressed I'd pick the Kamado because it's so versatile and you can get tons of accessories for it like a pizza oven for example.
It will also get incredibly hot for searing steaks.
I'd considered one for quite awhile but but the price tag is pretty high at $1300 bucks for the 18" Classic which is the perfect size for up to four people.
Turns out that it is well worth the price.
I'd recommend the Kamado Joe over the Big Green Egg,it comes with more accessories and is built better.
I can honestly say everything we've made with it has come out perfect.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

The two are not mutually exclusive. I use cedar planks when I cook any fish on the grill. I had an eclectic smoker for a while but it developed a short and would pop my fuse every time I plugged it in and turned it on.

Now instead of a separate grill and smoker I want one that can do both very well.

The kamado style grill fits the bill.

The Kamado is just an okay smoker.
It'll never compare to an offset smoker because adding wood is pretty difficult once you fire it up.
Any wood you may start with will burn up rather quickly and using wood makes it more difficult to hold temps since it's designed to use charcoal.
As with any smoker you need a thin blue smoke thats almost invisible not white and billowing smoke which will make your meat taste bitter.
With charcoal you can control the temps by cutting off oxygen to the fire which wont work for wood chunks or logs,if you cut the oxygen flow to wood you get the white smoke where charcoal burns clean at any temp.
The best way to change the taste on a Kamado is to use different types of charcoal which there are plenty to choose from.
And avoid charcoal briquettes and only use real lump wood charcoal.

 

[the watcher]

I've had a green egg for about 20 years, and it still looks new. if you smoke at low temps (220 +-) it gives you as much smoke as you need, using lump charcoal and big chunks of wood. It is very fuel efficient and easy to clean and set up. The komado joe does come with more goodies. Temperature control is very good with a little practice, and very good with a fan controller. You can put a cook on and forget about it until the internal temp alarm sounds, and go to sleep and not worry about it. They hold enough fuel where you don't need to add any during a cook.Cooking indirect for chicken or ribs or direct at 700 degrees for steaks or even making pizza on a stone turns out really good. They are not cheap but you won't have to buy another one in 2 years, and nothing like them if you cook year round where it gets cold.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

I've had a green egg for about 20 years, and it still looks new. if you smoke at low temps (220 +-) it gives you as much smoke as you need, using lump charcoal and big chunks of wood. It is very fuel efficient and easy to clean and set up. The komado joe does come with more goodies. Temperature control is very good with a little practice, and very good with a fan controller. You can put a cook on and forget about it until the internal temp alarm sounds, and go to sleep and not worry about it. They hold enough fuel where you don't need to add any during a cook.Cooking indirect for chicken or ribs or direct at 700 degrees for steaks or even making pizza on a stone turns out really good. They are not cheap but you won't have to buy another one in 2 years, and nothing like them if you cook year round where it gets cold.

It's an okay smoker. Not great by any stretch when compared to an offset smoker since you cant get that clear blue smoke out of it.
If you try and tamp it down using the air vents it starts putting out that white billowing smoke ya dont want.
The best way to add some smoke is using the small wood chips you can drop through the grill into the fire which is kinda a pain in the ass and you're constantly opening the cooker which is not a good thing for temp control.
As I said earlier it's the best all around cooker I have. It's only shortcoming is BBQ.
My reverse flow Lang kicks ass for BBQ and the Kamado cant even come close in that department. You can use the charcoal lumps like the Kamado uses and it does okay but nothing compared to the Kamado for all around cooking.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

Thanks all.

I do not want to have two things on the back deck, looking for one that can do both smoking and grilling.

I am no expert but hope to get better at it.

I had an eclectic smoker for years, have to admit I loved it. It was truly plug and forget and even had a little tube for adding wood chips without opening the door.

I am not willing to spend a grand or more right now. Maybe if I get really in to it I will upgrade.

This is what I am thinking of getting.

AKORN® Auto-Kamado™

Professional grills and smokers. Seriously hard working grills.

www.chargriller.com

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Thanks all.

I do not want to have two things on the back deck, looking for one that can do both smoking and grilling.

I am no expert but hope to get better at it.

I had an eclectic smoker for years, have to admit I loved it. It was truly plug and forget and even had a little tube for adding wood chips without opening the door.

I am not willing to spend a grand or more right now. Maybe if I get really in to it I will upgrade.

This is what I am thinking of getting.

AKORN® Auto-Kamado™

Professional grills and smokers. Seriously hard working grills.

www.chargriller.com

Did you look at the ratings at the bottom of the page?
I'd reconsider.

What exactly do you really want to cook?
If it's BBQ you really need to get an offset pit,even one of the cheaper ones.
You can do things to increase the performance of the cheaper offsets like adding fire bricks in the firebox and the smoking chamber.
This will help to regulate the temps and makes up for the thinner steel on the cheaper models. I even put them in my Lang.

If it's grilling go with the Kamado.
But you can get a cheap charcoal grill,while it wont cook as well as the Kamado it gets the job done.

It's really nice to have both options at hand.
I know I dont want BBQ everytime I cook outside,after a while it gets old.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

Did you look at the ratings at the bottom of the page?
I'd reconsider.

What exactly do you really want to cook?
If it's BBQ you really need to get an offset pit,even one of the cheaper ones.
You can do things to increase the performance of the cheaper offsets like adding fire bricks in the firebox and the smoking chamber.
This will help to regulate the temps and makes up for the thinner steel on the cheaper models. I even put them in my Lang.

If it's grilling go with the Kamado.
But you can get a cheap charcoal grill,while it wont cook as well as the Kamado it gets the job done.

It's really nice to have both options at hand.
I know I dont want BBQ everytime I cook outside,after a while it gets old.

I am going to ask a dumb question here, but what is the difference between BBQ and grilling?

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

I am going to ask a dumb question here, but what is the difference between BBQ and grilling?

BBQ is made using indirect heat at low temps of around 225 to 275 and of course smoke.
The low and slow method as it's commonly referred to. It really shines when trying to make a cheap tough cut tender like a brisket.
Of course you can BBQ any cut whether it's beef,chicken or pork. In Texas it's mainly Brisket moving east you get into the Carolinas and they specialize in pork using vinegar based sauce and red sauce depending on location.
In Texas BBQ was started by the Vaqueros ,basically mexican cowboys. The cattle owners would give them the brisket since it was an undesirable cut because it was tough. But it was a huge hunk of beef and the Vaqueros figured out that by cooking it at low temps for an extended period of time made really tender meat out of it and on the plus side the tough cuts usually have the beefiest flavor just like a Filet Mignon doesnt have a lot flavor because it's so lean.
You can see what I'm referring to when I say indirect heat here. The fire is in the offset box while the meat in the circular smoking chamber.

Grilling is just cooking directly over the coals or a fire.
It's simple and fast but you have to rely on the quality of your meat for tenderness.

Obviously BBQing is way more difficult than grilling but it's also very rewarding when you get it right.
If you dont enjoy cooking using this method it's probably not for you.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

BBQ is made using indirect heat at low temps of around 225 to 275 and of course smoke.
The low and slow method as it's commonly referred to. It really shines when trying to make a cheap tough cut tender like a brisket.
Of course you can BBQ any cut whether it's beef,chicken or pork. In Texas it's mainly Brisket moving east you get into the Carolinas and they specialize in pork using vinegar based sauce and red sauce depending on location.
In Texas BBQ was started by the Vaqueros ,basically mexican cowboys. The cattle owners would give them the brisket since it was an undesirable cut because it was tough. But it was a huge hunk of beef and the Vaqueros figured out that by cooking it at low temps for an extended period of time made really tender meat out of it and on the plus side the tough cuts usually have the beefiest flavor just like a Filet Mignon doesnt have a lot flavor because it's so lean.
You can see what I'm referring to when I say indirect heat here. The fire is in the offset box while the meat in the circular smoking chamber.

View attachment 758320View attachment 758321


Grilling is just cooking directly over the coals or a fire.
It's simple and fast but you have to rely on the quality of your meat for tenderness.

Obviously BBQing is way more difficult than grilling but it's also very rewarding when you get it right.
If you dont enjoy cooking using this method it's probably not for you.

Thanks!

I think what are calling BBQ is what I call smoking.

Low and slow with different woods chips for flavor.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Thanks!

I think what are calling BBQ is what I call smoking.

Low and slow with different woods chips for flavor.

Yeah pretty much.
Although with BBQing you use logs or as they're called splits.
The trick is to fill the firebox full and light it up,then let it burn until you have a nice bed of coals,then you mess with your vents to achieve the temp you're looking for. Then add single splits as needed to keep the temp steady and the coal bed full.
The only reason you'd use charcoal is to get the logs burning. I usually use a large propane torch.
Tending the fire this way will keep you from getting that white billowing smoke which you want to avoid.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Thanks!

I think what are calling BBQ is what I call smoking.

Low and slow with different woods chips for flavor.

Oh...smoking is done with an even lower temp than BBQ.

 

[Harpy Eagle]

Oh...smoking is done with an even lower temp than BBQ.

I had an eclectic box smoker, something along the lines of this.

I loved it, used the hell out of it till it got a short. Smoked everything from salmon to chickens to beef.

I am hoping to be able to do that and grill when I want to on the same piece of equipment

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

I had an eclectic box smoker, something along the lines of this.

View attachment 758462

I loved it, used the hell out of it till it got a short. Smoked everything from salmon to chickens to beef.

I am hoping to be able to do that and grill when I want to on the same piece of equipment

What temp did it run at? Thats more of an electric BBQ pit.
True smoking temps are 50 to 90 degrees the smoke helps to keep the meat for longer periods it's more of curing thing than BBQ. Where as BBQ is 225 to 275.
Most who dont know the difference often call BBQing Smoking while it is an acceptable description it's not accurate.
True smoking is done in a smokehouse Like this...or much larger in sizes and they're typically made of wood.

I had a CookShack electric BBQ pit at one time.
It was okay for beef but it sucked for chicken or any poultry,it made it kinda rubbery.
I should have known better before I bought it. You would only use a couple chunks of wood the size of your fist for the entire cook so you didnt get any fresh smoke and it didnt breath,what little smoke it made left the chamber through a small hole about the size of a quarter. And it trapped a lot of moisture which was why the chicken came out rubbery. I stopped using for BBQing and used it as a cambro.
The damn thing cost $1200 bucks!! I ended up selling it when I sold my huge Pitts & Spitts off set BBQ pitt.
It was way to big for what the Wife and I needed these days and it was a wood hog. Oh...you could actually smoke meat on it in the large square end of the pit furthest from the firebox.

The old Pitts & Spitts...

 

[Harpy Eagle]

What temp did it run at? Thats more of an electric BBQ pit.
True smoking temps are 50 to 90 degrees the smoke helps to keep the meat for longer periods it's more of curing thing than BBQ. Where as BBQ is 225 to 275.

Interesting. It ran at between 225 and 250 depending upon what I was cooking. I guess that would fall under the BBQ range.

Thanks for the information, I did not know any of this.

 

[HereWeGoAgain]

Interesting. It ran at between 225 and 250 depending upon what I was cooking. I guess that would fall under the BBQ range.

Thanks for the information, I did not know any of this.

Like I said it's very common even in the south and it's acceptable in most places.
It's really no different than when a Northerner calls grilling BBQing.
True BBQ will leave a pink ring in the meat commonly called the smoke ring.
If it doesnt have that it's not real BBQ.