The Best Kamado Grill (XL Size) | Are The Brand Names Worth The Price?
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- čas přidán 7. 07. 2024
- Special Thanks to Porter Road for sponsoring this video. They're the online butcher we trust and you can learn more here: www.shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=11...
Great Prices on These XL Best Kamado Grills:
► Vision Maxis - bbqguys.sjv.io/QOGBVa
► Kamado Joe XL - bbqguys.sjv.io/MX1AQo
► Green Egg XL - acehardware.dttq.net/MXkG92
► Lifesmart XL - bbqguys.sjv.io/9W3Le3
► Pit Boss XL - pitbossgrills.77jaha.net/KeYWBa
► Porter Road chicken drumsticks - shrsl.com/4ima3
► Porter Road chuck roast - shrsl.com/4ima4
Special thanks to Sullivan Hardware in Indianapolis, Indiana for letting us borrow some Big Green Egg accessories to complete our tests. If you're in the Indy area, check them out - sullivanhardware.com/pages/gr...
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0:00
1:04 The Contenders
1:23 Assembly
2:04 What's in the Box
2:56 Size Difference
3:30 Ceramic Thickness
4:07 Cooking Capacity
5:18 Vertical Cooking Space
5:52 Grate Height Differences
6:47 Maximum and Minimum Temperature Limits
7:53 Who Has The Best Hinge?
9:03 Best Kamado Warranty
9:19 Which Kamado Grills Can Use A Fan Controller?
10:01 Mobility Test
10:46 Best Kamado for Adding Wood and Charcoal
11:53 Best Kamado Thermometer
12:44 Low and Slow Chuck Roast Test
14:16 Hot and Fast Chicken Test
15:25 High Heat Grilling Test
16:33 Porter Road
17:33 Easiest Kamado to Clean
18:37 Kamado Cost Comparison
19:31 Calculating the Winner Per Category
21:05 Best Kamado Value for your Money
21:35 Best XL Kamado Winner
23:14 Kamado Giveaway Entry Details - Jak na to + styl
I use to own a $20 walmart cheap basic BBQ for years. About 4 years ago I got myself a Kamado Joe Big Joe 2 and it was a game changer in cooking. Did not know a thing about cooking on a Kamado. Watched a few CZcams videos and that was it. This thing is a beast and everything I have ever cooked on it as come out amazing. I have done pulled pork, chicken drumsticks, chicken lollipops, Flintstone Style Beef Ribs, Short Ribs, various steaks including Picanha, kabobs, rotisserie al pastor, rotisserie pollo asada, rotisserie leg of lamb, rotisserie prime rib, smoked mac n cheese, and the list goes on and on. There is nothing you can't do on this grill. For me I did not feel there was a learning curve at all. Very easy to control the temps. Keep the bottom vent door open slightly for lower temps and keep it open up a bit more for higher temps.
We live in France and for two months we have a BJ2 ! I am very happy to be able to modulate the temperature much more easily than with a Weber. I can also use half of the charcoal basket, if there are not many of us, and on the contrary cook with the whole surface. I did my first cooking at low temperature and it held up for 5 hours at 105/110°C, without needing to add charcoal. So a great buy !!!
Thanks so much for such an in depth comparison. Fantastic!
Have had a KJ classic (1st generation) for many years. I remember looking at many models before deciding on it and I’m very glad I did. Have never had any issues. I sometimes wish I got the Big Joe tho as a single guy the 18” is more than enough for my needs. Highly recommended!
I have a Vision pro that’s 12 years old that has been a work horse. Just recently added a Big Joe 3 for the size. Very happy with both. The Joe could handle anything I throw at it, but I can’t part with the Vision for what it has done. For me and my wife it’s great…then if I need more space the Joe comes out. The best of both worlds!
I recently bought the Kamado Joe, and it’s so far is amazing the quality the new type lid hinge is simple to lift and lite Plus, it’s beautiful red
I picked the Big Joe for all the same reasons others have, and am glad I did. I love it so much, I got a Joe Jr to compliment it for smaller cooks.
I have the first generation Vision for over 12 years now here in Canada still love it & own many types of bbqs & smokers + etc best over all in our cold snowy winters
Great review. Your reviews are well thought out with great video and narration. Learning a lot. Thanks.
Glad to hear it! Best wishes as you make a decision which one is right for you.
I am definitely pleased to see the Big Joe taking the top spot on this list. For me it was its cooking surface size, availability of accessories and the cost/value over the others of its comparable size that I based my decision on. I guess I benefited from its height as well which I did not factor into my decision as I stand 6'4". I did immediately appreciate its height when I got mine and raised it a tad higher when I built it into my outdoor kitchen.
This is a great review of all the popular grills. This would have been great for me a few months ago but would have just helped me to make the same decision I suppose 😊
Not even the new model
Now i dont have to watch the video :)
Would love to see the Grilla Grills kamado grill in the mix next time. Ty for the video.
awesome review, thanks for the great info!
Excellent review! I purchased the Vision. Thanks for a great review
Excellent video! I plan on going with the Big Joe Series 2.
Great video. This video showed up in my feed as i was looking at upgrading my BGE medium to a large. I appreciate the time you took in making this comparison video and found it very interesting and entertaining. Subscribed and will look forward to the next video.
Wish I had this before I got my BGE XL could have mad a difference. I chose it over the Kamado Joe even though it was the better choice. After I found out that joetisserie fits my egg, that did it.
Thank you for another fantastic educational video. I have the Kamado Classic Joe. But for speed & ease of use, plus a 700 degree sear temp. if I want, my Masterbuilt Gravity Series 800 is the bomb, plus maintaining temp. is cake.
Thanks Tom, I completely agree that the GS800 is way easier to maintain temperatures since it's a digital controller. Searing on that unit has some very HOT memories for me, since I had a group of guys over to cook steaks one night, and one of the guys had 3 foot flames shooting out the back of the 800 before I noticed. That grill can seriously sear.
Broil King Keg I have had for 7 years and it is a beast
If accessories didn't matter much to me I may have gone Primo, Big Joe won out due to the DoJoe, Joetisserie and Sloroller, enhanced functionality even more.
I use all 3 alot so it was the right move for me, an already versitile cooker made even more so.
I purchase the Vision Grill years ago because I found it be better than the BGE in terms of design and price. Since I purchased the grill, Vision came out with an LP gas insert that I can use LP gas on week days when I want to grill but don't want to wait for the charcoal to get hot. Also I found that in cold weather, the Vision Grill with LP gas keeps the heat of the fire in better than my old LP gas grill what had a stainless steel frame.
@15:02 "You know it's good when a kid asks for them." That made me spit out my beer.
I have the Lifesmart and the PitBoss Kamado. I use the Lifesmart all the time and absolutely love it , especially for the cost. I really enjoy cooking on these..
It's hard to beat the price of the Lifesmart. Glad you're enjoying them!
Related to adding hardwood or wood chips I noticed that the Kamado Joe and Vision allow you to add wood chips in the cleaning tray. Your thoughts on that?
I have the K24 (Louisiana Grills). Basically the same thing as the Pit Boss. I like it, but there are some setbacks...mainly controlling temps. The learning curve on this thing is a BEAST. That said, it makes great food, just gotta watch it real close.
On my first Kamado, I didn’t think I’d ever get the learning curve. That first month was interesting to say the least. I have a plan to shoot a Kamado video for beginners soon on how to control it, so everyone leave your best tips below, and I’ll add as many as I can to that video when we get there.
I had a feeling the Pit Boss and Louisiana Grills looked exactly the same except colour.
@@TheBarbecueLab one of the tips I'd like to share is to make sure the dome gets heat soaked. Too often the biggest culprit of "temp chasing" is because of this. Additionally, if aiming for like 250, start closing down vents at around 200. Can't wait till desired temp is on dial, game over at that point.
Great job. A really through review. KJ's of any size are really hard to beat.
I got my Louisiana Kamado from Costco for $500. Its basically a Kamado Joe big Joe. Couldn't be happier with it.
Bought mine (Kamado Jr.) month ago. LOVE IT. So far have cooked whole chicken, pork loin roast, bone in prime rib steaks. And a whole Alaskan King salmon. Well worth the cost. Oh also have baked some nice sourdough bread in it. The Jr .is just right for the two of us. Wife on longer wants me to cook inside.
I live in a camper and prefer something a little lighter weight for travel so I'm actually looking at going with the akorn Kamado by char-griller. It also has easy clean out and cast iron grates. I currently have the Akorn Jr. I was able to find used in good shape for cheep I haven't had a chance to use it yet but I've seen quite a few videos on CZcams covering some of it's cooking ability so I'm looking forward to getting a chance to try it out.
All in all though I found your video to be informative and well crafted and I thank you for taking the time to make it. I'm sure it will help several people to make a decision on which style of Kamado they wish to go with
At some point, when we do a comparison of Large sized Kamado grills, I’d love to have the Akorn in the mix. I have a friend who has one, and he likes it from what he’s told me. For camping, I don’t know if I could imagine lugging one of these things around. They’re super heavy. We usually have to call in favors when it comes time to put them on their stands or move them into storage once a video is done.
That's why I would like to buy the Akorn Kamado as it's only supposed to weigh about 100 LBS in comparison to the ceramic style Kamados. But if you do , do a video of a comparison including the Akorn Kamado I would very much look forward to seeing that video
I think it would be an interesting comparison, because i'd love to see how something like the Akorn would hold up to a Golden's cast iron kamado or a Blaze Aluminum kamado. We'd be looking at iron vs. steel vs. aluminum vs. ceramic, which I think would be fascinating. I hope one day we can make that video happen.
Thanks for shooting this video
If I end up going with a kamado I think I'd have to go with kamado joe! being 6'2" having it higher is important to me. and also having more cooking area is a big one too! another great video! cheers from Philly!
Cheers Bud! One thing I didn’t talk about is how much charcoal the Kamado Joe uses. That thing can take half a bag of lump charcoal easy, so if you go that route, stock up on the lump. It’s cavernous!
@@TheBarbecueLab oh wow! good to know, thanks!
I have a series 2 Kamado Joe and love it. The series 2 wasn’t shown here, but has a hinge and gasket upgrade over the series 1. In very happy with it.
Yes, they hold a lot of charcoal, but they’ll burn for a long time.
The pit boss Kama do , never knew they had one. Where I live, unfortunately in New Jersey, I’ve never seen them out in the stores
I don't know that I've seen them in stores around Indy either, but I know they're sold online at their website. I think I saw the Louisiana Grills K24 at Costco last year, but grills are long gone by now in Costco. Their seasonal stuff is pretty short lived in stores from what i've experienced.
This is a well done comprehensive comparison. It would be very cool to run this same comparison after say five years of comparable use. This way we could also learn more about durability of the unit and quality of the warranties.
That sounds like a great idea, I'd just have to figure out how to keep all of these grills around that long. We review about 40 grills per year, and storage space is a real problem in an HOA governed suburban neighborhood... We're working through the growing pains.
Great video but there is one thing you forgot to mention. The vision has the ability to be converted to a propane with an an insert accessory.
l Loved the video. I did a lot of similar research myself before I finally purchased the BIG JOE. Just a few other things to consider is additional accessory availability that was not shown. Like the Joe rotisserie and the Dojo pizza accessories. These two are game changers that will actually fit both the Big joe and the BGE since they are the same ceramic size.
Yeah, would have liked to cover all the accessories, but we didn’t have them on hand for most of the brands, and the video was already pretty long, so that segment hit the cutting room floor.
So does the ceramic and steel have a big difference besides the price ? I've had my traeger for almost 15 years and I want to get a grill like this
I just purchased a GrillaGrills Kong, and would have liked to see how it stacked up in this group. Haven't had it very long, but really like it so far. Excellent build with all stainless hardware, including the stand. Came with lots of accessories and priced at $829.
I love the Grilla brand, but unfortunately their Kong is not an XL model. You can however see many comparisons of the Kong to maybe a KJ Classic or Egg. Good luck!!
@@infin8one I have plenty of reason to believe the Grilla Grills Kong, which I do own, is essentially the same grill as the Pit Boss K24. I haven't looked that far into it, but from all of the non-Grilla accessory sites I can find, most of them list different accessories as interchangeable between the Grilla Grills Kong, the Pit Boss K24 and the Louisiana Kamado 24. Looking at the Pit Boss K24 in this video, it does look nearly identical to my Grilla Grills Kong, aside from different finishes which I imagine the three different brands use to differentiate themselves. I've had the Kong since this spring and it's been an absolute joy to cook on.
@@infin8one Not sure I'd agree. The Kong is 24" in diameter, and has over 600" of grill space. It would easily compete in this group.
@@TimD9804 @mark Knox are correct. I stand corrected, when I was researching before landing on the Big Joe, it was actual cooking area I found small. For comparison the Big Joe has 450 sq in of cooking area vs 329 sq in for the Kong and believe K24. Kong includes the top rack in their cook area dimensions.
All things considered, the Kong is essentially the K24 as mentioned so it's included by admission, kinda. Side note, I own the Grilla OG smoker and love what the brand offers!
I'm 99% certain the Kong is another Auplex rebrand, so it's essentially just the Pit Boss with different shelves and cart. Louisiana Grills also sell the exact same Kamado too.
I have the icon, where do I get the fan/fan attachment that is compatible?
Thanks!
Did you look at BGE XXL ? That would seem to me as more on an apple to apple with the big joe . However, they are all good
This looks like a recent (late 2022) review but not sure why you used an old, 2012ish XL EGG. It's easy to date by the grill components. I need to ask where is Primo Grill, one of the original big 3 kamado grills? Also, not sure about the Kamado Joe Big Joe 1, as it looks to be missing the fire ring. The Divide and Conquer should not sit that low in it.
To clear up a few things about grill construction, the Big Joe 1 weighs approx. 350 lbs. The Big Joe 3 weighs well over 400lbs, approx. 450 lbs. All EGGs, out of the box, have bands attached to the base and dome. At the top of the base is the last place I'd measure ceramic thickness, just to easy a place to misrepresent, especially on grills with sunken bands. Gotta bust 'em open to get an accurate perspective.
The best thing to measure in comparing grills is not outside grill or inside fire bowl/box diameters but rather the actual diameter of the cooking grid. The two big players, Egg and joe, measure cooking grid. The Big Joe and XL EGG both have 24" diameter cooking grids. The Pit Boss and Lifesmart measure grill diameters, which makes their grills market bigger with 24 in the grill name. Actual Pit Boss and Lifesmart 24 grills have a 20.5" diameter cooking grid. We field calls routinely from Pit Boss and Lifesmart owners who think their grill has the same cooking diameters/capabilities of Joe and EGG.
On headroom above the cooking grid, the current version of the XL EGG has the most. Bobby and Carey (original owners of Kamado joe) used the original XL EGG as a take-off plan for Big Joe. After that, EGG modified the XL dome pushing higher and removing the flat look, your XL. It was a significant improvement to improve multi-level cooks. Also, your XL has fire ring to felt line measurement of 2 inches. XL EGGs now, the drop is closer to 3.75".
I don't follow your discussion about height of the cooking grate when the unit is on the stand. Here you measure top of base to ground. Odd measurement when all cooking grids sit lower, down inside, the base. Hard to get this measurement on the older Big Joe 1, when you are missing the fire ring. Now it’s the multi-piece fire box in Big Joes. Most outdoor kitchen builders stay in and around 35" for counter height, so anything plus or minus from this should be acceptable to most folks. So maybe a better classification here would be working height to access the grill.
When discussing adding smoking chunks during a bbq cook, why not test this with the indirect pieces in place. This would make it a true test of capability. We've pioneered racks systems with handles, making it much easier to add smoking wood or check on the fire. One note about handles on cooking grids (Pit Boss, Lifesmart, vision), they make it virtually impossible to use a rack with handles for easy lifting. On a side note, the hinge grate is a wonderful marketing tool, but in practice can be frustrating to use if the hinge section is loaded up with food.
On thermometers, very old EGGs had 2" thermometer. EGG went to 3" thermometers, years ago. One thing on the EGG thermometer, unlike the other brand thermometers that use a thread stem and nut to fasten tight to the dome, the EGG thermometer uses a spring friction clamp that pins the thermometer to the inside dome wall. The clamp lets you spin the thermometer or draw it up if going high in the dome. Cool thing about spinning the thermometer is you can rotate it to put the target temperature straight up. This way, with a quick glance, you can tell how you're doing. if arrow points left of vertical - temp is low; if arrow points right of vertical - high temp, vertical - on temp. Can't do this effectively on threaded stem thermometers.
On the grilling test, you used the corresponding ceramics deflectors for each grill but Kamado Joe's Big Joe 1. For Joe, you used a much smaller round heat plate on the chuck roast and a small half-moon plate on the chicken lollipop leg test. Plus, the fire ring was missing. Why grill and use a deflector plate, you eliminate the ability to radiate heat when grilling in the 350°F to 425°F range. Is this a viable comparison?
I hope you don’t take this the wrong way. I am trying to help folks who read this get a better understanding of current grill capabilities. We get calls all the time from folks who need help figuring out what works on their grills.
Tom
Ceramic Grill Store
I’ve got a chargriller akorn thinking about upgrading
Winner for me: Weber Summit Kamado. It’s double walled steel, rapid temp control, easy clean ash pan and lighter weight and easy to move. Not to mention, steel won’t crack over time. Warranty is also top notch.
I would have loved to have a Summit in this roundup, but couldn't find one locally to be a part of it. Here's hoping in the future i'll get a chance to run some Weber products in our head to heads, but haven't been able to source them to date.
@@TheBarbecueLab Please do. It's an uncommon grill but is such a good approach to the kamado. I wish it was cheaper but apparently this is as cheap as weber could make it. In the second generation, they lowered the cost my removing the gas lighting assist but 1250 is still a hefty price tag for the best kettle to ever be made.
Sounds like a must try. I’ll keep my eyes open for one.
Steel kamados are just a Kamado in appearance. All steel kamados manage cooking very differently than ceramic. They are their own category of cooker
@@TheBarbecueLab yeah that definitely needs to be in the round up. I bought the Weber Kamado due to the price and since it brings similar performance.
I have one of the early Vision Grills that cost me ($550) a third the price of the XL Big Green Egg (same shape/size) with equivalent accessories. I would put it up against any Komodo grill. #VisionGrills
Does any if the kamado Joe's accessories fit the life smart?
How well would these work in the northeast during the winter?
This was a very fair comparison. Bottom line - buy the cooker that inspires you to cook great food.
Like the comparison, but the Kamado Joe is the older model Classic 1. There is value in the Classic one for sure, but not the current model.
Interesting pricing. Locally here in New Zealand the Lifesmart equivalent is circa USD 700, but the Big Joe is circa USD 2,200. Hard to justify the extra even though the Big Joe is better.
The Big Joe 3 is $2,999 US right now, the Big Joe 2 is $1,999, and the Classic Big Joe 1 is $1,199 on the Kamado Joe website here in the US. $2,200 for a big Joe 1 seems quite the price jump for you. Unfortunate, but thanks for watching Michael!
Big Joe 3 recently went up to USD 2749 in Australia (AUD4299) .
Used to be $3999 (USD 2558) when I got it on special for USD 2300 ($3599)
Pit Boss is a grand here, so, USD640, Big Joe 1 is double that. Again the 3 used to be double again that but now even more.
good deal now if that's the case. Just picked up the BJ for NZ $2498 delivered (us $1540). We will never get the same prices on overseas products as the consumers get hammered on s&h costs. On most smaller items it is normally cheaper to import than to by from a retailer.
I have had a primo XL for about ten years. Kamado grills are great because they last so long. I have had to change gaskets a couple of times because I let temps go crazy. Other than that they are a good investment for anyone wanting a grill that will last. It’s a buy once cry once kind of purchase. I keep eyeballing those Kamado Joes because of their capacity. That is the only limitation with Kamado grills. You will want to smoke a brisket, a pork but, chicken, etc.
Buy once, cry once, lol! Love it!
I have the Auto kamado and love it. I'm really like the kamados. I might move up one day to a ceramic one.
I’m intrigued by the auto Kamado, but haven’t been hands on yet. How do you like it? What do you like about it or what stands out for you?
What's not to like. It's very fuel efficient. A couple of large scoops of lumb can burn for two days. It holds and maintains temperature control. The app is a nice feature to watch and control your cook. Planty of cooking space. Price is very good. Especially when Walmart had them on sale when I bought mine. It's a very good entry kamado for beginners and good for pros as well. I've only had mine for a short time and have done 3 cooks. A pork butt, tommyhawk ribye, and a chicken. All turned out great. I like much more than my masterbulit gravity 800. I also have the char griller gravity 980 which I like and my off set smoker. The auto is becoming my favorite. I plan on some ribs this weekend and maybe a deer roast. You should get one.
I have a masterbuilt 560 that's rusting out. Looking to get a ceramic type now.
I'm sure the more expensive models make a little bit of a difference, but i have one the cheapest ....Pit Boss, and i grill some pretty tasty meals. get what you can afford and get your grill on.... at the end of the day all these grills can cook some impressive meals. good grillin.
I'm 5'3" and wanted decent quality without spending a fortune, so I went with the shorter & lighter Pit Boss 24... BONUS for other girl grillers: It's pink! 😏😉😊
Chuck roasts are wet moist heat or braised
If price is no object just get a Komodo Kamado, its a perfect kamado bbq with amazing design, build quality, and uses. That being said, I'll stick with my XL BGE. ITs served me well for over a decade and is still in perfect condition.
Not to mention the Kamado Joe 3 price skyrocket which no longer make it worth it at 3k.
I would like to add accessories will swap between the Kamado, Joe, and big green egg XL, but those same accessories will not fit the other grills due to them being smaller
I haven’t tried swapping accessories in those two grills, primarily because I don’t have many of them for those two. Thanks for the insight!
@@TheBarbecueLab I have a friend who borrowed my Slo roller for his BGE XL, he loved it, fits well
Awesome video
I really like the BIG JOE, but in Italy version 2 costs €2500 and version 3 €3500, which is definitely too much compared to the PITBOSS K24 on offer at €980!! I would like to know if the pitboss is a good reliable Kamado anyway
Im going to get the kj2
Got my XL Big Green Egg up to 850 ish degrees. Next day noticed the bands had shifted. Cleaned out the ash and easily noticed ( hot temps burned out all the black creosote) a crack from the gasket all the way down the egg continuing half way through the bottom surface. Was unsure how I even felt about it at first. Luckily BBG has a lifetime warranty, and Koopman Lumber, where I purchased, was able to locate my receipt in their system and execute a claim. I tried contacting BBG myself and got nowhere. Still took 8 months to get replacement. Was the pizza delicious, yes. Did I never make pizza on the Egg again and also purchase an Ooni.... YES.
Wowzers. That sounds like quite the ordeal
Can you identify where each grill is made?
Merci beaucoup pour cette vidéo 👍
Sold my 18” Joe and hot weber Summit. So happy. Really liked my KJ but the big joe pricing i just cant justify and i wanted 24”
I'm intrigued by the Weber Summit, and one day I hope to work with it to see what it's all about.
I'd like to cook brisket, pork shoulder and ribs. Since I'm single, buying a huge offset smoker would be dumb, so I'm looking at these grills. But I want a long slow cook. Will these do long and slow? How long will a good 300 degree brisket cook last with a combo of charcoal and the ash tree I just chopped down?
Last night I I cooked a brisket and a small pot of beans over night. Slow cooked at about 225 degrees. Turned out finger licking good.
Always great videos from BBQ LAB. Informative and entertaining.
I appreciate that!
very good well done
I Love my Vision Kamado Pro S
The warranty issue is actually sort of moot because you can easily buy an insurance policy for any item. For half the price the LifeSmart can get a lifetime warranty and still be hugely less expensive
Though, it would be through a third-party company who may or may not honor said warranty ten years down the line. And it begs further strange questions relating, such as would they have access to the OEM parts or ship you third party ones? The way warrantied work is generally submitting proof of purchase and pictures of the affected malfunction. Do they offer free shipping on replacements? What specifically do they honor as far as warrantied items, do they include all the things a first party warranty would?
@@BrewReview third party warranty products simply give you cash to buy a new one. It's pretty straight forward.
Any thoughts on the newage kamado? Anyone?
You didn't review the Primo XL?? That would have outclassed all the tested grills in this video!
Sorry, didn't see the recipe here or on your site for the Lolly pop chicken and sauce. Could you direct me to it please, thanks.
Absolutely! Here you go - czcams.com/video/h0oZKIkDJbE/video.html
Just got a big joe for Christmas. Wife must have really thought I was a good boy this year! I’ve disassembled it to move but lifting the base into the wheel stand is really hard. Going to take at least 3 people unfortunately. The wife and I tried but no bueno.
Bummer, that. Be careful. If I was nearby I'd be happy to help heft the beast, and then drink beer while you read instructions to get 'er going!
@@gyrene_asea4133 haha thanks but we did end up getting it put together and tested it out tonight. First attempt on her and for came out great 👌🏼
@@brandonstephens1447 Glad it worked out w/o injury. Enjoy.
Great comparison… In the future can you compare/check thermometer accuracy?
Thanks RcG! For temp accuracy, do you mean if the hood thermometer is reading the actual grate temp, or whether the thermometers are calibrated correctly? I want to make sure I understand what you’re after here. Thanks!
I was referring to the calibration; but since you brought it up, thermometer vs grate temp would be great information also🙏🏾
Personally I've never used any Kamado type. With multiple cooking devices I've been toying with a Kamado type and gravity. The KONG intrigues me because of $ and features. Could KONG be your head-to-head?
you probably couldnt get them but i would have like to see komodo kamado and monolith grills in the lineup
I reached out to Dennis at Komodo Kamado awhile back and didn't get a response, so that's looking unlikely for now. Monolith I haven't been in contact with, but they seem like they have a nice product line over there.
wouldn't it be fairer if you included Big joe 3 instead of 1? my local supplier does not have to big joe 1 for sale anymore
I wish I could have run a Big Joe iii in this roundup, but Kamado Joe didn't have a demo for us to use, and our budget didn't allow for a $3,000 grill purchase. So, we just shot the video with what we had on hand. Maybe in the future we can add in the newer units, but buying all new units for a video like this would cost between $8,000-10,000 alone. We're not seeing that kind of revenue from CZcams, so that would be hard to do since we're not a dealer.
I cracked the ceramic on my Big Joe when I didn't pay adequate attention one time when lighting it. The temp gauge was pegged at over 900. It still works like new and is great but the glazing is cracked.
How much fuel did you have in the BJ?
A normal amount, but I walked away for 15 mins or so on a hot day and it got going much faster than anticipated.
No love for the SnS Kamado?!
How is it you didn't include the Primo Oval XL?
I tried to, but Primo didn’t have a unit for us to use.
This was great as I am trying to decide on a kamado grill purchase. However I am also looking at the brand Primo Grills for kamados. I know they are made in the USA (as the ones in this test are Made outside the USA). Any reason that Primo Grills kamado's were Not included??
I reached out to Primo to see if they had a unit that we could include in our test, and they declined. The same with Kamado Joe. I picked up this Big Joe cracked from a fall on Facebook Marketplace about a year ago, and a ceramic binder was used to put it back together, so it works. I got the Green Egg that same way as well when someone was moving, but luckily no cracks in that one. Our channel doesn’t have the budget to go out and buy $9,000 worth of Kamados for a video like this one, so we just have to work with what we can get our hands on.
@@TheBarbecueLab thank 6ou very much for your response and explanation. I completely understand especially when it's out of pocket money for a lot of things 👍
Bought a Primo and used it regularly in SoCal, where grilling 362.5 days a year. LOVED IT. LOVED that it was American made, and the oval shape gives more practical space. Alas, some doofus cracked it trying to do some maintenance. That doofus, alas, was ME! Of course, gives me a good excuse to buy a new grill and the wife cannot say anything cause gotta have a kamado style grill, right? And another motorcycle! And surfboard. And hand gun! LOL.
@@surfingonmars8979 safe you planning on another Primo or something else?
@@backyard_pitstop I really like the Primo oval shape. It gives you much more useable space. I think you really cannot go wrong with any of the kamado grills. I have sent the Weber and kind of like it, but have had so many Weber kettles over the years and HATE the ash catcher that is so difficult to use….
Why not the bj3?
Why did you not include the Weber Summit Kamado?
Weber didn’t return our requests to borrow a demo unit for the test, and our budget for purchasing multiple grills just wasn’t high enough to include it.
Why is Blaze's aluminum kamado never featured anywhere? I feel like it's a no brainer being its indestructable.
You just might want to keep an eye on the channel in the coming weeks… you may enjoy some upcoming content.
Komodo Kamado :D
Not a complete test without evaluating the Komodo Kamado 😮
If only I had an unlimited budget, it’d be in there!
Surprised you didn’t include the Primo XL.
Would have loved to, but Primo decided that they didn’t want to participate this go around, and the budget didn’t support another grill in the $2,000 range to buy out of pocket. Maybe next time!
@@TheBarbecueLab I wish they had. I own 2 Eggs, and 2 Primos. Love them all, but Primo is more versatile. I’ve been experimenting with Weber kettles and having a blast with that too.
I'm hoping to have an opportunity to cook on a Primo, so we'll see where next year takes us.
If lifesmart comes in at 3rd, but at $799 then it’s the winner… unless you just like to spend money
You missed the best one of them all...the Weber Summit Kamado. Never going back to a ceramic.
I would have liked to test the Weber Summit, but Weber didn't get back with us about seeing if we could borrow a demo unit for this test. Maybe if the budget goes up in the future we'll be able to add one to the testing, but this time around, the budget didn't support adding a Summit in since Weber wasn't getting back with us.
I'd only buy the one made in America!
That’s the older KJ…lots of better features in the series 3
Where’s the Primo?
I’ll take the dog 🐶
Kinda odd that you compared using the Kamado Joe Big Joe I. It’s two generations old and seems like an unfair comparison. Why did you do this?
Because I’m just a guy who lives in the suburbs who has a CZcams channel and a limited budget. I asked Kamado Joe if I could use a demo model, and they didn’t return my calls or emails, so I found what I could on Facebook Marketplace for $450, which happened to be a Big Joe I.
Recipe link?
Also came back to this video for the recipe link. Can’t seem to find it 😢
Your missing quite a few of the bigger names in this space: Grill Dome, Primo, Komodo...
Yeah, if only I had an unlimited budget… I‘be emailed Komodo a few times and haven’t heard back from Dennis, so I assume he’s not interested in us featuring Komodo on the channel. Primo seemed like they wanted to let us use a demo model, then decided against it. Grill Dome, we have their Large size, but not their XL size, but look for us to include them in that size when we do a Large kamado head to head in the future.
What about the Primo ?
We contacted Primo about this video, but they declined to be involved.
@@TheBarbecueLab thanks for the reply .PS I’ve had a Primo for over 20 years , best purchase that I’ve ever made ( and I believe that they are still made in the USA , very rare these days ) Cheers
*** Vision is the only one that can convert to propane! That puts it number one for me.
Why would you want to convert to propane though?? Charcoal is so much better. Mine as well use an oven if your using propane imo. You don’t get the wood fired flavor
@Brandon Stephens I live in an apartment and I an up a few levels. You can't have charcoal if you're not on the flat level.
Why not Kamado Joe version three
Because I contacted them about using a sample for this video and they never replied to multiple attempts at getting in contact with them. The V1 was what I had on site, so it was the only option I had.
@@TheBarbecueLab OK, thanks for your quick reply
No primo?
Had a couple of emails back and forth with Primo, but they decided that they didn’t want to let us use a demo for the video.
No Kamado Komodo?
I’ve got nothing but love for Komodo Kamado, but haven’t ever had hands on experience with their product. I’ve emailed Dennis a few times to see if we could get a KK on the channel, but it hasn’t worked out. They look like art from what I’ve seen of them, but my only experience to date is what I can see on their website.
Take a shot every time he says porter road. Must get paid per mention in the video.
Sell me one you have too many
Where is Primo?
Way too expensive. I'd imagine I'd pay $2K for a grill if I'm making money off of it. Otherwise, it's just not worth it.
Do you have anything on the Auto Kamado , have you tested it yet