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However, whether it's worth the hefty price tag really comes down to how often you’ll cook with it and whether you’ll make use of the features that set it apart from other cheaper charcoal grills on the market. If you only fire up the barbie a couple of times a year to throw on some burgers and halloumi, this probably isn’t the model for you. This model weighs 73kg. That’s not an issue if you’re planning on keeping it in the same spot all year round, but if you want something portable, it may not be for you. It requires two or more people to lift it – something to keep in mind. Our verdict Kamado grills are fairly unique in their design, and these grills stand out from other charcoal grills thanks to their egg-shaped form and ceramic walls. The ceramic exterior retains heat better than traditional metal grills, and it also helps to keep moisture and smoke sealed inside, giving your food a richer flavor. I left the LANDMANN GrillChef Mini Kamado BBQ to cool down overnight, as even when it was time to go to bed there was still some heat coming off of the grill - one thing I've learnt when it comes to how to clean a BBQ is that you need to have patience.
Next, you need to add a fire starter followed by a few more charcoal pieces on top – a charcoal garnish for your firelighter, if you will. Open the draft door fully for 10 minutes and wait for your charcoal to glow. Then it’s time to open the other vent, aptly named the ‘reggulator’ and – patience please – wait up to five minutes for your Egg to be sufficiently heated. Finally, add your cooking surface and you’re ready to start the art of barbecuing. What can you cook in it?Overall, this grill is remarkably accurate when it comes to regulating a preset temperature, and we think the experience could only be improved with a few updates to the Konnected Joe Kontrol Board's firmware and the Kamado Joe app. The folks at Kamado Joe certainly don’t rest on their laurels. While the previous Kamado Joe Classic was a high-quality grill that rated well in our tests, the Classic Joe III has reached another level of cooking perfection with the patented SlōRoller insert that creates cyclonic airflow that controls both the heat and smoke for low and slow cooking, all the way up to 500 degrees. When it’s time for higher temperatures, which can reach up to 750 degrees, the SlōRoller can be swapped out for heat deflector plates for the perfect sear on a steak or an amazing restaurant-style pizza. Lighting a kamado grill is very similar to lighting a charcoal grill. You'll want to open its air vents all the way to ensure oxygen can enter the chamber, then you can use a chimney starter or electric starter to light your lump charcoal.
There’s no getting away from the fact that this is an investment level outdoor cooker. But if you’ve been eyeing up Big Green Egg for some time, this little one is a fantastic gateway into the world of egg cooking. Don’t let the name fool you, it’s still big enough to cook joints of meat and get to grips with this style of cooking for 2-4 people. Kamado grills are made from heavy, engineered ceramic material and once heated or 'heat soaked,' they will cook very efficiently for hours with minimal effort," explained Paul Sidoriak of Grilling Montana. "They can be used to smoke a prime rib, roast veggies, bake a cheesecake, and grill up burgers—all in the same day! There’s almost nothing you can’t make on a kamado grill." Our expert found it to be just as good as a quality, traditional smoker. It did take eight hours to smoke our pork, but such is the nature of smoking meat. The reward for their patience? Tender, melt-in-the-mouth pulled pork with a lovely oak flavour. A real BBQ game-changer.To test performance using the automatic mode, we grilled veggies, a tomahawk steak, and brisket (long smoke). Zucchini, red onions, and corn all came out evenly charred and tender, but there were no defined grill marks. The steak came out with a nice sear and was unbelievably juicy, especially considering it was cooked to medium/medium+ after resting for 10 minutes. The sear was a deep brown with hints of gold around the caramelized fat caps, and the grill marks, while somewhat faint, were lightly charred. The brisket was incredibly juicy and retained its integrity when handled as nothing was falling apart or overly dry. The cubed pieces of brisket were then tossed in bourbon-infused bbq sauce and drizzled with honey before returning to the smoker to prepare the burnt ends. The finished burnt ends came out deeply caramelized—tender and juicy with a somewhat crisp exterior. This BBQ is a total bargain and for the price, I'd recommend anyone looking for a smaller Kamado-style BBQ on a budget to invest. It is pretty small, with 4 burgers max at a time, but if you only have a few people to cater to then it'll suffice. The setup time is minimal and the cooking on this BBQ is great, with the vents making it really versatile for all different types of foods. To get cooking, you simply fill the Firebox with natural lumpwood charcoal. Be sure to avoid any charcoal that contains chemicals as this can affect the taste of your food and the Big Green Egg’s ceramics.
A handful of Kamado Joe-brand accessories, including the JoeTisserie rotisserie attachment, will fit the Big Green Egg. Many kamado users also love the addition of a ceramic surface to deflect heat. This allows for indirect cooking, and many cooks use it to turn their grill into a smoker or outdoor oven. Both Big Green Egg and Kamado Joe have their own version of this ceramic piece, and you can use them interchangeably between both brands. Scoring a mighty 96/100 overall, it’s safe to say that our expert was thoroughly impressed by this charcoal cooker. Let’s find out why. The pros Our GHI expert first assessed how easy the set-up instructions were to follow and then they got grilling. You'll need to spend time learning how to control the cooking temperature using the air vents, and watching YouTube videos to learn the art of perfectly smoking brisket or cooking pulled pork.Cooking with a kamado grill can be quite a learning experience, but this one is unlike any other. The Akorn Auto-Kamado has a large cooking area—445 square inches—and is pretty light comparatively speaking. But perhaps the coolest feature is how it's used with an app on your phone! Sure, you can adjust the temperature via the knob on the LCD control screen, but it's arguably more fun to use use the app when the grill is connected via Bluetooth and/or Wi-Fi. Donna Currie is a cookbook author as well as a writer and product tester for The Spruce Eats. She stays up to date on all the latest grills and gadgets and personally tested a kamado grill for this roundup. Plus, it comes with a lifetime warranty and self-cleaning abilities, both perks that help it stand out from the BBQ crowd. Why is the Big Green Egg so expensive?