I have been shopping around for the last year for a new kamado style BBQ grill. I finally pulled the trigger this afternoon and ordered one from Ace. I just finally got tired of shopping and decided to pick one out. Now the next thing to ponder for the next few days is whether to break it in with steak or fish.... Maybe both.
Does anyone have any ambitious grilling projects this year?
Are you talking about the big "egg" style? I have one and they are great. I pile the food on and pretty much forget about it for a few hours, depending on what I'm cooking of course.
Yes.... I bought a Kamado Joe instead, but the same thing pretty much. Does the food taste as good as they claim?
By the way.... I feel like the advertising banner on the side may be a contributing factor to my purchase. Now that I have made my decision I just need it to change to pretty ladies.
I have wondered whether those things were worth the money.
I got one from home depot and I like it had it about a year now with no problems and it will get hot in a hurry
used a big green egg, those are really nice....Seem almost the same
I hope it is worth the money too. I bought it thinking it was the last grill I will ever have to buy. I am also a project guy, so I am excited about making my own charcoal too. So many plans and so little time.
Mine is a Kamodo. It is great. Season/marinate before you put it on and leave it alone. I put 2 briskets on mine for 4 hrs I think it was and they were perfect! I usually do the prep the night before going out hunting. Takes a few minutes in the morning to get it going. I get back in about 11 or 12 and it's ready. I think the Komodo came out before the green egg but not sure. I got mine from a buddy's dad so it's pretty old.
The kamado style grill gained popularity after WW2. Apparently the soldiers serving in Japan liked them and started shipping/building them over in America. There are tons of brands building them now. You can buy a Chargriller from Lowe's for under $300. They are not ceramic, but people love it.
I have enjoyed my large Green Egg for the past 8 years and also enjoy making homemade lump. I think the Eggs are now over $1k - for me, it's still worth every penny. I use it as a grill, smoker, and cold smoker. I enjoy tinkering with fire, charcoal, smoking woods, etc - so for me it's a perfect fit. Also, cooking with lump requires some skill - it's not a automatic pellet grill that maintains temps for you. For me, it's an additional challenge and makes the finished product that much more rewarding, sorta like fly fishing.
I've heard good things about the Kamodo - you should enjoy it. I encourage you to get on their forum you will help flatten the learning curve in a hurry and will get some solid recipes, too.
Thanks TJ... Any signs of wear and tear on your 8 year old grill or does it still look pretty new?
The only things on the Egg that need replacing are internal ceramic components which will crack over time due to continual exposure to high heat. In 8 years I've replaced a platesetter, firebox, and I replace the gasket around the edges of the unit which seals in heat every other year. Egg covers all replacement costs for ceramic components, including shipping, so no worries.
The Egg itself has no signs of wear, everything is built with quality parts, and it's held up very well. As long as the company stands behind their warranty policy and replaces cracked internal components, I should have this unit throughout my lifetime - there's nothing really to wear out or break.
Glad you are happy. Only 2-7 business days until my baby arrives. Looking forward to some serious grilling again this year. I am also heading up a whole hog roast for our church this year. I am looking forward to the sweet smells of BBQ.
Sounds great Jake. Lump charcoal is readily available in many stores, but I've found it's made with inferior hardwoods. You're in IL so you should have no shortage of access to oak - which is the best choice for lump. I posted the charcoal process on the forum a while back, and have gotten my cook times for two barrels down to 4 hours 100% conversion which provides about 6 months of charcoal [approx 60 lbs]. Oak will burn hotter due to the density of the wood, imparts a nice, mild taste, and will burn a lot longer than any of the packaged stuff. Feel free to call me anytime for some tips - there's a little learning curve and I'm happy to help.
When you fire up something amazing with your own charcoal it's a deeply gratifying...can't wait to see your first project!
TJ, have you tried Hickory for making lump charcoal?
When burning it in my insert, I find it leaves more coals and in larger pieces than Oak.
Do you use two barrels to make the charcoal or the bonfire method? I have been searching for a 30 gal steel barrel with little luck so far. I have a couple of questions. How large do you make the lump? And if I use a branch section do I need to remove the bark?
Mulberry, Hickory, Osage Orange, Locust and Oak are all very high btu dense woods and would render good lump. The Hickory for me is too rare and valuable as smoking wood, same as mulberry. I've read that osage and locust are not good smoking woods - leave a bad taste to food, so I worry about them as charcoal. Since Oak is ubiquitous around here it gets the nod. If Hickory is readily available I'd consider using it, too. Stick with dense, high btu hardwoods and be sure they are properly seasoned or charcoal burn will take 12 hrs or more.
I use the two barrel method and burn two at a time. 30G drums aren't easy to find, you have to call many auto repair/mechanics to find them. Don't forget to burn off whatever was in your 55 and 30 G barrels before you burn.
I use oak firewood and stack it as tightly as possible on end. I keep my pieces 3-4" diameter max or you'll have an uneven burn. If you have oak rounds you can chunk them to 4"x4" pieces and that works very well. Try to keep it all uniform so you have an even burn - this is critical.
If you want to use large branches [I do anything 3"+] that will work, don't worry about the bark.
Also, use a high btu fuel like those mentioned above so the fire stays very hot and less fuel is needed...it can be a strain on your back having to bend over and feed the fire every 5 minutes for several hours. Stuff as much as you can in your kiln and keep it full to reduce cook time. My record is 3.5 hrs for a 85% burn - last was just about 4 hrs for a 100% burn - which is your goal. You can't just light this and take off to do chores or you'll add a lot of time and an element of danger with an unattended fire. This might seem obvious, just reiterating from my experiences flirting with disaster.
Bear in mind mulberry and osage both pop a lot, so if you're using either woods for kiln fuel be sure you're not in a field of tinder dry prairie grass. Also, you want a moderately windy day [10-15 MPH], with the kiln opening directly into the wind to catch as much O2 possible and burn hotter. This also prevents sparks from flying out of your kiln and igniting anything surrounding. Have a hose handy or several 5G buckets of water - I've needed them twice in my life or would have burned down the section.
TJ, I make my own lump charcoal as well. I have access to oak pallets and cut them up so that they pack well and off-gas well. Speaking of that off-gassing, I turn that back to the base of the barrel with a couple of 2" elbows, nipples, and the appropriate length pipe, so that helps minimize the cooking fuel. I use a piece of culvert that is larger than the 55 gal barrel and burn softwoods in it as fuel. Also, I use a blower from a downdraft range to add O2 and increase the temps...which reduces the process time. Once the flame goes out at the end of the pipe, you know that all the distillates have been cooked out and the charcoal is pure.
It's awesome cooking on your own charcoal!
Aren't these grills more like ovens than a typical Weber gas grill or a Smokey Joe charcoal grill? I thought about getting one but remember reading how they are quite different to use than other grills.
Its not an oven, but you could use it like that. You can grill, bake, smoke, sear.... pretty much anything. They are pretty versatile according to what I have read. I have yet to cook with one, but they have a cult like following.
Jake you are correct - I have done every type of meat, pizzas, fish, ect and used it as smoker, grill, and oven. I think the Egg and Kamodo are related designs and functions.
Mob - you have it down to much more of a science than I do - sounds like you've refined the process which is great to hear. I don't mind 4 hrs for a total burn - but the last 30 minutes are pretty tough to bear feeding the fire.
I don't have a need for producing my own charcoal at this time, but I must confess that this thread has me itching to try my hand at it........