A lil help with the Kamado Joe Kettle

[tenphases]

My buddy asked me to help find him a cooker (I tend to find good deals) I came across this Kamado Kettle for 180 after haggling.

What do you all think? I would pull the trigger just for the extender which looks fine but he wants this as his main cooker.

[Uncle Bob]

If your friend is an experienced outdoor cooker who's comfortable with controlling temp on a leaky cooker he should do fine. If he's a novice, he may struggle.....................which might explain why a cooker that's only been on the retail market for a couple months is already being sold used.

I bought one of the first production available ones early in April and while the SloRoller is intriguing and may offer some small benefits, the overall build quality is not up to traditional Kamado Joe standards. It's light weight and flimsy in some of the components, and fit and finish is ..............meh. Air leaks like crazy. When I contacted Customer Service about some manufacturing/material defects, the first agent told me to "live with it" in more words, but with no satisfaction. After complaining to the dealer I bought it from a different KJ guy said no replacement parts were available currently, but that they would keep my file open. Not sure if I'll ever get replacement parts of expected, new quality, I'll just have to wait and see.

The price you've negotiated might not be bad for the SloRoller itself, which will fit a Weber Kettle if that technology is intriguing, and it is supposed to be offered some time in the future as a separate package for a rumored price of $200ish dollars. To say I'm not impressed with it would be an understatement.

[USMCCrashCrew89]

For that price, please for the love of God, adopt that poor thing to a good home! Those things just came out and it looks like its already been abused! I think you’d have a tough time finding much valuable information on their durability and I know several here have had issues with build quality out of the box but in the end, for the price you have it down to it would be a useful cooker to see if they are interested and want to further invest into MCS.

[rickgregory]

No. Pass. Especially for someone inexperienced, never buy something that 'has issues'. People don't want to buy something then have to fix it. They want to buy something and have it just work.

[Attjack]

People have issues operating a kettle though. Could just be user error. Offer $150 imo.

[rickgregory]

I don't like buying things that immediately need to have me 'fix' issues with the product. If this was for OP and they felt they wanted to play with it as a secondary cooker? Sure.

But it's for his buddy who wants to make this is main cooker. Main cookers should be reliable and not need to be tweaked to be acceptable.

[grillinglousiana]

looks like slow roller itself has fallen apart..
i have ordered the slow roller..
kinda like to experiment with different things on the 22 weber..
if its any where near intact for 180..i would go for it...
i have several pits..all cook a bit different..

[Alphonse]

Assuming it is all there and at that price I would buy it and spend $19 and gasket the lid and the bottom of the SloRoller. It eliminates the leaks.

That is a good price. You cannot buy a decent Weber at that price and the SloRoller works very well.