tbob4 and STEbbq I have a shop vac, but I think I only took it out to the kamado once, when I did the first deep clean. I don't worry about every spec of ash now - just get what I can shovel or brush out. A small whisk broom or brush could be handy. Its gonna get full of ash again, so the toting the shop vac is more trouble for me than its worth.
I have a galvanized steel bucket as well that serves well for collection of ash and coals from the grill. It's handy in that it won't melt...
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Hopefully Adding An Akorn Tomorrow....
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I cook in a BGE and have the Kick Ash Basket. I liked its ability to get high temperatures rapidly, but didn’t care for how much small charcoal fell through after a cook. It also tended to run a little hotter on low and slow. I purchased BGE’s charcoal basket which doesn’t drop nearly as many small pieces after a cook. It also holds low and slow temps better. One unexpected side benefit is that for shorter cooks like roasting or grilling I can use briquettes with minimal ash dropping out the bottom. I lift it out and shake the ash out over a trash can. I still use the Kick Ash Basket, but I use the BGE charcoal basket more often.
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I just bought my second Akorn several weeks back. My first died after 5 years of hard use. The weak point of their longevity is rust along the bottom area where the ash pan is. Get a cover. I didn't the first time out and it rusted from collected water dripping down the side and entering the ash pan via the gasket. Use a rag dampened with oil to keep the cast iron grates in good shape. Watch for air leaks and fix them when found(I still need to do this with mine yet)A great bang for the buck. You can also do something with an Akorn that I wouldn't want to try with a ceramic kamado. That is using a squeeze bottle of water to facilitate bringing down the temperature if you overshoot your preferred temp. I would be nervous if I tried that stunt with a nice ceramic kamado. On an Akorn, it's all in a days cook.
Go for it, and have fun. We'll be right here with you.
Blessings and good cooking from Houston, Alaska
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I had an Char Grill Akron kamado and I cooked a lot of good bbq with it, I bought on sale and I used mostly for low and slow, it was my cold weather smoker. I tried to cook pizza on it once and got up to about 450F. It worked good until the wind blew it off the deck, I repaired it and sold it. I read on this forum that it will not last and I would have to agree. The metal shelves will bend but they can be straightened after bending. I bought a Primo XL and I would have to say it is too big, the Akron was a nice size Kamado for our needs.
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I picked up a Weber 7441 Replacement grate, which fits on the supports for the smoking stone. It's great for searing when you want to get the coals close to your meat. It also lets you do a pseudo 2-zone if you only put coals to the one side.
You don't need a separate kick ash basket or the like, as this has a normal coal grate on the bottom vs the perforated cast iron that some of the ceramic kamados have.
Edit: to clarify, I put the 7441 grate on the supports for the smoking stones, then put the coals on this grate. I put the main grate on as normal. This grate brings the coals closer to the meat. ILast edited by gboss; September 10, 2021, 05:04 PM.
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Check out Baby Back Maniacs comparison of Kamados. It ended up with an interesting result. It will serve you well for many years. Enjoy!
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Yeah, I thought the kamado style would be fun too and well suited for what I like to cook.
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My wife approved this because $175 is a lot cheaper than 2k for a new smoker. Ha.
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