Kamado Joe 18" -- is this a good deal?

[jfmorris]

WillTravelForFood its probably good you missed the sale.... if you have a barely used Weber Kettle, it makes sense you should work on using that more for smoking and such things, before branching out to yet another charcoal cooker. Some of the best cooks I've ever done were on a Weber Kettle. And yes, you can do a top notch wood fired pizza on a 22" Weber Kettle. Kamados don't have an exclusive on that.

[Murdy]

There's a lot of good deals on used stuff right now. I've been looking for a Primo xl.

[Murdy]

Our kids have 2 Kamado Joes, a large and a jr. -- they use the jr. a lot for searing after sous vide and they can get very high temps on it.

[Steve B]

No worries smokin fool If you let these puppies heat up, meaning open the vents wide open for 5-10 minutes, or even take the cap off the dome these suckers will easily get to 5-6-7 hundred degrees.

What I really love to do is a caveman style sear.
Get the lump charcoal, only use lump in a kamado, really going. Warp 10. And sear the steaks right on the coals. Flipping every 15-20 seconds until you get the crust you like.

[bbqLuv]

I vote for a pellet grill. But the real question is do you really want it? Gald to see you doing the research before you buy.

[smokin fool]

Steve B Probably I should have kept my comment to, my Keg, doesn't sear well at all.
Glad you have better luck than I do in this department.

[Steve B]

Damn. That sucks.

Well you still have that kettle. It’s a great cooker and can do a bunch of different things with some accessories.

[Steve B]

smokin fool This is not true at all. I get great searing on my steaks with my BGE. In fact some of the best seared "crusted" steaks have come off of my BGE.
But than again the Weber Kettle with the Slow n Sear is just as great at doing this.

[FireMan]

Check to see if they have one at a store. Maybe they will honor the sale. It is a real good deal. Two years ago my local had Akorns for a buck & a half. Bought two, sold em for 225. Everybody won.

[Steve B]

Haa. No wonder I just upgraded to a 75” TV.
Sooo much better than my old 55”er.

[USMCCrashCrew89]

I was gonna mention moving them around. Mine stays put, I’ve seen too many of them Humpty Dumpty themselves from a caster swiveling or hitting a bump.

[smokin fool]

I have no experience with ceramic Kamado's, my Keg has a metal liner.
A heat diffuser is all I have for my Keg.
My Weber experience was limited at best, the biggest thing is kamado's don't sear well if at all.

[58limited]

Dang! You posted about the sale ending while I was writing this.

Gas is convenient and you can cook some good food on a gas grill (I have) but having a charcoal or wood burner would definitely up your game.

Kamados are great for roasting, smoking, pizza, bread baking or remove the heat deflector and cook over the coals (the coals will be 8 or so inches below the grate). I have had one for over 10 years and I love it. I now have two. It is difficult if not impossible to achieve true 2 zone cooking in a kamado (exception: SnS Kamado and the oval Primo and Komodo kamados). If you have studied kamado cooking on the web and youtube and want one, that price you listed in your original post is great.

Another option is the 22" Weber kettle, it allows for 2 zone cooking as well as grilling, and for less money but the higher end ones with the table cart are about the price of the KJ sale price you posted. Get a Slow 'N Sear for the kettle - 2 zone is a breeze with this. People who have Kamado Joes usually really like them, same with Weber kettle owners. I think if one has the means that one should have both, each has its strong points and weak points but with both you can cook most anything. Plus, if you end up cooking for a larger group you can fire both up, plus the gas grill, and make a lot of food.

Be careful rolling a kamado around, they tend to be top heavy and one little rock in the way of the puny castors can cause it to tip over and shatter. If you have space in your back yard get a concrete A/C pad to set it on. Check with a local A/C company, I got one for $50.00 here two weeks ago for my new kamado and it is composite concrete 30" X 30"- I could pick it up by myself. Also, my two kamados don't drop coals or sparks and you can get a screen for the lower vent to help with this. My first kamado was basically in the grass and it never caused a grass fire but always be careful: my garden hose was nearby. My KBQ spits out lots of sparks and the occasional coal - I wet the grass down when using it.

[LA Pork Butt]

The link gives different pricing information.

[LA Pork Butt]

As a BGE cook, I’ll second that as a great deal assuming you get a warranty.