Thanks all! This was a semi-successful MCS "intervention." I think I’ll stick to my smoker and Weber kettle — but that Akorn is probably coming home with me sooner or later! 
-
-
I own a Big Green Egg (BGE) the XL version and love it. I combine it with a DigiQ and can keep the temp at a constant temp for 12 hours. I've smoked briskets followed by ribs and only had to add wood for smoke. Therein lies the issue. With an offset cooker I could let the "bad smoke" clear and add wood as needed ... with the BGE there's no way to add wood unless you remove the entire cooking assembly. The ceramic Komado's hold temp incredibly well so adding wood between smokes is only a small hassle. I have a 40" Blaze grill with purty red L.E.D. lights for the everyday grilling and nobody notices .. but the BGE .. topic of conversation everytime someone walks into my backyard.Comment
-
I've owned a Brinkman water smoker, a semi-expensive, crappy offset and a Weber kettle before I purchased my Primo 400XL. Sold the first two and the third was damaged beyond repair during my construction. I love my kamodo for all the reasons stated above. I am very happy with my outdoor cooking options currently, but if I was going to add a cooker to the arsenal, it would most likely be a stick burner. Even then, I imagine the majority of my BBQ would be done on the Primo.Comment
-
A kamado does a lot of things really well, but it isn’t the best at any of them... except it is the best at doing lots of things really well. It’s not bad at anything.
If if you have a kettle and a WSM, you got it covered. I use my kettle 2:1 over my BGE, maybe more.
BGE is better for low and slow, and better for roasts and whole birds... but the kettle with rotisserie is just as good for roasts and birds. Maybe add a rotisserie to satisfy your MCS.Comment
-
I have a BGE XL. It is a great cooker. Very versatile. I use it for longer cooks. Best part, as has been mentioned, is how insulated it is. Holds temp in any weather. I use it year round in New England winters. I have a PK360 for shorter weeknight dinners.
Check out the Weber Sumit if you fear breakage.Comment
-
I own a Weber Summit Charcoal...and it has easily become my most used cooker.
I have to keep my Summit gasser covered so that it doesn't get jealous.I now understand the whole kamado thing.
My griddle gets use a lot, but not as much as the WSCG.
I also have a Char-Griller legacy that I use like a Santa Maria grill because I can easily move the charcoal/wood up & down when cooking a tri-tip. I'd love a "real" SMG...but there's a bit too much wild vegetation near me...and an ember spitting beast is not a bright idea when the winds kick up. So that lid comes in handy.
Good luck with your MCS. There is no cure, only treatment. LOL
Comment
-
What does it do "better"? Everything and nothing, depending on what it is compared to.
So here is what I like about my Primo XL:
1. Super efficient. I don’t think anything is better insulated. For low and slow the thing just loafs on a full load of lump, so long cooks are never a problem. Even if temperature drops a lot it isn’t something a controller can’t easily compensate for.
2. Wide temperature range. I can do low and slow, but also blazing hot. 600 or 700 degrees is very possible. For searing I can put cast iron directly on coals and get as hot as anyone could want. I can also close the lid and use the dampers to keep the coals flowing hot but not allow enough air for flare up. Just be careful opening the lid because it WILL flash over in this mode.
what would I like it to be better at?
1. Cost per square inch of grill. Ceramics are high here. You pay more per square inch of grate than you do on some other cookers out there.
2. Doesn’t like to be too low. I suppose I could get it below 200, by only using a few chunks of lump and maybe wood chips in a foil packet, but with the fire box loaded it doesn’t like to be much lower than 225. The controller tends to stay off too long, killing the fire. While something like a pellet smoker can easily handle lower smoking temperatures.
3. The low airflow makes getting the most desired smoke a bit of a challenge to achieve. But this "disadvantage" is also what makes the thing so fuel efficient.
bottom line is I am really liking my Primo XL. ZERO regrets. It is by far the nicest outdoor cooker I have ever owned. In fact, having to go back to stuff I used to think was good would be sad. I could do it, but I would know what I gave up. You would like a kamado too. But they aren’t "the best".Comment
-
Anton32828 you wouldn’t be sorry. They are great smokers and can also do high heat direct grilling. Pizzas, searing steak, burgers, slow cooked BBQ, smoked turkey / chicken, it can do it all. But it’s not the only game in town either.
-
I currently have in my rotation a stick burner, pellet, gasser, kettle, PK grill and a BGE. I love cooking on all of them and feel that each imparts a unique flavor profile on the food. The BGE is an all weather cooking machine and holds temp like a champ. Once you master the venting, you can easily adjust temps up and down over a wide range if you want. I like cooking with lump, and as others have said the Kamado creates a moisture rich cooking environment that produces great tasting food. It's easy to clean, and one of my favorites to cook on for a variety of different cooks.Comment
-
Small, eh?Originally posted by Troutman View Post
Three cooking levels with the main grate being 21.75". There's quite a bit of space.
Comment
-
@"ABCBBQ Dave" You, sir, are the cause of my MCS. "I can’t smoke on a kettle," I thought, and lived in ignorance until I bought one of your SNS. Now I’m giving Tasso to the neighbors and browsing gear reviews and Lowe’s sales for the next "must-have" toy! :-P -
Yeah, ol' Dave certainly stepped up to scratch many a peoples MCS itch.
He saw a need/market and went after it. And by all accounts the SNS & its brethren are much loved. I don't own a kettle, so never had a chance to use the SNS...I own a WSCG, but they've since stopped making the SNS for that. So it's not likely that I'll ever have first hand experience with one as I have no plans to pick up a kettle. -
I totally understand there are folks that cook for the masses and need big grills. I just wanted to drive home we're pretty big for a kamado on the INSIDE, while having a footprint that's similar to the 18" kamados out there. More cooking space, very similar footprint... win win.
-
-
I bought my Akorn "practice Kamado" yesterday. Couldn’t resist the sale price at Lowe’s. Here it is during the cleaning / seasoning burn in-between monsoon rains here in Central Florida.
Thanks all for your advice! I’m keeping my eye on the ABC and Primo XL. Both look really good. But I want to make sure I can run a Kamado properly before making that kind of investment.Attached FilesComment
-
-
I have a komado, a father's day gift purchased at Lowe's about 8 years ago. its a Cypress ceramic grill (a komado, or an egg), by Bayou Classic. It's been reviewed here and elsewhere. the reviews for this brand are not great, but I've had good success and not problems. It has never shattered or even cracked on me. I love it. It take's a while to get used to as you are smoking directly over the flame, with a water pan, or defuser in between. Two things to consider when buying a komado... first, the ease in adding charcoal during long cooks. I have to remove the meat, grates, water pan. Some have a side access door. I would love to have that. Second is heat control. After a few years of getting used to the grill, and becoming one with its temp settings, i broke down and bought a Flame Boss temp regulator. there are several brands out there, and they are wonderful. I can keep an eye on the temp from my phone, and can even make adjustments when I am out of the house. My wife likes it as I don't sleep next to the smoker all night (I miss those days).
This grill cost about $700 but that was years ago. I don't know where you live, but I'm in Chicago and the 3 to 4 inches of ceramic allows me to smoke most of the year. Even in 30 degree temps with snow on the ground, i can maintain a steady temp inside the smoker. I also have a Weber Summit gas grill and an Masterbuilt 40 inch electric smoker. The Komado is the best for big cuts and ribs. I've been a BBQ enthusiasts for 50 years and I always have juicy meat with minimal mopping. in fact, i don't mop the pork butt at all. the bark is as good as you can get it.
If you get one, you will experience problems at first but stick with it. You'll be rewarded. There are many Komado guys out there who are willing to help you.Attached FilesComment
-
-
Congrats, Anton32828 on your new Akorn kamado. I have followed this topic with interest and was curious as to what you would finally choose. Have fun smoking and grilling on it; it's always fun learning new approaches. Let us know how your first cook goes.
Kathryn
Comment
Comment