Christmas accessory time! -- kick ash charcoal basket and onlyfire BBQ cooking system questions

[jasonwilliams14]

Hey folks! I hope everyone is doing great and ready for the holiday season!

My wife asked me if I had a wishlist of BBQ accessories. O boy do I ever! I have a few, but wanted ask on two specific accessories that caught my eye, get the feedback from the community.

The first is the onlyfire BBQ cooking grate system:

https://www.onlyfire.com/collections/bbq-accessories/products/only-fire-bbq-cooking-grate-system-flexible-grilling-rack

It says it will fit my weber 22", and looks interesting. Turns it into a bit of a Kamado style.
Not sure if it is good or worth it, but the option to setup the deflector in a full circle, so the heat would radiant up and round is intriguing.
Is this something that is worth getting? Are there alternatives that might be better?

The last is the basket:

https://kickashbasket.com/products/kab-ring-of-fire-divider

The one that comes with the kettle is fine, but can be better. This looks interesting and might be easy for cleanup, but trying to figure out how you would use this with the grate. If you fill the whole basket up on the bottom, i think you would need a deflector plate of some sort? Was not sure and thought I would ask.

I always appreciate the help and feedback!

Cheers
Jason

[SheilaAnn]

I have a kick ash basket for KJJr. It’s awesome! I love it.

[LA Pork Butt]

The Only Fire looks like it could creat all the options you would get with a Kamado Joe. It will give you lots of versatility for cooking multiple items. I would go with the Only Fire rather than the Kick Ash basket. Assuming it is of good quality you get al lot of bang for the buck with the Only Fire.

[SheilaAnn]

I didn’t realize the flexibility of this accessory. Fascinating!

[jasonwilliams14]

The Only Fire looks like it could creat all the options you would get with a Kamado Joe. It will give you lots of versatility for cooking multiple items. I would go with the Only Fire rather than the Kick Ash basket. Assuming it is of good quality you get al lot of bang for the buck with the Only Fire.

It definitely looks interesting. I am getting some perhaps, crazy ideas....hehe. APpreciate the input!

[Oak Smoke]

I don’t know anything about the Only Fire but both my kamados have kick ash baskets. The improved air flow is a game changer. The ease of cleaning and how I it makes reusing the leftover charcoal so easy is worth the price.

[jasonwilliams14]

Appreciate the feedback. I could not sleep last night, so I did some more reading and exploring.
I may be wrong, but the Kick ash basket seems like it is a better for Kamados? I do not think that would be an issue with the 22 Kettle? I may be wrong.

I also stumbled across two other items:

https://www.onlyfire.com/collections/bbq-accessories/products/onlyfire-charcoal-ash-basket-charcoal-firebox-set

Very interesting. Looks very Kamdoish. But looks like it would be a semi-permanent thing to do a kettle? meaning, you could "break it down" and remove the pieces, but its not a quick switch type of setup. Keep me honest, but it looks like the idea for using the charcoal would be to cover the entire bottom, then use the deflector on top? Never cooked on a kamado (well not yet! ), so thinking how this would work.

The, I found one more!

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07KY2XFF4/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_2?smid=A3IAWA5NP4O118&psc=1

Looks similar to the first one I linked.
It appears that it is multi-tier type cooking, with two adjust levels, adjustable zones (clay deflectors).

What intrigues me about the above items is, does it open up more cooking optiions for things to do, kamado style if you will.
for example, I can get 2 racks of ribs flat on my 22 with my SnS, but would the above allow me to lay down 3 ?

Also, I tried cooking some chicken shawarma yesterday with my BBQ spike, it worked out pretty good, but i could not help if one of the above could make the BBQ spike method easy to cook (the idea of indirect heating...spike in the middle, head comes up all around from below).

Just thinking of my wish list..thank you very much again!

[jfmorris]

Looking at that Kick-Ash basket for kettles, it requires your to still insert and use the original (or replacement) charcoal grate inside it. I.e. the charcoal grate inserts into the basket as the basket bottom. Kinda dumb really - why wouldn't they make the basket have a bottom, since it is SS and most of the charcoal grates are sucky nickel plated steel.

It basically just gives you a vertical basket wall around the charcoal grate, to I guess hold the coals off the wall of the kettle, and the divider.

I give this basket a thumbs down.

The OnlyFire accessory seems more intriguing.

[jasonwilliams14]

Thanks jfmorris. That is what I was feeling as well.
I am very intrigued by the onlyfire accessories. Makes me want to get another kettle and one of them for dedicated setup!

[jfmorris]

jasonwilliams14 I looked again at the other links. That first Onlyfire device you linked to is specifically for an 18" kamado - NOT a 22" kettle. I do know that at ONE POINT OnlyFire (or someone) had a similar setup for the kettle.

I am not sure that the large ceramic insert to try and turn the kettle into a kamado is worth it. I think you will lose a lot of space for charcoal (maybe), and the indirect is kinda limited to the diameter of the deflector. My experience with my 22" kamado is that the deflector, about 18" in diameter, limits what I can smoke indirect. The heat comes up around the perimeter of the deflector, and scorches things hanging out past it.

Can I assume you already have a Slow 'N Sear setup? That gives you a better indirect zone in my mind. I think from OnlyFire the most interesting accessories would be their pizza oven or their rotisserie (or combo of the two) for 22" kettles. I spun my turkey on my Weber kettle for Thanksgiving, and plan to spin a prime rib for Christmas, if I can find one on sale.

https://www.onlyfire.com/collections/grill-rotisserie

The other thing I would look at are the new accessories Weber themselves is making, such as their low and slow kit, which gives you a fire ring and a metal deflector for the 22" kettle:

https://www.weber.com/US/en/accessories/accessories-by-grill-type/charcoal-grill-accessories/low--et--slow-kit-–-22”-charcoal-grills/9980.html

[jasonwilliams14]

I am not sure that the large ceramic insert to try and turn the kettle into a kamado is worth it. I think you will lose a lot of space for charcoal (maybe), and the indirect is kinda limited to the diameter of the deflector. My experience with my 22" kamado is that the deflector, about 18" in diameter, limits what I can smoke indirect. The heat comes up around the perimeter of the deflector, and scorches things hanging out past it.

I was wondering the same exact thing and glad you brought it up. I wondered if i might lose space which I definitely would. Good call.

Can I assume you already have a Slow 'N Sear setup? That gives you a better indirect zone in my mind. I think from OnlyFire the most interesting accessories would be their pizza oven or their rotisserie (or combo of the two) for 22" kettles. I spun my turkey on my Weber kettle for Thanksgiving, and plan to spin a prime rib for Christmas, if I can find one on sale.

https://www.onlyfire.com/collections/grill-rotisserie

I do and have been eye balling that rotisserie for some time now. Perhaps that is the better option.

[USER="58617"]
The other thing I would look at are the new accessories Weber themselves is making, such as their low and slow kit, which gives you a fire ring and a metal deflector for the 22" kettle:

https://www.weber.com/US/en/accessor...ills/9980.html

I will definitely check that out.
Maybe I just get the 26" weber! heheh

[jfmorris]

What brand kettle do you have right now? Weber or SNS? The rotisseries are not interchangeable is why I ask...

[jasonwilliams14]

i have the weber 22"

[PGH_RAM]

If the OnlyFire rotisserie is on your wish list, I'd strongly suggest going for that. I absolutely love mine. It fits my Weber 22 perfectly, turns out amazing poultry, and has some nice add-ons like baskets for veg and kebab rollers. I started off with the stock 20 lb motor, which works great for two chickens at a time. At Thanksgiving I upgraded to the 40 lb motor (cost about $23 on Amazon) because my turkey was a beast. I'll be using it for the Christmas rib roast, too.

Of all the toys I have for my kettle, the rotisserie is far and away my favorite.

[Purc]

Love my roti for the Weber kettle. too will be spinning a rib roast Christmas time.