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    Reviews

    In my opinion the reviews sometimes are either dated or out of whack. A large bge is silver compared to a kettle at gold. Maybe you give more credit for price over function. But the Kamado joe has a gold? Also it is not clear of the gold pack what is better or the trade offs. Such as kettle vs BGE kettle space, bge efficiency, kettle cools down if you over shoot the temp, bge harder to over shoot temp but much more steady temps.

    Seeing these differences within the gold items. For example the SNS temp on the upper side of the lid is way hotter than the grate so when compared to the Pk360 the PK360 might be more even.


    #2
    Price is a big component in our evaluations.
    We appreciate Kamado Joe's unique, innovative features.
    We typically evaluate products without optional accessories such as the SnS, although add-ons may be mentioned in some reviews.

    Comment


      #3
      The WSM is far better than a PBC but they are both gold and similar prices. Having to calculate a fire vs can always refill pretty easily. Considering no accessories the WSM has dual gates. Also has a probe port and at least some way to guess the temperature. 50 degree swing is better than I have no idea. The PBC is even best value.

      Maybe a tier system, budget, budget +, Mid grade, Mid grade +, High, high+.

      I would agree that a bge is silver compared to a kamado joe but then the Pit Boss needs to be a bronze. A Pit boss however taking money out of the equation is much more dynamic than a kettle.

      I appreciate all the hard work but I just find it hard to see if one product is better than another in some cases.

      Comment


        #4
        a kettle offers true two-zone cooking while the BGE does not offer effective two zone cooking without additional components and rearranging hot components. Plus the price of the BGE compared to comp in its category is just ridiculous for no good reason. So says a long time LG BGE owner.

        Comment


        • Jon Liebers
          Jon Liebers commented
          Editing a comment
          Hey the BGE does what it does very well , just not as flexible moving between temps and zones , and $$$ cost is out of line with other very good ceramics.

        • dshaffes
          dshaffes commented
          Editing a comment
          I am able to get 2-zones in my BGE using a charcoal divider in my Kick Ash Basket. They make it to specifically create 2-zone capability and it works great. Really a game changer using the egg versus raising or lowering the grate.

        • Meathead
          Meathead commented
          Editing a comment
          Agreed

        #5
        Everyone has their opinion. Vive la difference!

        Comment


          #6
          I own BGE and Weber Performer Kettle.

          The BGE is a better all around cooker, but the Weber is by far the better value. It isn’t even close. If I had the kettle first, I probably wouldn’t have bought the BGE. But I had the BGE, and got the kettle.

          The KJ cooks as well as the BGE, but offers far more features for the same price.

          You might want to consider that the Weber is the Gold for kettles, and the BGE is the silver for kamados. In any case, it isn’t worth bothering about. Choose a tool and use it often.

          Comment


          • BriggsBBQ
            BriggsBBQ commented
            Editing a comment
            Mosca agreed. I think after all the great responses I my suggestion is a more detailed rating. Also I see things like the Akorn at the same rating as a Bge so how much of a factor is price.

          • Jon Liebers
            Jon Liebers commented
            Editing a comment
            I purchased a LG BGE had it for several years and then purchased a deluxe performer(due to this website).The BGE is better at low and slow, cooking in bad weather and reaching high temps. But if I am reverse searing, or two zone cooking like cornell chicken I go for the kettle everytime. Brisket, ribs,butt all BGE. I would greatly prefer more user friendly cooking real estate then either provide

          • Mosca
            Mosca commented
            Editing a comment
            Jon Liebers Exactly the same for me as well. I spent this last summer really getting to know the kettle, and some things are easier and come out better on the BGE, and some things are easier and come out better on the kettle.

          #7
          I think Mosca hit the nail on the head. The kettle and BGE are in totally different categories. It really comes down to that. What we really are missing is a good break down or table that lists things in each category, with a score. There are a few top 10 lists but they don’t really rank anything, and I think that is what you are looking for. If you’ve ever seen a Consumer Reports magazine, something like that would in fact be useful. Is a Kamadoe Joe an 80 out of 100, and a BGE 76 of 100? No one knows right now. That said, I don’t think Consumer Reports would rank different types of grills in the same table either.

          I look at the reviews here as an analysis of each grill or smoker, versus a comparison of it to other cookers except in value within the category it belongs to. Max and others can tell you the features of a PBC or WSM and how it cooks and works. It’s up to you to decide from there which one is you based on your budget and preferences.

          Me? I am all about value. If you gave me a kamado of any sort, I would happily use it, and know in some areas it would be better than a kettle. Will I buy one? No. My Performer Deluxe or offset can cook all the same stuff, just maybe using more fuel to get there.
          Last edited by jfmorris; November 1, 2018, 05:28 PM.

          Comment


          • Jon Liebers
            Jon Liebers commented
            Editing a comment
            That's a great idea. Would love to see cookers ranked by catagories on a scale. Say temp stability, temp range, ease of fuel management, ability to produce clean stable smoke, etc,, For me it would be useful in comparing across cookers as I suffer from MCS.

          • Max Good
            Max Good commented
            Editing a comment
            Consumer reports only rates gas grills based on their standardized tests that don't include cooking.

          • jfmorris
            jfmorris commented
            Editing a comment
            Max Good - I don't think Consumer Reports is the place to go for grill reviews obviously! You are the source of all grill wisdom. I am just thinking the original poster wants to see charts comparing grills and ranking them, somewhat the way Consumer Reports does things. Scores are subjective though, and I can see the difficulty in assigning one.

          #8
          I am very happy with the system in place & respect what the people in that system do. A lot of work, thought & consideration is put forth. The Amazing Ribs Team fires on all cylinders. Some tweeting & improvement is always striven for. Product evaluation for the most part is not one of them. To quote a famous American game show contestant, don’ t be so "picky, picky, picky"!
          Now ya wanna have a discussion of Ribs vs. Wibs, we’ll that’a another matter. 🕶

          Comment


          • Fire Art
            Fire Art commented
            Editing a comment
            I vote WIBS

          #9
          I love all my grills the same even the uds

          Comment


          • JGo37
            JGo37 commented
            Editing a comment
            I agree - my dumbest dog gets the most PDA. Poor fella...

          #10
          I have a slightly different perspective. I can't cook EVERYTHING! (I'd get fired if I tried, AND I'd never go fishing) There's something to be said for getting the best out of what you have. As jfmorris said you might use more fuel or take longer for a particular cook than another device would, but you'll get there.

          I'm still learning what I can do with what I have - we always will be. But I'm happy with what I've got and know what else I'd like prioritized by return on investment. I certainly wouldn't spend A LOT to do one type of thing a little better. I'm instead spending time to do things a little better with what I have. And I'm limiting myself to what I can try to do really well with what I have. That in itself leaves a lifetime of enjoyable cooking ahead of me.

          Before I get another cooker for outside I'm going to invest in a full sous vide 'system'. The beer cooler, the pot lids rack, the PC cords desk grommet, the works ( that's a hahaha but shows I've done my homework ). Adding that to two kettles, a custom grill and a Blackstone will keep me busy for years. Not to mention the tripod and adjustable height grate I have for my fire pit.

          As I write I have another suggestion. CI, the gourmet grate system, an SnS & DnG, a Vortex, pellet tubes for cold smoking cheeses, a wok, etc. Baby steps with small investments and DIY mods can give you more ways and things to cook than you will ever have time to attempt.

          It's about COOKING!

          Comment


          • JGo37
            JGo37 commented
            Editing a comment
            And I can say with certainty, the fish don't know what I paid for the rod and reel. So I put my money into the line and tackle.

          #11
          One might also want to consider popularity as a point of review. In a recent AR survey (conducted by yours truly ) the use of a kettle won over the Kamado by more than two to one. That’s not necessarily a condemnation of one over the other but it does point to value and design efficiency. Is that not a measure of success and a good point of evaluation??

          Comment


            #12
            I used to look at BBQ reviews for offset BBQ's only. It's because I had Weber BBQ's and had graduated to offsets. This was all before the internet and Amazing Ribs. Reviews really involved seeing what others were using and buying cookbooks that talked about the attributes of different cookers. Now there are so many options available I don't compare one type v another. I look at type vs type. I want to know how a Yoder compares to a Lang. I want to know if a Kamado Joe holds up to a BGE and why. I want to know if a Weber Smokey Mountain Charcoal Grill is a Kamado or a Weber or both. I look at the price point when I consider everything. While I have been intrigued by PBCs, I would buy a WSM over one based on my cooking experiences. That does not keep me from knowing that folks here do magic with their PBCs and that I haven't graduated to that cooking method only because there is a learning curve. I think the reviews here do a nice job of sorting out the styles and letting us know what to look at and why.

            Comment


            • JGo37
              JGo37 commented
              Editing a comment
              But how do you 'graduate' from a kettle to an offset??? ;o)

            • tbob4
              tbob4 commented
              Editing a comment
              JGo37 - Hahahaha. Depending on your opinion it was either for a high or low GPA. I can say when I began using them (they were true COS’) I invented new cuss words. My kids were young and my wife was monitoring my language. I bought them for volume not ease of use, that’s for sure.

            • BriggsBBQ
              BriggsBBQ commented
              Editing a comment
              I really think a lot of value is in what is in place now. As we all strive to continually evolve I think some more type vs type would add value.

            #13
            And remember: the food doesn't know what it was cooked on. It either tastes great, or it doesn't.

            While to some degree this is a function of the method (you shouldn't do a steak over a box of matches), it does get to the point that a good cook will adapt and overcome. If you have a $25 Aussie grill, move all those coals to the side, start a snake, and put that brisket over a water pan. Monitor it, turn it, and in about 12 hours you should have a brisket.

            Comment


            • JGo37
              JGo37 commented
              Editing a comment
              HA - I've had that 'walk about' till the bottom fell out from use. Of course I customized it a bit, and riveted some 1" Texas-style steel stars into it when that belt I always wore fishing gave out... Still remember it fondly when I see it sittin' in Lowes, but the current model doesn't have the 'walk about' wheels. Haven't seen that in a while..

              in 1 sentence you said what I was going for.

            • Mosca
              Mosca commented
              Editing a comment
              Got one sitting under the deck. That square grid can do probably 50 burgers at once, if you need it to.

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