Grilling, Smoking, BBQ, etc. WAYCT (What Are You Cooking Today) Outdoor Edition
-
I think kamados (like the Big Green Egg) are the best if you don't mind the hassle of charcoal and the associated preparation and being patient enough / having the time to get the temp dialed in (sometimes you just want to use a gas grill to sear off something quickly). I think the best kamado, though, is the Primo Oval, because instead of being circular like traditional kamados, the Oval gives you several advantages while retaining what makes kamados so great. First, you can fit more ribs and other long items like salmon filets on there without needing a rib rack or to upsize your cooker; in general, there's more capacity because of a more efficient layout. Second, and most importantly, you can configure multiple temperature zones zones. So, I can be slow-roasting something in one area and searing something in another. This is not possible in a traditional kamado. Beyond that, the way that Primo designed the grill grates (reversible–can have your meat close to the fire or farther from the fire depending on how they are flipped) and associated accessories (like heat deflectors that can be applied to either or both sides of the grills, a firebox divider to keep the heat on one side, etc) afford you a ton of different configurations to do all kinds of different things concurrently on the cooker rather than tasking it with one thing at a time. They do make a gas version as well. I have the Large charcoal and it is the best cooker I have ever used. The XL would give you the capacity for a very large party.
The biggest disadvantage is that they are not cheap, and you need a few accessories to get the most out of it: deflector plate racks and deflector plates (these allow you to isolate the heat from the meat to do low and slow), a firebox divider can be helpful if you want to keep the heat on one side (I have not actually used mine yet, but it does help with zone cooking). Finally, extender grates both boost your grill capacity and afford you more temperature zones. There are also other things I don't have like griddles and I think now a rotisserie.
I think it's the best cooker on the planet because of its extreme flexibility.
Finally, the Smobot is recommended (for ANY kamado-style cooker) if you are doing things like shoulders or briskets that go overnight. This brilliant device replaces your daisy wheel with an actuated daisy wheel. It has a pit and two meat temperature probes, so you basically set it and forget it. There is an app for your phone and a website you can use to monitor the cook. It will alert you when the pit reaches your desired temperature (or strays from it by a configured number of degrees) and when each of the probed meats reaches a desired temperature. It takes advantage of what makes kamados great: their extreme efficiency and ability to maintain steady temperatures for long periods. Placing a fan on a kamado as all other temperature management systems do to me is sacrilege. And it is not as practical, because it is harder to run something like that that runs continuously off a USB battery if there is not an outlet handy. Smobot just makes little micro-adjustments to the daisy wheel the same way you learn to do manually with a kamado to maintain temp, and can keep temperatures for literal days depending on the size kamado you have.
They're built like brick shithouses and such a simple design it will outlast us all.
Finally, if it matters, they are made in America.
Here’s my take on things @goosehd
-
Couldn't agree more. I personally have a Big Green Egg, and while it's not perfect, it's pretty close! The oval shape of @mclaincausey 's sounds really appealing for sure, but for me and my wife, and maybe a couple of guests, I find that the Large BGE is plenty and I rarely feel limited by its size or shape (but I do feel it sometimes, like when I'm making ribs).
My BGE is extremely good at dialing in the temp quickly and after a slight learning curve at first, it's been pretty smooth sailing. Lots of people love the Kamado Joe, but I haven't heard great things about their customer service. I've personally had a few items replaced with very little hassle as part of my lifetime warranty with the BGE. The aftermarket things I love most are my cast iron grate, and a stainless steel cap that keeps the rain out. I love the OEM daisy wheel, but if it rains, water gets in the holes.
-
From the research I have done @goosehd both BGE and Kamado make a similar product, the difference essentially comes in the BGE being a 'basic' product where you need to buy a lot of accessories and the Kamado Joe is often sold in packs including several accessories. On face value this makes the KJ look more expensive, but I think they are much of a muchness.
As a KJ owner, I can only talk about the things which I find useful that they make, though I am sure BGE make similar accessories.
The Slo Roller makes a marked difference on the pulled pork shoulders we have smoked at work so far.
The Joetisserie can fit a basket to it to toss wings or other small meat as well as obviposuly fitting larger cuts/birds as intended which is cool.
The soapstone cooking surface is unbelievably good at non stick cooking
-
Thank you all for your help and it gives me a lot of great information to work through. One of the things I started running into last night was availability and the proximity to my location. That may be a deciding factor if/when I move forward.
I will keep checking into this thread and who knows, maybe I’ll just end up getting the “grill train”. I’m sure it wouldn’t cost much to ship it from the UK.
I mean after exchange rates, duties, shipping, etc. I might be able to afford a few chicken pieces and I could always give up beer… -
@Alex with the Kamado Joe. If you are using the slo roller, can you add more charcoal mid cook if you start to run out, or do you even need to? I hear people raving about it and it looks like a great option.
The Kamado Joe seems harder to find around me and most places are sold out. The primo eggs are within an hour driving distance and I may drive around on the weekend and check them out. The BGE’s are available in a short drive, but the price point while initially lower climbs substantially with the additional accessories that comes standard with the Joe.
No one around here has them all in one building to see them side by side.
-
I can't imagine a large enough kamado running out of fuel at a low and slow temp… they run for days!
-
I agree with a lot of the points Mclain brought up about the Primo, I have one of the Junior sized ones and the oval shape is incredibly handy as well as being able to flip the grates. I'm envious of my neighbor's KJ XL, the hinge design is much better designed than the BGE and the gasket material is woven stainless steel so it's not a wear item like a typical gasket would be. I use my Large BGE the most and it's a fine product but if I was in the market for a new one, I'd go with either the KJ XL or a Large Primo.
-
Delivered and built @mclaincausey @LewisStonehouse
We seasoned it but then i had to head off to do something else, so still waiting to try the first meal cooked on it.
-
Nice! OK Joe’s has a good reputation and the walls look decent thick. I’m sure it’s gonna produce great food and looks to be capable of direct cooking too.
-
Happy Cinco de Mayo everyone!
We’re smoking another pork butt at HQ today, this time carnitas style which will make the meat part of burritos. Marinated in orange and lime juice overnight, then dry rubbed with salt, pepper, sugar, chipotle, garlic, onion, oregano and chilli powders.
-
I had no idea that Cinco de Mayo was celebrated in the UK.
