Char-Griller Kamado Kooker Charcoal Grill and Smoker- Brown

Comments about Char-Griller Kamado Kooker Charcoal Grill and Smoker- Brown:

I have had my Brown Kamado for over a year now and have done around 100 cooks on it. Its extremely versatile from low and slow to high heat pizzas. I hope that folks considering a Kamado realize it is not an ordinary charcoal grill and light a tower of lump and dump in. Research in lighting procedure and temp control should be done to properly use this cooker as well as to preserve your own safety.

I purchased mainly for and slow. Most units require modding to seal leaks to keep temperature down. A roll of high heat Nomex Gasket placed opposite the factory gasket on both lid and ashpan as well as behind the vent control will curb most leaks. Additionally bringing up the fire slow lighting only 1 or 2 pieces of lump with a alcohol saturated cottonball aids in low temp control. When doing low and slow on a Akorn, one needs to realize each day may be different due to air leaks as well as weather. One day it may peg 225-230 and run and the next day it may want to run 250-265. Do not fight it with constant vent adjustments, just roll with it. The Kamado Guru site, details the mods for this cooker very well for those looking to do low and slow.

With its insulated body this cooker is extremely efficient and even with a 10 hour cook you will be surprised how little lump is used. Additionally the ability to close vents and snub the coal at the conclusion of the cook saves on lump.

Other than fixing the air leaks a couple other areas should be noted. The factory supplied thermometer is in most cases way off, mine reads close to 50 degrees off. A remote thermometer at grate level is best for this cooker so the lid can be closed and stay closed. The screws holding the lower vent on are junk and should be replaced as they will strip.

Overall a great cooker for the money. Char Griller Customer service is top notch. Just do some research and understand this type of cooker before purchasing and than enjoy the versatility of this smoker/grill/pizza oven.

Comments about Char-Griller Kamado Kooker Charcoal Grill and Smoker- Brown:

Great enty to the Kamado grill world. Cheaper than "egg" grills but does everything they do. Won't last as long but will perform almost as good. Some air leak adjustments you can find online will fix that. Great grill and customer service...

Comments about Char-Griller Kamado Kooker Charcoal Grill and Smoker- Brown:

Great for a quick batch of wings. Smoked chicken or turkey breast in two hours. Throw on a couple of baking potatoes in foil and you have a fantastic meal.

Comments about Char-Griller Kamado Kooker Charcoal Grill and Smoker- Brown:

I've been grilling for years, but mostly with LP. I've used wood fired bbq's quite a bit, but most of my grilling lately has been done with a high end LP grill. I'd been considering making the switch to charcoal, but was unimpressed with the kettle style grills available and didn't want to shell out over a grand for a Big Green Egg (which I really wanted). My LP grill was ready for replacement and I was pretty much resigned to getting another LP grill and adding a kettle to the arsenal...Enter the Char Griller "akorn" Kamado Grill!

I saw an ad for this in my local Meijer and after a bit of online research, ordered one online to be delivered to my local store. Delivery to the store was quick and once home, setup was a breeze. My Akorn did have a slightly damaged lid (does not affect performance) but I've spoken with Char Griller and they're sending me a replacement (though it's backordered). There's a website called "kamado guru" that has a TON of great info on this grill including several very minor, but IMO necessary modifications.

As for performance, the grill's been rock solid. I'm impressed with how little lump charcoal it uses to reach and maintain cooking temps. I think it's more me than the grill, but I'm still working on dialing in an exact temp and locking it there for extended periods of time. For example, I smoked a pork shoulder the other day and was able to keep the temp between 225-240, but not just lock it in at 225. I'm sure as I work with it, I'll get better. So far I've had great success with everything from low and slow smoking to high temp searing...pork shoulders, beef brisket, spare ribs, steak, pizzas, burgers and dogs, etc. I've been extremely happy with this grill.

One thing I did not think about when switching to charcoal was the smoke/smell...sure when you're smoking something, but keep in mind that even if you're just grilling with charcoal, you're going to smell after. For me, it's worth it for the enhanced food quality, but it's something to keep in mind. Also, while this grill heats up very quickly, nothing's as quick or responsive temperature wise as LP. While this grill's replaced my main LP grill, I still have a portable Weber Q LP grill that I'll keep around for quick burgers and dogs or whatever.

Overall, I would...and have recommend this grill!

Comments about Char-Griller Kamado Kooker Charcoal Grill and Smoker- Brown:

very easy setup; very easy to dump ash pan; uses very little lump charcoal; heats quickly; maintains temp; i love this kamado kooker!!!