Best Kamado Grill Reviews of 2021 (Top 10 Picks and Ultimate Buying Guide)
Who does not like to taste the mouth-watering grill on any random occasion? Kamado grills or the smoke grills are superb because of their easy functionality and versatility. To make the family or friend moments best, BBQ or grill can be a great choice.
If you wish to prepare a chef like BBQ, it means to have the proper equipment, and if you are passionate about grilling, you have just entered into a faithful site.
The market offers numerous Kamado grills to bewilder you to pick only one.
To ease your decision, we’ve sorted out the 10 best Kamado grill reviews based on functionality, durability, and heat distribution along with a comprehensive buying guide. Dating back to 3000 years to ancient China, Kamado grills have been serving grillers with satisfaction.
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Top 10 Picks of the Best Budget Kamado Grill
SL | Product | Name | Surface (sq in) | Material Type | Dimensions (in) | Weight (lb) | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 |   | 153 | Ceramic | 20.5 x 21.5 x 25.3 | 37 | ||
2 |   | 447 | Steel | 26.6 x 24.8 x 21.6 | 90 | ||
3 |   | 327 | Steel | 27.1 x 43.8 x 45.8 | 117.5 | ||
4 |   | 567 | Ceramic | 48.5 x 30.3 x 53.1 | 220 | ||
5 |   | 18" diameter | Ceramic and Steel | 26.4 x 26.4 x 36 | 250 | ||
6 |  | MiniMax Big Green Egg | 133 | Ceramic and Steel | 19.5 x 13 | 76 | |
7 |  | 567 | Stainless Steel | 48 x 40 x 41 | 177 | ||
8 |   | 21" diameter | Ceramic | 30 x 49 x 57.5 | 176 | ||
9 |   | 280 | Stainless Steel | 41 x 27.5 x 47 | 126 | ||
10 |   | 360 | Ceramic | 21.5 x 21 x 24.5 | 95 |
Who Should Use This?
Passionate grillers who long for versatility, quality, efficiency, and longevity of a product often opt for Kamado grill. Even in cold weather, you can bring the best of roast, smoke, or grill to the guests with Kamado grills.
In the flourishing time of the internet, do not forget to check out the reviews of the Kamado grill to match what specifications you are looking for in terms of portability, your budget, and so on.
Have you decided already, what do you prefer? An economic grill or a durable one? Conventional and budget-friendly grill consumes more charcoal.
On the other hand, you can find a grill with lower fuel consumption that also lasts long. The best budget Kamado grills keep the taste of food intact, along with providing an excellent cooking experience. So, why not invest in this last option?
People who want to try out this grill for the first time can get them within a moderate price. Even though smaller in size, you can purchase a reasonable one due to its efficiency and durability. This is totally up to you to choose the most convenient one as per your needs.
How Does It Work?
The Kamado grill owns a large chamber to keep the charcoal; that is how you get the fuel of your grill. After lighting the fire, close the Kamado grill and fix the desired temperature.
You will find out that there are two vent grids: one on top and the other on the bottom. They are given to keep the air within the grill intact.
These vents entirely control the internal flow of air. You can continue this by locking and unlocking the vents occasionally. The thick layer of ceramic keeps proper moisture and heat efficiently.
You can use an array of operation grids for the cooking. Such as, Kamado offers a plate named “heat deflector” if you want to smoke. It is located on the grid and supported by three wheels. There are even several levels inside the grill to cook a variety of meat simultaneously.
Reviews of the Best Kamado Grills for the Money
You can never go wrong with purchasing and adding utensils to the kitchen to prepare delicious food. We will begin with Char Broil Kamado review.
The popular Kamado-style grill comes through a metal version with this one. It is constructed from double walled steel rather than ceramic. The dual wall steel allows you to heat it faster and evenly. You can control the temperature from 50ºC to 345ºC for smoking and searing steak, respectively.
Though it has the familiar egg-style shape, there are a few traceable differences in this particular model. The accessible damper being the first notable contrast, helps to control the temperature.
Apart from the cast iron top damper to adjust smoke venting, there nestles a second one within the stainless-steel side shelf; not at the lower part like the other Kamados, this manages the amount of air drawn in.
Inside, you will get a two-part cooking grill above the charcoal grill, drip tray, and ashtray. This grill can be split up so that you can add extra charcoal. You can cook here with less than 2 pounds of coal.
You will be happy to get a folding shelf on one side as preparation space. There's a hook along the edge to allow you to hang necessary utensils.
As for accessories, there is a rack at the bottom; a removable warming rack made of stainless steel. The lid is spring installed for easy lifting. The grill is mounted on a pair of wheels to be moved around easily.
The cooking area is 20 inches; good enough for cooking family meals or arranging a party, as you can make more than 10 burgers or a large brisket at a time. It is reliable and suitable for beginners. With it, you can get all the functions and features of a high-end Kamado grill but at a reasonable price.
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Many of us search for a portable grill for barbequing outdoors over the weekend. So, why not check out this Akorn grill review? This product is a perfect one as this red colored grill can be used mostly in your garden or lawn. You can enjoy your char meat with a high flame or maybe low and slow chicken roasting.
Akorn is highly versatile because it is structured with triple-walled 22-gauge steel. Temperatures ranging from 200 – 700 degrees Fahrenheit will ease the cooking process. The cooking grates are made of cast iron measuring 153 square inches with a 14-inch diameter, making it perfect for outdoor cooking.
As it is a cooker, the heat must be retained to avoid burning. No worries, it has the triple-walled insulation for maintaining the high temperature of your smoker.
Wondering how does this work? The temperature cooling is possible from top to bottom; via the adjustable dampers that allow the airflow to release out of the smoker while grilling.
It is designed in such a way that you can use less charcoal while cooking. Well, I guess that is a great advantage for all cookers out there. With less charcoal and low temperature, you can have delicious meat!
One factor troubles every buyer, will my product last long? Well, customers seldom want to buy a product repeatedly. Akorn Kamado is reviewed for its long existence. This is constructed with a powder-coated exterior finish along with a porcelain-coated steel interior finish to ensure longer durability.
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This Char-Griller is like a little brother to the previous smoker as they are of similar characteristics. If you're looking for a smoker at an affordable price, which has plenty of space for grilling at the park, backyard, or maybe for your camping, then look no further than this Kamado product.
It is constructed with a locking lid, two black metal shelves, dump ash pan, and double-wall insulation. Featuring the main cooking area of 314 inches, including the warming rack, the total space is 447 square inches with a cast iron cooking surface.
A grill that can be used with more heat and less charcoal is the favorite product among the consumers. This Akorn cooker is designed with insulation so that there is enough airflow in and out.
The Kooker is manufactured with a steel of 22 gauge. There is a powder-coated finish for the external body, whereas the interior is glazed with porcelain.
Additionally, it does not allow you to complain about being unmovable because it has two large 8-inch wheels at the front and a locking caster wheels at the back for smooth shifting.
This grill is said to be incredibly efficient as you can thoroughly use the charcoal for a considerable time. Unlike traditional smokers, you can smother the coal and save the charcoal for using it next time regardless of what you cook.
In this way, you can protect yourself from lending your time, money, and energy on charcoals.
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4. Big Green Egg
Big Green Egg is known to be one of the top Kamado grills. This barbecue cooker is famous for its versatility because it is capable of working as a grill, a smoker, and an oven.
This deep emerald-colored grill is structured with multi-variable dual-function metal placed at the top. The second portion is an airtight ceramic cooking chamber made for retaining heat and keeping the food hot and juicy.
Below this, there is a firebox sealed beautifully for making use of lump charcoal. At the very bottom is a precision flow draft door used for controlling the air passing the firebox.
Sometimes we know that such cooking appliances can be hazardous if not used properly. But with Big Green Egg, you can feel protected because it is light and safe to use as the ceramic surface does not get heated up like that of a metal grill.
Moreover, the base consists of a ceramic firebox that protects the heat source.
Another exciting feature of this smoker is the exterior, which is beautifully built with glossy material; making it look pretty and also helping in secure wiping without using any detergents.
Wait, this does not end here, the interior is also designed like a self-cleaning washing machine as the residual heat burns away the assembled grease or ashes automatically.
After reading the above-detailed characteristics, now you know that this device consists of leading patented technologies, which make it one of the best cooking devices around the globe. Simultaneously, the cooking food is extremely delicious and juicy too.
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If you're looking for a cooker that provides almost similar features like Big Green Egg with an affordable cost, then Pit Boss is your perfect match.
A substantial ceramic body features this Kamado finished with black coating, steel trim, and fire bowl; efficient enough to burn charcoal and reach a temperature of over 770 degrees.
The thickness of the wall traps the heat inside and releases finely throughout the compartment to evenly cook your meal with finger-licking juice sealed in.
This cooker provides 567 square inches of double-layer cooking surface and owns an excellent cooking grid of stainless steel for better performance. The interior of the Kamado grill is capable of absorbing the heat and maintaining the consistency of the heat throughout the cooking process.
It is constructed with intensified hardware, wooden handle to protect the delicate ceramic body in place. Moreover, for easy uplift, protect, and holding of the thick lid, it has a shock absorber along with springs.
This Kamado is reviewed for its two-folded wooden shelves designed uniquely to hold all your mouth-watering fare in a suitable compact storage.
The top and the bottom of the device comprises of adjustable dampers designed for superior temperature control. This function also lets you smoke meat, bake pizza, char steak, and much more with a superb moist flavor.
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The Kamado Joe Grill is yet another most popular Kamado of this latest generation. This is said to be a Big Green Egg Alternative because of the innovative technologies.
Exquisitely made with a red glazy external surface, it is comfortable for people who like to spend much of their time outdoors in the backyard or garden area.
This grill is featured with a heat resistant shell that controls the smoke and moisture at any temperature. It is known to be a flexible cooker because of its multilevel half-rack design. This helps you in having double spaces for cooking, different foods on different levels and cooking surfaces.
The cooker is built up with a divide and conquer grill system, i.e., a full packed combo of grill and heat deflector that allows you to set up direct and indirect roasting simultaneously. On the top, there is Kontrol Tower Top Vent made solely for controlling airflow and emitting smoke out of the chamber.
Furthermore, you have got two side tables entirely constructed for keeping your utensils, sauces, seasonings, or ready food on them. Many products lack to provide a perfectly fitting lid of the chamber.
But this versatile little cooker has a tight fit latching lid for slow and low cooking. Interestingly, Kamado Joe has placed itself as the leader of the grilling industry.
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This product is manufactured with the classic ceramic wall body like most of the Kamado grills and smokers.
It evenly retains and circulates heat throughout the cooking area due to its 1.25-inch thick ceramic material, which absorbs the heat from the burning charcoal properly.
This is also efficient for burning hardwoods or charcoal. Moreover, it helps you to use it as a direct heat grill and a low-temperature smoker.
The outer side of the ceramic cooking chamber looks attractive due to a glossy and powder coated black polish. Most of the components like spring, band, hinges, and other hardware are made from stainless steel of Commercial Grade- 304. This provides the grill kind of shine on your deck.
Moreover, the lid of the grill features stainless steel. Besides, the lid thermometer is easy to read and gives an accurate reading. Thus, it assists you in monitoring the inner temperature closely. The double-action damper also helps the griller to control temperature and airflow.
It comes with the main cooking grid measuring the 19-inch diameter and a warming rack of 18.75-inch. Both of them are stainless steel having a light porcelain glaze that provides non-stick properties.
So, the cooking space is not tiny at all. This also features an ash collection pan like most other Kamado grills at the bottom.
Whether you want to smoke meat, sausages, grill a steak or sear the perfect tuna, this grill is ideal for all your outdoor cooking needs. It gives out the utmost smoky flavor. You can reach up to 500 degrees for direct grilling or searing.
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It is constructed out of excellent heavy quality materials to maximize the best heat retention and radiation. A fireproof fabric seal is its noteworthy feature. With these two features, you can easily get the desired heat. There is a temperature gauge to ensure the right heat for your grilling.
You will love to control the temperature while using this grill since it has dual air vents. For more convenience, you get folded sturdy shelves as preparation space and a sturdy handle. This handle makes it simple to lift the lid. It also offers a cart with locking wheels to ease the portability and steady standing.
The grate is made from 304 stainless steel to resist any stain and rust. This smoker is versatile, too, like any other Kamado grill, which means you can do excellent meat grilling, smoking, and even baking.
It's easy to function. If you are a newbie, you may need some extra time to find it easy to use. But you know there are hundreds of YouTube videos to make things easier.
This product can promise you to give a superb grilling experience as your meat will not lose its moisture. Even hours after cooking, you can get the juicy meal you've been craving for.
And one more thing to love about this is the price that it offers. Though it is not as famous as a Big Green Egg or a Kamado Joe, it doesn’t mean it offers any less quality. You may consider it as another best budget Kamado grill.
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Are you looking for a Kamado grill that can save charcoal? Then you have got your destination. To keep some charcoal means to save some cash. It uses likely two times less charcoal than any other standard charcoal smoker or grill. This is great to get more food with less fuel.
The body of this product attributes an insulated double-walled steel grill. The top damper is made of cast iron, whereas the lower one is of aluminum. It is one of the best ways to retain moisture and a high level of heat.
This body is so well manufactured that it almost lessens the risk of cracking the wall. The interior is almost similar in size to that of Big Green Egg, and you can even fit Big Green Egg's accessories in it.
The diffuser kit is unique- a drip pan of porcelain coat which remains below the grate to hold gravy drippings and employs indirect heat. You can use this as upside down over the primary grate along with a pizza stone on it to make brown pizza toppings and crust.
Cleaning this is so handy due to the removable steel ash catcher. It also requires scraping like other Kamado grills. Moreover, it comes with a rolling cart that allows easy mobility of the grill.
This even offers extra add-ons to make things more efficient, such as a secondary rack of chrome swing, removable side shelves, and other multi-tools. The multi-tool helps to reposition or remove the cold or hot heavy-coated cast iron grate.
The detachable resin side shelves are another feature of this product as preparation space, and you can serve foods cooked there as well. This is very well designed, effective, and durable.
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You will find it among the best ceramic grill reviews. Why? Let's see. Primo brings extra facilities due to its unique oval shape. The 7mm grilling space maximizes the efficiency of searing. It also comes with reversible and split grilling rack to grill food at diverse intensities.
With its handcrafted ceramic, you can reach high temperatures like 750 degrees F, ensuring the utmost moisture retention. It even allows consistency in temperature control. For longer durability, the glaze is bonded permanently to the ceramic. The high-gloss, powder-coated finish provides easy maintenance.
The cast iron made chimney vent helps you to adjust the optimum smoke essential for your cooking. The lid provides a precision thermometer to monitor the internal temperature, so you do not need to open the lid frequently during cooking.
Another feature to name here is the lift and lock hinge with a soft close gasket. It helps the cooker to be in position and guards the ceramic bowl in time of opening and closing. The overall functionality is very user-friendly.
This grill consumes less fuel compared to the other smokers. For the best results, it is recommended to use Primo brand natural lump charcoal. It produces less ash; it is renewable and easy to light. However, you will also get add-ons such as porcelain made cooking grid, lid thermometer, manual, and recipe book.
With its tow-zone design for cooking steak, pizza, turkey, fish, and so on in different styles, you can even use it for baking. Direct, indirect, and convention methods can be used too. Considering all the features, this is the best ceramic grill one can ask for.
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Buying Guide:
How to Choose the Best One?
The high-quality ceramics of Kamado grills ensure proper heat retention and the sustainability of the product. The insulation and apt sealing of the Kamado grills preserve the taste of the food, such as it does not dry up burger meat or fillets.
So, you know some of the magic of a Kamado grill, but what features to check out in a Kamado grill while buying one?
No need to wonder more, we’ve listed several facets to consider before you buy one for your convenience.
1. Size
It, of course, depends on your needs and the number of people you are going to cook for. The market offers you models that cover two to three persons' food. Also, you can get the bigger size to share a grilled food with your extended family members or a gang of friends.
2. Heat Distribution
To achieve and experience a unique and best quality food by this grill, you need to keep in mind that without suitable heat distribution, things can turn upside down.
You have probably noticed that most of the models have an egg-like shape. This shape provides a consistent heat distribution, and heat recirculates inside the walls of the grill.
Ceramic materials covering the internal layers can help the thermal insulation. The sealing is also high and very precise in minimizing heat loss to the environment. In some models, external environment conditions cannot affect internal cooking because of their excellent sealing.
3. Materials
As mentioned before, the best egg grills are made of ceramic and often with porcelain to extend its durability. There are, however, some recent models that come with external steel cover and an internal layer of ceramic. Of course, this mixture is quite good and pricey.
Anyway, note that some of the steel parts can get rusty with time.
If you want to do some experiment with a Kamado grill for the first time, it would be a good choice to purchase the one with mixture materials. They do not last as long as the ceramic one, though.
4. Durability
This is an important factor to check out when you decide to buy a Kamado grill smoker. The durability of a usual barbecue grill is limited compared to the Kamado grill. The conventional grill can only last for a few months or a year.
But depending on the model, the ceramic Kamado is confident enough to provide a warranty for nearly three years and more. Isn’t it better to invest in the best available thing of your choice? It will also save up money as you would not need to change your grill frequently.
5. Temperature Control
Without any doubt, you can reach the proper cooking temperature with any models of Kamado. It does not matter if you have the smallest or the bigger smoker. The temperature can be adjusted to something within 200 to 700 Fahrenheit. It is easy to get the desired temperature.
In all the way to smoke, grill, or bake, certainly Kamado can help.
The superb venting system will assist you to control the temperature. These models vary from a single vent system to a double vent system, and both work well! The only contrast is that you will achieve better accuracy and the fastest response regarding the change of temperature with a double vent system.
6. Safety Feature
To avoid any unfortunate situation and protect hands from burning, this grill provides a safe external temperature wall that is related to the sealing and the material quality.
7. Ashtray
Almost all the models provide an ashtray to accumulate waste during cooking. Isn't it so tiring to clean than to cook? Thus, if you get an ashtray, it will help you to save time in cleaning.
Usually, the trays are made of stainless steel or cast iron depending on the model, and so, the chance of it becoming rusty in the long run is quite unfeasible.
8. Portability
Another key factor to check while buying a Kamado grill is to ensure if it is portable or not. Most of the time, we like to enjoy smoked food outside of the home. To cook outside, the portability of the grill plays a prime role.
You may have already noticed in the Kamado grill reviews that even if some models are quite heavy, they have aluminum wheels or legs to support; which also help to carry the grill.
On the other hand, you can also find some heavier products in those cases; we would recommend you to use it in a pre-established place. So definitely, your necessity is valuable to select the best one for you.
9. Accessories
You will be amazed to know that some models of Kamado grill provide accessories. These add-ons can be pizza stones, stack, skillets, rotisseries, and more. So, you do not need to buy them separately. Check what extra item is necessary for you then decide which model you want.
For this, you may need to pay a bit more, but don’t you think it is easier to get add-ons with the grill other than spending time to pick those things separately?
10. Warranty and Customer Service
Ceramics are highly fragile and are often at risk of getting cracks and chips. Parts like hinges and seals can wear out with the other bits and pieces inside.
You should check if there is a warranty that provides good, comprehensive coverage; companies often provide lifetime-coverage while some do not offer any. You only know about the manufacturer’s customer service when you put it to the test.
Check about the kind of responses people get when they post questions online.
Look out for social media posts, the feedback section on the manufacturer’s website can tell you more about how they behave with customers.
11. Price
Lastly, this major factor should be left out. Most of the Kamado grills available in the market come with a higher price range compared to the other brands. However, you can always seek offers, deals, or a less expensive one if you are on a tight budget.
Kamado Grill vs. Barbeque Grill
We often need to differentiate certain things to comprehend which one is the best that serves us for a similar purpose. Therefore, we will discuss in detail here, about some key features of both types of grills to point out the slightest contrast for which Kamado gains popularity among the grillers.
Let's check those things out-
How to Use a Kamado Grill?
Due to the multifaceted feature, by using a Kamado grill, you can prepare the grill, smoke food, and roast. You may be new to its usages and functionality, and if you intend to know about its way of cooking, then have a look here.
This part of the article will guide you to reveal how to use a Kamado grill. With its favorable benefits, the aroma of the grill is bound to make you fall for the Kamado. Just follow the steps below to bring out the best grill.
1. Add Charcoal Inside the Kamado:
To keep charcoal inside, follow the mentioned steps;
2. Lighting Your Kamado:
It starts with heating up the cooker with charcoal burning, which is the best for Kamado.
3. Temperature Control:
It may seem a bit complicated for those who begin their journey with Kamado. But not to worry, it is about the practice to get the proper and the desired temperature. Do remember that it is way too easy to increase the temperature than lessening it.
4. Cooking on a Kamado Grill:
Once the grill is preheated, you are all set for cooking. It would be pointless to explain how to cook here;
To properly understand the venting system and temperature control, all you need is practice if you are an amateur since the ideal temperature is the key to prepare the best meat grill.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q1. What type of charcoal can be best to use in a Kamado grill?
For grilling, it is highly recommended to use natural hardwood lump charcoal because it burns more and is quite sustainable. Though using briquettes can make your food tastier, but they are not fueling friendly for your grill.
Q2. What is the gap at the back of the interior ceramic fire bowl?
This is an intentional design feature that reduces the danger of the ceramic interior fire bowl to break off during high temperatures.
Q3. The expansion joint in the ceramic fire bowl is lined up inside the grill. How?
The expansion joint is fitted opposite to the gap in the vessel. When the opening of the fire bowl lines up, the expansion joint centers at the rear of the grill.
Q4. How to maintain my Kamado grill smoker?
Kamado grill does not need much maintenance, but it just needs to be kept clean for hygienic purposes.
Q5. Is it necessary to season the grill by running it at a low temperature during first use?
Yes, many manufacturers suggest seasoning the grill for 3-4 hours at low temperatures using for the first time to improve the long-term performance of the grill.
Final Words: We hope this extensive 10 best Kamado grill reviews can serve your purpose in choosing the best one. Explore your cooking experience; there is nothing wrong with trying out versatile food items on Kamado. It is worth the investment.
Lastly, we are open to feedback and do not hesitate to comment in the comment section if you have any queries. Enjoy your food with the Kamado grill experience.
