AdamG

That is a great design Hoogl, love the idea behind the side tables/roof idea!👍 I would say this idea is much more suited than mine for a mini kamado😎

yeah I will share some pics once its done. Although it will be a while before its finished, Im going away in the 1st week of June so I will be starting the build after that (i hope to be finished by the end of june). I started by measuring every dimension on the kamado and then planned around that, im going to make it about the same height as a kitchen worktop since that is a nice height🙂. One thing i am considering is getting a waterproof extension (if they exist?) and fastening to the underside so plugs can be hidden...not sure on the solution yet though lol

Im sure you will be happy with your purchase👍🎉

I am in the process of just designing my kamado table/countertop. Mine is going to have the kamado sit inside the left side of the table (similar to all the tables you see on the web) and have some worktop space to the right. A big cupboard with door on the right side (with adjustable shelf) and a small cupboard with door on the left/under the kamado. Bottom half of the kamado will be covered with a louvered lift off panel for easy access. I am currently in the process of changing/playing with the sizes to keep cost down as much as possible...easier said than done though because I will be making it out of stainless steel....which is expensive🤔 Im having a bottle opener on it though! thats what turns it into a 'luxury' countertop haha 😂🤣😂 A mini fridge would be nice🍻 Are you just looking for ideas at the moment?

Not taken any pics of cooks for ages, roughly 10 months according to this post lol (I even forgot I created this topic) Here are some pics of a 'Tulsa Torpedo' (taken from project smoke book), turned out delicious but next time I will use less sausage meat to make rolling easier. Stuffed with smoked cheddar, chilli sausages, black pudding and chorizo. Smoked with hickory for 3 hours at 250f😋

great to know for future thanks!👍

welcome to the forum! I was once told a saying, "ask a silly question, feel silly for 5 minutes. Dont ask a silly question, feel silly for life". Since then I ask lots! haha Plenty of people here who are happy to help. There is a post about the Aldi Kamado thats worth a read through, lots of great advice and possibly some info that you may not have questioned yet👍 Most info from this post is relative to all kamado's 🍻

Welcome to the forum👍

Im sure it will be fine👍

Looks lika another great option and can see some good choices by the manufacturer 👍🍻

Hi Gary, I have had a Monolith (big green egg competitor) for almost 3 years and love it, but judging by pics and posts of other users I dont think there is much difference in the food that comes of them. I have never used an aldi one personally so this is just my impression from others. If your happy with your aldi one maybe consider another one of those😜 Or see if you can go and have a look at the kamado joe/monolith/green egg showrooms to get a personal look👍

I was in your position 3 years ago. I bought a Monolith Classic in the end and love it. I had only seen a kamado in showrooms previously and was a complete amateur. One thing to add though is that I was not aware of the Aldi kamado at the time. I think all brands are suited to beginners and experienced users. How well the food comes out is more down to the user rather than the brand (thats what I think). I went with Monolith over Kamado Joe mainly because all the banding is stainless steel and it was a better bundle suited to me. I dont think there is a wrong choice between brands. The more expensive ones come with a much better warranty and should be better quality to reflect the price difference. But the food that comes out of them are going to be extremely similar. hope this helps👍

Chrisah1 pretty much covered your questions👍

Glad you enjoyed it👍 I have not tried that lumpwood sorry. I usually like to have a feel at the bags to try and see how big the pieces are on ones I have not used before...easier said than done though🤔 I may have to pick a bag up sometime to give a whirl. Let us know what you think if you get a bag in the meantime, good info for others who are testing different brands👍

3 brilliant points by Chrisah1 here!🍻 To add to the 1st point: Over a few cooks, I gradually fill an empty charcoal bag with the huge pieces to save them for pizza cooks. 2nd point: These reasons for getting a basket are generally overlooked...but are actually the best reasons to have one. The main reason alot of people get one is for easier cleanup for the next cook but thats just the cherry on the top👍 3rd point: I sometimes use the lower grate on top of my wok stand as a surface for regular pans...basically turns it into a hob lol😋

Sounds well on track to me! I always fill the basket with charcoal since none is wasted after snuffing out(eliminating the need to top up, which if not done properly can cause the ash to fall to the grid and block airflow), but that is just my preference and not a "No, do it like this!" comment lol. The other thing I do is once the temp has stabilised I leave it to heat soak for roughly 40 mins before putting the food in, for some reason...(black magic😲😎??) it holds the temp throughout the whole cook and its very rare i need to touch the vents at all. It seems like a waste to begin with but due to the efficiency (and hands off overnight cooks) I see it as a worthwhile trade off. Again these are just my own preferences and not "the right way" everything else sounds on par with what I do🔥🍻👍

Looks brill👍 hopefully one day in the distant future I can build one of these, although it wont be as impressive. I'll be there for opening day😜😁🍻🎉

I have a different brand of Kamado and different brand of temp controller and I get the same 50c difference. I think its just down to how the natural convection works. Pit temp can vary depending on thermometer location aswell, I like to keep it away from the edge to avoid a higher reading from hot air coming directly up from the sides. I also try to keep it a couple of inches away from the food to avoid the 'cool air bubble' that is around the food. I only use pit temp thermometers exclusively for low and slow (225f-250f), anything else I use the dome temp since I dont need absolute precision (and to eliminate the chance of frying my thermometers if a temp spike occurs). hope this helps👍

haha yeah, I just leave it now and never know how long the stalls start or finish, as long as the pit temp is fine then it will get there👍 I only pay close attention to the food temp once it starts getting close to my desired temp

The 3 hours has defo been the longest one I have experienced....it even dropped a couple of degrees aswell😱. As you can imagine I thought it was a disaster but it turned out just fine in the end.👍 It certainly drilled the "its done when its done" saying into me haha😆. I have a cheap cooler now so I can start way in advance, since it always seemed to take longer than expected and then end up having to crank the heat up or finish in the oven. They were the 'good' old days🤔😉

welcome to the forum! The infamous stall that troubles everyone, I once had it last 3 hours in the past and one that lasted barely an hour! It used to puts allsorts of doubts in my head lol.

no yellow fish ice?😜

looks great!👍😁

Looks good! And yes please for breakfast😋

I did some hot smoked salmon on Friday, smash burgers on Saturday and a chicken tikka masala on Sunday...nothin planned for today though1