Which Kamado to buy?

[dl8860]

I currently have a Landmann barrel style BBQ and a callow smoker. Both are good but do leave room for improvement in terms of functionality, performance, charcoal economy (ok maybe I'm clutching now!) compared to a kamado. They are also showing their ages, the Landmann is about 6 years old now and the callow I think is in it's 3rd year, clasps are basically falling apart and the rust is starting to appear. Both are always covered but kept outside.

I'm turning 30 in July and wife my hinted she might see if it would be possible (by pooling resources of anyone who wants to get me a present) to get me a kamado, but only on the basis that it's a proper one that will truly perform and last, because it shouldn't be done half arsed.. 

Option 1

My research tells me that the Kamado Joe Classic II has all the features I could need, is the right sort of size - we do the odd good size BBQ here and there but nothing massive - and by all reports is built to last. It's 1399 quid most places in the kart.

Option 2

I also see the KJ Classic I (819 quid), and therefore also the Masterbuilt Classic (basically the same I think without the 'divide and conquer' system and so even cheaper again at 600 quid) as good options that would also suit most of my needs and I think last just as well as the KJ Classic II.

Option 3

I could try a different tack and go for a weber kettle original premium 57cm (225 quid) and a proq frontier elite (300 quid) for a total of 525 quid outlay. This would be the cheapest option and also the most flexible in terms of what I can make both individually and simultaneously. I also think if I looked after them (which I would) then they could last just as long as the Joe Classic II. The extra cooking area is obviously good but the extra size in terms of storage might be a bit of a drawback.

 

If anyone owns any Kamado Joe or Masterbuilt it would be great to get your thoughts. 

I know that the first option would make me more excited and inspired to cook than the latter options, but the price difference is quite something so while I know the choice is mine and I do feel in a decent position to choose, I'd be really interested to see if anyone has any thoughts to add.

[Icefever]

I was going to suggest this....https://www.bbqworld.co.uk/monolith-kamado/monolith-grill-basic-black.asp

When you mentioned #3 that had me thinking that I would properly go for that???

Ice.

[AdamG]

I bought a Monolith Kamado in July last year and can give you some advice on that if it becomes a possible contender.

I had my mind set for 3 years on a kamado joe classic 2, and then it was between the classic 2 and the classic 3 (big difference in price though!).

I became aware of the Monolith classic pro series a month before buying and I ended up getting that! It was an extremely close decision though, a day earlier or later I might have gone with the kamado joe classic 2.

But yeah, any questions just fire away👍

[AdamG]

I thought I would put some info about the Monolith kamado just in case anyone else with the same questions stumbles on this topic aswell...

 

I went with the monolith pro classic in the end. It was a very close call between the 2 since both have their strengths over each other. Something which is easily missunderstood though is you get a lifetime warranty on the monolith pro series (older ones only get 10 years though).

 

When I seen them both in person, side by side I was more impressed with the monolith's external quality. Internal was the same.

 

For me it came down to either:

air lift lid,

better top vent,

better gasket.

 

or:

stainless banding and hinges,

stainless charcoal basket,

woodchip feed system,

wooden (better?) handle/side shelves.

 

prices were within £100 of each other so i ignored that since it was a hard decision anyway lol.

 

Just go with the one that you lean towards because there is no wrong choice. I think it really comes down to the optional extras rather than the kamado itself and this applies to all brands.

 

If you have any questions or want some pics to help decide then just message me, info on the Monolith is a little short and it may seem the risky choice due to much less info online.

 

thanks

    adam

Edited April 8, 2020 by AdamG

[dl8860]

Hi @AdamG, thanks very much for your post.

Does the monolith have a similar system to the divide and conquer on the KJ? Or do you find you have a different way of doing things that means you don't really need it?

Do you ever use the woodchip feed system? How does that work, does it need a dedicated hopper and control system?

Are there any shortcomings with the top vent on the monolith?

I feel like wooden side shelves are more prone to weathering than the material for the KJ, though I take your point that wood is nicer in general. How has yours aged?

Cheers!

[AdamG]

The short answer is the Monolith pro series is the equivelant of the classic 2 and the regular Monolith's are equal to the classic 1's.

The long answer🙃

Pro Series has a 'Smart Grid System' (very similar to the 'Divide and Conquer'). It comes with 2 half deflectors, 2 half drip trays and 2 half stainless steel cooking grids. It has 4 cooking levels but you can only use the bottom level with one other level at the same time. (divide and conquer can use any 2 levels at the same time). It does come with a grid lifter included so you can lift out the cooking grids, drip trays, heat deflectors and frame with one hand. (i usually set my cooking grid up outside the grill and just lift it all in at once).

I use the woodchip system just for smoking things that cook fast but it wont fit chunks through it. I would say its more novelty and  a 'nice to have', some people may find it gimmicky, you would not miss having it if you get the kamado joe. It does come with a 'feeder' so you can load chips directly onto the coal with all cooking grids in and your lid shut. I would'nt consider it an essential though.

The top vent is the classic daisy wheel design (similar to KJ classic 1's). These designs can swing open or shut when you open the lid due to gravity...but there is a simple trick that eliminates this problem:) They are cast iron so be aware that they can rust in the rain (the KJ classic 2's have the ones that dont rust), just have to use a cover of some sort.

The shelves are in great condition but I always take them off when not in use and store them inside.

The firebox is a split design just like the KJ classic 2 & 3's so there is minimal chance of cracking due to the heat from the charcoal (the regular Monolith and KJ classic 1's had an all in one design and had a high chance of cracking, although I think they were covered by warranty?).

Both have their pro's and cons and I feel I would have been happy with a classic 2 just as much as the Monolith classic pro. Even though its a hard choice, I dont think there is a wrong choice. It was the stainless banding for me since my grill is stored outside with a cover and It saved me buying a charcoal basket down the line ( the basket has a divider aswell, so you can fill just one side if you want to do both direct and indirect).

I would definitely go and have a look at them in a shop first and see what you think of the quality of both makes.

[dl8860]

More great info thanks so much, I have to say I am leaning towards the Joe but I really appreciate your post and will try and get out and see them both for myself once lockdown is over.

[AdamG]

Since there is a lockdown, I decided to take some pics of the firebox and cooking grid before giving the kamado a good clean. Should give you a good idea of how they compare

 

[AdamG]

both are great kamado's and it was almost the flip of a coin for me lol. Its good to have all info on everything since they are not cheap.It took me quite a lot of time going through pro's and cons and hopefully this will save you time:)

You will have to let me know when you have bought one.

thanks

  Adam

[MattG156]

On 4/7/2020 at 7:11 PM, AdamG said:

I bought a Monolith Kamado in July last year and can give you some advice on that if it becomes a possible contender.

I had my mind set for 3 years on a kamado joe classic 2, and then it was between the classic 2 and the classic 3 (big difference in price though!).

I became aware of the Monolith classic pro series a month before buying and I ended up getting that! It was an extremely close decision though, a day earlier or later I might have gone with the kamado joe classic 2.

But yeah, any questions just fire away👍

Hi @AdamG

I just bought a Monolith Pro. I’m must say, the marketing/ polish of the product has a lot to be desired. The manual seems to be for the Classic, and there are some pretty big differences in the setup that left me very confused until I found a weird video on YouTube that helped with assembly. The Monolith website is also pretty useless, with empty pages and generally not much value.

 

Anyway, I think I’ve figured out most of it except for the ash collector shovel-thing. Can you tell me if this is meant to be left inside the Monolith during cooking? I’m worried it will burn the handle, but I can’t figure out how else you would collect ash with it (the manual/ previous model had a scraper for after the fire was out). 

 

Any help would be much appreciated!

 

Thank you

[AdamG]

34 minutes ago, MattG156 said:

Hi @AdamG

I just bought a Monolith Pro. I’m must say, the marketing/ polish of the product has a lot to be desired. The manual seems to be for the Classic, and there are some pretty big differences in the setup that left me very confused until I found a weird video on YouTube that helped with assembly. The Monolith website is also pretty useless, with empty pages and generally not much value.

 

Anyway, I think I’ve figured out most of it except for the ash collector shovel-thing. Can you tell me if this is meant to be left inside the Monolith during cooking? I’m worried it will burn the handle, but I can’t figure out how else you would collect ash with it (the manual/ previous model had a scraper for after the fire was out). 

 

Any help would be much appreciated!

 

Thank you

the marketing is horrendous lol.

they dont seem to have realised that they have developed a 'pro' variant based on the manual.

The ash shovel is left out during use so you can control the temp. To collect the ash you just simply slide it in and the back of the ashtray acts as a stop so your ash transfers onto your ash shovel....I have never had to empty the ashtray during a cook since its so deep, I usually just clean it out before my next cook👍

Any help or questions then just ask👍👍

[MattG156]

Ah brilliant, thank you.

One more question - the 4 leg’ed lifting device for the smart grid system seems like it needs to be ‘bent’ or something. If the grill is on the top notch, the handle for the device is flat against the grill and almost impossible to lift. Did yours have the same issue?

[AdamG]

28 minutes ago, MattG156 said:

Ah brilliant, thank you.

One more question - the 4 leg’ed lifting device for the smart grid system seems like it needs to be ‘bent’ or something. If the grill is on the top notch, the handle for the device is flat against the grill and almost impossible to lift. Did yours have the same issue?

yes it did! I thought it might have just been mine.

I bent mine just enough so i could carry it properly without using the tips of my fingers and thumb. I made sure all legs where bent the same to keep the balance right and gradually did all 4 until there was just enough room for my knuckles.

[MattG156]

2 hours ago, AdamG said:

yes it did! I thought it might have just been mine.

I bent mine just enough so i could carry it properly without using the tips of my fingers and thumb. I made sure all legs where bent the same to keep the balance right and gradually did all 4 until there was just enough room for my knuckles.

Great! Glad it’s not just me.

 

Did my first BBQ, chicken thighs, somehow managed to nuke the skin black :(. Guess I need more practice

[AdamG]

14 minutes ago, MattG156 said:

Great! Glad it’s not just me.

 

Did my first BBQ, chicken thighs, somehow managed to nuke the skin black :(. Guess I need more practice

have you used a Kamado before?

[MattG156]

17 minutes ago, AdamG said:

have you used a Kamado before?

Nope, first timer :)

[AdamG]

3 minutes ago, MattG156 said:

Nope, first timer

You will get the hang of it in no time👍

Try to aim below your desired temp and once it goes stable then raise it from that point.

I find if im direct grilling, a dome temp around 180C to 200C seems to be a good ballpark, with the stainless grids at the 2nd highest level (standard level?🤔 , the level where the grid lifter jams on😆)

[AdamG]

My first cook took 2 hours to do the jackets and the burgers dried out....temp to low so i opened the vents and ended up with burnt sausages that were blacker than the charcoal.....garlic bread was fine though😁

[MattG156]

4 minutes ago, AdamG said:

You will get the hang of it in no time👍

Try to aim below your desired temp and once it goes stable then raise it from that point.

I find if im direct grilling, a dome temp around 180C to 200C seems to be a good ballpark, with the stainless grids at the 2nd highest level (standard level?🤔 , the level where the grid lifter jams on😆)

That’s interesting. I used the top grid slot (and still managed to char them  ). If you are cooking chicken pieces (thighs legs etc) do you use direct grilling?

 

 

[MattG156]

3 minutes ago, AdamG said:

My first cook took 2 hours to do the jackets and the burgers dried out....temp to low so i opened the vents and ended up with burnt sausages that were blacker than the charcoal.....garlic bread was fine though😁

Hahah that makes me feel better!

[AdamG]

2 minutes ago, MattG156 said:

That’s interesting. I used the top grid slot (and still managed to char them  ). If you are cooking chicken pieces (thighs legs etc) do you use direct grilling?

 

 

good question🤔

I have not done chicken legs yet but when I have done chicken breast I did them indirect....i would probs do legs indirect with it being chicken. i do get a little paranoid with chicken lol

[MattG156]

2 minutes ago, AdamG said:

good question🤔

I have not done chicken legs yet but when I have done chicken breast I did them indirect....i would probs do legs indirect with it being chicken. i do get a little paranoid with chicken lol

Right - indirect next time then!

[MattG156]

One thing I did want to ask - do you full up the charcoal every time and start cooking when the temp has been reached before all the charcoal is grey? Or do you use less charcoal and wait for it all to take?

[AdamG]

i fill it up to the top, with lumpwood charcoal make a small hotspot right in the middle (for indirect) and once i get a glow i shut the lid with both vents fully open. about 70C below my target temp I close the vents to my desired setting and wait about 15 to 20 mins for it to stop rising. If its below then i open top for a small rise, or the bottom for a bigger rise in temp. But only 1 at a time.

after a cook i snuff the fire out by closing both vents and leaving it alone to go cool. shake the basket next time to get rid of the ash and just top it back up again since there is almost no waste😁😁

[MattG156]

2 minutes ago, AdamG said:

i fill it up to the top, with lumpwood charcoal make a small hotspot right in the middle (for indirect) and once i get a glow i shut the lid with both vents fully open. about 70C below my target temp I close the vents to my desired setting and wait about 15 to 20 mins for it to stop rising. If its below then i open top for a small rise, or the bottom for a bigger rise in temp. But only 1 at a time.

after a cook i snuff the fire out by closing both vents and leaving it alone to go cool. shake the basket next time to get rid of the ash and just top it back up again since there is almost no waste😁😁

Cheers that’s v helpful. So presumably you have a fair amount of unlit (not grey) charcoal when you start cooking?