My latest addition to my BGE was a dedicated ash vacuum, wish I had done it years ago, so much easier than the ash removal tool.
Well recommended & so much less messy.
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My latest addition to my BGE was a dedicated ash vacuum, wish I had done it years ago, so much easier than the ash removal tool.
Well recommended & so much less messy.
I’ve been through a load of bbqs, started with a proQ smoker, used for a mix of smoking and as a kettle bbq. Had always wanted a BGE or KJ but couldn’t justify the spend. I bought one of the mini kamado ceramic bbqs from lidl a couple of years back to try it out and it was good but as mentioned with the big Aldi one, the components felt cheap, so it convinced be to bite the bullet and I bought a KJ classic 2 in the Black Friday sale last year at around 25% off rrp.
Have used it most weekends since and really recommend it highly, it’s very well built.
One thing a lot of people forget though is the fuel, it’s really worth buying decent lump wood charcoal as ceramic bbqs are so efficient that the extra spend is negligible.
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I have a Webber in Spain but I really want a Kamado Joe but they don't seem to sell them out here in Spain.
I think this vid is quite good but there are dozens of others around.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WemFcE_O9AY
Checked out spares for the Costco one and they’re easy enough to get apparently so I bought one on Thursday, just done 4 racks of ribs on it and wow I can’t believe how juicy they turned out. The KJ one looks superb and what I really wanted but over twice the cost this will do the job for a few years if it’s used as much as I’m hoping then I’ll upgrade to one my biggest fear was laying out £1500 and using it twice a year lol.
Mini review for anyone considering the Costco version
It’s very well made and the hinge / assisted lift for the lid is superb, the 2 tier cooking grates work well giving you about 48” of cooking space and the ability to fold the top one up allowing you access to the lower rack. The bottom vent on mine was a little loose and letting air in, some adjustment with a rubber mallet soon fixed that it now snuffs out the fire when I close the vents.
The first time I struggled to control the temp letting it build to fast but after a couple of practices it’s so easy to get it in the range to want and then not touch it for hours.
Heat retention is unbelievable and it’s very economical on charcoal, to give an example today I used roughly 3kg to cook ribs at 225-250f for just over 4 hours. Once the cook was finished closed all the vents snuffed the fire out and I’d guess there’s roughly 1kg useable charcoal left.
Negatives
Adjustment of the bottom vent as stated before but it took about 30 seconds I just think it shouldn’t have left the factory like that.
I’d like a smaller gap around the heat deflector but I can live with it
Ash removal it’s not the hardest thing in the world but it’d be much easier with an ash pan like the kamado joe
Overall I’m really impressed and for £500 I think it’s pretty good value, the ribs where outstanding as where the steaks and burgers last night. Generally I’ll use a Weber Q for midweek quick bbqs after work but this is very quick up to temp (around 15 minutes) and easy to light it could be a contender however for weekend low cooks this thing is amazing.
Verdict I’m really pleased with my purchase, money no object or knowing I’d use it all the time I’d have absolutely bought a KJ but I think this is good value well made (bottom vent adjustment aside) and creates amazing food.
Sounds great. When I bought mine I wasn't sure if I would use it much, it's my go to bbq now. I have a gas one too which hardly ever gets used. Once you get used to the settings it's super easy to control the temp. I set the bottom vent first, then dial in using adjustments on the top vent. It can be tricky if you overshoot your target temps to get it back down, so better to be conservative on the settings and open up more if needed.
Had been toying with getting a BGE for 2 years or so & finally committed just as we went into lockdown, but last minute research made me change my mind & order a Kamado Joe Classisc 3 bundle which arrived the next day but only delivered onto my drive. Took some persuading to get my wife and daughter help me shift a 290lb ceramic egg down the side of the house, then up onto the stand.
Have used it almost constantly since, trying to get the knack of holding the temperature just right. Got a few bags of the KJ big bloc bbq coal which i'd agree is well worth getting & always plenty left over after a cook, plus a few different smoking woods. Smoked a pork shoulder, turkey legs & a whole chicken which have all worked really well so far.
Have the pizza stone which is highly recommended but haven't got round to knocking up bases yet.
Big meat delivery coming next week with a boston butt & rack of ribs inbound so i figured now might be the time to attempt to master this thing.
Alex
I did 4 racks of ribs on ours today and wow, I was scared after over 4 hours cooking they’ve been dry and horrible but they where really juicy and fall off the bone good I couldn’t believe how much moisture there was no fancy sauce just some honey and jack Daniels mixed together and basted on for the last hour. Beercan chicken planned this week and a brisket for next Sunday as xdonolix said I can see this being my go to way of cooking. No doubt practice will make me more relaxed and not checking the temp every 30 seconds lol
Be interested to hear how you get on with brisket, my favourite. Was reading a KJ recipe earlier which required 10 hours cooking, phewy!
My Wild Goose arrived yesterday, annoyingly the bbq area we are building for it isn't quite ready so it's just sitting around for another couple of days before I get a chance to fire it up for the first time. Literally cannot wait.
https://i.postimg.cc/SQgxhLB9/20200418-202638.jpg
Good to hear all the positive cook stories!
Couple of suggestions which may be useful...
- charcoal, I’ve always had good experiences using Oxford Charcoal https://www.oxfordcharcoal..co.uk
- smoking woods (chips, chunks, dust) I buy from smokewoodshack https://www.smokewoodshack.com/
- if you’re doing long slow cooks, consider temp probes and/or a Thermapen food thermometer https://thermapen.co.uk/
- get a copy of Pitt Cue Co’s bbq book https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pitt-Cue-Co.../dp/1845337565
... and follow Artust BBQ for great ideas, cooks and recipes https://instagram.com/artustbbq?igshid=vouo5qt3uqh0
Just had a look at the Komodo Joe Classic 3 as I really like the idea of one of these. Over £2k for a BBQ seems crazy, just bought a new range master induction oven for the kitchen at a bit over that........
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If your looking for a BBQ for burgers, sausages, chicken etc. Then there is little point on the outlay of a kamado. Where they come into their own is as an outdoor oven with low and slow cooks - brisket, pulled pork, ribs, or beer can chicken. Once dialled in I can leave mine running overnight and it will have held the temp for 8 hrs+, the moisture retention on the meat that comes off is incredible. You also have the option to cook pizzas or you more usual UK bbq fare if you choose. They are expensive but there’s lower cost ways to get into kamado cooking.
Costco - £600
Kamado Joe 1 - £900
Kamado Joe 2 - £1400
Kamado Joe 3 - £1900
They all cook the same the difference comes around features and ease of use. Definitely a case of diminishing returns, but if you want all the features the 3 is the one to get. If looked after these should last many years, if you look on the forums you can see people with Big Green Eggs from the 70s that are still just as good today as they were then.
Great!
Very tempted by one of these, but the smaller cooking area (18 inch , 45 cm) is the only downer, compared to say, a Weber charcoal BBQ at the same price point which tends to be 22 inch , 57 cm.
edit: hmm just saw xdonolix 's reply at post #63 above....
I can second the Wild Goose. Compatible with KJ Classic accessories too and around half the price of the KJ.
The 18" is plenty big enough for most needs. If a large cookout, then I would start up another BBQ for better flexibility on different temperatures.
Thanks for the heads up on the book I’ve just bought the kindle version, I’ll hopefully get some chickens this week and a brisket for Sunday and I’ll update how it goes. That wild goose looks good as well, main thing I’ve learnt is slowly raise the temp because once it’s too high it’s a nightmare to get down lol. Ordered some wireless thermometers but I’m confident it’ll stay at the temp for hours now I’ve got the hang of it
Aargh warm weather and bbq still in a box, not a great combo!
I disagree with the low and slow only theory for bge use, I use mine for everything inc bacon and eggs in the morning. You can achieve wonderful smokey flavours on any food in an egg. My conventional BBQ was disposed of years ago as it never got any use after the bge arrived.
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You could achieve the same bacon and eggs in a Weber. What the Weber can’t do is maintain a steady temp over a long period of time, hence my comment on low and slow. Kamados can be used for all kind of BBQ but it would be an expensive way of cooking bacon and eggs.
Cheers, I’ve already got a thermapen from my previous bbq and it works really well. The wireless are more to monitor the grill temp and indeed meat temp on a long cook to save me going out in the rain unless I actually need to adjust a vent. I’m sure with practice they’ll become redundant but Saturdays ribs for example over 4 hours I must have checked the temp at least 100 times lol and it was raining. This week I’ll be trying to get various meats for the kamado whilst I’m out working, sadly I noticed in Costco probably due to lack of shoppers the meat was mainly out of date the following day I do know a butchers open near one of my buildings so I’ll give them a call at some point .
[emoji1303]
For anyone after the Aldi version, they are now showing order date of 26 Apr on their website:
https://www.aldi.co.uk/garden-shop/kamado-bbq
Just ordered one of these at £599
https://www.birstall.co.uk/ranges_pi...cue-ovens.html
It is a rebadged kamado joe classic. With the same lifetime warranty.
See here
https://www.kamadoguru.com/topic/427...-game-changer/
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That's an amazing deal. Looks like it's a KJ 1 without the divide and conquer cooking system, but can take all the KJ parts retrofitted it you wanted to.
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I really like the divide and conquer on mine. I dont use it all the time. But when searing a thick steak its ideal having one half direct and one indirect so once its cooked enough on the direct side you can shift it to the indirect side to cook through to however you like it.
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Looking forward to trying it. The place I ordered from has 12 coming in on Wednesday, of which 10 are sold. Hopefully it should arrive Thursday. Downside is I'm away Friday for a week. So at least I'll have plenty of time to research cooking techniques. [emoji106]
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The divide and conquer is nice to have, its not necessary. Most kamados dont have it and havent for years, I probably split the cooking area between direct and indirect for 10% of cooks. Mainly for thick steaks to cook through, you can reverse sear without it and it's the same.
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Reverse sear is my pref for a nice steak. That said, having a 1/2 & 1/2 arrangement removes a lot of faffing about with cast iron grill that you have with a BGE. One area where the KJ’s beat them with more considered functionality.
Updated to say on Sunday we got round to doing pizzas on the KJ & i was extremely impressed. I'm not even a big pizza lover but the wife and kids are, so the younger ones insisted on using a packet mix we had for a base & myself & elder daughter made our own. Rolled thin, fairly simply topped and temp up to 650-700 & cooked in 4-5 minutes and the results were fabulous.
Might have just found a Saturday night competitive challenge with the kids for the next few weeks of lockdown.
I ordered some charcoal from Labtos (via ebay) whilst waiting for CPL to deliver.
I ordered the Cuban Marabou and it is head and shoulders better than anything I have used to date, certainly better than both the CPL and Kamado Joe XL Lumpwood (the CPL is OK, the KJ was very disappointing for the price with lots of dust).
The Labtos pieces are not particularly big, but as they are from marabou they are denser with higher calorific value and they burn hot and clean. I cooked pizzas yesterday and blazed up my Wild Goose. I went to clean the ashes this afternoon and there was little to no ash. I'll report back on how they work for a low and slow cooking, but this might be my goto charcoal of choice from now on.
I ordered the Aldi one as I was in the same boat as you £600 including cover is a big outlay for something I may not use as often as I would like.
Potential QC issues aside, The biggest downside of the Aldi one is it’s size means a lack of accessories there is however a UK eBay seller that makes laser cut 5mm stew full and half heat deflectors plus a plate to put on your grill to make smash burgers etc - I would imagine the half moon heat deflector would be suitable for a half grate cooking platform over direct heat. - the package is £125.
the wild goose one is made to the same measurements as the old KJ rather than a “rebranded” version so accessories will fit if that’s important but I have read some people have had ones with QC issues
There are true rebranded versions Of the KJ (mentioned In prior posts ) are the north side of £700.
So all in all a price of £350 worked for me for and if I get into it adding the extra steel additions to make it more versatile isn’t a pocket breaker.
I got a 'seconds' Wild Goose and there was only a tiny chip that they had already patched up painted and can't be seen with the side table up (see pic for those considering a second if they come up again). It was only £400. I did get accessories like the ash basket, cover, pizza stone and chicken stand so add another £100 - but it comes with the divide & conquer set-up which adds flexibility compared to most Kamados.
All the KJ Classic 1 accessories are compatible like iKommand and Joetisserie, so lots of future options. Size us great too.
There is an active facebook forum and Greenhouse People (the sellers) also monitor it and deal with QC issues there too (the main one being the bottom vent not sealing well enough) - where they offer to send a replacement fitting.
The key contrast between the Wild Goose and the KJ Classic 1 is side tables, top vent, slide out ash drawer and lifetime guarantee. Whether those improvements are worth £250 to 300ish more for the KJ is your call. The normal price of the wild goose used to be £550 so at £600 is making the decision trickier
My research on the Aldi Kamado, was it was good quality for the money if you were happy with the size. It was also not available when I was looking last year so made my decision easier.
Best of luck and enjoy!https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...687e2c5a35.jpg
For anyone considering, look at the Masterbuilt: https://www.birstall.co.uk/ranges/ma...e-ovens-1.html
Masterbuilt is owned by Kamado Joe. So this Kamado shares the same dimensions/internals/accessories as the KJ Classic. Some parts even have KJ marked on them apparently. You get the same lifetime warranty. Even the manual supplied is the same. It's priced similarly to the Wild Goose, but you do get the Divide & Conquer with the Goose....
I did a shoulder of lamb today on my Louisiana grill, set it at 275f cooked for around 91/2 hours absolutely outstanding flavour. The grill never faltered and I couldn’t believe there was charcoal left over afterwards
Great stuff. Awesome kit.
I did a 2kg brisket with temperature ranging between 225c and 275c ( I pushed temp up as I went as I got a bit worried about the 'stall'). Did a Texas Crutch and still worried, but it got through the stall and was ready for 19:00 at 203c internal. I fired up at 06:00, put it on for 06:45 and took it off to rest at 18:00.
Unctious and melty!
Just looking myself for avalibilty in Spain Mick and found this
https://www.thebarbecuestore.es/Watc...and/Kamado-Joe
There was some ash for low and slow, but better than normal CPL.
I am getting to the bottom of the bag now. Smaller pieces of lumpwood and it is not burning as hot for things like pizza due to size/lack of air gaps, but little ash being created when burning hot.
I will be getting more when I use my current lumpwood up.
Thanks for that. I will get some ordered. Looks good value compared to the KJ charcoal.
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I was rather hoping to get the ALDI version that was on sale this week but since they’re sold out, I guess lots of other people had the same idea.
If you were lucky enough to get one and don’t want it, feel free to give me a shout.