The Best Kamado Grills Reviews for 2024

If your passion is grilling for your friends and family, the proper selection of a BBQ grill is essentially based on durability, heat distribution, and easy operation. And those three things are where Kamado grills shine.

The Kamado products are easy to identify due to its egg shape and the ceramic cover which provide an external nice appearance and internal insulation that ensure the cooking of your meat, making juicy burgers, smoked ribeye steaks and it´s also able to prepare pizza ovens with that great smoked taste.

The best Kamado grill products, adjust to any kind of budgets and needs of the family, in comparisons to other BBQ grills that are big and use so much space to operate, the Kamados grills have the advantage of been compact and smallest than the competition, that is just one of many reasons for which the grillers prefer it.

Below you will review the best Kamado smokers and grills based in the sizing to decide how to adjust to your needs, weight, and price in order to choose the best product and become in the most popular griller of your neighborhood

The Best Kamado Grills Reviewed for 2020

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🥇 Best Overall Kamado Grill: Kamado Joe Classic II

🥇 Best Small Kamado Grill: Char-Griller  Akorn Jr.

🥇 Best High-End Kamado Grill: Big Green Eggs

See it on BGE

Big Green Eggs are the “original” modern incarnation of kamado grills, if that makes sense. The first Big Green Egg store opened in Atlanta in 1974.

Since then the company has worked to create grills that are more efficient and more durable.

The insulative qualities of these grills are second to none. In part, this is due to the high tech materials they are made of.

The ceramics used in the manufacture of these products were initially developed by NASA for their space program.

Other design features that have been improved and perfected over the years include a patented vent system for superior temperature control, easy opening hinges and stainless steel cooking grates.

As a result, fans of this brand are fiercely loyal. Dubbed ‘eggheads’, these Big Green Egg loyalists will choke on the idea that there is a cooker out there that can rival the Big Green Egg.

We can understand why.

This company has been producing consistently high-quality kamados for decades now.

The Big Green Egg comes in seven sizes. From mini, which is perfect for two people, all the way through to 2XL, which can cook a whole suckling pig, there is a size that caters to just about any situation.

Of course, the prices jump up in relation to size. And the price of these grills generally only includes the body of the unit itself. Any accessories (even ones you think would come standard) need to be added on at a cost. As a result, to get the most out of a Big Green Egg, you need to fork out a bit of cash.

The most popular egg is the large size one, which includes 262 square inches of cooking space. The large will also accommodate all of the accessories that the manufacturer offers, which allows you to use this grill to bake, roast and smoke.

What We Like:

This company has stuck to producing a quality product over a gimmicky one.
The range of sizes is a real plus. If you are a fan, you can have one at home for big gatherings and one to take on the road camping.

The Big Green Egg has been proven to have top-notch insulative properties. Kamados are known for this. But this company has made an effort to ensure that they produce a product that really capitalizes on this feature.
Much care has been put into ensuring that the signature green color of these grills will not fade after being subjected to intense heat or the elements. While this may seem like a small thing, if you have forked out a lot of cash for a great looking kamado, it is nice to know that it will stay that way.

What We Don’t Like:

The only thing that can be said about these units is that they are expensive. While anyone looking to buy one of these will be well and truly aware of this in advance, it can’t be denied that the cost is prohibitive and does turn some customers away.

A handy tip regarding customer support: The manufacturer does provide great support should you need it, but they work through the dealer from which you purchased the product.

Some have found that contacting the company directly via their website does not yield any results. However, if you go through your dealer, you will find that any issues are dealt with fairly and promptly.

You can’t order the Big Green Eggs online, but you can find a dealer on their website.

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About Kamado Grill

The Kamado grills are inspired in the oldest way to cook that is based on the use of a vessel made of clay. The first people to take advantage of that cooking style were the Chinese, then it was adopted to the Japanese, who used it mainly for rice cooking.

Around the year of 1945 when the Second World War came to the end, many soldiers brought to America these vessels as souvenirs. It was at that moment when the American contribution took place changing the original concept of those vessels for rice preparation with adaptation to grill, that great idea received the appreciation in the market, improving and innovating the traditional grilling way.

The Kamado products can be used for more than one way of cooking, if you want to grill, roast, smoke and bake, one single product can afford all your needs.

Working Principle Of Kamado Grills

As was mentioned before the egg shape of Kamado grills, are inspired in the ancient way of cooking using vessels.

Thanks to its shape and the set of thick walls, the heat and moisture retention is more efficient

Let´s start with the charcoal placement, the Kamado grill possess a big chamber to put the charcoal that is the fuel of the grill, once you start the fire you can close the Kamado grill and adjust the temperature desired.

The vent system will help you with this part normally there are one vent grid at the bottom for air intake and another vent point in the top. With these two you can control the internal airflow until reach the desired temperature, once you reached that point you can adjust the vent according your need to change the temperature if you want. Here the practice is essential maybe take some time to learn how to control the vents in order to find the temperature desired.

The cooking area is where the magic appear, a wide range of operation grid can be used for the cooking, if you want to smoke Kamado offers a plate called “heat deflector” that is located on the grid supported by three legs, if you want to cook different kinds of meat at the same time kamado offer several level inside the grill to prepare as many food as you need.

Who Are Those Who Use A Kamado Grill?

They are those who look for quality and versatility at the grilling time, as well as efficiency and high durability in the products. Kamado grills represent the best option to smoke, grill and roast even in places with cold conditions.

It is recommended a little research in the Kamado grill reviews to check the specification that fit better with what you are looking for, for example the price and portability.

At this point you are maybe thinking that the price in most cases is not attractive, but you have to ask yourself, do you prefer an economic and conventional grill with a high fuel consumption of charcoal? Or do you prefer a grill with low fuel consumption and with long durability? The best kamado grills are an investment, if you want to acquire certify products that provide a unique cooking experience keeping the taste of your food. If you prefer the last option you surely will choose Kamado

For those people who wants to try out kamado by first time there are some products that can be found under $500 that will provide the durability and efficiency that Kamado represent in a smaller size.

The Kamado grills in some cases are heavy, you need to remember that are made of ceramic to preserve the food taste and guarantee the durability, which is why many models use support locking wheels to make easier the relocation however in some cases like the infinity models the support wheels are not include and the weight is considerable in those cases is better to assign a fix location for it.

Remember you can decide what the most convenient case is and choose based in your budget and portability needs.

What Do You Should Consider To Choose A Kamado Grill?

Kamado grills will provides a unique and versatile experience of outdoor cooking, the best Kamado grill are fabricated with high quality materials such as ceramics which sustain its durability with the pass of the time in comparison to the conventional barbecue grills, the insulation and proper sealing give as result those juicy fillets and burger meat that enjoy the guests and family during the grilling time.

Through the kamado grills review you will find prices that adjust to any kind of budget and need of the client, for that reason is recommended that you know the benefits that wants to achieve when you decide to jump on next level of barbecue grills by buying one the best Kamado grill and smokers

In order to help you in this next step here are the main characteristic to consider when you are looking for a Kamado grill.

Dimensions

The dimensions of the Kamado grills are based in the number of people that you want to cook for, there are models to covers since small groups like two or three people to those that cover 10 people, with two different cooking zones, basically if you are a regular griller maybe you want to try out a big one Kamado smoker, in order to satisfy your needs.

Many models comes with accessories that help to prepare a wider range of food this models could be more expensive but will help you to improve your creativity while you are grilling.

Heat distribution

The best and unique experience only can be reached out by making the things different, with that in mind, if you take a look in the Kamado grills review, the first that you will see is the particular shape of all the product, like an egg, which provide a uniform heat distribution and recirculation in all the walls of the grill.

Taking advantage of ceramics material that covers the internals walls is reached a thermal insulation and the sealing is so thigh and precise that heat loss on the environment is minimum, in some models the isolation and sealing is so extreme that external environment conditions will not affect the internal cooking.

Cooking area

The Kamado smoker review also show how much cooking are can you use depending of the model for examples there is a compact product recommended for small trips and is capable to cook for two or three people and in the other side you will find some models that can prepare a big fist of meat with the entire area disposal for the cooking, this is just one of the thing to consider to select the best kamado grill that fix to your needs.

Materials

The best Kamado grills are mostly made of ceramic and porcelain materials which stand its durability, however, recently models offered to the public are made in steel external cover and ceramic internal cover, these mixture are quite attractive on price, however some steels parts can rust with the past of time.

Those models present a shorter lifetime in comparison with those completely made of ceramic but are a good choice if is the first time that you will test Kamado products.

Durability

When you decide to buy a Kamado grill smoker the durability is associated to the product. If you compare the warranty period of the conventional barbecue grills with the kamado grills review, you will see a big difference, some of conventional can offer a limited period based on months or in the best case one year, but Kamado is so committed to his clients and is so confident in the materials used that the period can cover from three years to a lifetime in ceramic parts depending of the model, so this way you will get a proper and durable product that will works at any time that you decide to use.

Temperature control and safety measure

The smallest type of the best Kamado grill can adjust its temperature from 200 Fahrenheit up to 700 Fahrenheit degrees if is compared the biggest units the difference is about 50 Fahrenheit degrees which means that all the product are designed to reach the proper cooking temperature based in the need of the client, if the intention is to grill, smoke or even bake the Kamado product will certainly help you in all the cases.

The vent system will help you to control the temperature factor there are models with a single one system and models with double vent system, both works good the difference is that a double vent system you will have a better accuracy and fast response in temperature change.

The safety measures are associated with the quality of the material and the sealing, due to the insulation, a safe external temperature will be provided in the walls avoiding the risk of burns when touched directly

Ash tray

All the models comes with an ash tray to remove the waste after cook, reducing the cleaning time, the trays are mostly made of cast iron and or stainless steel depending of the model.

Portability

When you want to cook outside the portability of the grill plays an important role in this case, if you take a look to the Kamado grill review you will not that some product are heavy but are supported on aluminum wheels that make easier the portability, in some other cases the product is so heavy that is recommended keep in a pre-established place, once again the client´s need is fundamental to the proper selection of a kamado grill.

How To Use A Kamado Grill?

A practical step by step is prepared to you in order to help you to setup and operate your Kamado grill for at first time, it is detailed below:

1.      Addition of charcoal inside Kamado grill

• Open the Kamado grill and remove the plate above, starting with the chamber empty
• Introduce the charcoal into the empty chamber, is recommended that the biggest parts are placed in the below of the chamber
• The smaller parts will be on the top to make easier the ignition
• If not necessary to fully load the chamber with charcoal, that depends of the time that you will use for the grilling, to find out the how much time your charcoal will last, will require a little of practice and time.

2. Firing up your Kamado grill

• Open completely the vent systems at the bottom and top
• Make a small orifice in the center of pile of charcoal, put your fire starter in it, and light it up.
• Once the ignition has begun, place some of the bigger pieces of charcoal above the fire starter and wait to it burns
• when the most charcoal pieces are burning, add the grid, rack and accessories needed to cook

3.      Adjusting the vents for temperature control

• Closed the Kamado grill and let the vents completely open
• You will know the current temperature in the thermometer, when reach about 100 Fahrenheit degrees below of your desired temperature you need to start closing the vent a little bit, in order to restrict the internal airflow, that way the temperature will increase faster inside the vessel.
• Keep checking the temperature, as increase to the target desired you will need to close the vent a little more.
• It is recommended to let the bottom vent open a little and make the final adjustment on the top vent that way will be easier the operation to reach the desired temperature.

4. Adjusting the vents for temperature control

• In this moment is better to control the temperature by checking the thermometer, if the temperature desired was reached but it still arising you will need to close even more the top vent or shut it down completely.
• Once the thermometer indicate the desired temperature and stays there you no need to move the vents anymore, the temperature will keep in that point while you are cooking.

All beginners should pass a learning curve with kamado products to operate and reach out the ideal temperature for the foods, maybe require a little of practice to fully understand the vent system and that way become in a master temperature controller.

Kamado Grills Vs Conventional Barbecue Grills

Both grill are build it for the same aim, which is provide to the people a relax time during the grilling, however Kamado models are different of conventional barbecue grills, let´s check it out some of these differences:

Efficiency

Due the insulation capacity the efficiency of Kamado grills is above of all comparison, the fuel consumption is so low that you don´t need replace the charcoal so often like occurs with conventional grills.

With Kamado grills the charcoal can last 6+ hours without replacement, which make it eco-friendly and practical.

Temperature Control

One thing that you can be sure with Kamado grills is the temperature holding and the capacity to preserve it, no matter the external weather conditions

In the conventional grills high temperatures can be reached, but depends of the fuel consumption. With this kind of grills you have to be constantly moving the charcoal to keep the temperature and if there is cold or is raining outside you will need more fuel to keep the fire on because there are not insulated to the environment. That means more spent of charcoal and more waste to clean at the end of grilling.

With Kamado grills there you don´t have to be constantly moving the charcoal to keep the temperature. Once you reach the desired temperature the only thing that you use to control it will be the vents systems and the temperature will keep up to 6 hours without the addition of new charcoal.

With Kamado doesn’t matter the weather conditions, the insulation quality will keep the temperature even with rain or cold conditions.

Portability

The use of ceramic materials and the making of big size units has a direct consequence in the Kamado grills, in matters of portability when is compared with the conventional grills.

Most of the conventional grills can weight around 23 pounds while Kamado in average has a weight above 150 pounds, currently exist models under 100 pounds but still are weightier than conventional grills.

However Kamado help the portability with the inclusion of support wheels, but they still will be difficult to move than conventional grills. If you want a grill that can constantly move then Kamado maybe will not adjust to this point, all is up to you!

Cost

There is not a comparison when refer to cost at this point, you already may note the Kamado grills are expensive.

The conventional grills have a lower price that Kamado grills.

However if you decide in buy a Kamado grill it will be a long term investment, due you will acquire a durability product that will save cost in charcoal consumption and the rust and maintenance issues will be a thing less to worry about, in the future you can pass on to other member of your family as heritage due its last durability.

Conclusions

At the beginning of this article you may have no idea which Kamado product to consider according to your needs, now after an extensive kamado grill reviews you will be more convinced that when the people talks about grills, Kamado takes a step forward with quality and innovation.

The kamado product are capable to adapt to any kind of cooking does not matter if you want to grill, smoke, roast or even bake you only will be limit by your cooking skills and the quantity of food that you wants prepare, in other words, you are the one that put the limit in the use of a Kamado grill and smoker.

The best Kamado grill offers a wide variety of products and utensils necessary to prepare outdoors grilling, providing durability, wide ranges of temperature that can be easily adjusted depending of the cooking type, the most of the product are supported with resistant aluminum wheels that makes easier the movement, the product also provide an easy and safe operation, great sealing capacity, in addition to style and versatility, they are easy to clean with collectors ashes trays at bottom of the unit that allows to remove the waste without effort.

Enjoy the grilling season with the Kamado experience!

Last Updated on August 6, 2020 by Judith Fertig