Kamado Grills are not all that they are cooked up to be!
I first saw this concept personally whilst habituating a forum devoted to all things coffee. The model under discussion was a stunning hand built and very expensive example from a company called Komodo. The company makes some very beautiful products, but not having seen one either used or new in the flesh (as it were... geddit?) I would not wish to comment any further, suffice to say that the line has been available for a good while, and has a very good reputation.
I made extensive enquiries regarding acquiring one for use in sarf London, and opted for a model made by a company called Kamado Joe, the Joe Jr, there are only two us, and these things are expensive, so on the odd occasion that what we Brits call a "barbie" and the whole family were around, the old less than consistent, but nevertheless reliable Weber was wheeled out.
However, I have had very good use from the Joe Jr., its main task has been to slow cook anything from pork shoulder to Chicken, and has generally produced excellent results, feeding up to ten people at a time with such produce. It is excellent for the slow cooked joint, and smokes reliably for many hours.
One of the best things about it is that the lid, closed down onto the insulated body with its well designed air flow system (very simple) enables its use throughout the never ending London winters...
Not cold but consistent drab, dreariness... I think the Scots call it "dreich" or something?
All of that said, there is a massive drawback, and it is this. The internal parts that are made (my model) of flower pot grade terracotta seem to find a new way of breaking at almost every opportunity. I have always heeded the advice of my supplier and never tried to convey it in a car or otherwise moved it without dismantling beforehand. Also, I have never encountered any breakages in that way.
No, this device sits atop an old Moroccan style tiled garden table when in use.
Here is my problem. In use the internal parts have a habit of cracking and then breaking under normal use, which is extremely inconvenient, and potentially costly. As I wrote above, these are pretty expensive, though the Komodo mentioned above is out of the stratosphere, and my version at around £450 is a comparative bargain.
I have just opened Joe Jr., since my son failed to bother to clean it when he was staying last week and didn't tell me. I took those parts out and noticed that the top "ringpiece", I am not sure what its official name is, has a new crack, hopefully it will survive today, but will need replacing soon.
I must point out that the manufacturer of my example has always been very honourable and replaced the parts free of charge. Perhaps they are aware of this glaring fault in the design.
I don't know whether there is another way of solving the problem, perhaps the substitution of the terracotta with something that is more hardwearing, perhaps china clay (porcelain), or even some form of metal?
However as currently sold, I cannot recommend them, they are very frustrating.
I made extensive enquiries regarding acquiring one for use in sarf London, and opted for a model made by a company called Kamado Joe, the Joe Jr, there are only two us, and these things are expensive, so on the odd occasion that what we Brits call a "barbie" and the whole family were around, the old less than consistent, but nevertheless reliable Weber was wheeled out.
However, I have had very good use from the Joe Jr., its main task has been to slow cook anything from pork shoulder to Chicken, and has generally produced excellent results, feeding up to ten people at a time with such produce. It is excellent for the slow cooked joint, and smokes reliably for many hours.
One of the best things about it is that the lid, closed down onto the insulated body with its well designed air flow system (very simple) enables its use throughout the never ending London winters...
Not cold but consistent drab, dreariness... I think the Scots call it "dreich" or something?
All of that said, there is a massive drawback, and it is this. The internal parts that are made (my model) of flower pot grade terracotta seem to find a new way of breaking at almost every opportunity. I have always heeded the advice of my supplier and never tried to convey it in a car or otherwise moved it without dismantling beforehand. Also, I have never encountered any breakages in that way.
No, this device sits atop an old Moroccan style tiled garden table when in use.
Here is my problem. In use the internal parts have a habit of cracking and then breaking under normal use, which is extremely inconvenient, and potentially costly. As I wrote above, these are pretty expensive, though the Komodo mentioned above is out of the stratosphere, and my version at around £450 is a comparative bargain.
I have just opened Joe Jr., since my son failed to bother to clean it when he was staying last week and didn't tell me. I took those parts out and noticed that the top "ringpiece", I am not sure what its official name is, has a new crack, hopefully it will survive today, but will need replacing soon.
I must point out that the manufacturer of my example has always been very honourable and replaced the parts free of charge. Perhaps they are aware of this glaring fault in the design.
I don't know whether there is another way of solving the problem, perhaps the substitution of the terracotta with something that is more hardwearing, perhaps china clay (porcelain), or even some form of metal?
However as currently sold, I cannot recommend them, they are very frustrating.
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