Much more sensible!Originally Posted by lewie
Minimax mocking me today and not coming up to temp to cook sausages. Went offset, but wondering if just too small for 6 sausages not over charcoal.
Also wondering why I lit a bbq when I have loads of chicken and I suffer badly in the heat. Sat outside in the shade with a large fan on me - what’s the point?!
Nice I can see a rotisserie for the kettle in the future
I had one for the gas Weber for years & rarely used it. Whether it is the charcoal fuel and fats dripping into it creating the flavours, but it is amazing. Kellybab recipe is still the best one so far.
Will try a whole chicken next, as that’s the fair equivalent. We actually prefer the thigh kebab, as easier for left overs etc & the carving theatre is great.
I bought a large circular disc with screw thread on it. Helps massively with loading and then carving as its a vertical stable platform. No idea if other companies offer this.
Knowing what I know now, I wish I’d bought a Weber kettle rotisserie years ago when I had two, such a great & easy way to cook a load of meat without issue.
2 visitors from the last 2 weekends are now looking to get rotisseries, just saying lol. Go buy one!
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Just to back up MJ
Mine came with a package and I wasn’t looking for one initially. I now use it most weeks. As said great for visitors and I’m lucky to have a farm shop with excellent butchers on site that it’s a good source of ready boned thighs.
Leftover chicken is great in salads and sandwiches.
Looking at some of the food your producing with these Kamodo's and it's sending me down a rabbit hole of doing my own...I want one!
Thought I might try the Aldi mini Kamado but can't get my hands on one and ineviatabily my potential spend is increasing the more I'm ferreting around - £550'ish will work for me, should get me a decent set-up with a few essential accessories...well, I'm hoping so. If you think I'm wrong or could do better, tell me please.
I'm not ready to spend huge sums on Kamado Joe or BGE outfits, but I thought this looked good value albeit without a lifetime guarantee. Been suggested it's the same as a KJ Classic for a good chunk of cash less?
https://www.greenhousepeople.co.uk/p...-kamado-grill/
Seen several mentions of it on here, but no follow-up thoughts if anyone has bought it.
Thought I might add in the following; charcoal basket, chicken stand, outdoor cover & bag of lumpwood charcoal. Anything else from their list of recommended add-ons?
That's pretty much within what I'm comfortable spending.
Thoughts appreciated before I scoot off in the wrong direction :)
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Last edited by jacinabox; 15th August 2022 at 12:42.
I’ve read the same on these classics, but haven’t had one in my hands. Like the Joe, yo certainly get a lot more lit thrown in vs the BGE.
I don’t think there are really bad ones around, as long as it builds together properly and you make sure there is no air gap etc around the seal then the ceramics etc will just do their part.
I’ve been guilty of using mine as a glorified smoker, but the rotisserie has really made me look at some other things. Well, he says after cooking chicken for the last 3 weekends!
Am sure you won’t regret it. Maybe clear your browser / go incognito. When I clicked the link, charcoal was free today (and prob most days!) and I had a £20 voucher pop up appear.
Masterbuilt is the one you want as it is made by the same company that make Komado Joe and all the accessories fit etc.
Thanks, it's been mostly your contributions (and others too) that's piqued my interest...think I'll be on a long & steep, steep learning curve to produce results approaching yours :)
Might be having a change of heart on what to buy. For similar outlay I can get a KJ junior bundle that will probably suit our needs better seeing as it will be mostly just used for two of us and the small hound. It's red too which seems to be a must have for Mrs JiaB <sigh>
Yes, I picked up Masterbuilt was a good one. Don't see the Komado style versions are available anymore - only Masterbuilts I can see are gravity feed things? Am I looking in the wrong places perhaps?
That looks good for the money, the ask basket is a good price as I have been looking for one.
Deffo get a cover of its out in the open. Have a look at Kamado bono too.
Start with an empty grill and learn to control your temperatures, then you’re pretty much set.
Pork shoulder is so forgiving, really cannot get it wrong. Just takes time, and hard to predict when ready to service as often +/- 2hrs. I let mine go from midnight then wrap and keep warm once ready.
Ribs are shorter time wise, but as they are thin can be less forgiving if you run hot. Tend to throw them on, then leave them alone until I sauce at 5hrs. Used to wrap them etc but just though the gain was marginal.
I get my bbq meats from Costco. Pork shoulder I get a £12-14 priced piece, and ribs at about £22 for a large set of 4.
I started my smoking life on a Weber 22” kettle, using it offset and lovingly adding 2-3 briquettes every hour over the course of a 10-12hr cook. Then upgraded to a Smokey Mountain which made life easier, especially when I added forced air temp control.
From there, it was a progression to ceramics. Wish I’d made the leap earlier, but guess I wouldn’t have learned what I liked at what is important.
Currently looking at the eggspander system, but it’s £300 for the XL before any surfaces etc! Can pay £600 for all the surfaces and kit, which is scary.
Currently have a 22” Weber grill with bolts I made, allowing an extra rack, but nothing like as good as a proper set up!
You will enjoy whatever you decide on, if that I have no doubt.
Thanks for the advice. I'm looking forward to placing my order and having a play.
Pretty sure I'm going to settle for the KJ junior - some good bundles around.
Seems to be some useful online tutorial stuff, should help me get up and running :)
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I’m still finding new online content.
Smoking Dad BBQ on YouTube is my latest.
Still so much to learn about with these grills.
If I was only getting the one grill, I would try and stretch to the KJ classic or equivalent size. I had the Classic and the Junior at the same time and ended up selling the junior because I found the classic much more versatile and junior a bit small. With the classic you'll also get the divide and conquer system. You can also get a grill expander for it if you do cook for a bigger group. The charcoal basket is a nice accessory but not essential, same for a chicken rack because you could always spatchcock. A temperature probe is a better option if you don't already own one. As for charcoal consumption, these things are so fuel efficient that difference between the two is negligible.
This doesn't seem a bad deal with a cover and charcoal!
https://www.appliancesdirect.co.uk/p...yABEgJxOfD_BwE
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That does look good, and a future proof set up. I do find my minimax a bit tiny, a friend cooked for 4 on it but god knows how as I am spoiled for space with the XL so wouldn’t even consider trying.
I did smile at the pull out ash drawer. Very polite of the charcoal ash to just drop in that exact shape / area!
Best purchase I made for my eggs has been a £30 ash vacuum, so much easier that messing about with tools / drawers.
Meater is great & convenient. However I don’t trust it’s time for low & slow, or for rotisserie kebabs. But for a feel as to what’s going on, very handy.
Thermapen instant read is the dog’s danglies and there are manufacturer refurb ones of 3rd gen for £22 on Amazon. I have a collection as keep losing them & finding again once a new one arrives.
I use it for all my cooking inside & out, but put it down to being a food technologist by degree & it never leave you. I even change spatulas when cooking mince once the outside has browned. I’ve met a few of us, and we all do the same.
Unlike the ultra high end probe I left in a drawer when selling my first house, which the new owners denied was there. A present from my university tutor for the work I did on ice cream development - what a dissertation that was haha!
Basic onion smash burgers tonight. Simple and really tasty.
One of the best things I have ever bought.
- - - Updated - - -
Basic onion smash burgers tonight. Simple and really tasty.
One of the best things I have ever bought.
The ash collector is actually quite effective. The bit that the drawer slots into, has wings which funnels the ash into the drawer.
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Ah the wings make sense for increasing the catchment area then. Will have a look at one in place next time I’m at the local vendor.
I knew I'd be travelling down the rabbit hole with all this!
@mijyou. Yes, the KJ Classic you linked to is good. It is, as far as I can workout, the same as the Wild Goose kamado from the Greenhouse People for £499. Big difference in price.
I am still trying to workout, with difficulty, if I should stick to the smaller KJ Junior package or go bigger to 'future proof'. Feel sure the Junior will be adequate for two of us...and of course, it's red rather than black with keeps Mrs JiaB happy.
Birstall has offered me a great package on the baby KJ - KJ Junior + cover, griddle plate, ceramic plate, chicken stand, charcoal basket, rotisserie, rubs, coals, lighters and smoking chips £630.
@ Mj2k That was a good heads up about the Meater probes. That was something else I was going to get, I'll go for your recommendation instead - thanks:)
Last edited by jacinabox; 18th August 2022 at 17:36. Reason: trying to post from phone - pah
Some great deals at Kamado Joe 50% off at hof - Any pointers on which to get for the classic 2, 3 or bbq joe for an amateur stepping into this space from a weber
Good deal on the Junior £359
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00IJ74R...tag=2386060150
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£300 at House of Fraser
Think that may be a kettle Joe
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The class is 2 and 3 have the better seal and all weather temp dial
Lots here on offer as well
https://www.lillywhites.com/searchre...nfilter=Kamado
Good price on the Classic II except you can't seem to buy it - I can't get it into my basket.
A few others have the same difficulties according to hotdeals.uk.
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I had the KJ Kettle in my basket for ages yesterday going over the pros and cons between that and the KJ Jnr, and the Classic 1 but in the end I think I’ll go for the Jnr, it’s £351 on Amazon at the mo but I’ll have a shop around.
So much procrastination on here lol
Was like me on my pizza oven purchase.
By contrast my ceramic purchase decision seemed much easier.
If anyone is near Reading and wants to see a BGE XL & Minimax for a size idea, drop me a message.
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This has now dropped to £329 if anyone’s still sitting on the fence.
Skip the junior, go to a classic IMO. Otherwise you'll end up buying the classic after falling in love with ceramic grilling anyway. I speak as someone that's done that (started with junior, fell in love and bought XL)
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You’re probably right but I went for the Joe Jr which arrived yesterday, I’m actually more looking forward to making a table or base to sit it on from a couple of wooden pallets or something simple like an old wooden cable reel or upturned whisky barrel.
Who knows, I might even get to lighting up the Kamado one day next week…
I'm sure you'll love it. Enjoy it!! Keep us posted on what you end up doing for a base
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Make sure you put a paving slab or something similar under the Egg to prevent it burning the lower wooden shelf. First cook on my homemade table, shelf nearly burnt through!
^ you can get ceramic feet for isolation. Looks neater than a slab (probably costs more, too).
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
The Joe Jr is on a circular stand but I was planning on a ceramic tile or slab, I popped into a local garden centre today and they’re sorting out a load of pallets for me, gratis, which was nice.
I'm a cheapskate :)
Really looking forward to seeing what you make here. I’d love a portable table for the minimax to use it around the eating area vs where the main bbq area is.The Joe Jr is on a circular stand but I was planning on a ceramic tile or slab, I popped into a local garden centre today and they’re sorting out a load of pallets for me, gratis, which was nice.
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Picked up 3 large pallets today, not the prettiest looking pallets you’ve ever seen but they’ll clean up ok.
First cook on the Joe Jr the wife brought home two huge ribeye steaks so I only cooked the one, a reverse sear, everything went to plan and it tasted amazing, totally different from cooking on the usual pan.
That looks great!
I bought a couple of extra thick rumps from Waitrose at the weekend, probably 1.5 inches, will likely sous vide and finish with a sear on the egg.
I am all for cut off the horns and wipe its arse before serving, but that is too rare to enjoy a ribeye. Too much chewing.Picked up 3 large pallets today, not the prettiest looking pallets you’ve ever seen but they’ll clean up ok.
First cook on the Joe Jr the wife brought home two huge ribeye steaks so I only cooked the one, a reverse sear, everything went to plan and it tasted amazing, totally different from cooking on the usual pan.
Sirloin should always be served medium rare, but ribeye needs a bit more cooking.
I normally prefer ribeye med-well but honestly last night that was like butter. I cooked the 2nd steak tonight longer low and slow and it was definitely med-well done, looked better but just as delicious.
Another new owner of a Kamado Joe Jr. here - a gift from the wife. I've only just finished making a storage box / stand for our Ooni oven which I'm quite pleased with, but wish I'd known the Joe Jr was on the way as I'd have made something to accommodate both..!
Wow, really wish I had the skills for that, would love to be able to make things for my garden cooking equipment.Another new owner of a Kamado Joe Jr. here - a gift from the wife. I've only just finished making a storage box / stand for our Ooni oven which I'm quite pleased with, but wish I'd known the Joe Jr was on the way as I'd have made something to accommodate both..!
XL egg is in the BGE mahogany table, lift the minimax on & off to remove the cover, or to put the Ooni on, a stand alone Ooni thing like that would be so much easier.
I can’t even tear up a pallet neatly. I’m that bad lol.
It wasn't that hard to put together to be honest. I cheated a bit by getting a local timber store to cut the plywood pieces for the basic box as I wanted really precice cuts I'd struggle to get by hand. It was then just a question of cutting & mounting the slats, which as you can see from the pic I've had plenty of practice of when making that bloody fence! The hardest part was just working out all of the measurements correctly to begin with, as I was working back from the dimensions of the spare floor tile I used for the top / lid. We don't have space in the garden for a permanent cooking station so I was forced into being a bit creative with something more compact & dual purpose. There's room inside it to store the Ooni, wood pellets etc, as well as the charcoal for the Kamado too, just about!
Appreciate that Kamado is almost synonymous with ceramic, but I recently picked up the Weber Summit Kamado when it was on sale… and it’s fabulous.
I’ve done two cooks on it thus far, and the ability to dial in a temp and keep it there is incredibly impressive vs what I’ve owned previously… plus it’s a more forgiving material than ceramic, and it’s massive with a grill grate around the size of the Big Joe. It’s not quite the visual centrepiece of a KJ or BGE (still a good looking piece of kit though), but functionally it’s every bit as good based on my experience.
The deflector setup is nice, plus the slow n sear copy I used on my previous Weber kettle required only minor modification to fit the Summit Kamado for an excellent indirect / searing setup.
I’m now working up to my first full packer brisket and eyeing up a Miguel Vergara. Anyone have any brisket recommendations before I dive in?
Inspired by this thread i picked up an Aldi mini kamado when they were reduced to £50 and then got a cheap Ooni pizza oven off eBay this week. This morning I made a small table for them to go on, using some scrap wood i had lying around and a spare paving stone. Nothing like as fancy as that above but it keeps them off the floor
Now i just need to try them out!
D8325B4D-1BA5-41E3-A702-184890A558E4 by Stuart Thompson, on Flickr
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Get cooking on them now!
Simple works really well there, much better than cooking hunched on the floor for sure.
Top workInspired by this thread i picked up an Aldi mini kamado when they were reduced to £50 and then got a cheap Ooni pizza oven off eBay this week. This morning I made a small table for them to go on, using some scrap wood i had lying around and a spare paving stone. Nothing like as fancy as that above but it keeps them off the floor
Now i just need to try them out!
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Let me know how much use the Ooni gets after you have mastered Kamado pizza---I have Broil King Kegs and there is so much more I like about the ease of the cooking pizza on the charcoal vs pellets. I use a steel deflector then some fire bricks to get the pizza stone higher into the dome, but it is all just experiments and not expertise so far.Another new owner of a Kamado Joe Jr. here - a gift from the wife. I've only just finished making a storage box / stand for our Ooni oven which I'm quite pleased with, but wish I'd known the Joe Jr was on the way as I'd have made something to accommodate both..!
That is a lovely stand and I am sure the whole set up will look impressive soon :)
I’ve been following this thread as a keen barbecuer (I have a Weber)
I’ve often been tempted by the Kamodo style barbecues but have been put off by the enormous prices
I’ve come to the conclusion that you need to go big or go home…. 24” cooking surface appears to the minimum…
Anyway…. I saw this on eBay - 24” with a 5 year guarantee…. It looks like the real deal and obviously approaching half the price with the 15% off deal
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284346836...mis&media=COPY
Daft move or worth a punt?
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