Question on kamados

I've never cooked on one, but a lot of people swear by them. The downfall of them is the longevity. If you're planning on going ceramic in a few years though, you won't have any issues with that. There are other Kamados out there though that are more budget friendly that BGE. I have a Kamado Joe Classic II and would never trade it for a BGE. Cooking area isn't the same size as the XL, but there is the Big Joe which is the comparable size. You could also look at Vision Grills. They are considerably cheaper and still a decent product.

I've had an Akorn for years. It will serve you on both the low & slow and the high heat cooks. Like all steel cookers, care must be taken in the weather. If you keep it covered and water out of it, there shouldn't be any rust issues.

I've only got two issues with the Akorn, and other than those it's a good smoker/grill. The first is wooden handle. It flakes the paint early and mine cracked in the second year. It's still in one piece, it doesn't pinch me or give me splinters but it is cracked. The second is the size of the cooking chamber. I like to do briskets, the bigger the better I like it. The diameter on this cooker is not large enough to support a 15lb brisket without cutting it in half. These are the only two issues I've had with mine.

If you get one I recommend getting a cover at the same time. When it's not in use, cover it. If water does get into it, take the ash pan out, clean it out good (it will hold water between the outer shell and the ash bowl), and dry it well.

I also recommend getting the BGE gasket and putting it on the rim of the ash pan, the damper and the rim on the bottom half of the smoker. This will take care of the minor air leaks you might have, and make it easier to control the fire.

At a later time I would add a 18" (I think) Weber grate with some expanded metal cut to the shape of the grate for raising the fire to right below the grate. The smoking stone (or a 17" pizza pan with above grate) gives you an indirect cook for low & slow.

I think once you use this cooker for low & slow, you might not want the UDS after all.

I have had my Akorn for 2 years now and would not trade it or use any other for the price that they are. They really hold the heat with a little amount of charcoal. I would recommend buying a cover to keep the water off of it and clean the ash pan after every use to prevent the rust from happening. I have done hi heat and low and slow cooking on it.

When cooking at a hi temp I fill my chimney about 3/4 of the way with lump charcoal dump it in and about 15min we are up to temp.

Here is the first pork butt that I did on it.

http://www.smokingmeatforums.com/t/257819/first-pulled-pork-on-the-akron#post_1660205

Hope this helps, Heath

I've got an Akorn.  We grill on it all the time.  You can get it HOT!  Just keep the ash cleaned out to allow it to breath.  I've never done a low slow cook (that's reserved for my pellet smoker).  But you mentioned using something else like a UDS for smokes.  As for charcoal grilling this thing is nice.  Some good lump and it will get hotter than a 2 dollar pistol.

As with most any metal grill you gotta take care of it.  Keep it covered or sheltered in the garage.  I keep the grates sprayed down with PAM. And although I don't keep mine outside, I would pull the grates off and store them inside if I left my Akorn outside.  The cast iron grates on this grill are a really nice feature IMHO and are worth protecting. 

Buy it, enjoy it and don't turn back.  

I looked at the Akorn's and was underwhelmed.  For the price though, I think they are a reasonable option.  For about twice the price, a Vision Grill is worth consideration.

For ~$350 you can get the ~13" Vision Kamado at Sam's Club.com.  End of the season, the larger one can be randomly found for $450~500.

The BGE's I looked at seemed nice enough but, the price gouging was a bit much for me.  Sure they have every accessory under the sun for them and Mexican DOW Chemical ceramics but, an Egg and its Nest were over twice what a comparable Vision Grill was.  I don't farkle my motorcycle so, I may not be the best person to ask about the BGE.

In the end, good stuff depends on the skill of the person running the grill/smoker.  A better smoker or grill helps but, there is no substitute for someone who knows how to run their smoker or grill.

sidpost said:

In the end, good stuff depends on the skill of the person running the grill/smoker.  A better smoker or grill helps but, there is no substitute for someone who knows how to run their smoker or grill.

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This couldn't be more true. Bottom line, if you get the akorn, you will love it. If you get the Vision, you love that too.
Another thought is to get an Akorn Jr to use for some time, then get your BGE. You will continue to use that Jr for seating and quick cooks.