Green Egg or Komado Grills

fstarsinic · May 28, 2009

I don't see much discussion on these types of grills here for smoking.
Does anyone here use such a thing? They seem very efficient. Very expensive too.

gaga · May 28, 2009

I think you answered your own question!

faquinteros · May 28, 2009

I use a Primo ceramic. It is expensive, especially with the add-ons, but it's not without its benefits also.

pinkmeat · May 29, 2009

Extremely efficient. I wastched for several minutes while somebody was cooking buffalo burgers (smelled great btw). When he opened the lid to move stuff around, he closed it back and it literally 5-10 seconds or less it was back up to temp. I have never seen a thermo read that quickly. Very impressive, but as stated, expensive and I think small for what you pay for.

fstarsinic · May 29, 2009

A friend of mine has one and after smoking ribs around 200F all day , told me... "watch this" and he opened up the top and bottom vents, shut the lid and the temp climbed from 200 to 700 in less than 1 minute.

pinkmeat · May 29, 2009

I believe it man. They're pretty cool, but not sure they're worth the price.

packplantpath · May 29, 2009

I have a grilldome (a BGE competior, google it) I picked up on craigslist for I think $50. It's the medium size one and is great for a butt. Almost effortless, and uses less than one chimney of lump to cook all day and night. My biggest complain is that it is so efficient, every once in a while I do a cook and it never burns down enough to get to my wood. If I'm not careful about the placement, the whole burn is just the lump. Not major and still flavored some since the lump has some smoke, but a bit weak. I wouldn't buy one at full price though, unless I won the lottery or something.

EDIT: see link in my sig for more grilldome info

shooterrick · May 29, 2009

I saw the egg at a comp smoke and the price tag shocked me. I bought my Lang for just a few dollars more and it will hold much more the the egg. My Lang 48 is mobile on a trailer mount and if you are going to spend a grand I suggest spending 500 more or find a used one. Just my 2 cents.

faquinteros · Jun 2, 2009

Yeah, I like my Primo because it is pretty big for a ceramic and I don't ever have to cook more than 6 slabs or 4 butts or 3 briskets etc at a time. I think for anyone needing to cook way more, they should go elsewhere. What i liked was that it's also a much beter grill than anything else I have had before. Having the smoker/grill combo was probably my favorite thing as well as how nice and efficient it is with charcoal consumption.

A few of my friends all have different types of smokers and I've enjoyed using their units as well. I think for an urban dweller with limited room the dual functionality is great. Also, it seems like mine requires a lot less work than my friends' smokers. Or maybe they aren't great at temperature control ;-)

papoo · Jun 4, 2009

I have a quick question on these...

Given that I'll probably never be smoking a huge amount of food, certainly enough to fit on say the large Big Green Egg, the biggest aspect of what I'm looking for is how well it cooks, and how easy it is. I have no real need to have a huge smoker.

I know how well they cook food, and they really do keep the food moist and tender, because they are so sealed & insulated. For the same reason, they are beyond belief in terms of easyness. I know you can just set the vents to the desired temp, and just leave it for 6 hours or more, which is something for a charcoal smoker.

My question is, is it difficult to add wood chips during the smoke? they don't allow easy access to the charcoal pan. Is it such, that the way the system burns charcoal incredibly slowly, means that you just need to sprinkle wood chips in the tray with the coals, and they will slowly let off smoke for the duration, just like the coals?

Just wondering, because these are something I would be very interested in when I have the cash to move up from my ECB.

packplantpath · Jun 4, 2009

Papoo, everything you said is correct on ease of use. They are not easy to add chips to the pan, but you won't need to either. Use chunks instead, and randomly disperse about 3 chunks throughout the top, middle, and bottom of the charcoal load. When lighting it, fill the base with charcoal.

Then, I use a chimney and light a very thin layer of charcoal and pour them over the top of the wood chunks and unlit charcoal. Others recommend MAPP gas lighters to light in 3 spots on top. Whatever floats you boat. Wait about 30 mins or so for temps to stabilize, but do not under any circumstances open the vents wide open if you want a low and slow, it gets hot fast and takes ages to cool down. Open vents maybe 1/8 inch is plenty when its' running and maybe 1/4 inch while heating up.

The wood lights as the fire progresses from the top to bottom. I have never had to add wood or more coal. When finished, I typically find there is about half the charcoal left over if I run it about 12 hours, and sometimes it may not burn down to the 3rd chunk of wood.

Also, keep in mind that you will need some kind of platesetter to do an indirect cook for low and slow. I use a 13 inch terra cotta pot tray and cover it with foil and put another grate on top of it. Works perfect for me.

papoo · Jun 4, 2009

Thanks for that, good sir.

Sounds as good as the hype, doesn't it! It is quite a price, but I guess it's a true set and forget job. Insulation seems to be the key to all of this. I'm familiar with the plate setter, as I've been looking at their website. That and the pizza stone are a must for me!

Does it keep the meat as moist as they would have you believe, or are you mopping or spritzing, or using a water pan? They claim that once you get your temps, you can throw a brisket in for 10 hours, and leave it - no flipping or anything. Have you found this to be the case? I'd be amazed if so.

On researching, it seems like cooking in ceramic is an ancient asian art....wonderful what you learn by curiosity, huh?

packplantpath · Jun 4, 2009

I honestly find no difference in the moisture of the meat between the grilldome or the SnP. I don't mop at all most of the time on any smoker, or if I do it's maybe 3 times at most. There is no water pan, and there really isn't room for one either. I would suggest getting the biggest one you can afford, probably the primo would be the one I would buy since it's bigger I think. Mine is the medium sized model and a brisket will touch both sides if it's a biggie. But, as I said earlier, I would have never gotten the one I did if it wasn't for craigslist since I'm a notorious cheapskate.

It's not quite completely set and forget. You will occasionally have to adjust the bottom vent by 1/8 inch one direction or another to keep the temps regulated. Probably about once every 2 hours once you get used to it. You should also keep in mind that there are two temps. There is the grate temp and the dome top temp. I cook based on the dome temp, and the grate tends to be a bit hotter, maybe 10 degrees at most. I just stick a remote probe through a hole that came pre-drilled into the top and it's hook up to a remote monitor and I sit on the couch and can keep an eye on things. If you want set and forget, look into one of the computer controllers you can mount over the vents that can maintain any temp you want. I don't have one, but have read great things about them.

I'm skeptical of some of the history they claim on these things, but I'm sure there is some truth to it too. Obviously, they have their fans (eggheads as they like to be called), and while I would count myself among them in a way, I'm not nearly as fanatic as some of them seem to be. I also reeeealy love my SnP and ECB.....

formerlyfatguy · Jun 4, 2009

I have a Kamado. It was very expensive and I think I would have gone in a different direction, but it was a very nice gift. The kids bought it for me about 3 years ago and while I like it quite a bit, I get lazy and end up using my 40" MES.
The Kamado does a great job smoking and I use it once in a while to cook a few pizzas. The temperature's I can get out of it range from around 200 degrees all the way up to 700 degrees.
I cook the pizza on it at around 600 degrees for 10 minutes and they're great.

salbaje gato · Jun 5, 2009

buy it you won,t regret it. its great for cooking and smoking ina all types of weather, which i really get a kick out of doing in the dead of winter. get the extra large bge. and put hinges on the grate on either side, so that you can add chunks or chips as necessary. no water pan needed.

papoo · Jun 11, 2009

Well, after having demonstrations of the Primo, the Big Green Egg, and the Kamado King... I have declared that I am getting one!

I guess the toss-up for me is that I would like a nice, heavy-duty horizontal like a Horizon, but, for a little less, I can have a BGE in Large, on a nest stand with several accessories. The deal I was quoted was 1050.

What draws me away from the horizons, is that I just don't need that big of a smoker. I only grill/smoke for maybe 4-6, maybe 8, so the large BGE is sufficient. I would like an XL, but I just don't think I can afford it. Still, with 2/3 tiers of cooking grates, I think I'm just fine - space wise.

The biggest draw to the BGE is the way they cook. The hype is true, from what I saw. They are terrific. I controlled temp within literally 2-3 degrees, opened the vents to watch the temp BOOM upwards, they are just so simple, and I like that. Of course, you have to pay big, because it's ceramic. I'm fine with that, as long as it keeps cooking away.

Just for those who may wonder - Between the different brands I tried, they were all 'much of a muchness'. They all cooked terrifically, and I'd be happy with any, I'm sure. I'm choosing the BGE over the other ceramic makers, for peace of mind. My BBQ shop stocks them, and I have a good relationship with the proprietor. BGE is also the biggest brand. While I'm sure that contributes to a slightly higher price, I'm more peaceful knowing that they are a big company, with all the accessories, who aren't going aywhere....

I won't be getting it for a couple of months, but I'll be sure to document my maiden smokes!

packplantpath · Jun 11, 2009

Good luck with it. I agree, buy the brand with local dealers is probably best on these things. Look forward to the first cook.

jpmadman · May 27, 2011

I just got a Komado that belonged to my grandfather. Its probably 50 or so years old and im just about done cleaning it up and getting it ready for use. The info here was great, but i had a couple more questions.

1. roughly how many peices of charcoal / wood chunks should i be using for an average boston butt?

2. is it true you can do a full turkey with only 3-5 charcoal bricketts?

3. What would you say this thing is worth? Should I be worried about it sitting in my backyard "thinking theft here"?

4. I see no hole for a thermometer, can I just use one of the electronic ones like I use on my stove?

Oh and for the record im a compleat noob to this world and looking to learn what I can so I am sorry if my questions are simple ones that I probably shouldnt even be asking :lol:

Thank you in advance for any input.

P.S. this is also a bump to see how the original post starter made out with their buy as I dont see any updates after the purchase.

flyweed · May 27, 2011

my best friend sprang for a Kamado..and it's a nice GRILL...and his "seared" steaks turn out fantastic......BUT.....I can do the same thing for steaks on my Gas Grill that only cost me $300. For everything else, you can get by much cheaper and just as good with a WSM, or even cheaper yet...a UDS. They all put out excellent Que.

My feeling is that the guys buying the pricey ceramic "eggs" have the nice preened, weed free lawns, cool looking stepping stones leading to their covered deck with the waterfall and Koi pond over in the corner.

Short answer...you can get the same quality food off of much cheaper equipment

Dan

dr k · Oct 1, 2013

I have the Char-griller Big Red Kamado Kooker that is insulated steel. It holds temps as low as 175*. I like it because the insulation works so well the outside only gets warm to the touch and my magnetic Therms are front & center for easy viewing. It was only $248.00 at Menards. It'll pay for itself on the coal it saves.

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