Charbroil Akron

[flareman]

Anyone using a Charbroil Akorn smoker? I've heard great things about ceramic smokers and I've looked at Primo and BGE, but I'm not sure I want to spend the money right now. How does the Akorn measure up? Accessories compared to other brands? Anyone use a Flame Boss with Akorn? Thanks for your help!

 

[Killa J]

With some sealing, it works great. I ended up replacing the grate with a stainless one. I use a HeaterMeter with mine, so a Flame Boss should work fine. I’ve used mine extensively, and my brother’s Big Green Egg a good bit. The Akorn is about 90% as good as the BGE in my opinion.

 

[drunkenmeatfist]

There is another forum out there that is dedicated to kamado cooking only. I am sure you can google and find it. There is a wealth of information there on this specific cooker. I have a Vision ceramic grill and I love it. Liked it so much that I picked up an Akorn Jr. for smaller cooks.

 

[retfr8flyr]

I have both an Akorn and an Akorn Jr., along with my Kamado Joe Big Joe. The Akorn is a very nice grill and a steal at the price. There is a learning curve, if you are new to Kamado cooking, but you will catch on quickly. As mentioned, there is another forum for Kamado cooking with an Akorn section and lots of help. I don't know the rules here about naming another forum but you can find it easily with Google.

 

[drunkenmeatfist]

Worth mentioning that while there is another site where you can more easily find info about kamado cooking, this site is indispensable. This place is the go to site when I am looking for advice on smoking. People here are great and there is no substitute for the experience of the people here.

 

[flareman]

With some sealing, it works great. I ended up replacing the grate with a stainless one. I use a HeaterMeter with mine, so a Flame Boss should work fine. I’ve used mine extensively, and my brother’s Big Green Egg a good bit. The Akorn is about 90% as good as the BGE in my opinion.

What did you do to seal it? And where did you get the new grate/accessories?

 

[retfr8flyr]

I have read that the new Akorns don't require any additional sealing but I don't know. Mine is over 4 years old and I sealed around the bottom vent with high temp silicone.

 

[Killa J]

What did you do to seal it? And where did you get the new grate/accessories?

I used high temp silicone for the seal at the bottom to empty the ashes (from Amazon) and Lavalock gasket (from eBay) for the lid. The silicone eventually burned and flaked off, so I tried Lavalock and it burned too. It leaks a little still, but not a big deal.

The grate was from http://michaelscustomgrillworks.com/. I don’t remember the exact measurement (think it’s 19.5”), but I just called and told him what I needed.

 

[buckaholic84]

Don't have any experience with ceramics but I was at Sam's club and they had a vision ceramic grill/smoker. Looked like a good cooker for the money. Home depot has them also. From what I could tell very comparable to BGE except the price tag

 

[damascusmaker]

Akorn and Flame Boss fan here.

 

[moloch16]

Akorn is a superb value, Wal-Mart usually has them at a good price this time of year ($250 or so). I bought mine last year, no leaks, no additional sealing required. If you get one, google the Tip Top Temp and buy one. It's a temperature regulator that works great. I use it for overnight cooks, or when I'm cooking during the day but busy with other things. Set it and forget it, I love my Akorn especially when paired with the Tip Top Temp. I can dial in my desired temperature and walk away and 14 hours later it will still be sitting there cooking away without me having to touch it.

 

[flareman]

thanks for your input everyone. still trying to decide if I'm going to get one or not. i've also now looked into the vision smokers, but I cant find one at a home depot to look at and I dont want to buy one without seeing it first. thanks again!

 

[Whaledawg]

This is my first post anywhere,just got on this site tonight. So far, I like what I see and will spent a lot more time on here i’m sure.
I have owned an Akorn for 2yrs,love this thing,it is holding up very well,so far. This is my first smoker and I am learning pretty much on my own,with much help from the internet. I also recommend the tip top temp,I did not have the patience to get the temps stable on my own. Thank you for having such a forum,it is just what is needed for beginners like myself.

 

[Daz]

I bought an Akorn 22" about 4 years ago and still using it the most. It was $249 and came on a rolling cart with side table. I now have 4 or 5 Kamado's of different sizes and brands, but none is as easy to use as the Akorn. I was developing my own temperature controllers (tempmaster pro) so for two years I burned through all the kamados and I found Akorn kamado holds the temperature most steady with a controller, because it cools down faster. If you overshoot in a ceramic kamado it'll take a long while for it to come down, but not with Akorns.
chargriller ordered nearly 1 million Akorn Jr. from two OEM factories last year, so you'll them everywhere pretty soon.

 

[nearthegrove]

Akorn Jr. user here. Think I purchased it for $75 on close out sale almost 2 years ago. Put some extended legs on it and have been rocking it ever since. It doesn't have the biggest cooking area but man, is it efficient. Great for pork butts, turkey breast's, whole chickens, eye of rounds for roast beef etc. Holds temps nicely.
Best $75 I have ever spent.
It's not that heavy so when it's done cooking, I just lift it up and put her back in the garage.
The biggest complaint I've read about is rust. Clean the ashes out after every cook or so and if possible, keep it out of the weather and you should be good for many years.

 

[JWFokker]

It's basically a mini Weber Summit, though the Akorn came first. Take care not to leave any ash in it as the thin steel won't last long if it rusts.