- Oct 18, 2022
- 9
- 14
Got a fantastic Saffire Kamodo via Menards for $533, and it comes with almost every option the others sell you for more money. Order it online and they deliver it to the store on a pallet, free. Best value going, by far. Quality unit, larger lump charcoal basket than the BGE, THICK ceramics, very sturdy stand - and using some YouTube advice that worked great, knocked out a world class pork shoulder in 6 hours to 205, nice bark, TENDER and smoky flavors.
I was so enthralled that honestly, I'm thinking about selling my Traeger, but think I'll keep it for emergencies as I have solar power out back if needed to run the Traeger auger/fan/lighter. Kamodo's use LUMP charcoal, NOT charcoal briquettes. All web sites show Jealous Devil as the best lump charcoal that's affordable, and Wally has em. In a Kamodo, lump charcoal goes MUCH further than briquettes do in a Weber kettle, and I have both. No competition.
I've been cooking outdoors for 50 years and this Kamodo is by FAR the most heat source efficient, flavorful and moist way to cook, and no drying out the food as the Traeger can a little with the blowing forced hot air. Open the dome and the steam pours out, so it's trapped in there during cooking. There IS FOR SURE a learning curve with your first kamodo grill, so be sure you see Smoking Dad or other experienced guys on YouTube for help getting started, and check Jeff's FIRST.
So........ I enjoyed the full size Kamodo so much, and being single, also got a mini-Kamodo under $130 "delivered", from the Wally web site and it was WELL PACKED and intact!!! Appears all these mini's are almost identical, so don't splurge. I rigged up a heat deflector I can attach for the mini if wanted. The actual cooking grate is 10.5". If you like the idea of a smaller Kamodo, the next size up is a 13" cooking grate, so choose wisely according to need. Smaller the Kamodo, the less heat source you need to use up.
Got a throw away solid oak table and built a mini-Kamodo grill station with work space, and finished in Colonial Red and the diamond polished aluminum is at any big hardware store for $25. Bending it to put it on was the only trick.
If all you wanted to do with a Kamodo and are single or a couple and want burgers, steaks or chicken parts, the mini might be enough but you won't do a whole rack of ribs, 9 lb shoulder, etc. Perfect for 4 burgers, 4 thighs, 2 12oz NY Strips, and it hits 500 - 550 for steaks FAST!! I'd use a heat deflector if doing chicken. I use hickory or apple chips in it right before I put the meat on. For bigger items I'll use the bigger black Saffire Kamodo.
Lastly, next time you get the itch for brisket, don't. Substitute Chuck Roast, and we get em in Omaha on sale for $4/lb all the time!!! YT has some vids on it too. Better than brisket, more tender, MUCH faster, easier to store or handle. BTW, I accidently picked up a boneless pork shoulder (shown on the black Saffire), and prefer the bone in as it's easier to handle.
No pics yet but I got a 2 drawer thing to put in the open space on the mini kamodo bench to go with the one drawer on it already, and I store hickory, pecan and apple chips in them after I spray paint it Colonial Red to match. Mark em so you remember which is which. :) (Pecan is almost non-existent any more, but thankfully I got 30 bags of em at Wally last year when they wanted em out to make room for Christmas stuff, at a $1 per bag! I bought em all. And another 20 hickory and apple. Know a bargain when I see it and bought the whole remaining pallet. Marines think ahead! HA!
Pics attached.
I was so enthralled that honestly, I'm thinking about selling my Traeger, but think I'll keep it for emergencies as I have solar power out back if needed to run the Traeger auger/fan/lighter. Kamodo's use LUMP charcoal, NOT charcoal briquettes. All web sites show Jealous Devil as the best lump charcoal that's affordable, and Wally has em. In a Kamodo, lump charcoal goes MUCH further than briquettes do in a Weber kettle, and I have both. No competition.
I've been cooking outdoors for 50 years and this Kamodo is by FAR the most heat source efficient, flavorful and moist way to cook, and no drying out the food as the Traeger can a little with the blowing forced hot air. Open the dome and the steam pours out, so it's trapped in there during cooking. There IS FOR SURE a learning curve with your first kamodo grill, so be sure you see Smoking Dad or other experienced guys on YouTube for help getting started, and check Jeff's FIRST.
So........ I enjoyed the full size Kamodo so much, and being single, also got a mini-Kamodo under $130 "delivered", from the Wally web site and it was WELL PACKED and intact!!! Appears all these mini's are almost identical, so don't splurge. I rigged up a heat deflector I can attach for the mini if wanted. The actual cooking grate is 10.5". If you like the idea of a smaller Kamodo, the next size up is a 13" cooking grate, so choose wisely according to need. Smaller the Kamodo, the less heat source you need to use up.
Got a throw away solid oak table and built a mini-Kamodo grill station with work space, and finished in Colonial Red and the diamond polished aluminum is at any big hardware store for $25. Bending it to put it on was the only trick.
If all you wanted to do with a Kamodo and are single or a couple and want burgers, steaks or chicken parts, the mini might be enough but you won't do a whole rack of ribs, 9 lb shoulder, etc. Perfect for 4 burgers, 4 thighs, 2 12oz NY Strips, and it hits 500 - 550 for steaks FAST!! I'd use a heat deflector if doing chicken. I use hickory or apple chips in it right before I put the meat on. For bigger items I'll use the bigger black Saffire Kamodo.
Lastly, next time you get the itch for brisket, don't. Substitute Chuck Roast, and we get em in Omaha on sale for $4/lb all the time!!! YT has some vids on it too. Better than brisket, more tender, MUCH faster, easier to store or handle. BTW, I accidently picked up a boneless pork shoulder (shown on the black Saffire), and prefer the bone in as it's easier to handle.
No pics yet but I got a 2 drawer thing to put in the open space on the mini kamodo bench to go with the one drawer on it already, and I store hickory, pecan and apple chips in them after I spray paint it Colonial Red to match. Mark em so you remember which is which. :) (Pecan is almost non-existent any more, but thankfully I got 30 bags of em at Wally last year when they wanted em out to make room for Christmas stuff, at a $1 per bag! I bought em all. And another 20 hickory and apple. Know a bargain when I see it and bought the whole remaining pallet. Marines think ahead! HA!
Pics attached.