Griddles for the Kamado

[Chickenwings]

It's time. I must have one - mostly for smashburgers but y'know it can do other stuff too.....

My question for the experenced:
Round - same size as the KJ 18" or so? Like a pizza stone
Rectangular a'la Lodge
Half moon the KJ OEM?

Does anyone have any experience with the above formats? Pros, cons or preferences?

Thanks!

 

[babydocsmoke]

I have a KJ 18" and have the half moon. One side smooth, the other side with grill pattern. Its pretty small to be honest. 3 burgers is all you can fit without a lot of room for them. I'd recommend doing a large round.

 

[Chickenwings]

Thanks BD. That's kindof what I thought. I appreciate the insights.

 

[TripleLindy]

I’d like to have both halves of the KJ griddle, but it’s price prohibitive. I also have the 18” and ended up with this Lodge griddle.

https://www.amazon.com/Lodge-Reversible-Griddle-Combo-Double-Sided/dp/B002CMLTXG

It fits in the 18” KJ and provides a little more cooking space than the 1/2 moon. You can easily fit 4 large patties on it, but if you like to flip onto an empty hot spot, you can only cook 2 at a time. Because it’s centered over the fire, I suspect the heat is more evenly distributed, although you could build a fire on 1 side using the 1/2 moon.

The rectangular griddle fits my natural gasser grates perfectly, directly over a burner, which is where I now cook smash burgers.

 

[Chickenwings]

I ended up with these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KG9TXTK?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

Used them a few times and I have no issues. Heavy duty and I can choose to use one or two.

 

[KimberlyO]

Glad you like them, good choice to get two half-moons so you can pick which way you want to go. I wouldn't mind hearing how you like them after using for a while!

 

[Chickenwings]

Well I can give you the preliminary:
1. 450 is pretty hot especially for veggies. I've toned down to 400.
2. Use the accessory rack. Putting the griddles on the grilling racks work fine but they're just big enough to be stoppedby the index points on the divide and conquer rack.
3. You need a dedicated smash burger spatula. You can't 'make due' with a regular spatula that may have slots or holes. It just doesn't work.
4. They're cast iron and I treat them as such. A little oil on the hot iron and I'm good to go. For cleaning I'll scrub, scrape and soap. I'm not treating them like some sacred surface. (check this out from J. Kenji Lopez if you're interested). https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-buy-season-clean-maintain-cast-iron-pans
A lot of people tend to treat cast iron pretty tenderly, I'm not.

So far, I really like them but I do need to work a bit on my technique. Things happen FAST at those temperatures so everything else needs to be done before you do the burgers...

Finally, the quality of the griddles is excellent, no reservations or regrets there at all.

 

[KimberlyO]

THANK YOU! I have bookedmarked this so I can come back for your ideas/tips if I decide to buy these. My only concern is thre weight of the cast iron; I am not as strong as I once was (hee hee). That is what has kept me from buying a cast iron pan. But, this may be a better answer since it is in two halves... We'll see.

Anyway, thank you so much for the information. Much appreciated! - Kim

 

[babydocsmoke]

Glad its workin!!

 

[Chickenwings]

Yep, your information was important BD....had to commit to a full area griddle. Glad I did, thanks!

Kim, they are heavy but this one comes with a handle cutout that does help.

It's burgers today but I think pubbies (THICK ONES) rather than smashers. Mmmmmm burgers.......

 

[gmc2003]

It's burgers today but I think pubbies (THICK ONES) rather than smashers. Mmmmmm burgers.......

Remember we have a burger throw down going on currently.

Chris

 

[Chickenwings]

I'll reacquaint myself. Thanks Chris.

 

[TripleLindy]

I ended up with these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KG9TXTK?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1

Used them a few times and I have no issues. Heavy duty and I can choose to use one or two.

That’s a great find!

 

[fltsfshr]

I have one of these. Works great!!! Blaze Kamado SS plate. https://www.blazegrills.com/product/blaze-4-1-stainless-steel-cooking-plate/

 

[Chickenwings]

Oooo that’s a beauty!