Grilla Grills (and others)

[SparkyBD]

Has anyone ever cooked on one of the round Grilla grills before? It looks fantastic. But I'm also tossing around the Rec Tec Bull, a Kamado Joe, or a Primo Oval XL. I only want to buy one grill for now. Been researching for two weeks and the more I read the more I can't make up my mind. I have never smoked meat in my life. Ribs is about as far as I've gone (baked in the oven, finished on a propane grill). I typically just cook burgers and steaks, but want to branch out. Ideally I will cook a bulk of food for the week. Help a man decide!!

 

[SunnyDC]

Smart folks on here will sure give you the 411, so I'm just saying hi & welcome. You've come to the right place. But expect to find yourself with a huuuuuuge new addiction! Have fun. :)

 

[Baconyoulikeapig]

Has anyone ever cooked on one of the round Grilla grills before? It looks fantastic. But I'm also tossing around the Rec Tec Bull, a Kamado Joe, or a Primo Oval XL. I only want to buy one grill for now. Been researching for two weeks and the more I read the more I can't make up my mind. I have never smoked meat in my life. Ribs is about as far as I've gone (baked in the oven, finished on a propane grill). I typically just cook burgers and steaks, but want to branch out. Ideally I will cook a bulk of food for the week. Help a man decide!!

Well two are pellet grills and two are ceramic cookers. They are two very different methods of smoking. First you need to decide which method you want. Pellet grills are much more straightforward, push a couple buttons and you're smoking at your desired temperature. Ceramic cookers will take a little effort and time to get your temperatures.

 

[SparkyBD]

Well two are pellet grills and two are ceramic cookers. They are two very different methods of smoking. First you need to decide which method you want. Pellet grills are much more straightforward, push a couple buttons and you're smoking at your desired temperature. Ceramic cookers will take a little effort and time to get your temperatures.

I feel I know them both romantically now. That's why I can't decide. If I can do it all on ceramic, I suppose that's the way I'd go .

 

[drunkenmeatfist]

A ceramic grill will do much better at actual grilling. You will be able to jack it up to get super high heat to sear steak. Of course you can also smoke on a ceramic grill as well, but depending on personal preference you might choose to smoke on a pellet grill instead. There are really a bunch of factors to guide your decision. Ease of use, primary use (smoking or grilling), fuel preference, etc. Of the options you listed I would probably choose the Primo due to the ease of getting an indirect setup compared to other kamados. But that is just one guys opinion.

 

[retfr8flyr]

How much will you be grilling, as opposed to smoking? Both types smoke meats very well, with the pellet giving a lighter, cleaner flavor then charcoal. For higher temp grilling the pellet grill just can't compete with a Kamado grill. I think having a pellet grill and a Kamado grill is the perfect combination to cook anything you could want. If you can only have one grill then I would go for a Kamado and the Kamado Joe is hard to beat.

 

[JohnnyCav]

Not sure if you have pulled the trigger yet but I have some input that may help you. I was looking to get away from gas and was willing to make a significant investment. I was intrigued with the pellet grills because I was in the mindset of not wanting to babysit my cook especially during a long cook. Looking at reviews, the pellet grill was great all-around and bought the Rectec 680. My first cook was chicken and was really disappointing as it was like I put a smoke tube in the oven. It lacked searing capabilities and the char of a direct flame. I ran across a guy on Ebay that sells "searing stations" called Seardaddy for pellet grills and greatly improved my outlook on my purchase. Steaks, chicken, veggies and much more have been fantastic off of it. As far as smoking, pork butts and ribs have been awesome but briskets have always seemed like it was lacking something. If you want ease, the pellet grill may suffice, but me personally, if I had to do it again, I would have went with a kamado. My pellet grill still has it's place especially for my wife as it suits her comfort level and I may use it if I need more volume than what my Primo XL can handle. But the kamado is by far, has been my go-to since I purchased it a short time ago. Consider your budget and how much your'e willing to monitor. Rectec has volume but kamado may give you the flavor you desire. A Primo XL will get you close to cook space of the Rectec but is dang pricey especially with the cart. Or, just but one knowing you'll add another tool to the box down the road. Good luck!

 

[JWFokker]

Kamados are pretty easy to smoke on in my opinion, but the results are completely opposite of what you get off a pellet burner.

Pellet grills put a mild, clean smoke flavor on the meat. Spritzing or mopping is usually necessary because the volume of airflow through the cooker is so high. The surface of the meat and rub will get visibly dry before the fat begins to render.

Kamados are completely different. To cook below 300F you need to choke down the intake and exhaust vents. Bark takes a long time to form because the interior of the kamado gets really humid as the water in the meat evaporates. Charcoal and wood chunks or chips have a very different and distinct smoke profile. Can get stale tasting because of the low airflow through the cooker. And don't expect a smoke ring on ribs or anything that takes less than eight hours.

Personally I find kamados to be the easiest to set up for long cooks. Once you get it dialed in to the temperature you want you can walk away and only tweak the vents once or twice on a brisket or big pork shoulder cook.

 

[SlowmotionQue]

How much will you be grilling, as opposed to smoking? Both types smoke meats very well, with the pellet giving a lighter, cleaner flavor then charcoal. For higher temp grilling the pellet grill just can't compete with a Kamado grill. I think having a pellet grill and a Kamado grill is the perfect combination to cook anything you could want. If you can only have one grill then I would go for a Kamado and the Kamado Joe is hard to beat.

Have to agree. If it's only going to be one grill for now, well then the Kamado Joe, hands down.

It can smoke, grill and sear and do all three well. A pellet grill, not so much. A pellet grill can smoke, and even that smoke will be lighter than from a Kamado. But it can't grill and sear with a Kamado.