Thinking about a Weber kettle to supplement my Kamado....

[bgaviator]

Tell me if this is crazy....

So I bought this fairly expensive Kamado Joe classic last Christmas.  I have been making great food on it, and I have been using it a lot so I feel I am getting my money's worth.  

However my wife and son haven't always been as happy with some of my cooks as I have.  Mostly when it comes to chicken.  I always used to cook chicken on our old charcoal grill using Kingsford briquettes.  There's a flavor that briquettes seem to give the food that I don't get with lump charcoal in the kamado.  In fact, lump charcoal by itself doesn't really seem to impart much flavor at all.  Now my coworker who is on a bbq cooking team says that the taste I am getting from Briquettes is just nasty binders and fillers........but, as long as it isn't going to kill me, it tastes good!  It's the flavor that used to be on my chicken my wife and son miss.  My son has barely been eating my chicken lately since I've been cooking it on the Kamado.  He and my wife also aren't into smoke flavor as much as I am.  

So with that being said, I'm thinking about buying a cheap Weber kettle to supplement the Kamado, so i can get back to that flavor my family is missing.  Does that seem crazy to do since I have this nice Kamado?  I want my family to be happy with the product I'm churning out, and while they've enjoyed a lot of the food I've produced on the KJ.....it just always doesn't do it for them.

 

[hillbillyrkstr]

The Weber kettle is the greatest grill of all time imho. At least as long as they keep making them in America. The Weber gassers are China made now, and the the quality has slipped. I have no use on a kj, but I find it odd that if your using the same fuel (kingsford charcoal) in both a Weber and a kj that your getting a different flavor.

Are you adding wood to the charcoal in the kj? That'll change the flavor for sure.

Bottom line is adding a Weber kettle to your arsenal is always a positive. I own two 22" kettles, and an 18" one as well. Check Craigslist you should be able to pick up a 22" for less than $60.

 

[bgaviator]

I only use lump charcoal in the Kamado as I understand you should not use briquettes in a ceramic Kamado like mine. I do typically add wood to the Kamado but my family isn't as into wood smoke taste as much as I am. The Kingsford briquettes on their own seem to give their own flavor to the food where lump doesn't really add any flavor to the food from my experience so far.

 

[hillbillyrkstr]

Ok I misunderstood. I didn't know you couldn't use the briquettes in a kj.

But lump definitely gives off a different taste than kingsford does. Even more reason to start looking in Craigslist for a Weber kettle!