20 Best Ceramic Charcoal Grill (2022 Updated)

First of all, my unit arrived damaged (not necessarily the mfg’s fault) with a large dent on the outer body. As if that weren’t enough, the gasket on the bottom by the ash pan was hanging loose (it looks like it’s held in by what look to be something like staples — so not a great design).

In addition. the top does not align with the latch. It’s bolted on the back so very little wiggle room. So all in all, the fit an finish are average at best. I expected more in terms of quality control.

Still, as a secondary unit for quick grilling it should be okay. We will see how it performs over time. Because it’s so big and bulky I decided to keep it even with the big dent (at least it’s on the back) and the gasket issue.

It’s a pain to pack up and return. I may try to glue the gasket in place at some point.

Want to first say that Brandt in customer service is great, he kept following up with me even when he knew things have not been going great. The speed of delivery was fantastic, the order process was easy and quick, but that is understandable when everything is going right, however the real test is when things go wrong which they have, since I have still not been able to use my new grill yet.

Which by the way is no fault of All Things BBQ. This is a long story and I really do not want to rehash it out here. All I want to stress is that the commitment to quality customer service is a priority with All Things BBQ.

Kamado Joe not so much, not impressed at all, have still not resolved my problem yet and that is a real concern since they are the ones that have to take care of any warranty issues. Had it not been for Brandt going the extra mile for me I would still be without the use of my new grill for who knows how long, since the rep at Kamado Joe has gone radio silent on me.

Thanks again All Things BBQ it looks like I will get to cook on my Grill for this holiday yet. The Grill itself is fantastic, well built, quality product, now if their customer service would take a step toward that same thing and follow All Things BBQ’s example, then it would be a glorious.

wonderful thing.

I bought this for my husband. Here is his review: I have amassed quite the collection of ceramic smokers over the years due to my passion for competition cooking. Years ago we had to modify Big Green Eggs as they needed tweaking for perfect operation.

Kamado Joe listened and have redesigned the Kamado smoker and at a very reasonable price. Temperature control is very accurate. It comes with well built side trays and sturdy rolling stand. Clean out is very easy with a pull out tray.

The top vent doesn’t fly off when you open the lid. A must have accessory is the Joetisserie along with a heat deflector. I’m very impressed with this brand! So much so that I have been selling off my BGE’s, Primo’s and replacing with the Kamado Joe Classic.

I have also added the Kamado Joe Jr to my collection. As an award winning BBQ Pit Master I give this quality smoker/grill 5 stars. Steve.

I bought the Kamado Joe Classic II to replace the ceramic grill which I have been using for 15 plus years because over the years the KJ company has taken useful steps to improve their product while the manufacturer of the other grill seems to have no desire to improve their product.

In its present configuration the KJ has a significantly superior hinge mechanism which allows the maximum access to the interior of the grill while one is cooking. Also the gasket for the grill is a major superior feature of the KJ.

I had to replace the gasket on my other grill at least four times and it was a major annoyance. Also the design and construction of the fire box of the KJ seems to be such that the box will not crack and should perform and last indefinitely.

I had to replace the firebox in my other grill three times and was trying, unsuccessfully, to obtain another replcement. In general the KJ seems to be better built: the ceramic is thicker, it retains the temperature better, and it seems to use less charcoal.

The only problem and reason that I did not give a 5 star rating is because of the design of the heat deflector plates. With both of the deflectors in place for an indirect heat long smoking (such as ribs or pork shoulder) the access to the charcoal is totally blocked so there is no way to add additional smoking wood chunks to the charcoal.

While other people may not do this, when I’m doing a long smoke I always add wood to keep the smoke going. Also, there is a meal that I like to do on the grill which involves indirect heat cooking of a split chicken followed by a direct heat cooking of vegetables in an iron skillet in the grill, however, there is no way to remove the deflector plates for the follow-up direct heat cooking of the vegetables.

Other than those two issues I am supremely happy with the KJ and cooking on it is a joy.

I owned a large Big Green Egg for years. Unfortunately, the movers would not move when I moved out of state. It gave me many years of really good barbecue with enough space to fit 3 Boston Butt roasts.

My major complaint was the weight. Even with the top removed, it took two strong people to lift it. I really like the removable fire box with the Classic Joe. With the firebox removed, the Joe is an easy two-person lift.

The ash tray makes emptying ash easy. The manual is almost worthless in using the Joe since it basically just covers assembly in multiple languages. It doesn’t even tell you how to light it. You need to buy someone’s Joe cookbook to cook with it.

After that, it produces some really tasty barbecue! I have smoked two Boston Butts and a set of pork ribs that are excellent.

I am very nostalgic about this product. My dad purchased one in the early 60’s. This is the grill I learned to cook on. That original PK grill is still in the family and is put to use weekly. One thing I learned with this new grill is that after you are done, you can shut the vents, allow the coals to die down and then reuse later.

I am on my third go round with my original briquettes.

Easy ordering, fast shipping. Easy to putting together along with great instructions and recipes on how to use the PK360. The design is flawless and the performance so far exceeds my expectations. I feel like a pit master in my own back yard! I really like how the PK360 hold temps and after the cook, I can snuff out the fire and reuse unused fuel.

The PK 360 is so fuel efficient, only take a double hand full of fuel to get up to temp. After the cook, the cleanup is simple, that’s big for me. 20 yr warranty says that PK believes in their product.

The charcoal grate and cooking grate are built tough to last. The cover fits great over the awesome side tables. I highly recommend the PK360 to everyone!.

I really like the grill. Yes, I knew that the price is about the quality and durability and not the size, but the size has the benefit of quick temperature changes and post-open-lid temperature recovery after opening.

I’ve grilled and smoked, both successfully. In fact, the smoke was a first for me and the result (b-b ribs) was perfect with a perfect red ring achieved using a 3-2-1 approach per video advise. I found a technique that helps in smoking: put a large aluminum $1-store pan with some water on the cooking grates on the right side of the cooking grate and above the open intake and burning briquettes.

This forces the smoke and heat to move to the left at a lower level and go under and up through the meat just as it rises to the open exhaust at the left (the other intake and exhaust closed of course).

Just temporarily remove the water pan when adding briquettes. I also found that buying a galvanized roughly-1-foot-diameter trash can (mine from Walmart in stock) with metal lid and hanging wire is perfect for an ash can to hang behind it.

I did buy the grill grates and seasoned them with avocado oil and fatty-meat cooking; they work as advertised and I found that they’re best handled by simply lifting them at the left and right; it avoids having to reassemble them after moving.

Finally, although most prefer a dedicated cover, I simply use a cheap/free 5×7 blue tarp (H. Freight) to cover it using a nylon rope through the holes to cinch and tie it; it’s quick to cover and remove and keeps water away from the grill completely however odd the blue material may look.

I hope these suggestions help and recommend the grill, but also recommend keeping any previously-owned larger lesser-quality grill for large gatherings and secondary grilling capability.

PK360 is awesome. Coming from pellet grills and wanted something a bit more engaging. It’s just flat out fun getting to learn the 4 way venting system. Super easy to maintain temps. We have grilled steaks and have used it as a oven to bake some goods as well.

Definite great buy. The quality is unmatched. Haven’t seen something so we’ll built in a very long time.

Love Weber, love the 22” Kettle, but… why would you strip features that have always been associated with the kettle? I have been using the kettle for 40+ years and two features that I’ve always taken for granted are now gone or different.

Why? #1-the handle has ALWAYS doubled as a grill tool hook. No bells and whistles necessary, just sized to accept the lioops at the end of my grill tools. Now that has been made impossible with the new grill handle and to get this feature you have to upgrade to the bells and whistles version that transforms the handle to have hooks… c’mon.

That’s a basic grill feature and your monetizing of a basic need sours me on a company I have loved for decades (this is my 5th kettle and I have two gas grills as well). #2 the kettle lid has ALWAYS had a hook in the lid aligned with the lid handle in the N/S orientation, but for some unknown reason you now move the hook to the E/W orientation?! Why? I imagine it has to do with the lid catcher for the new bells and whistles version, but that’s a bad reason.

Whoever decided that was a good idea should know their base.

The grill has maintained its popularity over the years for exceptional design that includes an easy removal system for used charcoal, a lower rack for storing charcoal, well placed handles protected from heat, and a strong body.

But, what is even more exceptional is the distribution of heat that results in even cooking and smoking. Sloped sides and domed top create a flow of heat and smoke that results in even searing and cooking.

Yes, I also have a Weber gas grill that is also fantastic, but when I want that exceptional flavor that comes from grilling over hot coals enveloped in taste enhancing smoke, then my kettle is the desired grill.

Don’t get me wrong it’s a good little grill. I’ve used it to smoke ribs and cook burgers on multiple occasions and everything has come out amazing! But there a couple of improvements that would make this even better, especially for the price.

Have a thermometer on the side of the vent, have a something on the top vent so you can grab it cause it gets hot. Things that they could add on this without hiking up the price too much. But it’s a good starter grill.

Weber just needs to realize there is competition out there with good prices and all updated features.

Be warned, this is not a ceramic smoker, not even close! I had too high expectations when I bought this. I’ve had the Kettle for about a year now. For the first 2 month’s I hated it and thought I wasted my money.

Out of the box temperature control was impossible. With the top and bottom vents closed it would heat up to between 400 to 450 (depending on the charcoal load) and burn until out of charcoal (about 4 to 5 hours).

My old kettle that I paid 1/3rd for controlled the temperature better. However, with some experience and the addition an aftermarket part, I am much happier with it. I added a felt gasket to the lid and the bottom of the sloroller.

An incredible improvement!!! Still not equivalent to a ceramic Joe but I can now control the temperature (smoke as low as 175 and I’ve run it for 12 hours on a super full basket). With the gasket installed, when I close all the vents the charcoal will extinguish.

However, it is very sensitive to the ambient temperature. In cool weather I’m lucky to get 9 hours on an over full charcoal load. But, it isn’t a ceramic smoker. Kamado Joe really needs to provide an upgrade to improve the sealing of the lid.

This would only make their product exponentially better. If they can have students from MIT design the sloroller they surely KJ can design/provide some sort of gasket for the Kettle Joe. Despite the initial frustration I do think this is better than a Weber kettle and worth the additional cost.

With a gasket added, it uses much less charcoal than a Weber, controls temperature better, and with the sloroller is a much better smoker. Without a gasket, mine was glorified patio heater. The stand and the folding side tables are excellent! When compared to the Weber Performer, the Kettle Joe is a much better option.

The one area the Kettle is not at the same level as the Weber kettle is the porcelain coating. This maybe that mine was one of the initial run (the inside of my base is red). It arrived in excellent shape but I have noticed more and more chips on the rim/edges of the lid and sloroller.

It’s not to the point of putting in a claim yet but it will get there soon. Also, be warned… you’ll need to figure out a place to store your sloroller when not in use. It will not fit underneath and gets rather filthy with grease and creosote.

Not a huge deal but something that you don’t have to deal with on the ceramic smokers (Classic/Big III) The ash tray is junk. I’ve already but a claim in for the original. Mine warped and was burn though.

It’s literally slightly thicker than a beer can. If full, you’ll literally bend it trying to remove it from the base. This needs to be improved by Kamado Joe! If they made it to the same standard as the ceramics that would fix the issues! The hinge is good but not really good.

I’m being really picky on that one, it does it’s job and works. Switching from the sloroller to without takes a bit of practice but once you figure out what works, it’s easy. Kamado Joe’s Warranty claim process is fantastic.

They are fast and I received my replacement ash tray in about a week from initial contact to delivery at my door. I’ve had a few friends ask me if they should buy a Kettle or Ceramic (Classic/Big). My advice was if all you want is a kettle that will control temp very well, do medium length smokes on a single load, and use less charcoal, go with the Kettle Joe.

If you want a ceramic smoker buy a ceramic smoker (Classic/Big); the Kettle Joe is not a ceramic smoker. That said, if I were to have a redo, I would have gone with a Classic. I give the Kettle Joe a 3.

5/5 as it is sold today. If Kamado Joe would provide a gasket update to improve the seal, it would be a 4. 5/5. If they improve the durability of the porcelain and ash tray, it would be 5/5.

So far I am satisfied with this product. First, I wanted to rate it 3. 5 stars but that is not an option. I rarely rate anything 5 stars. I have never owned a kettle grill or a kamado grill so I am new to this style.

I have used a Kamado Joe classic once at a rental property, so that is my only experience cooking with this style, however, I can use that experience to compare the products. I have had the chance to use this grill twice, once for grilling and once for smoking.

Overall I am pleased with the grill so far. So, I chose the Kettle Joe because I have been wanting a smoker for a while, I was looking at several different options: kamado-style (ceramic), pellet grills, electric smokers, etc.

I settled on the Kettle Joe so I could use it as a traditional kettle-style grill and also as a smoker. I liked that it had ceramic inserts which would help with longer cooks. While it was more expensive than traditional kettle grills, it wasn’t as costly as a kamado-style (ceramic) grill.

There are a couple of reasons why I only rate this as 3 stars. First is the fit of the lid. It has an adjustable lid to move up and down to allow the use of the slo-roller smoker attachment or as a standard kettle grill.

There is a spring-loaded pin that engages with holes on the lid bracket to lock it in position. Unfortunately, the holes are not located properly. When the pin is engaged in the holes the lid won’t close all the way.

To work around that, I have had to disengage the pin and adjust it manually, and use the locking/adjustment knob to hold it in place. It works, but you don’t have the extra security of the locking pin.

Secondly, the ash drawer assembly is made out of aluminum. Compared to the classic Joe, which is stainless steel, it seems substandard. It also does not slide in and out very easily at all. Lastly, the fire basket grates are too far apart.

The fire basket is made of stainless, with thick grates, but the gap between them is much too large (5/8″). I have used lump charcoal and briquettes in the grill. First was the lump, there are lots of irregularly shaped pieces, many of which are small enough to fall right through the grates when filling.

Also throughout the cook when they were burning down, they would start falling through the grates and into the ash basket. With the briquettes, I ended up covering the grates with aluminum foil so when they started to ash up they wouldn’t just fall through.

On a positive note, I smoked 2 whole chickens (3 1/2 hours with 1 chimney of briquettes) and they were great. I am very satisfied with how the grill performs as a smoker. I do not regret my purchase, and I would recommend the product, although I am disappointed that I will have to modify it a little to reach it’s full potential.

As this is a new product, I hope Kamado Joe can fix those shortcomings in the future,. then it will be a 5-star product!.

Very early – only 3 cooks in : immediate and obvious concern is that this thing leaks really bad, literally so much so that it cannot extinguish the coals. It leaks from the top vent, the dome, and the slo roller.

It also makes a huge mess, dripping from the dome – had to put cardboard under it to stop staining the concrete! I own the Big Joe III and another high end kettle. I do not expect the KettleJ to do Kamado Joe perfection, but not being able to seal up as good as an existing kettle seems problematic.

The smokes were pretty good, especially for a ‘kettle’. the brined chicken and pulled pork were perfect but the ribs seemed just a bit on the dry side. As stated, it leaks bad – during shutdown of my first cook, it stayed > 200 degrees until all the coal was fried.

During start up on the second cook, with the heavy smoke I had completely closed all the vents and lid to see what was happening, and the smoke was coming from EVERYWHERE. the rims of the slo-roller, the top vent, etc.

I tried loosening the hinge part to make sure the dome was positioned as tight as I could get it – no help. Another effect of the leaks, a bunch of the moisture was dripping from around the edges of the dome, making a huge mess on the concrete.

A little wind and I am guessing the goo would run down the sides of the kettle. The fact it was leaking so much moisture makes me think the meat was losing some of that (could that be the problem with the ribs???) Again, for short (low and slow) cooks, it turned out OK.

The smoke was good but it made a big mess on my driveway and you lose any fuel left over at the end. I have to guess that with all that leaking I am losing a lot more heat, so I am a little worried for brisket I end up having to keep shoveling coal in there to finish the cook.

I should put a caveat on my scoring and “Recommend to a friend” : my line of thinking is you want to use this for smoking – lean hard for a Kamado (even the II) vs this grill. If I compare the Kettle-J as a regular grill against my other one (which is cheaper), it is no contest : my old kettle wins hands down if for nothing more than the thing seals tight and makes no mess.

I live in a house with a rather small deck. I love this grill because I can put it on my patio table and cook enough for two. No danger of fire, very little ash to clean up. I use it regularly and love it.

I am 67 years old and retired. This is my main grill. But I would highly recommend it also for anyone that camps.

Light, easy to use/setup. The tray on top is awesome. I store my hot foods coming off the grill in it. Keeps my food warm and protected from Flys and such. The grill also does a great job of dispersing the heat created by the hot coals.

I have picked the grill and moved it while cooking without discomfort. May be a bit pricey, however. If you can dish out the $200, I highly recommend it.

I purchase the Portable Charcoal Grill for my Son-In-Law for Father’s Day. it became THE perfect gift for the Grill Master of the family. My daughter and her husband love to go camping, but is always hard to pack everything they need for their long trips.

They said that this was heaven sent and it will make their favorite pastime easy, convenient and pleasurable. Everything needed in one small package.

I’ve yet to use this Jumbo Joe but expect it will work as well as the other Weber kettles I’ve owned. The issue that I have with Webers and most grills in general is with the grilling grates. Grilling actually utilities all three types of heat—convection, thermal radiation, and conduction.

The Weber kettle does a good job with convection, hot air passing by the food on the grate, with the lid off sometimes too good. It also does a good job of reflecting thermal radiation owing to the kettle shape but it’s the 3rd type of heat, conduction that is not adequate.

Conduction occurs at the point of contact with the grate, the grate should have enough thermal energy stored in it to sear the grilled item. The wire grates of a Weber do not do this very well and more over they are the wrong material.

A grate wants to be of a slightly porous material—cast iron. Think about searing in a cast iron pan on a stove top, wonderful! Or think about every professional kitchen grill, the grates are very heavy cast iron.

This heavy material stored enough energy that when a new, often cold item hits the grill it’s not shocked down, it immediately is searing and continues to do so through the cooking process. The cast irons porosity, once it’s well seasoned is naturally non-stick while the stainless steel wire grate is pretty much the opposite.

Fortunately there are after market cast iron grates available for all three sizes of Weber kettles, I just wish Weber was kind enough to include them in their design and product.

I read a few of the reviews stating that the grill wouldn’t keep hot and Charlie’s that up to either inexperienced users or quality of charcoal etc. Boy was I disappointed to find out they were totally right.

Two-zone cooking can only hold stable (ish) if the exhaust vent is positioned directly over your coal bed and all vents are open wide. This leads to the issue of putting just enough charcoal in as required to reach your target temp which is impossible most of the time.

But even then, the grill just doesn’t get proper airflow as it isn’t directly contacting the coal bed, it’s flowing over the top of it. If you’re doing direct grilling, even with a full chimney of coal the temps just seem to drop steadily after an initial spike.

Odd stuff for sure. Its simply a super poor design having the intakes on the sides now that I think about it, but I really did want the color and the easy carry option that the premium comes with. I should have just gotten myself a Jumbo Joe, which I think I’ll do soon.

Luckily my Go Anywhere is here to stay and never lets me down. This one is just going to look pretty in the garage or maybe go to my folks’ place to use when I’m there, but I doubt the frustration I’ve had with it this far will make me want to break it out over there either.

This has to be one of the only Weber products I’ve been disappointed with.

It’s a solid grill and I really like the extra grilling area compared my old Smokey Joe. It’s big enough for four or five steaks, but still portable. The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because of some minor top air vent issues.

Either the bolt hole is too big or the bolt is too small in diameter because the vent slides around on its axis when you adjust it. Also, the sharp side of the stamped metal vent goes against the enamel paint.

Unless you wet sand it or otherwise smooth those edges out they will cut right through the enamel to bare metal. Weber should take more pride in correcting such things, but they have not. Other reviewers have brought both of these issues to Weber’s attention in the past, so there is no excuse.

If this lasts as long and “performs” as well as my first Performer Deluxe did (bought April 2004 / retired January 2022), this might end up in my will. Ok, maybe not since I’m only 48 since I don’t think this is built quite as well as the original, but there are two (2) things that are way better on this version that the original, and 1 thing that I’d like to have seen carried over.

First, the improvements. The original had those stupid, proprietary, 2-gallon propane tanks that were a miserable pain to fill because their certification not only expired long before the grill died (meaning you could no longer get them filled at any reputable dealer), but they also had a proprietary fill / output nozzle that was not compatible with just swapping it for the standard sized LP tanks.

The new grills being able to use the little disposable bottles are a huge win. 2nd, the ignition system, to include the amount of flame / heat delivered to the charcoal, is a big improvement in this generation.

My son accidentally left this on for 30 minutes and it drained an entire bottle of propane. I say that’s a good thing, because it also lights solid lump hardwood charcoal far faster than the older version, even after I replaced the innards with a newer grill’s ignition system to be able to use the disposable bottles after my 2-gallon fill certification expired.

Now for the one area that would need to improve. I think the original was built slightly better. This one seems a little more wobbly than the older one. Not a lot, but just a little. Time will tell if it lasts as long.

If it does, it deserves 5 stars for sure. I’ve cooked on it a few times, and other than getting used to using a stainless steel grate again after having used a cast iron grate for a few years, this is a massive improvement over my very way past retirement age original Performer grill.

I’d like to start by saying that I grew up as a little boy, watching my dad grill on his big red kettle Weber grill. I have personally been using Weber grills and products myself for 35 years now. I had previously bought another performer before this one and I wore it out.

Being from Wisconsin we even Grill in 20 below weather, and that particular grill worked flawlessly. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same thing about this particular grill. I should’ve reported it sooner but I figured since I had used the grill several times it was too late.

First of all this grill came to me with the box looking like it had fallen off the truck… When I opened it my dad was there to assist me and he even said, why does everything look like it’s just been thrown in this box… It had the appearance like it had been purchased, attempted to be assembled and then returned.

Several of the screws were stripped and never fit properly. I did call the Weber company and they sent me replacement screws right away… But the screws never fit in properly. The lid has never fit correctly.

When I go to cover the grill I have to almost force it down on top of it. And even when I have the lid completely over the grill you can tell it’s not a proper fit. I understand things happen and I’ve always been happy with the Weber quality and customer support and I’m always buying the Weber accessories whenever I can because of how well they’re built… But this grill definitely deserves less than one star.

Would I discourage you from buying a weber product… Absolutely not. I would just advise you to use your due diligence and make sure that you’re getting the product that you paid for. As I said before, this unit has been a mess from the start.

Incredibly well packaged when it arrived on my step. Shipped from the USA with no damage. Assembly directions were well worded and all parts were of high quality. I have used it 5 times in two weeks.

Just getting used to charcoal grilling and I do enjoy it even though it is more messy than gas. The ash is the way it is but the benefits of taste are surprisingly better. Indirect cooking is tricky on kettles.

You have to use the right amount of charcoal and monitor it more often. Do yourself a favor and buy yourself a leave in thermometer for the meat and also another one to sit in the grill away from the ash baskets.

The one on top of the lid is useless in my opinion. Also if your crazy like myself look up s and s grills for a grill insert and buy one to turn your performer into a proper smoker. Slow roasting is not easy on a performer and the sands insert will make it easier to keep the temperatures below 300.

The propane startup for the charcoal is simple and fun. Still have a chimney to start but love the easy method. The table is useful and the grill itself is okay. Overall I am satisfied and glad I bought it.

The weber cover that I additionally added is flimsy and way too expensive with no real tie-downs. The only negative thing I have purchased from weber.

This is easily the best value in Kamado grills for the price. You get a genuine Kamado Joe product for about a third of the price of the Classic II, yet with pretty much all the functionality. Yes, it is smaller than the 18″ and 24″ siblings.

However, unless you are entertaining several guests, the 13. 5″ size is likely to be ideal for most grilling scenarios. Kamado Joe has become a serious player in the ceramic grill industry, and their products have gained the spotlight.

As such, you can expect a high-quality product from the company. I was worried that being the “Jr. ” and the cheapest in their line up, it might suffer in the quality department, but that is not the case at all.

From the packaging to the product itself, it presents and impresses just as well as the bigger KJs. Given other feedback I have read, I was also worried about the condition it would arrive in—mainly broken ceramic such as the firebox.

I am happy to say, mine arrived in perfect condition. It does look like attention was paid to internal packing, so I wonder if this is something they improved on recently. Experience and functionality – Again, the size makes this grill so useable.

It is just so approachable and grilling on it doesn’t feel like a “process” for some reason. Getting it going is painless, and while there is a slight learning curve in understanding how this grill behaves, any mistakes you make are still tasty.

As a primary grill, it does everything great…like most other ceramic grills. I would much rather use this for a couple of burgers, steaks, chicken breasts, etc… than my gas grill, and it is just as easy to light up and use.

It can also make for a great second grill to add sear marks to something you have on lower temp on another grill. While the smaller physical size and weight of the grill are an advantage (compared to bigger kamados), I also don’t consider the smaller cooking surface a DISadvantage.

13. 5” is a decent diameter that should cover most average family needs. With this in mind, the Joe Jr. is an excellent entry point into ceramic grills. Jumping up to 18” cooking surface requires significantly more investment.

When you have the Joe Jr. , if you find you need a bigger cooking surface you might as well skip the 18” and go for the 24”. Cons – Accessories. Kamado Joe gained a big following very quickly due to their innovations and generous accessories.

Their Classic 18” and 24” Big Joes have plenty of cool accessories – not so for the Joe Jr. There is a searing grate available from KJ and a few other little ones from 3rd party companies, but that’s it.

Granted this is somewhat understandable – why make a $200 rotisserie attachment for a $400 grill? Not sure if the demand would justify that development. Features. The Joe Jr. keeps to the standard kamado design and functionality that we have seen in the US for quite a while.

It doesn’t include any features that make KJ stand out among its competitors. For the internals you have a grate (high quality SS) and a ceramic heat shield. That’s it. The firebox is one piece plus a ceramic fire ring.

Pretty much the same design as most other ceramic grills out there. Exhaust vent is the older style daisy wheel. Gasket is the felt-type, not what they are using on the bigger ones. Cost. This will be a con for some.

Welcome to the quality kamado world. While the Joe Jr. comes in cheaper than its competitors in this class, for many the cost is still not in “casual purchase” territory and will probably still require a sale pitch for your significant other.

Of course, these “cons” are a matter of perspective and expectations. I knew exactly what I was buying before pulling the trigger so I don’t consider these cons, and I came to terms with what I am getting for my money and I still think it is an excellent purchase.

Some pros when comparing to alternatives – I knew I wanted this size kamado and of course considered alternatives. Here is where the KJ Jr. came out on top. Size. 13. 5” diameter is larger than others while still remaining “portable.

” Stand. It is included and it is high quality. ‘Nuff said. Tools. Yes, it also includes a grate gripper and ash tool – probably $30-40 that I don’t have to spend. Reputation. There are cheaper ceramics at this size, and some even with “lifetime” guarantees.

However, you can’t find any reliable information on them so you don’t know how they truly perform or hold up. And more importantly, you don’t know if the brand will actually be around, or if they are some fly-by-night company that wants to make a quick buck.

KJ has been around and I am confident if I had a serious issue it will get resolved. Advice for Kamado Joe: Give your Joe Jr. some love! This is such an awesome size, but you can make it better just like the Classics and Big Joes.

I would take a slight weight and vertical size penalty for a tiered cooking system. Add a charcoal basket. Definitely add a charcoal catcher and slide-out drawer. Break the fire box into 2/4 pieces for longevity.

Finally, make a “kontrol tower” exhaust vent for the Jr. Final Summary – This is the kamado that everyone should have. It gives you the functionality of the big boys at an approachable price. The grill is very high quality and should last a lifetime.

I would like to give five stars but I can’t get past the poorly designed hinge. The lid literally works it’s way off center everytime you lift it. I contacted customer service and got instructions how to adjust it correctly.

It did not work, in fact, it made it worse. I had a dealership install this and really don’t feel like I should have to fix anything. I work at Lowes and there is a Kamado Joe there on display that gets opened and closed several times daily and it doesn’t budge.

My opinion is this is just a badly designed component to an otherwise fine product. The descent thing to do would be for the manufacturer to make this right so we will see. I am changing this to 5 stars.

The hinge was installed incorrectly and I figured out how to correct it.

Go another way. The cooking is fun, but green egg isn’t. Just had to replace the rEGGulator on mine after 2 years or so. It’s just so much to deal with and the local dealer isn’t the kind of folks I’d like to work with (The Woodlands, TX).

They are rude and I end up driving 20 minutes further for a better experience. Also, I paid for a service, they came out and my egg still had obvious issues. For goodness’ sake, I paid and was willing to buy whatever parts needed.

My egg isn’t even very old and it looks like it’s on its last leg. Seriously, l hoped to get more out of this than 6-7 years. I suggest you not make my mistake and buy another brand.

Well made but the cabinet door assembly had not been completed at the place it was made. One door hinge had no screws and was useless. Luckily I had two nuts and bolts that worked in attaching the door hinge to the cabinet.

Poor quality control. This obvious mistake would have been found with a good final inspection before boxing and shipping the cabinet.

Bought this during the Father’s Day sale. I was lusting after one anyway and figured I’d never get it for less money. This thing is built like a tank and it’s actually kind of beautiful in it’s own way.

I haven’t cooked on charcoal for 35 years so the setup for the first day’s cook took a little time. The first cook was a ribeye on the Grill Grates. I overcooked it because I wasn’t used to the high temps, but it still came out a very edible medium.

The next day, I cooked another ribeye and it came out perfectly as it was hovering between rare and medium rare and was literally melt in your mouth tender. It was seasoned with 3 light coats of Killer Hog seasonings and was probably the best steak I’ve ever eaten.

The steaks were cooked with all the vents wide open. Yesterday I wanted to experiment with temp control so I grilled bone-in chicken thighs seasoned with Kosmo’s Q Dirty Bird. I was shooting for a grill temp of 350°.

I used only a Weber chimney full of partially burned charcoal left over from the first two cooks which was enough to cover the charcoal grate. Ended up with the two intake tubes positioned around the 10 o’clock position and the two vents opened a little more than 1/4 inch.

The temp stayed constant at 350° and recovered again within about 30 seconds every time I opened the lid to turn the chicken, so the system allows pinpoint control. It’s just a matter of experimentation and, at my age, writing down the results so I can remember what I did.

I really, really like this PK 360.

This side box is great as a smoker and indirect heat source when added to the larger grill plus it can be used for smaller grill tasks like a 6 or 8 inch Dutch oven. While it may seem heavy for camping and certainly not a backpacking grill, it does have its place when a good heavy grill is called for.

These grills make a great beach grill. This one is going on a second grill I acquired free so that I can have a true smoker grill to match the one I already have.

Don’t get all the fancy-dancy outdoor stoves. Do it right and get this. Don fiddle with propane knobs, replace parts, call repair techs. Go with simple and best. After 18 years of being dragged, beaten, melted and burned, it was time to replace my 22-inch black Weber Kettle.

This time I went for the gold, or copper, in this case. The original kettle is the best grill on the market. I am a firm believer that cooking on gas or propane is grilling, but not barbequing. If you’re using gas or propane, you may as well do it in the kitchen.

I would have brought the wheelless, battered grill with me, but the movers would not allow it in the van. I subjected my Weber to charred mesquite chunks and branches, oak blocks, and hickory for 18 years.

It never saw briquettes. The grill held its own, and the new premium has stepped in to pick up where the old one left off. I am impressed and appreciate the redesigned ash catcher. The thermometer in the lid is an excellent addition.

No more holding palms over the fire and counting, “one thousand, two thousand” for very hot, “three thousand, four thousand” for medium, and “five thousand, six thousand” for add more charcoal and wait.

I look forward to another 18 years of use, but this time, I’ll ensure the bag of mesquite charcoal isn’t too close to the grill to catch fire and melt the tires. The printed directions were not as clear as they once were.

I don’t like fussing with my phone to assemble anything. The screen is too small. The use of petroglyphs to cover assembly in all languages needs better drawings or words. This is the fifth Weber in my life, and the wheels are the same pain in the neck and frustration to install as they were when I assembled my first Weber in 1972.

Some things just haven’t improved with age.

I’m loving it so far. Because of its simplicity, it’s VERY easy to clean. This was the big problem I had with my previous grill which made it not last as long. Simply allow the ashes to collect at the bottom, remove the grate and scrap them through the holes at the bottom of the bowl – easy! The handle to the ash collector is genius and easy to remove.

Because of the ease of cleaning, I can tell that this grill is going to last a very long time. Keeping in mind that I love this grill, here’s a minor con. I wish that the coal grate could be secured to the lips that keep it in place.

If I move the grill slightly, that grate falls out of place. It doesn’t keep me from grilling but it is a small pain to place it back on the lips. To keep that from happening, make sure the grill is where you want it before you begin to grill.

That way, it won’t slide off. Also be sure to use a long coal rake to move the coals around or the grate will slip off in that as well. I still love it and look forward to years of use.