Akorn vs vision grill kamado

I got an Akorn a couple months ago and have used it for all kinds of cooks. Slow cooked some dino ribs. Did some small steaks super hot and fast; also a huge ribeye reverse sear. Have utilized a vortex to do wings, pork chops, and chicken thighs. Even have done cheese and nuts using a cold smoker device. This thing is very versatile from my limited experiences so far. Just my .02

Considering your lineup, the kamado would fit your searing/grilling needs for sure. It won't replace your UDS because IMO you won't get the same smoke flavor. But that's something you'll have to see if you get one. Never cooked on a ceramic or Akorn before but I have a bubba keg (non-ceramic). I think they will both do the job just fine. BTW you can do some nice pizzas on the kamado

I'd go with the Vision just for the ceramic aspect. I know the Akorn is similar but if I remember correctly, it's not ceramic. I really enjoy cooking on my Vision; it is very versatile! I've baked Brazilian pao de quejio, seared filets, and smoked brisket and pork, and done a handful of pizzas in mine.

They are both Chinese made knockoffs. I would spend a bit more and get a BGE or a BK Keg. Both significantly higher quality. Just my opinion.

You should be able to find either of those at 1/2 the price posted when on sale. If you have/want to move the smoker around much. The Acorn is very easy to move or transport. Not so with Ceramic's. If I remember right the Akorn main grate is 19 3/4". You would want a $5 15" pizza pan as a deflector for smoking and a Weber 17" coal grate from a 22" Weber to sit the deflector plate on. Also for super high searing.
For ease of use, make a coal basket with the original coal grate. Much easier to lift that up, shake off the ashes. And still will smoke longer than you should ever need. I went 21hrs one time at 225 with 2 10lb butts and there was still alot of coals. Just to find out.
I made my own mods to the intake so I had real easy control of the temps without have to choke down the exhaust as most do to control temps on kamado's.


And I made my own S.S. grate. I did not like dealing with the heavy CI grate, the constant re-seasoning after high temp cooks. And mine has handles :biggrin1: And the swing grate. You can see the 15" pizza pan under the main grate. A 16" reduced the air flow to much for me. 14" was to small unless you were cooking smaller pieces of meat.

As far as UDS, I do not ever see me not having one. I'd get rid of my Humphrey's first.

Matter of fact, a Walmart by me has the Akorn for $139 right now. Enter your zip and see what you find.
http://brickseek.com/walmart-inventory-checker/?sku=34702956

ChrisBarb said:

They are both Chinese made knockoffs. I would spend a bit more and get a BGE or a BK Keg. Both significantly higher quality. Just my opinion.

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I've had no quality issues with my Vision and it works VERY well. I'd buy another any time. I know a couple of people that are very happy with their Akorn smokers too. I'm very happy having spent less money on my setup than some of my friends have on their BGE.

I highly suggest checking out www.kamadoguru.com for more information on kamado grills. The forum even has a section broken down into sub forums based on brand.

+1 on the Vision. Great service and excellent warranty. No issues the last 5 years I've owned mine. Haven't even cracked the firebox yet.

I have to say I like my vision kamado really well, I only payed $299 for mine though, I have a buddy that has the akorn and he loves it, I actually like his akorn pretty well also, imho I would buy what ever I could get the best deal on

I have a Pit Boss made in the same factory as the Visions. I wanted ceramic over the metal because I did not value portability and I prefer to avoid the rust issues with an Acorn. If you are a Costco member, the PB24 is about the same cost as the 18" vision, although beware that it is not 24" cooking diameter, more like 20.5" usable diameter, so just a hair over the Acorn and between the large and XL from BGE or KJ.

If you are going to move it around, or the budget is super tight, the Acorn is a great value. It weighs a LOT less than a ceramic.

The Kamado Joe is definitely nicer than the Pit Boss or Vision grills, but not $1000-1500 nicer. The equivalent BGE setup was even more expensive (they are proud of their accessories) and IMHO not as nice as the KJ and simply not worth it. FWIW, they are all imported, except the Primo which are both nice and more expensive.

ebijack said:

Matter of fact, a Walmart by me has the Akorn for $139 right now. Enter your zip and see what you find.
http://brickseek.com/walmart-inventory-checker/?sku=34702956

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That's a great deal. Looks like they're $288 around me.

Thanks for posting that site.

Lots of good comments for both grills. I've had my Akorn for 6+ years now and it is the only grill I use. One thing that hasn't been mentioned is that the Akorn is an insulated metal shell and the exterior does not get as hot as ceramic. Not a big deal unless there are little ones around. It may be a bit more heat efficient. As mentioned b4 it is much lighter than ceramics, mine was blown across the deck one windy day.

The Akorn is the only kamado style grill I have ever used and there is a definite learning curve. I don't know if that is the case with other kamado grills.

Good luck, I'm sure you'll be happy however you decide.

I use the Primo XL ceramic at home most of the year, and the Akorn over the winter in Florida. The ceramic has its own characteristics that I love and it turns out monster meals. But I'll also tell you that for the money, the Akorn is a GREAT cooker. It does everything the high end cookers do. I've cooked 3, 8lb butts or 4 full slabs at a time without any problem. I don't know anything about the Vision kamado. I can tell you though that the Vision lump charcoal is the equivalent of burning road tar. I got a free replacement bag because I complained and it still sits half empty in the garage.

yum ^^^^^^^ looks delish

Congrats, we have been loving ours