Kamado style cooker

cmseeley

cmseeley

Knows what a fatty is.
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I have been saving up for a Kamado style cooker like the BGE or similar for a while now. I was actually planing to buy a vision from Sams in a couple of months unless a better deal pops up.

Well I was at Lowes the other day and they have a metal one. It's a Char-griller, and it is about half the price of the ceramic ones that I have seen.

What do you guys think??? Crap, or good deal? Any of you have one?

Thanks,

Chris
 
cmseeley said:
I have been saving up for a Kamado style cooker like the BGE or similar for a while now. I was actually planing to buy a vision from Sams in a couple of months unless a better deal pops up.

Well I was at Lowes the other day and they have a metal one. It's a Char-griller, and it is about half the price of the ceramic ones that I have seen.

What do you guys think??? Crap, or good deal? Any of you have one?

Thanks,

Chris
Click to expand...
I know a lot of Char-Griller Akorn users and I've seen a lot of good food come off them. If that's what your budget allows goes for it. Having said that, a number of the Akorn users I know eventually ended up with a ceramic kamado so you may just want to start out with one.
 
Yes, I have one of the Char-Griller Akorns. I've had mine for over a year now and I love it. It smokes meat with an ease once you have figured out how to set the vents. For the price, you can't beat it. Kamadoguru.com has a great forum specifically for the Char-Griller Akorn if you want additional information.
 
Hi Chris, My wife got me the Char-griller last year for X-mas. It has been fantastic!! I've cooked everything on it from butts, ribs, chicken, Thanksgiving Turkey, all pork and beef cuts and cant say enough positive about it. I consider myself over average griller/smoker. We use it 3-4 times a week including outside temps at -20 below smokes including slow smokes and searing steaks at 600 degrees. Damn thing held temps just fine during these sub temps. The only thing I had to upgrade was the seal to the lid. This was a recommendation upgrade from another forum. Looks like I'll be redoing the seal again. Also with over a year use now, it seems the coal grate is getting weak so probably will order another soon. Other than that, money well spent although the Sams Club Vision does look attractive for the price!!
 
Thanks for the opinions... I am still undecided!!!

I NEED to get a good charcoal/wood cooker, and soon... LOL...

All I have now, is one of those tiny Weber round picnic things, and one of those tiny little rectangular picnic things.

Thanks,

Chris
 
It seems a lot of the Akorn owners decide to do some modifications, which seem relatively easy. The seals on it are not all that great and require gasket material and silicone. There are pages and pages of modifications people have done if you google it. The real key to kamado cookers, even more than their insulation, is their air tightness which lends to great temperature control. So sealing the Akorn up makes it great.
 
Hey Chris,

Check out http://www.kamadoguru.com/ A wealth of info on all brands.

Now, my opinion is to go ceramic. On that thought there is nothing wrong with the Akorn but eventually Akorn guys move up to ceramic. Ceramic also has lifetime warranty on all brands, will last you forever and a lot more tighter than Akorn without any mods. I have the Vision PRo S from Home Depot hitting two years now and couldn've have been any happier. It's a solid cooker.
 
I have had my Akorn for about 2 years and I am very satified with it. At the time, I coldn't afford a BGE (still can't!) and I still have no regrets. I have cooked some great meat on it and all I have done to it was replace the gaskets and some simple mods. Well worth the price of admission. My .02
 
I agree with most of the above postings, I'd have to say the original gaskets are fine. If I could ever afford a ceramic it would have to have twice the room of the Acorn or it is not worth it. I have done quite a few mod's to mine, and every mod is pretty darn cheap to do. It will smoke for well over 24 hrs on one load of coals. Once you learn to adjust the temps it will hold temps like a UDS. Is easily movable unlike a ceramic. Travels well in the back of a pick up truck and doesn't take 3 guys to move it. Nothing wrong with a ceramic, I just don't see me ever spending that kind of $$ to get smoker grill with enough capacity to do what I need/want to do.
You will have to figure out what your requirements are for size capacity and go from there. And how much $$ you have to spend. I still prefer my UDS but the Acorn is a great way to see if Kamado cooking is what your wanting. I use mine a lot as a second smoker/searing grill. 700+ degrees is not a problem with a ceramic or the Acorn. For me Kamado is not the be all end all way to cook. Just like some prefer stick burners, just depends on what YOU like. But the Acorn is a cheap way to find out if this is what you want. Before you spend the high dollar on a ceramic.
 
I have one and love it , set it up with a bbq guru it will go 13+ hours on a load of charcoal at 250
 
I really like my Akorn, but as I have many other dedicated smokers I don't really use it for smoking. My does duty as my pizza cooker and as a grill and a roaster. The only "mod" I've done was make a removable coal lighter similar to Weber's touch and go setup. Overall an excellent cooker esp for the money. Buy a replacement weber charcoal grate for 22.5" kettles and you can use it to bring the coals right up under the cast iron grate for some excellent searing capabilities, or foil half of it and have an indirect low and slow setup. Very versatile unit.
 
I have not used an Akorn but based on what I have seen at the stores and read online for required repairs or modifications, I am glad I bought a Vision Classic from Costco.

I bought mine at the clearance price $399 late last summer so the price differential was quite different. The current price at Costco is about $580 in-store, $630 delivered. As for the Classic vs. the Pro with the igniter drawer and turn style dampers, I like the simplicity of the bottom and top sliding vents and they don't typically require any maintenance and they tend to not have any air leaks. I also like that the grill came with a cover, cart, side tables and two level cooking surfaces. I will likely make a table but I didn't NEED on day one, like you may need for a BGE.

You can upgrade to cast iron top damper but the steel seems to work for me. I also like that I can use the BGE accessories if I choose to, but I have not. Customer service has been great (very minor chip in the finish, one email to resolve) and the Costco warranty was a bonus that I have not needed to use.
 
I have an Akorn and like others have said it requires some tweaks but nothing major. While I also have a 22" WSM and a stainless UDS, the Akorn is as set it and forget it as it gets. You can literally park the temperature for hours longer than my other smokers. I was able to cook on it in really challenging conditions and having an insulated cooker is really something. With that being said I'm always looking for a ceramic kamado on craigs list but upgrading is a hard choice in there's nothing the ceramic can do that the akorn can't.
 
Chris if you do decide on the Akorn check out Gander Mountain. Everyone I have been in lately have them on clearance for $249. You may have to travel to Auburn or Dickson City to get one though, not sure if you have any closer.
 
The Broil King Kamado (evolved from Bubba Keg) has the same size grill as the Big Green Egg or Kamado Joe... but it's insulated steel. Priced a hundred or so less than the ceramic kamados but better built than the Acorn. Friend loves his.
(I'm happy with my Egg). If you are interested in the Egg, check out the "Eggfests" posted on the website... They sell once used demo's for a couple hundred less than a new one would cost.
 
I have a BGE and a Chargriller. The only problem I have had with the Chargriller is trouble keeping the temps down under 350 degrees. I know there are some modifications to seal them up and I probably should do it but haven't. With just a crack of the intake and the exhaust, I'm screaming 325 to 350. I have used mine for high temp short cooks or cooks I have to drive to. If you can seal it up well to achieve low and slow it would be great. Hauling a BGE sucks.
 
Kamado

I just got a Vision from Sam's and would not trade it for an Akorn or Char-Griller. For half the price of a KJ or BGE it works just as good. Bear
cmseeley said:
I have been saving up for a Kamado style cooker like the BGE or similar for a while now. I was actually planing to buy a vision from Sams in a couple of months unless a better deal pops up.

Well I was at Lowes the other day and they have a metal one. It's a Char-griller, and it is about half the price of the ceramic ones that I have seen.

What do you guys think??? Crap, or good deal? Any of you have one?

Thanks,

Chris
Click to expand...
 
Well just got a deal I couldn't pass up. I was in a Lowe's and I realized all the grills there were poorly assembled. I was looking at the Akorn and notice quite a few issues. So I talked to the manager and I talked him into selling it to me at $199. The only real problem is that the steal rim that the seal mounts on is bent. I called chargriller, and they might send me a new lid, pending an email with pictures, reciept, and serial number. Even if they don't send me a new lid, I think I still got a great deal. I can fix the seal.
 
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