Lets talk charcoal grills...

[Greg]

I love cooking over a charcoal grill and end up cooking often, all times of the year. Our current grill is over 10 yrs old and it looks like it... I can't get replacement parts (like the rack) so fixing it is out of the question.... it's time to for a new grill. I have no interest in a gas grill, was looking at a charcoal/smoker combo, but after reading a LOT of reviews it doesn't sound like there is one that does both well. I'm familiar with the Big Green Egg, but can't justify $900+ on a new grill. I do like cooking all kinds of stuff, love doing stuff like pork shoulders, steaks, and a rack of lamb... like the idea of cooking a pizza on the grill.

I recently came across the Akorn Kamado, it's similar to the BGE... for 1/3 the cost. It has great reviews and seems very versatile. - http://www.homedepot.com/p/Char-Gri...arcoal-Grill-in-Grey-with-Cart-6520/204151650

Walmart has them without the big table for $288. - http://www.walmart.com/ip/40267083?...5579872&wl4=&wl5=pla&wl6=101323049552&veh=sem

What do you guy like grilling with? Anyone using a Akorn Kamado or even a BGE?

 

[jeeper]

I love me a fresh cooked steak from a charcoal grill! We usually use the gas just for faster heat and easier clean up.. But not nearly as good.

I go for the cheapo regular grills. ~$50 ish. They can be toted along camping, etc very easy.

 

[Greg]

I love me a fresh cooked steak from a charcoal grill! We usually use the gas just for faster heat and easier clean up.. But not nearly as good.

I go for the cheapo regular grills. ~$50 ish. They can be toted along camping, etc very easy.

Our current grill is a Char-Griller brand and I think it was around $100, nothing special but it is pretty big. I'm not going to haul it anywhere, but want something a bit nicer this time around.

Since we're talking, lets see some food pics! If you guys are weird like me and take pics of your food...

 

[Jeromy]

i got a Akorn kamado a month or two ago i love it so far. steaks off it are amazing. Ive done chicken breast, wings, burgers ect on it all turned out better then on my old gas grill. Next little bit i"m going to smoke a brisket on it. Whats cool is whan you close it all down it snuffs the fire out and you can reuse the charcaol next time. My fist bag of charcoal i bought was the stubs natural brickets. The last time i used it i used lump charcoal and that worked great too.

 

[MikeGyver]

I've been cooking up some epic ribeyes on a little portable propane grill... how much better is charcoal really? cuz I can't imagine some of these getting much better.

 

[carsonc1974]

Oh man,I'm a grill/smoker fanatic. I have had 3 of the kamado joes. They are a ceramic cooker similar to the big green egg, but are a little more affordable with great customer service unlike bge.

I wish I would have seen this post earlier. Kamado joe has had a road show at the west valley costco and had a smoking deal going on. Ends today.

Anyway, alot of people get started with an akorn before moving up to ceramic. They are a great cooker but may need some mods to get it to hold steady at 225 for smoking. People say the biggest disadvantages to the akorn is sometimes they are leaky,and being made out of steel, they will eventually rust out. On the other hand, they are extremely efficient and versatile cookers.

 

[muleskinner]

I'm a charcoal only guy also but I just use a 22'' Weber. The best thing I have come up with for cooking FANTASTIC meat is cooking it Sous Vide then grilling it super hot for 15-30 seconds on each side. I always have a piece of apple wood on one side of my grill for a little more flavor also. Once you have a 135 deg. Sous Vide burger you will never look at burgers the same again. Greg, your lamb looks delicious! But, if you cooked it Sous Vide the outside wouldn't be overdone to get the inside up to temp.

Sous Vide Lamb


MikeGyver- I think if you try charcoal you won't go back to propane. The only inconvenience is lighting the charcoal. I have a weed burner next to mine I use to light it. I can be grilling in 10 minutes using that method.

 

[muleskinner]

Not my pics but I have very similar results

Burger


I may have to upgrade my grill depending on your findings. As you know I have a smoker so I don't need a combo unit.

 

[frieed]

currently rockin a BGE with some mods.
goes from low & slow smoking @ 220* for pork ribs to screaming hot @650* for pizza.

There are so many Kamado style cookers available now for so much less than I paid for my BGE.

Best value I've found for charcoal is Royal Oak @ Home Depot.
Here is a charcoal review database http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lump.htm
Don't let the name scare you, very family safe.

 

[Greg]

i got a Akorn kamado a month or two ago i love it so far. steaks off it are amazing. Ive done chicken breast, wings, burgers ect on it all turned out better then on my old gas grill. Next little bit i"m going to smoke a brisket on it. Whats cool is whan you close it all down it snuffs the fire out and you can reuse the charcaol next time. My fist bag of charcoal i bought was the stubs natural brickets. The last time i used it i used lump charcoal and that worked great too.

Awesome, I've heard a lot of similar opinions like yours... the new owners are very happy with them. I'd love to smoke a brisket on the grill! Did you have to do anything with the seal? I've seen some guys will use a fiber seal from the BGE to add that much more air control.

Very cool about being able to extinguish the flame and reuse the charcoal!

I've been cooking up some epic ribeyes on a little portable propane grill... how much better is charcoal really? cuz I can't imagine some of these getting much better.

Charcoal is just burned wood, briquettes are often combined with a filler to help them burn longer but you get better fllavor. Lump charcoal is more natural and you can get different types of wood, which imparts even more flavor to the food. Cherry, Oak, etc. Lump charcoal also burns MUCH hotter, so you can sear a good steak and keep the flavors inside. IMO you can't beat cooking with charcoal, but it takes more effort.

Oh man,I'm a grill/smoker fanatic. I have had 3 of the kamado joes. They are a ceramic cooker similar to the big green egg, but are a little more affordable with great customer service unlike bge.

I wish I would have seen this post earlier. Kamado joe has had a road show at the west valley costco and had a smoking deal going on. Ends today.

Anyway, alot of people get started with an akorn before moving up to ceramic. They are a great cooker but may need some mods to get it to hold steady at 225 for smoking. People say the biggest disadvantages to the akorn is sometimes they are leaky,and being made out of steel, they will eventually rust out. On the other hand, they are extremely efficient and versatile cookers.

Good info! I looked at the Kamado Joes, they look nice... I'm not quite ready to spend that much on a grill... yet! If end up with a Akron, I'll do some mods and work on rust prevention.

 

[Greg]

I'm a charcoal only guy also but I just use a 22'' Weber. The best thing I have come up with for cooking FANTASTIC meat is cooking it Sous Vide then grilling it super hot for 15-30 seconds on each side. I always have a piece of apple wood on one side of my grill for a little more flavor also. Once you have a 135 deg. Sous Vide burger you will never look at burgers the same again. Greg, your lamb looks delicious! But, if you cooked it Sous Vide the outside wouldn't be overdone to get the inside up to temp.

Sous Vide Lamb
View attachment 98823

The lamb was great, but I did have a little grease fire when I stepped away for 2 minutes. I cut most of the fat off the top and left just enough to melt into the meat and that caught fire, adding a lot of color in the end. I pulled the rack off for just a bit, let the fire die down and put it back on. Even with the fire, the lamb was amazing... got the inside to 135* and it was good to go. So tasty... both I and the wife were impressed, I'm going to add a rack of lamb to my list of go-to dinners!

I've never tired cooking Sous Vide, will have to look into it!

Not my pics but I have very similar results

Burger
View attachment 98824

I may have to upgrade my grill depending on your findings. As you know I have a smoker so I don't need a combo unit.

currently rockin a BGE with some mods.
goes from low & slow smoking @ 220* for pork ribs to screaming hot @650* for pizza.

There are so many Kamado style cookers available now for so much less than I paid for my BGE.

Best value I've found for charcoal is Royal Oak @ Home Depot.
Here is a charcoal review database http://www.nakedwhiz.com/lump.htm
Don't let the name scare you, very family safe.

Awesome, thanks for sharing! I have seen the Royal Oak at HD, will add that to the list.

 

[carsonc1974]

If your unsure if a kamado will fit your style of cooking, a akorn is the best way to start IMO. Not too much investment. The biggest advantage to kamado cooking to me is the easy of controlling your temps, and the versatility of the cooker, as You arn't limited to just smoking, or just grilling. I use mine as a pizza oven(havent mastered that yet), roaster, smoker, and grill.

If I sounds like a fanboy, its because I am!!!

 

[carsonc1974]

Here is a deal a budy sent me if your interested.

http://slickdeals.net/f/7837587-cha...Title+and+First+Post+-+Hot+Deals+and+Freebies

 

[Greg]

Here is a deal a budy sent me if your interested.

http://slickdeals.net/f/7837587-cha...Title+and+First+Post+-+Hot+Deals+and+Freebies

Wow, that is a good deal! $220 is a good enough deal not to buy... I'm going to look into it.

 

[Greg]

Wow, that is a good deal! $220 is a good enough deal not to buy... I'm going to look into it.

I had some trouble at first, but got it to work.

$50 Off Orders $250 or More
How to use this Lowe's online coupon: Replace each "x" in the code below with random numbers and submit as the promotion code at Lowes.com. It may take a few attempts, but you should see your discount eventually

47000xxxxx4691x

I just selected some random numbers in place of the X's and it worked on the first time. Lowes has a Akorn in stock, so I'll be picking it up later today! :freak: $235 after taxes... not bad at all!

 

[carsonc1974]

Woohoo! happy to have another Kamado in Utah! They dont seem very popular here for some reason. The Kamado Joe rep i talked to last week said it is by far the slowest show he's ever done. Normally they fly out the door at the prices they have at the show.

 

[frieed]

... I use mine as a pizza oven

I do my own sourdough crust, make my own sauce, and have been known to make my own sausage to top it !

 

[muleskinner]

The lamb was great, but I did have a little grease fire when I stepped away for 2 minutes. I cut most of the fat off the top and left just enough to melt into the meat and that caught fire, adding a lot of color in the end. I pulled the rack off for just a bit, let the fire die down and put it back on. Even with the fire, the lamb was amazing... got the inside to 135* and it was good to go. So tasty... both I and the wife were impressed, I'm going to add a rack of lamb to my list of go-to dinners!

I've never tired cooking Sous Vide, will have to look into it!

I wasn't referring to the look of the outside of it, rather the brown 1/4'' around the 135deg center. Notice the pic I posted the entire piece is pink. Sous Vide has changed everything for me. I'm actually cooking lamb today for lunch! Everything is cooked evenly from edge to edge and perfect every time. You cant overcook it even if you leave it in the water bath for hours longer than necessary. Chicken only needs to be cooked to 140 instead of 160 and is incredibly moist! Same with Pork. Do some reading on it you will dig it!

 

[Greg]

I wasn't referring to the look of the outside of it, rather the brown 1/4'' around the 135deg center. Notice the pic I posted the entire piece is pink. Sous Vide has changed everything for me. I'm actually cooking lamb today for lunch! Everything is cooked evenly from edge to edge and perfect every time. You cant overcook it even if you leave it in the water bath for hours longer than necessary. Chicken only needs to be cooked to 140 instead of 160 and is incredibly moist! Same with Pork. Do some reading on it you will dig it!

I did see the coloring of your lamb, looks delicious! What are you using to do the Sous Vide?

What time is lunch?

 

[muleskinner]

I did see the coloring of your lamb, looks delicious! What are you using to do the Sous Vide?

What time is lunch?

I use the Sansaire Sous Vide machine inside a small cooler I retrofitted. It's been a great little cooker so far.

http://sansaire.com/

I didn't mean to derail the grill topic, but the results using Sous Vide and a grill take it to a much higher level IMO.

Lunch is at Noon