Approximately a year ago I was eagerly awaiting the arrival of my Komodo kamado. I feel like now that the "newness" has worn off, I can give a fair review over cooking the last year. First of all, I am not the typical kk owner. I am a special education teacher and my husband is also a teacher. That being said, making a several thousand dollar purchase doesn't come easy to anyone. I started with a chargriller Akorn, and too be honest I thought anyone who would cough up the cash for a BGE/KJ/primo was crazy, let alone the Komodo kamado. I could turn out better BBQ, better pizza, and most better grilled meats than any other restaurant in town.
After cooking pizza on kamados, pizzeria pizza is DEAD to me now!
That being said- the Komodo kamado has given me an EXTREME ease of use. I still use it on average 4 times per week and it is my preferred mode of cooking for most things. People post that you learn how to get it exactly to where you want it - and it really only takes a few tries. I thought there was no way this was possible. I can literally light the charcoal, set the vents and when I come back- it is ready for me. I have done this- gone to the store, then been ready to cook as soon as I got home. It is slightly more work than an oven and much more fun because I am managing a live fire. If I am using it for a low and slow, I can actually SLEEP at night and my alarm NEVER goes off due to temperature fluctuations. I will actually leave the house for the majority of the day, knowing that the Komodo kamado will maintain its temp. I also use barely more charcoal to heat this several hundred pound refractory cement gigantic grill than I used for my Akorn on a typical low and slow/grilling temperature cook. It does use more charcoal to heat soak for pizzas- but the results are much much better in terms of the crust texture. I was still tell my husband "have I told you how much I love my grill?" On a regular basis. The only issue I have ever had with it is with an accessory- the rotisserie spit. It is impossible to remove when heated on occasion (only twice so far). I may at some point attempt to grind the rod down a bit. This is just the accessory- the grill itself is just wonderful. I can think of no downsides to it (other than cost). My food (ESPECIALLY chicken) comes out with more moisture. I didn't think it was possible- but believe me it is. The ease of control is unbelievable. The website states that this grill is not for everyone- and I think that is true.
This is definitely the grill for me. I can't really put into words how much I enjoy cooking on my KoKo kamado.