egmiii

The 22" high cap table top is still in development. It's well along last I heard, but I don't believe they are for sale yet, so you won't find anything on the website. It's much larger than the 19" from a surface area perspective and is also a bit taller. This brings the firebox further down from the main grate, which increases low and slow performance. if you were considering one, it will be well worth the wait.

95% of the time I don't need the extra room provided by the 22" high cap, but this weekend it came in handy. I had a 9lb pork shoulder on the main grate, a second 9lb should above it on the upper grate, and a 4lb chuck roast on the upper grate. I like stacking the shoulders so that I can use a smaller drip pan, which allows better convection and burns less charcoal. The upper one also bastes the lower one. After a few hours I was able to put the chuck roast into a Corning dish to braise on the upper rack. The Corning lid just barely tapped the lid of the grill. I moved it a half inch closer to the center and it shut fine. I understand this is sort of a rare scenario, but it was nice to have the flexibility to perform this cook. I'm glad to hear the 22" will remain in the lineup as a table top and special order standing.

Congrats dude. I'm a little late to the party here, but would have offered to do a FaceTime call to walk you around my grill and answer any questions you may have. It's certainly not the same as seeing one in person, but I could fire it up live and walk you through the critical design elements that set KK apart from the rest.

I have to say, that cabinet is insanely beautiful. You have to post some pictures as the flooring is installed. I'm a sucker for exotic wood.

The Wagner heat gun was $20 at Home Depot. I could buy several for the price of a Looflighter, and they are far more reliable. Just ask a painter how many hours their heat guns run before replacement.

I've been using a Wagner heat gun on my 21". It's like having a weed burner with a hair dryer attached. 2-3 minutes and the basket is cherry red. The caveat is you need an outlet relatively close to the grill. Addressing the original question: You will likely never encounter a KK owner who has regretted buying a grill from Dennis. The craftsmanship, performance, and customer service are second to none. The price is a pain you endure once, but after owning a KK for the last 6 months, I honestly believe they are an incredible value. Dennis is a world class entrepreneur. He has optimized every aspect of the manufacturing and distribution process to provide the highest quality customer experience at the lowest cost. When it comes to sizing (and if you plan to buy only 1), I always ask, are you primarily a griller or a smoker? Grillers are typically best served by a 32", since it's similar in size to a traditional gas grill. Smokers are probably best served by a 23", unless you plan to cook for very large crowds. If you strictly cook for 2-4 people only, then a 19" is plenty. If you have the funds and the ability to move a 32" to it's final resting place, then by all means, just get it. But that's not always an option for those of us on a budget, or who have logistical constraints.

Thanks for the heads up. I'm going to grab one this afternoon. Any suggestions on what size bags to buy? What do you find yourself using most of the time?

Honestly, this is an engineering marvel. Very impressive...

Last weekend I was watching a few episodes from Project Smoke and noticed they cold smoked quite a few items. I thought to myself how the guru port could be used to inject smoke into the KK, and then did nothing with the idea. As usual, Dennis is one step ahead of me and already had a prototype working before I had a second thought. Congrats!

I'd suggest sous vide for chicken breast as well. I typically finish them off with a searzall, but you could sear them on the lower grate as well. When it comes to chicken thighs and drumsticks, I usually smoke them indirect at 275-300 for 90 minutes or so. Way more flavor than your standard chicken breast.

I'm really looking forward to warmer weather and longer days. I've cooked nearly every weekend since getting my grill last October, but haven't had the energy to take a lot of pictures and share the details with the KK community. It's just too freaking cold to set up the camera for the right shot, especially when most cooks finish after dark. I'm excited to participate in the learning process with the increasing number of new and existing members on the forum.

The beauty of sous vide is the consistency. Like you said, with a little trial and error, you will eventually find the temperature for each dish that suits your taste. After that, it's virtually mindless to get perfect results time and time again. I don't mind spending the extra money for a great steak when I know it will be cooked to perfection each and every time. I'd also like to add, when it comes to low and slow BBQ, the Komodo Kamado is in the same camp. Season your meat, start the grill, and enjoy consistent results every single time. The grill is no longer a variable. It's predictable, and precise, which has taken my cooking to a whole new level.

I've had a 21" since last October and also noticed the temperature difference between the dome and grate. Over a 3-4 hour window, the difference will drop from ~40 degrees to slightly under 10 as the grill heat soaks and the fire starts to burn slower. My engineering background tells me this is the expected behavior and my cooking background tells me it has little impact on the final product. Like others have said, consistency is where the KK truly shines, allowing you to produce excellent BBQ time and time again.

I think the current TruTel is fine. If I want to read it from inside, then I could use a wireless setup. I would add a second probe sleeve long before I changed the dome sensor. That way I could monitor 6 pork butts and two grates should I ever decide to feed the neighborhood.

Awesome job. Like others have said, beef ribs are quite decadent. I typically serve one per person along side chicken drumsticks to balance things out. I run the ribs for 6 hours, and drop the drumsticks on around hour 5. Most of the potent smoke has subsided by then, which creates the perfect environment for poultry.

Congrats on the new Komodo Kamado. If it's not too late, cancel the order for the Looftlighter and buy a Wagner heat gun instead. They run about $20 and are far more reliable. I have owned a 21" since October and have done only low and slow cooks so far. Nearly one per weekend. I'd say automated temperature control would be nice for 10% of my cooks, especially pulled pork. Right now I'm wrapping stuff that takes over 8 hours to accelerate the cook. Otherwise I'd have to wake up very early. While the KK is very stable, my home gets varying degrees of wind hour by hour, so I've been too nervous to run it unattended overnight.

Most of the units have a gas burner option. It's a round burner that goes below the charcoal basket. Works great for a heat soak or pizza cook. The dual fuel is completely different. The burners go above the charcoal basket and are much larger for even heat.

Dennis along with many helpful people on the forum, spent dozens of hours answering my questions over the course of several months. Not once did anyone say "just buy the damn thing already". They understood for most people, this is a once in a lifetime purchase and it's important to gather all the facts before making a decision. In your case, if it's a matter of deciding between a bunch of accessories and the dual fuel, I'd strongly suggest buying the accessories. The pizza stone and side tables would be first on my list, followed by the basket splitter and lower grate (for the 21").

Geo and I just had a nice call so that I could answer his questions more completely. Unfortunately my kids are sick tonight so I don't have a ton of time to craft a thoughtful response. That being said, for the sake of other members who come across this thread, I will briefly answer the questions above. Do the gas burners produce enough heat to sear a stake similar to the way lump does? The gas burners are about 5" below the main grate with a heat shield half way in between. This keeps the burners clean and the heat very even. You will get sear marks like a traditional grill, but you won't get the 1000+ degree heat that a grate 1" above charcoal can produce. Are the burners easy to ignite? Currently there isn't a push button ignition system. I use a $2 foot long butane lighter. Works great. Is it quick & easy to switch from gas to lump, or do you just use whichever setup you have (For grilling) at the time? Provided you have the components next to the grill, switching from gas to lump takes under a minute. No tools involved. I use gas for grilling. Has the availability of gas changed what kinds of food you cook? Not really. I've had a Weber Q120 for 10 years, which has been an awesome grill. Running charcoal on a Komodo Kamado has totally changed the way I cook. I BBQ nearly every weekend and enjoy leftovers half the week. The food is so much better and the process is so simple. Does the availability of gas result in you using the KK more often? Continuing my thought above, having a charcoal BBQ has reduced my grilling (gas or charcoal) to almost zero. For quick sears on my sous vide meals, I've switched to a Searzall torch. It's hotter than charcoal, requires zero setup / preheat, and can evenly sear every square inch of an odd shaped cut to perfection in under 3 minutes. It's a no brainer for my workflow. Have you used the rotisserie with gas? What were the results? I own, but haven't used the rotisserie. I've done several whole chickens. They were so good that I'm too lazy to try anything else during the cold winter months. If you were to make a purchase decision with the experience you have now, would you purchase the Dual-Fuel cooker, or use the money to purchase lots of optional accessories, or maybe a larger KK? I don't often cook for a crowd, but I wouldn't hesitate to BBQ for 40-50 people on my 21" setup. If you plan to grill for a large crowd then I'd skip the 23" and go for the 32". If I could do it over, I'd do the exact same thing. Buy the 21" dual and every accessory offered. The dual fuel in no way compromises the performance or quality of the KK and gives you the option of using gas should you choose to do so in the future. If you already have a gas grill that you are happy with and you have the space for both, or if you are a die hard charcoal griller, then skip it.

Preheating with the gas option is incredibly simple. Prep your charcoal basket just like you would for a traditional low and slow. Drop in the burner support along with a single burner. Preheat for 10-15 minutes. Then remove the burner / support and light the charcoal. One burner is plenty, and you don't need to install the heat shields for a preheat. I'd be willing to make a video showing this if anyone is interested. I live in CT, which traditionally has cold winters. No need to waste my precious CoCoChar bringing 550lbs of refractory material up to 275 from 20 degrees. FYI, until I received my KK, I was in the 95% grilling camp. Since delivery in October I've been in the 99% BBQ camp. I'm sure I'll find a better balance as time goes on, but cooking once on a Saturday and having meals for my family of 4 for the next 3 days has been very nice.

I'm the owner of the first dual fuel KK. I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have regarding the grill. I can sympathize with your neighbor somewhat. I've only been cooking BBQ for 8 months, but have been grilling all my life. In my opinion grilling is easier and quicker with gas. That being said, with the right setup, and proper planning, charcoal can be nearly as easy. Many will claim the food is far better and justifies the extra work. To each their own. BBQ on the other hand is not something I would attempt on a gas grill. Never, end of story. Your neighbor, by casting his BGE aside, is clearly not a BBQ enthusiast. No problem with that, it's not for everyone. My point is that BBQ and grilling are very different techniques, typically done on different cookers. The dual fuel KK is revolutionary in that it produces world class BBQ over charcoal, along with traditional grilled dishes, either over charcoal or gas, your choice. It's simple to use, versatile, and a no compromise design.

Also, would it make sense to split Komodo Kamado across two lines and remove Indonesia? I don't have a strong opinion either way. Just tossing out the idea.

I'd say go dual only. That way when someone outside the US references a temperature, it's easier to replicate in the US, and vice versa.

Being relatively new here, I'll share two things that have made a huge difference in my cooking. 1) It's done when it's done. Time and temperature give you a ballpark estimate, but only probing is definitive. I run my grill at 250 and find 207 internal is where it's probe tender. 2) Don't be afraid to wrap. I'm a late sleeper and an early eater. Not a good combo for low n' slow. My first few cooks were 14-15 hours @ 225. The end result was good, but no one was up at 1am to eat with me. Now I run 240-250 and wrap after 6 hours. It's typically probe tender 2 hours later and tastes exactly the same as the 14 hour version (with a little softer bark). I aim for 2 hours rest in a cooler if time permits.

Awesome job! Two questions: I see you have parchment paper under the pies on the table. But I don't see it under the pizza on the stone. At what point did you take it away? How long did they cook for?