egmiii

Great color choice! The backdrop isn't too shabby either...

I appreciate the feedback. From this limited survey it seems like the refractory deflector with a disposable aluminum tray is a common setup. It clearly makes cleanup easier. If you had the grill shaped drip pan, do you think you would use it? Any pros or cons come to mind? Obviously it's harder to clean if you let them burn, but would it catch more grease or provide more consistent temps and airflow (let's say you had 4 pork butts on the main grate). I can't see myself using the drippings, other than for making gravy when roasting a turkey. CC, you make some great points about a clean grill.

Could you guys give a little color as to why you chose that method? I don't believe there is a generally accepted right way to do it. It's all personal preference. I'm more curious as to nuances involved, like "The aluminum pan makes for an easier cleanup, yet doesn't burn the drippings", or "The round pan covers more area, and keeps my grill looking new". I'm sure it all depends what type of stuff you are cooking as well.

I have a 21" coming in the next few weeks and was debating if I should order the single or double bottom drip pan. Could anyone who has one comment on their experience with it? For low and slow, do most of you use the included refractory deflector? I've heard that wrapping the lower grate in foil is a great alternative. Is the included drip pan your go to item for collecting drippings, or do most people end up using a disposable aluminum catering pan?

Rereading my comment above, it's not clear that I meant the 19" is $1000 cheaper than the 23" KK. Which is a significant savings for a grill that could meet the needs of 90% of the cooks out there. Hence my confusion on why it is such a small percentage of sales.

I never understood why the 19" isn't a better seller. It's just a hair bigger than a common large green kamado, which happens to be the most popular size by a wide margin. It's also ~$1000 cheaper, which doesn't hurt.

I know the K7 has a long history of falling apart, but why do you think your cleaning routine destroyed it? Dennis, I can't see how a KK would be damaged by this usage pattern, but maybe I'm missing something. Thoughts?

Color choice is very personal, but I couldn't resist the very dark blue pebble. I have a 21" coming on the current boat. If you like that color, it's best if you snatch it up now since it was a special run and most likely won't be available again.

Maybe off topic but is this the final review of the grill you shipped? It appears to be some cut and pasting of a few facts from the website, plus a few observations about ceramic cookers in general. Did they even uncrate the beast and fire it up? You can be sure my unboxing and review will be in a completely different league. http://amazingribs.com/bbq_equipment_reviews_ratings/grill-smoker-egg-or-kamado-style-combination-grill-smoker-pizza-oven/komodo-kamado-big-bad-32

If you consider yourself an electronics hobbyist, it's worth checking out the HeaterMeter open source project. A complete unit is under $150 (plus probes), plus your time and energy to build it. A thermocouple for the pit temp, three meat probes, built in web server, and full control of the programming are some of the highlights. The development team is very active on this forum. http://tvwbb.com/forumdisplay.php?85-HeaterMeter-DIY-BBQ-Controller

I picked up a copy at my local library. Figured I'd give it a read before committing to my own copy. I'm 50 pages in and so far it's an interesting read.

Losing weight and keeping it off is very difficult. The human body is a highly adaptive mechanism. Most diet advice will result in a short term loss, but fail to provide a long term result, and likely set the stage for a higher return weight post diet. Acquiring a fundamental understanding of biochemistry before starting any kind of diet is always my recommendation. The knowledge you gain will help you see through the fad diet trends and help craft a lifestyle that is sustainable. As a starting point, look up Dr Layne Norton on YouTube. He is a professional natural bodybuilder and coach, but his advice is applicable to everyone since it is based on a solid foundation is biochemistry. Warning: He tends to rant a bit, but I have yet to find a better resource for the novice. Pay specific attention to his series on metabolic rate, adaptation, and capacity. On a personal note, I lost 36 pounds the first three months of this year following his technique. I hit my goal and have not gained back a single pound. I average 2500-3000 calories a day, with 50% from carbs. I stay active but post diet have not followed a daily exercise routine. I can share specifics of my program for those interested.

Have any of you guys tried a heat gun? I've seen a ton of videos on YouTube and it seems to work very well. Same concept as the Looftlighter but a fraction of the price.

Man those ribs look good! I think you might be onto something with the combination of sugar and temperature. If you keep the grill under the temperature where the sugar will caramelize, then it won't turn dark. In the end the color of the bark is personal preference, but in my opinion, your cooks look awesome.

Newbie question here. Did you foil this butt at any point? Most photos I've seen of 12 hour cooks result in an almost completely black bark, yet yours is a beautiful smoke ring red. I'm wondering if that's the magic of the Komodo Kamado and it's high humidity, or the lack of sugar in your rub.

Could you tell me what color this grill is? I can't tell if it's the matte black or the recently intoduced very dark blue. Whatever it is, I love it.

I'll let Dennis chime in when he is ready to share more design details, but my personal goal with the gas addition is to enhance the versatility of the KK platform. I brought up the idea of using laser cut stainless steel plates to Dennis. You could vary the slit size for each type of food. Large for meat, medium for veggies, thin for fish, and a solid griddle. Each grate could be either full size, or half size, allowing you to mix and match. Imagine frying eggs and home fries on the left griddle while grilling a steak on the right grate. Who doesn't like steak and eggs for a weekend breakfast? With gas, you could control the temperature of each side independently, and be ready to cook in 5 minutes. Do you have any specific use cases where gas would be a nice option?

I use a Weber Q grill most of the time, a 14" charcoal camping grill on occasion, a Dutch oven in the winter, and an Anova sous vide circulator weekly. But I don't have the ability to smoke low and slow whatsoever. I'm exchanging ideas with Dennis on the 21" gas design and hope to be the first owner of that model. The burner and heat deflectors/drip guard design is challenging to say the least.

Good to hear that in seven years you haven't had a problem (not that I'd expect one), especially with that much use. I'm about to take the plunge later this summer and expect a lifetime of great cooks.

@tony b, Granted I don't own a KK yet, so I can't speak from experience, but I have a feeling that I'll continue to use it for quick sears even when I do own the KK. It does such a good job, and is up to temp in 5 seconds. I'm just too lazy to spend 15 minutes getting a roaring fire going in a KK to only utilize it for less than a minute. Seems like a waste of charcoal and effort. But who knows, maybe I'll change my tune when I have one. That being said, I am dying to try smoking the meat for an hour or two before the SV cook. Then pull it when it's within 10-15 degrees of the SV cooking temp. I have to imagine the smoke flavor will bring the SV cook to a new level.

Yum! I love to cook steaks sous vide. I currently don't own a Kamado (yet), so I've had to improvise when it comes to the sear. Have you seen the Searzall before? I bought one a few weeks ago and love it. It's an attachment that goes on the end of a Bernzomatic TS8000 torch that turns the intense blue flame into a wider infrared burner. Since it's hand held, you can evenly brown all sides of the meat, especially the more oval cuts like a tri-tip. The biggest advantage over a hot skillet or grill is the intense heat (several thousand degrees). Only the very surface is browned. You won't get that thin layer of gray overcooked meat. And since the fuel is fully burned in the housing, the torch taste is eliminated. I am in no way affiliated with the company, just a happy customer.

Use code "LUVDAD" for a $50 discount. Brings the price down to $129 with free shipping from www.anovaculinary.com

I'll give that a shot. Thanks for the tip on the garlic. I've read a bunch of steak recipes and they all seem to sear the meat before, after, or both. Is it common to do this with chicken? Maybe 30 seconds each side on a hot grill.

Sounds like a great idea to me. I'm sure I could look a few up, but do you have a favorite recipe?

I ordered one earlier in the week with the code above. It showed up this morning. I'm excited to try it this weekend. What's the first thing I should cook?