SmallBBQr

There is some additional information (mostly comments, discussion) on the Ikawa over at http://www.home-barista.com/ in the coffee roasting forum. I just wish it did a little more than 60g at a time.

I've been debating on an air fryer the last few months. Try parboiling the potatoes a bit first...you'll get crispy outside with a lighter, fluffier interior than just frying alone.

While I am still a little away on the savings account, the 21" (beside being the PERFECT size for us smaller households) with the lower cost certainly makes the dream Kamado closer to a reality. If the Canada/US exchange rate was closer, I'd buy one now! Coming soon....

CC...go take a look at how the Sous Vide Supreme works and get back to me...(Hint: no water circulation). Once the ceramic crock stabilizes in temp, it emulates the SVS very closely in function. Many commercial (very expensive) water ovens also do not circulate water - they just heat a liquid very evenly to a set temperature. Because they do not circulate the liquid it also provide a different advantage - many professional chefs are now using them to heat DIFFERENT liquids (such as oils or butter) and placing their food directly in the liquid, without a vacuum bag. i.e. I am going to try olive oil poached salmon using the temp controller to set an exact temperature for the olive oil in the pot, and then put the salmon directly in the oil. Proof is in the pudding as they say. I've only done two cooks so far, but each ended perfectly - a 3" thick rib steak done a perfect 120, and two lamb loin roasts done to 131. Other than limited capacity, it works AMAZINGLY well. It's that simple.

Thanks for tips. At this point, I think circulation just is not needed. I have to figure out the largest roast I can get in there and that may be my next one....

It certainly has a size limitation, but since there are two of us at home, really has not been an issue yet. It's a pretty large crock-pot. I just did two fist-sized lamb loin roasts and they came out amazing. For the odd time I will use it...perfectly adequate. Only cost me $25 to build. In terms of temperature/probe placement though, probe placement is NOT really important I have found because the entire pot is the heat source. I think this is a large ADVANTAGE over the Anova. Because the Anova has only a single point of heat, it HAS to circulate water or else there would be large temperature variances all over. But with the large mass of a ceramic slow-cooker, I add hot water, turn the pot to high and let the controller bring it to temp and let it stabilize. After that, it is rock-solid on temp anywhere you measure. Because the ceramic all stabilizes to the exact temp around the entire mass of water...heat is being stabilized from all sides and the bottom simultaneously. Just like a heat-soaked kamado!! I have measured temps all over and they are all within about .2 to .3 degrees - incredibly accurate/solid. I was completely amazed how well it worked. Really though, this is the same way the Sous Vide Supreme works as well. After dropping in a couple steaks for example, I will see a brief temperature drop in the water, but the ceramic and massive power of the heating element brings it all back to temp very quickly/accurately with no overshoot. I did a 3" thick rib-steak as my first test....was in for 3 hours. I was initially testing the water with my hand-held instant read and quickly realized I was wasting my time...water all came back to temp quickly and never moved after that. I took the steak temp immediately after pulling and it was exactly the same as the water/probe. To be honest, I almost find Sous Vide a bit "boring"...it's too easy - I mean that's a good thing...but for some reason, I think I just prefer "real" cooking...hard to explain...I think this will probably be one of those very intermittent things I get into and just pull out time to time and can say I tried it. If the Anova ever drops to $100-$120 in Canada I would probably pick one up purely for the capacity...but I can't find one anywhere near the sale prices I have seen in the US...but I'm watching. I have some larger Cambro containers as well so just watching for a sale.... I don't even have a vacuum sealer at this point - I've just used a gallon sized ziploc with water displacement and a straw (with my house vacuum helping suck the air out) to get the seal - worked perfectly - super tight vacuum. Hopefully I'll find a garage sale vacuum sealer at some point..but this works adequately for now.

I currently have a Pitmaster IQ120 that I use on my Broil King Keg - I will be using it on my new KK. It works as expected on my Keg, so with the KK and it's far greater thermal mass, I can't see why it would not work as good/better. Just need to come up with some compatible adapter to the air intake...which should not be that much a problem. To be blunt, all these BBQ pit/temp controllers are just versions of the same thing - PID voltage controllers with somewhat similar programs that control an output voltage - some of them have a built in fan, some control en external fan, some just control a 120//240 outlet etc....but in the end...they all pretty well do the exact same thing. The "random" variables (wind, airflow, fire, charcoal etc) of a fire-pit are far,far more variable and random than any program someone can put into a PID controller. i.e. End result - I can't see any one brand being any better than any other. How air-tight and heat-soaked will be far-and-away a bigger factor.

Hmmm....just my opinion, but I am not sure what value SV has for pork shanks (or lamb shanks either). What is typical for those meats is to brown/sear and then braise for a long period in a reducing/thickening sauce/liquid, which when all said and done, completely makes the shanks fall-off-the-bone tender anyways and gives the shanks hours to soak up all the amazing braising liquid. If you SV them, you are just losing out on braising time IMO. I could be totally off on this though. I've just started playing around with SV with a slow-cooker and a PID controller (which works great BTW), but do shanks very often....I just don't see SV as a cooking improvement like it is with many other proteins.

Hehe...well, not quite "neighbors" in the "close" sense...roughly a 4800km drive...but are neighbors in the Canadian sense. (I updated my profile with location - forgot to do that previously). Yeah...you just never see briskets here...not sure why. Certainly no shortage of cattle here (well this year things are bad - drought), so beef prices likely to be going up MORE - already insanely expensive.

Bone-in meats to me always taste better, so whenever possible I always leave the bone. If I had a rotisserie, I would marinate the leg for as long as possible (lots of olive oil, garlic, red wine, rosemary and thyme) and throw it in the roti. Keep basting with the marinade and just let it roll at a moderate temp (I would do low/slow for longer and then crank it up at the end to get a sear). Did you get the rotisserie for your KK? I can't tell from your past posts, but with a 23, you have lots of space to even just put it on and rotate often and baste as well. You'll love it any way it get's done though...

Nice...I've never even SEEN a brisket, let alone tasted one.

So that was 8 pounds of bird....that is an 8" roti rack? How many chicken of that size (just cause I don't see a wider angle shot) could you get on at once?

Looks delicious...so what secret have you arrived at for time/temp/placement etc?

550-600. I like little black blisters. I also do them in a cast iron frying pan in the house at super-hot temps too.

I do naan (ish) type bread and do it by throwing the dough on the pizza stone (set up high) to firm up on one side, and then I flip it over on the bottom grate (direct flame) to get some nice scorching....no complaints.

Thanks for that! Be giving that a try next time! Funny how these pizza dough recipes always vary just a bit....I'm starting to think the recipe matters less than some local magic....

The bark is mostly rendered fat and/or caramelized sugar on most cooks. Here's a good read on smoke rings. http://amazingribs.com/tips_and_technique/mythbusting_the_smoke_ring.html

Hi all, First post here on the KK forum. Topic says it all - 21" or 23"? I will be purchasing in the near future but am having difficulties deciding which size to purchase. There are only 2 of us at home now so the vast majority of time is cooking for two. I currently cook on a Broil King Keg (18" or so grate) and even that is adequate for the most part. There are times though when we are feeding a bigger group of family - but I have no problems offloading to the oven or small charcoal grill/BBQ etc. either. I've looked but don't see too many pictures of a 21" yet with food (chickens, roasts etc) so I am finding it hard to gauge if I need to move up in size. Aside from cost, any other thoughts or considerations?