bosco

Welcome and congrats on the purchase.  

Lets start with the controller.  Do you need one???  No absolutely not.  The Komodo Kamado is the most rock solid and responsive charcoal BBQ that I have ever used.  I have gone from gas bbq, to weber kettle and WSM, then to various Kamado Joes.... and now the holy grail!!!  I applaud you for jumping in with both feet right off the hop, it will save you money in the long run.

Ok back to the controller.  Because the KK is so stable, you really can set it and forget it.  When I switched to ceramics a few years ago, I really had no need for a controller.  You will learn how to control the vents over time and really not need it.....

With all of that said, however, I purchased a CyberQ wifi for the KK.  I love that the KK has the built in port, and probe area for the wires.  I also love being able to leave the house for work for 12 hours and have something to check on when I am away.  If I am getting close to home and I need the temp up a bit I can remotely tell the fan to stoke the fire.  

So for me, I purchased the cyberQ as a means to help when I am away from the house for long periods of time.  I will not use it on many cooks, but the peace of mind it will give me when I can't touch the grill for long period of times will make it worthy of the purchase.

What I have always recommended on the kamadoguru.com to new members that are looking at what to buy is the following.....

1. Buy a thermapen instant read therm

2. Don't buy anything else until you know what you really need

3. Learn how to dial those vents in and really learn you grill

Now to the second part of you're question.  Burn in is really easy... however, it may make you panic a bit when you see things happening.  Take it all in stride and be prepared.  Check out the owners section here and you will see some posts.  Ask questions in those posts as it helps others that will be going through the same experience as you.  

Honestly don't over think it and you will be fine!!!

Curious how you stumbled onto a KK for your first charcoal grill purchase??  That is great by the way.  It cost me several thousand dollars upgrading to my eventual dream set up!!

I hope to see you around a lot on the forum, we have a great group of people.  Many of us are also members on the Kamado guru.  Feel free to join there, it is nice having the KK membership represented on that forum as well

Now I want a third lol!! Just kidding 😜

Don't start Rak!!!!

Mario buying a KK is like ripping off a bandaid. Slow hurts but pull quick and hurts for a second.

Everyone struggles with the price until it arrives at the door. They are gorgeous and cook as good as they look.

Drippings and BBQ just do not equate to a successful outcome from my experiences.  I just buy pre made gravy mixes now and stop trying LOL

buddy welcome to what I refer to as the natural transition of good chefs!!  You love this hobby, I have seen you cook and I know that you have good taste for everything you buy!!  The KK is going to bring your cooking to the next level. 

This forum is great and very peaceful.  We all encourage everyone and I find that there is a nice group of quality grill enthusiasts here. 

You and I have been chatting about you updating for a while now and I can honestly tell you that once you commit to buy the only thing that will bug you is that you didn't do it sooner. 

I know that you are looking at the 23 and 32 from our conversations and that you are considering both, but one for now.  What I will tell you is that the 23" is one heck of a cooker.  Get going on that and see what you need/want from there. 

Dennis is one heck of a guy and will steer you in the right direction!!  If you have any questions everyone here will jump in and help answer them.  I can not wait to hear your thoughts on cooking on a KK.  Rak and I were in the same spot a short time ago.  One thing is for sure, joining this forum is the kiss of death lol!!! You will own sooner than you were expecting lol!!!

Cant wait to have you on board and cooking on a KK buddy, I know that you deserve it and have been thinking hard about this purchase. Trust other that have taken the plunge.... KK is the real deal and you will be finding new homes for your other grills in short order!!!

Welcome buddy!

Ryan

LOL

looks good Mac!!!

Geo... time to buy buddy!!!

Interesting post!!

I have the joe jr. and it has been my work horse.  I have not yet used it since getting the KKs, however, I was considering selling it. 

Maybe I will just store it in the back shed for those times where I need a grill on the fly. 

I thought about a Weber smoky Joe 18" for travel, but the jr. is compact, a tad heavy but it is bought and paid for so....

Funny how a post pops up at the right time

I hope that you love the mini

I considered the 16.5 KK but I really cant afford another grill at this point and time and for the amount of times that I would use it, it would be a bad purchase for me. 

The 23 and 32 are my go to cookers now and perhaps the jr. will make a good shed addition for now

Rak that looks amazing!!!! Great job buddy

Yes - I wonder whether mine is more than i need, too late now, and of course happy with what I have...of course none of us thought size would be a problem :0

Croadie it is funny that you brought this up.

I came from a 22 kettle and 22.5 WSM. Size was the debate when I bought them and I went bigger and was happy that I did.

I then switched to a Kamado Joe after a year of research. I spent months agonizing over the size. I went with the big joe 24". I thought it was perfect, everything that I needed in one grill.... Then figured that a second would be needed for multi heat cooks and picked up a 13" jr and then a week later got the 18" classic.

I kind of became known for cooking on the trifecta. I love having multiple Kamado's. I essentially stopped using the big joe and was using the classic and jr. Exclusively.

The big joe was heavy on fuel consumption and took a while to heat and stabilize.

Fast forward to my KK purchase. With the love of multiple

Cookers I was once again face with what to order.

Initially I thought one 23". Then toyed with a 19" and 23". Then I was settled on 2 23" kks.

Placed my order and then after a conversation with Dennis I went with the 23 and 32 combo.

I was very nervous because I figured I hardly used the big joe anymore and worried that I went too big.

The reality was that the 23" KK heats faster than my classic 18". It is super fuel efficient and responds like a smaller Kamado. The 23" has become my everyday cooker and the 32" is my weekend and larger parties cooker.

Never regret the size you get as the 23" is an amazing grill. I have learned that the 23kk has all the benefits of a larger grill with all the convince of that of a smaller Kamado.

With all of that said, I am starting to see that you are a BBQ hobbiest like all of us here. You will see over time where there is the need for a second grill.

The reality is that the 23" will satisfy you 95% of the time but you may run into times where a second grill will help.

Consider over time the addition of a 19" TT to you're setup.

I have learned over the years that a third grill is definitely not needed for me. I love my two KKs and have finally hit the perfect combo for my lifestyle and cooking habits!!!

This is the exact reason why I went with a cyberQ wifi. I love knowing that I can walk away and be able to check in once and a while to see where I am at.

Good luck buddy!!!

My guess is that it will be spectacular!!!

I always grill at the main grate level.  One the 23" I usually only have my main grill in by itself

For the 32" This will be what I do most of the time as well

I always grill around 375.  

The nice thing about a KK is that the fire to main grate level is greater than a standard Kamado.  That means less flare ups.

Now an interesting set up for me with the 32 will be to have the lower grate in and the half main grate.  That could be a pretty cool set up with the splitter basket in to create two zone cooking 

Also, a trick I am learning is to light the left side of the basket on the 32" by itself.  It seems to ignite quicker, slowly bringing the flame to the right side.  Creating a hot and cold side.

wow incredible!!!

Looks great buddy!!!

Those look really good!!  

First

In reality you need to place an order for some peach wood from fruitawood.com.  Freed shipping in the US and buy the 50 Lb. Chunks.  You can thank me later for the tip to use peach wood chunks from here!!!!

Second

Hickory is a pretty aggressive smoke for pork (in my opinion).  I reserve hickory for more beef cuts.  Because you used chips, the flavour probably wasn't there.  But if you use hickory chunks with pork it can be a tad aggressive

Third

3-2-1 SCRAP it!!!!  That method is for people that don't have the right tolls for the cook.  It ensures that they do not dry out.  When I switched to a Kamado a few years ago, I abandoned the foil.  Now that I have a KK, it is like they are foil cooked without foiling do to the moisture retention.

Next cook try 225 low and slow with 4 chunks of peach wood

Back ribs cook 4 hours at 225 then do a bend test.  If they are not ready let them go another 1/2 hour and then bend test again.  If still not ready go another 1/2 hour but no longer they will be over cooked.

Side ribs cook 4 hours at 225 then do a bend test.  If they are not ready let them go another hour and check again.  If still not ready go one more hour but do not exceed 6 hours

sides take longer to cook, and backs can quickly dry out as there is more meat than fat on them.   

I like to spritz every hour with a 2:1 ratio of apple juice to cider vinegar.  I find this to be the magic for me.

I do not like my ribs glazed so I serve sauce at the table.  If you sauce do the last 30 min of the cook so that the sauce does not burn

** bend test take the rack by the thicker end, with the tongs grab about a 1/4 of the ribs (about 3-4 bones).  Let the back 3/4 bend downwards.  If it goes almost 90 degree bend they are done.  If it is stiff they are not ready.  If they break they are over cooked.  You almost want to see a small tare in the meat but not enough for it to fall apart.

I am not critiquing you're ribs as they look fantastic.  You have the best Kamado on the market and the foil crutch really isn't needed.  I find the foil adds a softer mushier meat personally.  when you cook them without foil they are a tad firmer, but you get a clean bite off the bone as opposed to fall off the bone.  But to each is own!!

For you're first rib cook these look great

Yup me too I'll need two one for the 23 and one for the 32

You were given two kidneys to give one away!!!

how can one mix their love for grilled cheese and turkey club sandwiches and make it work???

I took some turkey breasts and hit them up with Lanes BBQ Sweet heat and Signature blend.  Serious combo of rubs!!!

Cooked the turkey direct at 375 until an IT of 165

Next, I took some thin sliced sharp cheddar from my local deli and made some grilled cheese sandwiches using texas toast.  

Once they were cooked, I wiped on some mayo and stacked turkey, bacon, avocado, tomato and lettuce.

then I added another grilled cheese and repeated the order

Sliced it up and plated it

I would love this too!!! I have some roti baskets that require a straight rod!!

Lol

It's called diffraction grating. I just googled it so this is not jeopardy smart bosco

Wilburpan hit the nail on the head with the cross grain cutting.

"when cooked beef is sharply sliced against the grain of the muscle fiber, this, coupled with the moisture in the beef, creates an excellent surface for producing rainbows. The reason it shows up in roast beef is because the cuts of meat that are used in most roast beef are more prone to iridescence, particularly in the round".

I was flipping through Instagram and found some photos of a KK live on set of Project Smoke Season 2 with host Steven Raichlen. I confirmed with Dennis and learned that KK was chosen by Raichlen to represent the Kamado cooker.

The photos being published show some very high end equipment and the on set staff seem to be in love with a 23" Ultimate!!

This is really cool stuff!!!

In this episode Raichlen cooks a pork belly on the KK!!

Can't wait to watch this!!!

I am an expert in trifecology.... And I deem this to be a trifecta based on all of it having the same colour.

That looks incredible Dennis!!!!!

looks good buddy!!! nicely done!!