Let me introduce myself...
My name is Rick, or firemonkey in the online world. I have a #5 kooker made by , er...the other guys. I bought it used from a guy who was moving out of state, and have had it a few months. I do love cooking on it, and was considering getting another, larger one. I was about to pick up the phone and order one, when I stumbled upon this site. After spending the last few hours perusing the information and opinions here, I must admit that I have been enlightened.
I have seen first hand the issues that are all to familiar to Kamado owners - cracking, tiles getting loose, adjusting bands for a tight seal, unreachable customer service, etc. I find the Komodo variant to be asthetically superior, and am intrigued by the manufacturing differences. I live outside of Orlando, which would also be a point in favor of KK. I have no outstanding issues with RichardJ et. al., other than a couple unreturned calls and a charcoal order which has been pending for 3 months. Still, I have seen the customer service problems of others, and do find them troubling.
I found it refreshing to see Dennis openly responding to questioning, and welcoming comparison of his features. I am confident that I would never get a reply from the Ensenda faction if I were to ask the same types of pressing questions I've seen here. Further, the only comparison I would get of the two brands would be along the lines of "I was here first, they are copy cats." Gee, lets apply that argument to anything else. For example...automobiles?
I am in the market for another cooker, and I have some questions. Hopefully, I can find some answers here. My apologies if these are answered elsewhere, I have done alot of reading over the last few hours!
-- Since I have some loose tiles and some cracks that open up in the grout lines when my K is hot, what will keep the same sort of thing from happening on a KK?
-- What is the turnaround / deliivery time for a KK? What is the FOB location ( I am in orlando so that would be a GREAT answer!)?
-- I Have the gas option on my existing K, and I love it. Granted, I only use it for igniting, then switch to a standard draft door, but to go back to a chimney would be..well, backwards. The KK gas assembly looks like it could be cumbersome. Is this true?
-- Is the KK material prone to cracking - at any level?
-- Does the KK material retain heat as well as, or better than a K?
-- Where can I find a copy of the KK warranty?
-- Has the time difference been challenging when contacting KK?
-- Finally, is there anyone local who would let me stop by and have an up close and personal look at their KK?
Sorry for the lengthy post...But I was an answered phone call (the Johnsons are hard to reach) away from ordering another K. Now, I feel like I just found out my wife was cheating on me, but its okay because a sweet, young hottie told me while whispering in my ear! But a little due dilligence is in order before tossing the cheating wife and moving in the hottie, right?
