kamodo jr. Heat deflector

[French maid]

Just bought a Kamado Jr. the smallest one available.  It does not come with a heat deflector and in France I cannot source one.  Any ideas on a diy one.  Have considered a terra cotta planter saucer or just a tin foil dish.

[C6Bill]

Welcome. You don’t need one with a KK. Just use a drip pan or foil to catch drippings. Enjoy

 

[tony b]

2nd that - no need for the ceramic heat deflector - even Dennis doesn't use it! I normally just use a sheet of AL foil to block the infrared. 

[jonj]

I may be mistaken but I took his comment about buying a kamado jr. literally. That is, he did not buy a Komodo Kamado but instead bought a kamado joe junior grill, which somehow came without the deflector.

[Dono]

5 hours ago, jonj said:

I may be mistaken but I took his comment about buying a kamado jr. literally. That is, he did not buy a Komodo Kamado but instead bought a kamado joe junior grill, which somehow came without the deflector.

I thought the same.   

[Syzygies]

Yes, you don't need a ceramic cooker heat deflector, any more than you need a trombone mute.

Nevertheless, people like to "shape" the fire in a cooker, just as they like to "shape" the sound from a trombone. In both cases there are long traditions of using found objects, such as terra cotta plant saucers and toilet plungers, respectively.

Some people inexplicably have trouble reaching higher temperatures in a ceramic cooker. A heat deflector makes this harder, but with good technique one won't notice a difference.

Be sure to leave an inch or more on all sides, and buy an unglazed plant saucer to minimize the risk of lead. (As an aside, galvanized metals off-gas toxins. Like choosing smoking woods, only use materials in a BBQ that have a long-standing tradition of tested historical use. Even here, one might question the choice of used oil drums by Texas oil workers for their BBQ rigs. Err on the side of caution, and be aware of what one does not know.)

Terra cotta plant saucers are easily lined with foil, for easy mess disposal after a cook. They eventually crack. I went through a saucer every several years for a long time, before moving on.