New Video - Choosing The Right Size Kamado Grill

[DennisLinkletter]

#3
Choosing The Right Size Kamado Grill
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2OstegSFfVs

 

 

[tekobo]

Now that is a sneaky way to introduce a new grill to us.  A 38!  Something else to covet.  Thanks @DennisLinkletter!

I always find it easier to visual size with food on the grill.  This is my 32 fully loaded with about 6.5kg (14lb+) of chicken thighs.  They were touching edge to edge when I started the cook.

[Cheesehead_Griller]

😳

[Stile88]

@DennisLinkletter i didnt realize you made a 38 what are the specs on that??

great informative video you can really see the differences thanks!!!!

[DennisLinkletter]

47 minutes ago, Stile88 said:

@DennisLinkletter i didnt realize you made a 38 what are the specs on that??

great informative video you can really see the differences thanks!!!!

LOL...   
I don't, but it makes perfect sense for me to build one..
Stay tuned!

[Dennis]

Hey Dennis,

Unless I missed it, did you review which models can be set up using the dividers to create 2 zones?  I am in-between the 23 and 32.

 

TIA

Dennis

[tony b]

I have a 23" with a spare charcoal basket with the splitters installed. I just swap back and forth between it and the full basket as I need. One of the benefits of the 23" is that the charcoal basket is round, so you can do front/back or side-to-side splits very simply by rotating the basket, to suit your cook. There are "work arounds" on the 32" to get front/back splits with the dividers, but it's a little more involved than on the 23". 

The front/back split is nice for doing rotisserie cooks. Let's the meat rotate in/out of the hot zone, sort of a self-basting thing.

[DennisLinkletter]

37 minutes ago, Dennis said:

Hey Dennis,
Unless I missed it, did you review which models can be set up using the dividers to create 2 zones?  I am in-between the 23 and 32.

TIA

Charcoal basket splitters are available for all KK grills; only the 32 and 40 have the adjustable fence. The smaller ones just split it 50-50.

23 or 32"?   The big question is, will you use it mostly for low and slow or grilling, and do you need to grill for more than four people at once?  High-temperature grilling is straight-up heat from the charcoal, so you'll lose the 3-4 inches from the firebox around the outside of your grate as far as the sweet spot for grilling.  So the 23" main grate has a 15-17" grilling sweet spot..  Remember, the lower grate is 21" because the body tapers down to the legs. A 21" grate has about a 13"15 sweet spot. The 32" is left to right and 22" deep like a full-size gas grill, 30% more territory.. 

[Dennis]

Hey Dennis, 

Thanks for the quick response.

I mentioned in another post on the forum regarding price and deposit.  However, I have been a BGE’er for 23 years.  Since 2 zone cooking is really not convenient I used my egg mostly for longer slow cooks, ribs, briskets, boston butts.  I am not sure how well the dividers in the charcoal basket help in really maintaining a cool side to reverse sear and moving meat to uncovered side.  Anyway I am interested in using the KK for steaks if this is a practical option. 

Also, just to consolidate my other post on pricing, I was wondering since my new home construction will be ready for end of year, is it possible to lock in todays price and take delivery later? 

TIA,

Dennis

[tekobo]

@Dennis I own a 32, 23 and 16 and would say that, if two zone cooking is what you are looking for, the 32 is hands down the best grill to pick.  The 23 does do two zone cooking and I sometimes do a reverse sear using the half main grate on the 23 but you don't have that much room if you want to cook a few steaks at one.  

[Dennis]

Thank you @tekobo for your insights.  Wow 3 KK’s thats quite the endorsement for KK !

I have been a Big Green Egger for over 23 years and use almost exclusively for slow long cooks.  Not very convenient to remove the platesetter and food to create a reverse sear.  I no longer have a gas grill for the quick grill so looking for my potential KK to do both well.  Along side my dedicated pizza oven and griddle.  

Even though our kids are gone and our cooks are smaller it would be nice to accommodate larger groups on demand.  

Cheers 

Dennis

[Dennis]

5 hours ago, tekobo said:

@Dennis I own a 32, 23 and 16 and would say that, if two zone cooking is what you are looking for, the 32 is hands down the best grill to pick.  The 23 does do two zone cooking and I sometimes do a reverse sear using the half main grate on the 23 but you don't have that much room if you want to cook a few steaks at one.  

Hey @tekobo meant to ask for you long slow cooks what do you use for a deflector plate so the cook is indirect?  I didn't see it as an accessory.  TIA

[tekobo]

Funny you should ask that @Dennis  All KKs come with deflectors as standard but no one that I know uses them for anything other than paving stones!  @DennisLinkletter says he includes them because BGE users expect them.

I have never used a BGE so I cannot say why they are needed in BGEs but I find that there is sufficient distance between the firebox and the main grate in the 23 and 32 KK not to need a deflector for low and slow cooks.  A very small area of lit coal is able to  keep the KK at a steady low temperature without burning your food.  That said, the KK also comes with a robust stainless steel tray that I sometimes sit on the handles of the firebox to catch drips when I am grilling something particularly fatty.  It is a very pretty tray and some people use it for serving. I line it with foil to make it easy to clean.  

P.S.  Don't follow my example with KK purchases.  I should have bought a 32 first time around and it took me a few years to come to the conclusion that I needed one.  An expensive mistake given the cost of importing KKs from Indonesia into the UK.  Less of a problem for you if you are based in the US.  

Edited February 19 by tekobo

[Dennis]

Very interesting @tekobo and thanks for the response.  

I use the plate setter (deflector) 90% of the time!  Concerns of burning and drying out the food.   Perhaps this is a huge fallacy of the BGE?  

I would guess on the reverse sear question the 32 is large enough to really give you a cool side to cook on prior to taking off the meat and cranking up the temp?  And if we don't need a deflector there is nothing to take apart to accomplish this- big plus! 

Cheers

D

[tony b]

Most of us just use a sheet of aluminum foil on the lower grate when we want to do indirect cooks on the KK. As @tekobo said, almost no one here (save a few diehards) use the supplied heat deflector stone (not to be confused with the pizza stone - different material) - not even Dennis uses it. A simple aluminum pan works, too, if you want to catch the drippings or get the double-walled pan from Dennis if you think you'd like to roast veggies using the drippings. 

I have no issues doing reverse searing on my 23". The basket splitter creates enough separation between the "hot" side and "cool" side. The only issue is cooking area. If you want to do a lot of steaks (more than 4 ribeyes/NY strips) at once, you might run out of real estate (assuming you're using the basket splitter). You can do a lot of steaks if you don't use the basket splitter and just use the main and lower grates - roast the steaks on the main at lower temps, pull the main grate out when they're almost done to final temp to rest, crank up the grill temps and used the lower grate to reverse sear.

2 hours ago, Dennis said:

Perhaps this is a huge fallacy of the BGE?  

That's my opinion. I've never owned one but have cooked on them at other folk's places. Plus, one of my biggest gripes about BGE is that this is considered an "essential" accessory, but you have to buy it separately - price gouging IMHO. Dennis doesn't do that - every accessory is a true add-on, nothing essential for doing basic cooking on a KK!

Edited February 19 by tony b

[Dennis]

Thank you @tony b 

I understand your point regarding the use of basket splitter to accomplish a reverse sear.  Initially thought the firebox was too far away for this to happen.  

I suppose once I get over (prove to myself) there is no real need for a deflector a reverse sear even without the basket splitter will work fine.  Low temps to start 225F, hit IT target temp, remove meat, crank KK up the temps and back on it goes… If feasible one would regain all the real estate needed - correct?

Best Dennis

[tony b]

Yep. Plus, don't forget that you can use the upper grate as your sear grate if you really want to put a hard crust on your steaks. Just turn it upside down and it sits right on top of the charcoal basket handles - mere inches away from the fire.