KK Grills in USA Today

[DennisLinkletter]

 

I'm very pleased about this nice write-up about Komodo Kamado and me in USA Today...

Click here for the USA Today article

[Tyrus]

A very good article indeed. I'd be interested to know if Tyler Shepherd is an owner, if not is he soon to be.

[C6Bill]

Great article !!!!!

[Dono]

Awesome article!!

[Stile88]

very nice write up indeed

[tekobo]

I can't read this article in the UK. The site says:

 

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For those of you who can access it, Is there an option to download it from the site and display it here on the forum?

[C6Bill]

3 hours ago, tekobo said:

I can't read this article in the UK. The site says:

For those of you who can access it, Is there an option to download it from the site and display it here on the forum?

@tekobo

 

 

Tyler Shepherd

Contributor

 

 

Grilling, or cooking food over coals or an open flame, is most likely the very first cooking method invented by humans and is the most universal, with the barbecue – both the food and the social event – being a staple of almost all cultures. While it seems incredibly simple, grilling enthusiasts know that a lot of care and attention is needed to create a well-grilled dish. The equipment also plays a huge role in this, and two pieces of meat smoked or roasted on different types of grills will produce equally different results.  

Over the past few decades, the kamado, a Japanese-style earthenware cooking vessel, has become popular among grill geeks, thanks to its ability to retain heat within and give cooks a great degree of control over the temperature, which is important to get the best results in food. Unlike a metal grill that radiates heat, effectively wasting it, a kamado, also known as a ceramic grill, keeps the heat inside, making it more fuel-efficient, which is great for ‘low and slow’ cooking that can take around 12-15 hours. Introduced to the West by US servicemen after World War II, Kamado cooking has gained a cult following around the world for its ability to create some of the best grilled, roasted, smoked, and baked food one can find.  

There are many brands of kamado grills on the market, but they are not created equal. Komodo Kamado is one of those brands that have been hailed as the best kamado grills out there. A Komodo Kamado isn’t a glazed pot Kamado like the others. Founder and designer Dennis Linkletter describes it as an overbuilt and overengineered refractory grill, smoker, and oven. Available in eight sizes, including the most recently launched 38-inch Goldilocks, Komodo Kamados range from tabletop cookers to full-size outdoor grills. The hot face is 1.25 inches thick and made from high alumina refractory cement, which is used by industries to contain molten metals and glass. It is then further insulated by a 1-inch layer of vermiculite and silica, coated with waterproof acrylic insulation with nano-ceramic spheres. According to Linkletter, the Komodo Kamado’s insulation is so efficient that it can be used effectively outdoors in below-zero temperatures.

 

Aside from heat retention, the Komodo Kamado’s design allows cooks to accurately control airflow, which makes controlling temperatures effortless even for a novice, and of course better food. 

“Charcoal always burns at the maximum volume for the allowed airflow,” Linkletter says. “If you can burn less fuel, you will have less airflow and less evaporation, which creates foods with more retained moisture, which is the Holy Grail of low and slow cooking. Not only are you preventing the meat from drying out, but, when charcoal burns there's a vapor that's released which imparts the food with the smoky flavor everyone loves. The charcoal smoke flavored vapor is transferred to the meat via condensation, more retention time gives the vapor more opportunity to condense on the food.” 

Komodo Kamado’s name isn’t just a clever alliteration. It is manufactured in Indonesia, where Linkletter has lived for more than 35 years. It is named after the Indonesian volcanic island of Komodo, which is the habitat of the famous Komodo Dragon, the world’s largest lizard. Linkletter, whose father Jack Linkletter, and grandfather Art Linkletter were well-known TV personalities, first visited Bali when he was 18 years old, and he fell in love with the island. In the 1980s, he moved to Indonesia and entered the teak flooring and furniture business. His hand-hewn/distressed teak flooring and doors are featured in luxury hotels, homes, and retail establishments worldwide. Today, he resides in Bali with his wife and their two children. 

In 2003, Linkletter learned about kamado grills and decided he could build a better mouse trap. At the time, the internet was abuzz about how awesome kamado grills are, so Linkletter began designing a better version, capitalizing on the strengths and correcting the flaws. This resulted in Komodo Kamado, which revolutionized kamado cooking via its top-notch materials, design, engineering, and performance. To this day, Linkletter is actively involved in running the business, overseeing production, designing new models, and talking to clients on the phone, as well as grooming his son Dexter to eventually take over the business. 

“For more than 20 years, I’ve been continuously fine-tuning the design of the Komodo Kamado,” Linkletter says. “By overbuilding and overengineering our grills, they will last long enough for our customers to pass it on to their children. While a Komodo Kamado costs much more than the average Kamado grill, its unusually high build quality and durability give it unparalleled value, as evidenced by our customers’ word-of-mouth referrals, and numerous excellent reviews.”

[tekobo]

Thanks @C6Bill   

Great article and I learned something new.  I didn't know about the link with the Komodo mountain.  And what great publicity for the new Goldilocks!