DennisLinkletter Posted September 28, 2014 Report Share Posted September 28, 2014 We've all see the difference between the dome and main grate temps.. I brought home the factory's high-temperature thermometer with a thermocouple that goes to 1,700ºf, placed it on the upper, flipped it over, and set it down on the firebox. I cranked it up and took shots of the digital readout with the dome's TelTru in the same shot. The results were beyond what I expected.. and just goes to show that 650º-675º dome is the hottest you ever really need to take your KK for hight temp sears.. I know that I have customers who bought the TelTru's 200/1000 so that they could do 1,000º sears.. this shows that the actual grate temp would be way over 1500º and not only unnecessary but dangerous too.. Remember unlike all other grills all of the air leaving the chimney on the Komodo Kamado is forced through the charcoal. there is no gap between the firebox and body and no holes drilled through the firebox which lets air bypass the charcoal. Dome 510ºf Dome 560ºf Lower Grate Lower Grate 324ºc = 615ºf 344ºc = 650ºf . Dome 615ºf Dome 650ºf Lower Grate Lower Grate 401ºc = 753ºf 430ºc = 806ºf . Dome 710ºf Dome 770ºf ?? Lower Grate Lower Grate 638ºc = 1,180ºf 702ºc = 1,295ºf . Dome 800ºf ?? Dome Tel Tru Pegged 900ºf ?? Lower Grate Lower Grate 753ºc = 1,388ºf 800ºc = 1,472ºf . . 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5698k Posted September 28, 2014 Report Share Posted September 28, 2014 Wow, thanks for that Dennis! I have the 200°-1000° tel-tru's in mine, and it's not unusual to see 800°+ dome. I'll keep mine down around 600°-650° from now on! Robert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted September 29, 2014 Report Share Posted September 29, 2014 WOW! I knew this thing could get crazy insane hot, but that's impressive!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted October 9, 2014 Report Share Posted October 9, 2014 A couple of pics of tonight's steak cook. First, at the peak, dome was at 700F, which according to Dennis' test, put the lower grate @ 1000F. From this pic of the cook, it seriously looks like 1000F!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisLinkletter Posted October 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2014 That pic clearly demonstrates why the basket splitter is a great tool.. Plenty hot using half the basket and soo much easier to play with your meat without all those BTU's cooking your hand and arm. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted October 10, 2014 Report Share Posted October 10, 2014 Yeah, what he said! Love my splitter basket. Gonna use it again tonight to cook a single chicken breast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisLinkletter Posted October 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2014 I just posted this elsewhere on this forum but thought it was relevant here too.. The more freely the exhaust exits the chimney, the more vacuum is created. Unlike other charcoal grills there is no gap between the body and firebox or holes in the firebox that lets air bypass the charcoal. All air that leaves the grill creates forced airflow thru the charcoal. This is why the KK gets going so quickly.. Air will always take the path of least resistance.. i.e. the gap and holes first. I designed the KK to be a high performance tool.. creating these passages for airflow to go around the charcoal is like putting a rev limiter on a sports car.. That being said, you need to be responsible because if you take a call and walk away you can actually get hot enough to make the bottom of the 1/4" 304 stainless basket sag and droop a bit.. Wonder what kind of heat that takes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckreef Posted February 6, 2015 Report Share Posted February 6, 2015 Awesome post. Nice to know this information. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryan Posted March 14, 2015 Report Share Posted March 14, 2015 900* is the perfect temp for Tandoor cooking. Has anyone done this yet???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CeramicChef Posted March 14, 2015 Report Share Posted March 14, 2015 Shack - I know this will sound like apostasy, but I'm not a big fan of Indian Cuisine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryan Posted March 14, 2015 Report Share Posted March 14, 2015 Chef - I'm not fan of it either Buttttt Ralph can get up to temp and with some practice I can do the cooks. People will eat whatever we cook if we are good at it. And any how I don't have anyone in my circle that can even come close. I know the Komodo-Kamado can do it If I can. This will be more fun than the super low and slow Eye of Rounds I did on Ralph.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted March 14, 2015 Report Share Posted March 14, 2015 I'm a big fan of Indian food and have done Tandoori chicken in the KK many a time, along with lamb kabobs. I've always wondered if you could do Naan in the KK, but the walls in mine are a bit sooty/greasy. I suppose I could wipe that off beforehand with a wet sponge. Would it be better to plaster the dough on the dome or lower on the walls in the base?? Use the sear grate as a "safety net" to keep them from falling in the fire? Anybody got any experience doing this?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryan Posted March 14, 2015 Report Share Posted March 14, 2015 I don't have any Tandoori experience but HIGH temp will burn the inside of the KK clean as new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted March 14, 2015 Report Share Posted March 14, 2015 Hear ya. Just did some blackened porkchops in my cast iron skillet on top of the sear grate at very high temp. So now would probably be a good time to wipe down the dome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryan Posted March 14, 2015 Report Share Posted March 14, 2015 Tony - No. Do a HOT burn. All the black will burn off to cement looking walls. I think this was in a post years ago. I don't recall the temp. Dennis probably knows. (no scrubing) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisLinkletter Posted March 15, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2015 The refractory hot face material's service temp is 2,200ºf That being said, the hotter you get the more crazing you will get because there is just no escaping physics.. I don't suggest taking the grill over 750º dome.. There is just no reason to do this.. no cooking technique requires this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryan Posted March 15, 2015 Report Share Posted March 15, 2015 Dennis - Sounds good to me. Up until now i have been a low and slow person. Given that What are youe suggestions for temp to clean the unit and Have you done any Tandoor type cooking? Thanks for the input I was feeling just a lot over my head. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisLinkletter Posted March 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted March 18, 2015 The hot face service temp is 2,200ºf but the material is considered a consumable at those temps. Blast furnaces need regular maintenance and filling with the refractory patch at those working temps. Your KK grill is designed to last a lifetime at "food cooking temps" not to be used as a kiln. The smoke point of lard is only 370ºf So high temps where you create enough heat to make your grill expand is really unnecessary... There is no escaping physics.. the grill does and will expand when taken to high temps.. This can be confirmed by the small crazing on the smooth grout finish on your grill's lips. High temp blasting your grill from black to grey will be detrimental to it's long life and is not necessary. The inside of a grill/smoker should be black.. it's not dirty. Regularly taking your KK to 900ºf dome / 1452ºf lower to clean your grates is a good way to damage your grill.. Please do not do it.. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacKenzie Posted March 18, 2015 Report Share Posted March 18, 2015 Dennis, thank you for that tip and explanation. I will be keeping that in mind and actually I have no intention of cleaning my grates that way:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted March 19, 2015 Report Share Posted March 19, 2015 On 3/19/2015 at 5:13 AM, DennisLinkletter said: The hot face service temp is 2,200ºf but the material is considered a consumable at those temps. Blast furnaces need regular maintenance and filling with the refractory patch at those working temps. Your KK grill is designed to last a lifetime at "food cooking temps" not to be used as a kiln. The smoke point of lard is only 370ºf So high temps where you create enough heat to make your grill expand is really unnecessary... There is no escaping physics.. the grill does and will expand when taken to high temps.. This can be confirmed by the small crazing on the smooth grout finish on your grill's lips. High temp blasting your grill from black to grey will be detrimental to it's long life and is not necessary. The inside of a grill/smoker should be black.. it's not dirty. Regularly taking your KK to 900ºf dome / 1452ºf lower to clean your grates is a good way to damage your grill.. Please do not do it.. Why do I feel like Sister Mary Angelina just rapped me across the knuckles with a wooden ruler?? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
