ckreef Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 My main reasons for wanting a kk (compared to the big 3 ceramics) is I really don't want to deal with cracked fireboxs. I am constantly seeing posts about cracked ceramic fireboxs from the big 3 (BGE, KJ and Primo) mainly due to high heat stress. I know they have lifetime warranties but buying something that I know I will crack makes no sense.I do way more high heat grilling than Low-n-slow. When I do steaks I tend to do a nuclear burn steak cook. So I must ask the question - do KK's have firebox cracking issues due to high heat stress? I haven't heard any reports of this problem but I've only been looking at kk's for a short while now. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5698k Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 Kk's come with a two piece fire ring, and the charcoal basket itself is 3/8" stainless. I've had mine at close to 950° dome many times, never a problem. The simple fact is, over engineered is a correct description for these grills. The common problems that you see with all other grills are non existant with kks. Check this forum for a thread where Dennis used a hi heat probe and measured grate temps vs dome. The results were surprising. Long story short, I'll never need more than 700° dome for a steak. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 Not an issue with the KK. After your high temp break-in, you'll be able to crank this puppy up as high as you will ever need to sear steaks or cook amazing pizza! Like Robert said, Dennis did some experiments that show when the dome thermometer is around 700F, the lower sear grate is around 1100F!!! http://komodokamado.com/forum/topic/4973-careful-dome-900%C2%BA-lower-grill-1452%C2%BA/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveyR Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 Agreed about the break in. Take your time with it and do the first high temp cook by the numbers and then you can let it sing. The other day i was doing pizza and had the grill about 650 for a couple of hours then took a photo with a thermal camera. It shows that around the middle of the grill it gets a bit warm but the base was still not to hot. It had been on since 8 am that morning. The first 5 hours was doing a smoke then cranked the temp up for pizza at the end. Also if you are just doing a couple of steaks the outside of the grill is unlikely to get warm. You can have the firebox at 700 for long enough to get a good steak done then close it up and 10 minutes later put the cover on as the outside has not picked up any heat. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5698k Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 Ok, that's really cool.... Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckreef Posted February 5, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 Great comments guys. What I was expecting and definitely what I was hoping for. TY Really kewl picture. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CeramicChef Posted February 5, 2015 Report Share Posted February 5, 2015 Ckreef - the reason fireboxes crack is due to unrelieved thermal induced stress. That is why some of the other kamados manufacture in a gap to relive stress. The KK, as stated above, has a two piece fire ring. No heat stress because there is nothing to induce heat stress as in the other fireboxes. I've had The Beast up about 950° and never worried one little bit. Besides, if you saw the over engineered construction of the KK, it's going to take more than 950° to do any harm in any way. The Beast has his name for a reason and he lives up to it all the time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckreef Posted February 6, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 6, 2015 All sounds good to me. I didn't think there was an issue but had to ask just the same. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted February 6, 2015 Report Share Posted February 6, 2015 Keep firing the questions at us; that's what we do here! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CeramicChef Posted February 6, 2015 Report Share Posted February 6, 2015 ckreef - we love questions so ask away. Absolutely nothing to hide here in the KK world. When we say the KK is the most over engineered kamado in the world, we really do mean it. After scores of cooks on TheBeast, I can really say there isn't one single shortcoming I can find. Not one. Dennis has thought this whole thing out so completely it amazes me. Everything I do on TheBeast is just so much easier on him than any other kamado I've ever used. You've never seen anything so solid as a KK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisLinkletter Posted February 6, 2015 Report Share Posted February 6, 2015 Love this... This shot clearly shows that in the middle of the grill where the lips and straps are it's only the dense (strong) refractory material. The insulation is everywhere else and obviously working well. Please note that the grill was heat soaked for hours and then got this hot after doing pizzas at 650º Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilburpan Posted February 6, 2015 Report Share Posted February 6, 2015 Over on the Kamado Guru forum I once asked why Kamado Joe fireboxes couldn’t be made as two piece units, since they kept cracking, and Andy Scalzo said that it would take too much in the way of resources to develop such a thing: The few they have to replace is peanuts compared to what it would cost to redesign and manufacture a new firebox. There is a lot of R&D involved the design and R&D costs big bucks. If ever there was a reason for me to want to get a KK grill over the other ceramics, this is it. On the one hand, Dennis has put the effort and resources into designing a firebox that will stand up to high temperatures without cracking. On the other hand, we have a business model that would rather replace a less than optimally designed part instead of redesigning it to work better. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted February 6, 2015 Report Share Posted February 6, 2015 On the other hand, we have a business model that would rather replace a less than optimally designed part instead of redesigning it to work better. Sadly, this is the model that almost all manufacturers use! Depends on your costs and payback period on investment, but sometimes it does make sense, as long as there's no litigation involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilburpan Posted February 7, 2015 Report Share Posted February 7, 2015 It is a model that a lot of manufacturers use. But they miss out on the fact that people are willing to pay for great products with great design. Maybe they should look at Apple. Apple is the most valuable company in the world right now. Out of the twenty most profitable quarters any company has had, oil/gas companies have fifteen slots. The remaining five are all Apple. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CeramicChef Posted February 7, 2015 Report Share Posted February 7, 2015 Davey - I think the point that Wilbur was trying to make is that Apple has figured out that, like Dennis and KK, people will pay a premium for quality. I've got an original iPad that serves me just perfectly and it is years and years from its launch date. You pay a premium for both KK and Apple.In fact, Dennis is constantly innovating. It's just that his product cycle is a bit longer than Apple's. Look at the KK product line. Dennis has brought out the KK BB 32 and has new grills in the works including a duel fuel / gas model, etc. After buying my KK BB 32, I thought I was done buying cookers. A friend was so impressed with his 19 High Cap that I'm in the process of buying one.I'd say Dennis has taken the Apple model of way above average quality products that are easy to use, well designed and have a long product life cycle to its pinnacle!Nicely done and thanks, Dennis! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted February 7, 2015 Report Share Posted February 7, 2015 The Komodo Kamado is the Mercedes Benz of ceramic cookers! Continuing innovation and highest quality, with superlative customer service, and a lifetime of enjoyment! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CeramicChef Posted February 7, 2015 Report Share Posted February 7, 2015 The Komodo Kamado is the Mercedes Benz of ceramic cookers! Continuing innovation and highest quality, with superlative customer service, and a lifetime of enjoyment! I prefer to think of it as the Turbo Bentley! That is one massive car that handles like a Porsche. Incredible car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveyR Posted February 8, 2015 Report Share Posted February 8, 2015 Hay CC sorry that post was a bit tongue in cheek and no way a dig at Dennis. I have to say that Dennis has the best customer support and manufacturing that i have seen. The products that he builds are built to last and just amazing 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CeramicChef Posted February 9, 2015 Report Share Posted February 9, 2015 Hay CC sorry that post was a bit tongue in cheek and no way a dig at Dennis. I have to say that Dennis has the best customer support and manufacturing that i have seen. The products that he builds are built to last and just amazing I gotcha! You know the problem with the written word like we have here? The vast majority of human communication isn't just the words. It's intonation, body language, etc. there has to be a better way! Those little circular emotives leave me cold. What is it they say about old dogs and new tricks? I'm one very old dog. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DavidMcKay Posted September 24, 2021 Report Share Posted September 24, 2021 (edited) I want to design my outdoor cooking product so that it does not suffer the same problem with cracking (firebox or shell/body). If this means 'over-engineering' then so be it. I've heard from ceramics studios saying that if it is kiln-fired it will not crack. Then I read about cracking issues with the Big 3 and think - if they can't resolve it then how can I? It has put me off approaching any Chinese manufacturers of Kamado/ceramic grills and made me want to explore the methods and materials used in Komodo Kamados, and closer to home, the use of refractory cements and screeds from companies such as Vitcas: https://www.vitcas.com/ Here is part of a text I sent my business partner earlier today: My greatest fear is the [product] cracking. To me it is the single biggest thing that could draw negative reviews, complaints and returns and damage our reputation and credibility in the market. I swear I have nightmares about It!! I do have some ideas, but I need to test my thinking with those who know about such things, hence my reaching out to some sources recently. Regards, David Edited September 24, 2021 by DavidMcKay To correct spelling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
