Stile88 Posted April 4, 2016 Report Share Posted April 4, 2016 Hello everyone this is a very nice and infomative site lots of good info looks like a lot of good people here as well I am currently a bge owner and looking for a nice upgrade and i think i found that in kk but man this is sticker shock lol i am liking the 23 but man the 32 is something i dont entertain alot usually just the family mostly so i might be leaning twards the 23 Anyway looking forward to being a part of this great forum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5698k Posted April 4, 2016 Report Share Posted April 4, 2016 I have a 23", and a 19", and I can say the 23 is remarkably versitile. It truly is a "do all" grill. That said, if there is something I wish for occasionally, it's more grill area for the times I'm cooking for a large group. If this is you on a reasonable basis, or if you just grill more than anything else, I recommend the 32. Either way, any Komodo Kamado is the finest Komodo grill available, and once you get one, sticker shock will be just a distant memory. Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacKenzie Posted April 4, 2016 Report Share Posted April 4, 2016 Welcome and once you make the move you will understand the value of the KK.:) It is awesome no matter what size you decide upon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CeramicChef Posted April 4, 2016 Report Share Posted April 4, 2016 Stile88 - I'm a former BGE affecianado myself. I owned a couple of them. Then I owned a couple of Primo XLs. Now I own a 32" and a 19" Komodo Kamado and I'm done, done, done buying kamados! The KK is simply the single finest kamado on the planet. My KKs are so easy to operate, so easy to control, and have some many features you didn't know you needed and wanted. Not a single KK owner would change their decision to buy KK. As for sticker shock, you don't get this quality for free. The BGE is a really nice cooker, but the KK outpaces BGE on every front. We welcome you to the KK Forum. Ask questions any time you have one, or tow, or more. Call Dennis. We look forward to you joining us in the KK family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bosco Posted April 4, 2016 Report Share Posted April 4, 2016 Hello and welcome to the forum. I upgraded from the red brand and I have to say the quality in the upgrade is second to none. You will never worry about cracks again, or cooking in the rain and most importantly you will be amazed by the moisture retention compared to the ceramic, the heat retention and overall build quality of the KK. The design of the KK just makes for a better overall cook from that of the ceramic. I have produced my best meals to date after switching to the KK. Now with respect to the 23 and 32 decision.... I can help a bit as I own both. The 23" is a fantastic grill. It can handle most of what you can throw at it and I use it quite a bit more than the 32" however, I am still a strong believer in going with the largest one that you can afford. The 32 is not ridiculously big, and when you stand in front of it you will see that 32" is awesome. What the 32" will give you over the 23" besides bragging rights lol, it's the ultimate griller's kamado. I will assume because you own a BGE you are more a griller with an interest in smoking, or else you would likely own a stick burner. The 32" is a grillers dream. It gives you great real estate for cooking multiple items at once without having to worry about moving stuff around to make it fit. It holds temps just as well as the 23" and is very reasonable on fuel consumption. It takes about 15 min to hit 325 to 350 and for a grill that size, that is really good. I really appreciate being able to smoke multiple racks of ribs, or larger cuts of meat without worrying about the meat edges getting burnt. Again this is all doable with a 23" but the 32" just makes it easier. Last night I cooked 8 butterflied cut chicken breasts, 2 sweet potatoes, 8 slices of bacon and a ton of asparagus on the 23". I had to move things around during the cook as things were cooking to make room. Had I just used the 32" that would have been done without moving one thing. The question comes down to what you can afford and what your plans are. If this will be your only grill and you can afford it... then buy the 32" and don't look back. I guarantee you that once you start cooking on the KK, the BGE will be for sale or given to a friend. The 23" will do everything that you require and more, but at this point I think you really should take a strong look at the 32" I hope that helps a bit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tinyfish Posted April 5, 2016 Report Share Posted April 5, 2016 As you've heard already, you won't regret the upgrade at all. The KK quality is second to none. Till you see a KK in person you can't really appreciate the quality. I have two 23's and like Rob, Bosco and CeramicChef said, if you like to grill the 32" is a perfect KK for grilling and smoking. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stile88 Posted April 5, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 5, 2016 Thank you all for the warm welcome ..reading all your comments i think i am changing my mind to the 32 cause this for sure will be my last grill i just have to save some more pennies so this will take me a little while longer before i pull the trigger but for sure i will i am sold on the whole thing and i know this is the best product out there indeed When i first started out grilling i had a bunch of webers with charcoal briquettes cooked a ton of great food on them then my buddy hooked me on the bge and hell that was so much better then my weber i have done a lot of slow cooked meals but i have always had issues with keeping the temps syeady steady as a rock cause of that damn gasket breaking down ect lol But all in all i cant really complain too much it has delivered some of the best food over the years With that being said i am ready to go to the next level with the kk from reading in the forum and seeing a glimpse into your experiences i know this is the best grill on the planet Thanks again and i look forward from learning from you all 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacKenzie Posted April 5, 2016 Report Share Posted April 5, 2016 We will keep an eye open for your purchase once you get those pennies built up. In the meantime join in the fun.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilburpan Posted April 5, 2016 Report Share Posted April 5, 2016 (edited) Welcome! Since you have a BGE, maybe this will help. A KK 23”, which is what I have, has slightly less area on the main grate than the XL BGE. A KK 23" will be a step up in size from a Large BGE. If you currently have the XL BGE, and don’t find the size too small, I think a KK 23” will do just fine, even with direct grilling. You lose one dinner plate’s worth of grilling space, but since that difference in area is spread out around the rim of the grill, it’s not very noticeable. I’ve had up to 20 people over for food, and if I’m direct grilling, I’ve done pretty well with the space on a KK 23”. Sometimes I am cooking in batches, but given that it’s direct grilling, the cooking for each batch gets done fairly quickly. If I was cooking the chicken/asparagus feast that Bosco described above, I would have done the sweet potatoes and asparagus first, put them onto a platter, and would have finished the chicken and bacon well before the veggies cooled off. Cooking like this isn't as convenient as having the extra space on a KK 32”, but it’s not extremely difficult, either. For cooking indirect, a KK 23” is going to have significantly more capacity than an XL BGE. The design of a KK grill allows the KK’s second grill to be larger than the grates that sit above the main grate of a BGE. Not that I want to talk you out of a KK 32” , but I thought you could use another piece of information. Edited April 5, 2016 by wilburpan 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5698k Posted April 5, 2016 Report Share Posted April 5, 2016 Dennis also has a paypal option that allows 6 months interest free payments, I think. I understand if any sort of financing isn't an option for you, but, I think it is available. Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stile88 Posted April 6, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 6, 2016 You guys sure are not making my decision any easier lol wilber you make a great point thanks for that info Church since you own the 32 and for anyone else that does perhaps bosco can chime in on this question as far as fuel consumption of 32 do you find it using much more then the 23 and i realize you can split the grill with the basket sorta like you can do with the primo xl for indirect/direct cooking do you guys feel that the 32 with that feature works better then 23 I will tell u this is going to be a hard decision but the 32 is a strong contender Thank you all for your input Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bosco Posted April 6, 2016 Report Share Posted April 6, 2016 The hardest thing when deciding a size is that it is difficult to put it into perspective on the size by looking at photos. Here is a picture of me with my KK's. Try to move past the handsome guy in the middle. I have taken that picture for a perspective shot on size. I am 5'10" on a good day and 190lbs. Im not a big guy but hope that helps with adding some sizing dimension to the grill. Now as for fuel consumption... I really do not notice a huge difference in fuel to be honest. The 32" seems to take more charcoal because the basket is double the size of the 23" but that does not seem to be the case. But low and slow it burns so slow that the lump seems to last forever in both. I use so little lump due to the fact that so little air flow is required to keep temp. The KK is more efficient on fuel that it can not even be compared to another Kamado. What I did notice from switching to the KK from the KJ was that the 23" used lump like my 18" classic and the 32" uses far less fuel than my 24" big joe. So with that said, I really do not think that you need to worry about fuel consumption with the KK. It is so efficient because so much insulation is used, air being forced through the basket, and minimal air flow required that it will be non issue for your decision making. Trust me, go with your gut... the 32" is your baby! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CeramicChef Posted April 6, 2016 Report Share Posted April 6, 2016 @Stile88 - I've got a 32" and I find no real appreciable difference in lump consumption when I compare it to my 19" on comparable cooks. Once you get both units heat soaked, the amount of fuel is really inconsequential. The 32" takes longer to heat soak than the 19", but the increased lump consumption isn't all that great. The 32" is a very efficient cooker. I suggest that everyone get the largest cooker that fits their budget. Here's the deal: It's much better to have the size and not need it than to need the size and can't get it. I've owned my 32" for some time now and I wouldn't trade for it. It's the single finest, most versatile cooker I've ever owned. But then, it's a KK! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wilburpan Posted April 6, 2016 Report Share Posted April 6, 2016 Ken and Ryan (and anyone else who has a KK 32” and a smaller KK): For direct high heat cooks (burgers, steaks, etc.), I tend not to heat soak the grill. I do what I need to do to get Smaug up to 500-600ºF on the dome thermometer, which takes me 10-15 minutes tops, cook what I want to cook, and then shut down. If you’re doing that sort of cook, how much more charcoal will the KK 32” burn than the smaller grill? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bosco Posted April 7, 2016 Report Share Posted April 7, 2016 When I do higher heat cooks I really don't notice all that much difference. What I have learned is why there is dual vent with the 32. If I open one side usually the left bent I only burn lump on one side. When end I open both it burns evenly. I really think they burn at the same rate for grilling temps as I am not worried about heat soaking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stile88 Posted April 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2016 11 hours ago, bosco said: The hardest thing when deciding a size is that it is difficult to put it into perspective on the size by looking at photos. Here is a picture of me with my KK's. Try to move past the handsome guy in the middle. I have taken that picture for a perspective shot on size. I am 5'10" on a good day and 190lbs. Im not a big guy but hope that helps with adding some sizing dimension to the grill. Now as for fuel consumption... I really do not notice a huge difference in fuel to be honest. The 32" seems to take more charcoal because the basket is double the size of the 23". But low and slow it burns so slow that the lump seems to last forever in both. I use so little lump due to the fact that so little air flow is required to keep temp. The KK is more efficient on fuel that it can not even be compared to another Kamado. What I did notice from switching to the KK from the KJ was that the 23" used lump like my 18" classic and the 32" uses far less fuel than my 24" big joe. So with that said, I really do not think that you need to worry about fuel consumption with the KK. It is so efficient due to the air being forced through the basket, and minimal air flow required that it will be non issue for your decision making. Trust me, go with your gut... the 32" is your baby! lol yes that does put it into perspective you have a great setup especially love the teak table nice touch love those pebbles as well the 32 is the way to go i think the more i read and see pictures the more i am leaning that way thanks for sharing pic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bosco Posted April 7, 2016 Report Share Posted April 7, 2016 awesome decision! What got you into the KK in the first place? I got dragged in after always hearing glowing reviews on an other forum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stile88 Posted April 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2016 7 hours ago, bosco said: awesome decision! What got you into the KK in the first place? I got dragged in after always hearing glowing reviews on an other forum One of my good friends owns a bge and 6 months ago he got a primo xl now i knew about kk years ago but never did any kind of research cause i looked at price and said hell no lol he was getting ready to cook a prime rib in the primo and we came accross the videos by larryr ect cooking a steak well we dug a little deeper and found the naked whiz review when i actually saw how well this thing is built what it has in it ect we both said to ourself we need to upgrade to this plus like you said all the glowing reviews i could not find anywhere any kind of negative about the kk on any other forum except for price point that to me is huge for a product plus dennis stands behind his products and takes care of his customers i think to me that is another big reason i am leaning more towards the kk and my buddy is on board as well .now its just a matter when i can save this money to purchase lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bosco Posted April 7, 2016 Report Share Posted April 7, 2016 Awesome. I love hearing how people come across KK. One thing to consider not to force your hand is that I would personally buy sooner rather than later. The he reason being is once the project smoke series is released, you will find yourself on a wait list as sales are projected to increase. I have had conversation with Dennis recently and he said sales are already increasing and the show has not even aired yet. Perhaps selling the egg will afford the extra few bucks that you need Spring time is BBQ sellers market What tile pattern are you considering? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stile88 Posted April 7, 2016 Author Report Share Posted April 7, 2016 6 minutes ago, bosco said: Awesome. I love hearing how people come across KK. One thing to consider not to force your hand is that I would personally buy sooner rather than later. The he reason being is once the project smoke series is released, you will find yourself on a wait list as sales are projected to increase. I have had conversation with Dennis recently and he said sales are already increasing and the show has not even aired yet. Perhaps selling the egg will afford the extra few bucks that you need Spring time is BBQ sellers market What tile pattern are you considering? What is project smoke series??? I like the light terra blue for tile color Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
