I went with a KJ over a BGE due to the KJ comes with everything the BGE charges for (side tables, heat deflector, ash tool, etc). Also, the nest and casters are much better on the KJ. I do agree with poster who stated he has the regular Joe and wish he had gone with a Big Joe. I've done briskets on mine, but they've all be smaller than I'd usually do and I've had to stuff them on there. I was able to do a 22# turkey for Thanksgiving without any issues this past year.

All-in-all, you can't go wrong with either of the big 3. You'll find yourself doing a lot more cooking on it more often. In fact, I'm going to grill some chicken tonight.

Do they sell the stand alones at the Roadshow?

A lot of people say get the KJ , because it comes with everything for just a little more than BGE, but remember that some of what it comes with is a "nest" and side tables, that you prob won't need if you are building it into an outdoor kitchen (or building your own table for it like I did). Then you are just going to have a nest and side tables that you have to get rid of. That's why I ended up with a BGE, and I just bought what I needed.

Having said that, I wish I had gone with the Oval primo or at least the XL instead of the Lrg.

So I just bought a Primo XL all in one (stand, shelves, ash tool, etc.), ceramic deflector plates, Primo firebox divider, and drip pan racks for $1,635. Overstock sign up let's you save 10 or 12% with free shipping. Overstock doesn't always have stock however they will email you when It's available to buy. I couldn't pass up the deal. Essentially I got the XL all in one plus all the other accessories for the same price as just the all in one on Amazon with no accessories.

I'm thinking these are going to come down in price over the next year or two. Starting to see generics pop up. No way I would pay that much for a ceramic pit but that's just me. I'm sure the Chinese will replicate them soon.

Have had my BGE since 2009 and have zero complaints. I got mine at dealer cost when my wife stumbled on a guy getting out of the business so we for real lucky there.

Haven't compared it to to the others mentioned but if you're putting it in an out door kitchen the feature of coming with a side table and nest at a better price seems moot to me.

I'm surprised no one has mention the cheaper Costco ceramic grill. Any thoughts on this one?

https://m.costco.com/.product.100295951.html

Whatever you purchased, consider the use of a BBQ guru temp controller. I use mine all the time on my XL BGE.

Knucklesammich said:

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Have had my BGE since 2009 and have zero complaints. I got mine at dealer cost when my wife stumbled on a guy getting out of the business so we for real lucky there.

Haven't compared it to to the others mentioned but if you're putting it in an out door kitchen the feature of coming with a side table and nest at a better price seems moot to me.

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Yes, but it also gives you an idea just what kind of premium you're paying for a name.

Heat deflector ($35)
Ash tool ($15)
Grill tool ($15)
Nest/casters ($150)
Shelves ($150)

$365 worth of stuff that most people would need and have to pay extra for. When you're already paying $1000+ for a smoker/grill, saving on some of the other stuff that you need to use it for the purpose you're buying it for goes a long way. My FIL and BIL both have BGEs, and I was 100% set on getting one as well until I began researching the KJ & Primo and putting real dollar values to them.

86Pilot said:

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I'm surprised no one has mention the cheaper Costco ceramic grill. Any thoughts on this one?

https://m.costco.com/.product.100295951.html

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likely a rebranded Vision grill. I bought one from Costco about 5 years ago. It works and with a temp controller it would be a pretty good grill. I ended up taking it back and getting an Akorn instead. I figured if you're gonna go cheap then go REALLY cheap. I'd rather save up and get a good ceramic with better warranty and accessory support.

Also if you're gonna buy the Costco ceramic, buy it store. Probably $150-$200 cheaper.

RedlineAg08 said:

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Kamado owner... I'd buy a good offset if I could go back.

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Why is this?

I have a really nice gator pit offset. It is great for smoking, but I don't grill on it. I have to tend to the fire by adding a log every hour or so (maybe this is user error?). I find that I don't use my gator pit often because I don't have 8-10 hours to stay at the house and tend the fire while cooking. I was leaning towards selling my gator pit for a kamado style sometime soon. The people I know with kamados say they can leave the grill alone overnight for smoking, or crank it up for grilling.

I don't mind tending it. The offset gives me more control. I don't like that Inhave to remove everything if I want to mess with my wood/charcoal. And I dislike that the meat cooks directly over the fire.

It's a great grill in my opinion. For smoking, I prefer a nice offset.

reddog90 said:

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RedlineAg08 said:

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Kamado owner... I'd buy a good offset if I could go back.

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Why is this?

I have a really nice gator pit offset. It is great for smoking, but I don't grill on it. I have to tend to the fire by adding a log every hour or so (maybe this is user error?). I find that I don't use my gator pit often because I don't have 8-10 hours to stay at the house and tend the fire while cooking. I was leaning towards selling my gator pit for a kamado style sometime soon. The people I know with kamados say they can leave the grill alone overnight for smoking, or crank it up for grilling.

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I also have a nice custom built offset that I love, but like you, using it takes me having to be at home the whole day to tend to it. Since I got my ceramic, I've found myself smoking a lot more often because I'm able to put it on in the morning or before I go to bed and can leave it alone for hours on end. The flexibility it gives me makes me enjoy it a lot more. Now, when I know I'll be at home for the day or am cooking for a large group, the offset is the only way to go as it holds a ton more food, and I believe the bark is much better on it than the ceramic. But hey, I guess having to choose which one to use is a nice bind to be in.

RedlineAg08 said:

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I don't mind tending it. The offset gives me more control. I don't like that Inhave to remove everything if I want to mess with my wood/charcoal. And I dislike that the meat cooks directly over the fire.

It's a great grill in my opinion. For smoking, I prefer a nice offset.

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The beauty of the ceramics is that once you load it up, you really don't have to touch it for 10-12 hours.

Milwaukees Best Light said:

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No complaints from me on my Vision grill. I have the mid size and wish I had the L or XL.

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Same here. I got lucky (I think so anyway) and bought a large Vision, complete with plate setter, pizza stone, charcoal starter and a table already built with the grill installed for $400.

I generally use it for relatively quick cooks. It doesn't heat up as fast as a propane grill, but it doesn't take all that long either. Usually get the fire going, then go inside and get food ready. By the time I have everything prepared to put on the grill, it's already hot and ready to cook on. I also try to make use of the fire and cook 3 or 4 things at a time so I have fairly quick meals ready to go during the week.

I was a long time coming on the kamdo ceramic wagon, but glad I finally got there. Good grills, no complaints. I'll probably never really do a big brisket on mine - it's just too small for that. Plus, I enjoy the process of smoking a brisket on my bigger grill.

I get it. I just like to have more control. And more area to cook more than just a brisket or a couple racks of ribs.

Again, it's a good grill, and it holds temp well for a smoker. I would go another route if I had a do-over.

I have a XL BGE. No issues. Throw a digi-q or CyberQ on that and you can literally set it and forget it...

People talk all the time about not being able to cook a large Brisket on a BGE, but I think they are overestimating the length of a brisket. (Must be a guy thing.) I have a Large, which has 18 inch diameter, and I have cooked a 16 lb brisket on it before. I had to squish it a little to get it to fit, but the brisket didn't seem to mind... Turned out great.

Of course I would like to have more room, but the large is big enough to do most normal cooks. Just wanted to throw that out there for those of you trying to decide what to get.

How durable are these, in general or specific brands, to the outdoor elements? My patio isn't covered, so apparently the weather throughout the year wreaks havoc on my gas grill (covered or uncovered doesn't seem to prolong the life).

I was kind of thinking of waiting to buy one until we move (5 or so years more) to a house that has a covered back patio. I don't want to buy one now and have the elements beat it up on my non-covered patio.

Mine sits outside. No issues. If I take a cloth to it it'll look brand new. The gaskets are what fail over time. And the ceramics inserts crack occasionally. But they're all lifetime warrantied

RedlineAg08 said:

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Mine sits outside. No issues. If I take a cloth to it it'll look brand new. The gaskets are what fail over time. And the ceramics inserts crack occasionally. But they're all lifetime warrantied

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The only thing i have replaced was my firebox... mine is outside with a BGE cover.

Looking at a large BGE vs Classic Joe, why would you not go with a joe? It comes with all those accessories and the divide and conquer system. I can't see BGE prices online, but I've heard you pay more once you piece it all together. Is this true?

The BGE is absolutely more expensive once you figure in accessories. The KJ is even cheaper if you can get it at a Costco Road Show.

I kept my offset when I got my Big Joe. 3 years went by and I never used it, so I finally got rid of it. I smoke WAY more now that I don't have to be home and tend a fire all day and night.

I put my briskets on in the evening and smoke all night. I can get my temp dialed in to 225-235 and it will stay there for hours. I have the Maverick thermometer with alarms set and most nights I don't get woken up at all.

Adding fuel mid cook was a concern of mine as well, but I'm pretty sure it would go for 30+ hours at 225 on a full load of lump. Most I've gone is 18 hours and it still had plenty left.

Bighamp03 said:

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Adding fuel mid cook was a concern of mine as well, but I'm pretty sure it would go for 30+ hours at 225 on a full load of lump. Most I've gone is 18 hours and it still had plenty left.

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I've found that it all depends on the brand of lump. I've used the KJ, BGE, and the HEB Central Market brand and could easily get 15+ hours out of a load. My wife got me some organic stuff for Christmas that I've been trying to burn through, and it's gone in like 8 hours. I'm about to the point of just chunking the rest of it and getting what works.

BGE brand is just Royal Oak in a BGE bag with a higher price tag.

WC87 said:

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BGE brand is just Royal Oak in a BGE bag with a higher price tag.

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True, but with bigger pieces.

So you guys really don't have to add fuel while smoking? That's a very foreign concept to me coming from my offset.

AggieChemist said:

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WC87 said:

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BGE brand is just Royal Oak in a BGE bag with a higher price tag.

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True, but with bigger pieces.

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This. I bought a couple of bags of RO after reading that it's the same thing on here, but the pieces were considerably smaller than the BGE, KJ, and CM brand. I may give it another shot to see if I just happened to get some bags at the bottom of the pallet.

reddog90 said:

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So you guys really don't have to add fuel while smoking? That's a very foreign concept to me coming from my offset.

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Nope. The ceramics burn pretty efficiently and a load of lump with some wood chunks can last your whole cook. I still check my temp every hour or so out of habit, but I'm also not afraid to head out somewhere for a few hours because I know the temp would be pretty constant throughout.

is the Costco circuit annual, semi-annual, quarterly? I happened to come across the tail end of the one near me but it was all sold out, essentially.

It may be true, I have no idea as I don't have a place to get BGE lump around here so can't compare sizes. I'm sure there's some around BCS if I looked hard enough, but RO and/or B&B or even Central Market stuff seems to work fine for me. I always suspected Central Market was rebadged RO as well...

schmendeler said:

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is the Costco circuit annual, semi-annual, quarterly? I happened to come across the tail end of the one near me but it was all sold out, essentially.

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Wondering this as well.

reddog90 said:

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schmendeler said:

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is the Costco circuit annual, semi-annual, quarterly? I happened to come across the tail end of the one near me but it was all sold out, essentially.

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Wondering this as well.

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They seem to come through the major metro areas like Houston or Dallas about quarterly, but they constantly change the schedule (add / remove locations or shorten a stop at certain stores) so your best bet is to just watch costco's site for updates.
https://www.costco.com/kamado-joe-schedule.html