Joe Jr

I didn’t think I could fall in love with a grill, but here we are. The Kamado Joe Jr. delivers big-league flavor in a compact, portable body. This little beast holds heat like a pro, letting you grill, smoke, or roast with ease—even in colder weather.It’s made from thick, high-quality ceramic that retains heat extremely well. I was able to hold steady temps for low-and-slow cooking, and it handled searing steaks just as easily. The cast iron grate adds that perfect char, and the included heat deflector makes it incredibly versatile.Portability is a huge plus. I’ve taken it camping and tailgating, and it travels like a champ. It's not feather-light, but totally manageable with the built-in handles.If you’re looking for big flavor from a small footprint, this is your grill. Durable, efficient, and just plain fun to use.

I've bought overly large propane grills (non-Weber) in the past thinking it was such a "good deal" when they weren't Weber grills and just too big other than for large parties. Here's the thing, if you like to smoke OR grill x2-x3 a week with minimal cleaning and the biggest draw for me was the temperature control w/ the LEAST AMOUNT OF FUEL being used, ceramic type of charcoal grilling is the way to go:1. It's better than propane.Cooking w/ charcoal gives you that char-taste that you CAN NOT get from propane unless you buy special grilling meat injector fluid that mimics that charcoal taste2. Excellent temperature control.It's a pain in the ass to do this w/ a metal small charcoal grill (which I'd still take over a propane grill, btw).3. FUEL CONSUMPTION (this is actually the #1 REASON WHY I bought this type of grill).The more you grill, the more you'll save in fuel costs over time. I have a metal weber kettle grill (18") and it uses at minimum x2-x3 times more fuel (due to the heat dissipating via the metal). The ceramic is #1 in this area in conserving your fuel and heat. Go to BJ's or Costco and BUY the LUMP CHARCOAL, NOT the BRIQUETTES (that's for the metal charcoal grills) from there .4. Convenience of cooking outside vs inside for certain foods.To me, cooking pizza (oven needs to get to 500 degrees Fahrenheit or higher, which usually takes 1/2 hr or more minimum if you use a pizza stone). IF you use a GrillBlazer Grill SV Gun (which I bought, but it's a tad expensive, so try to get something similar if you want to save time) you'll save yourself like 15-20 minutes for the coals to get hot enough if you use a grill gun vs a charcoal chimney starter (which is fine too if you don't have the $). Also, it's heats up way hotter and quicker in my opinion (if you use a grill gun) than a conventional oven in your house. PLUS you'll more than likely NOT HAVE a FALSE ALARMS from the fire alarms in your house once the temperatures get hot enough and create that smoke.5. Easy clean up.Open the bottom and use the tool they provide you to scrap the ashes out. Done within 30-60 seconds. That's it!I've bought 2 of these since I fell in love with this grill so much. I understand if you want to save money and look at cheap chinese brands here on Amazon or elsewhere, but think twice. If you're spending $100+ on something you'll think you'll be using for a long time: (1) Are you confident it behaves in the same way that a Green Egg or a Kamado Joe would? (2) if the ceramic CRACKS, will the company cover the warranty on it? It's totally up to whatever your budget allows.FYI, if choose the more expensive shipping option if you buy this, because #1, I used the Amazon Prime Free Shipping method and the grill came CRACKED on the inside and outside (it was a small crack, but it's ENOUGH to cause problems when cooking). Your grill should have NO CRACKS, contact Kamado Joe immediately and take pics with your phone and ask them if the crack is manageable or should you send it back. And god forbid it's cracked and you have to send it back, it's going to be a pain in the ass. SAVE THE GREEN SHIPPING STRAPS, DO NOT THROW THEM OUT UNTIL YOU'VE INSPECTED THE GRILL FOR CRACKS. To avoid this problem, I choose Amazon's option for "Inside Entryway" SCHEDULED SHIPPING (just pay the $10 more), it's worth it and you'll save yourself A LOT of headache. I wish I did it the 1st time. There will be 2 guys to move your grill to wherever you want it.

Best smoker there is, perfect size and affordable . Get one!

My go to grill when it’s just my wife and I eating. My Joe II is now used for bigger cooks. Functionality:

Treated myself to this...sold my kettle grill with slow n' sear. This is much more efficient. Cooking with lump is so much easier than briquetts..less ash. The learning curve for temperature control on this is not as steep as most say...just follow directions, start low temp and go high vs. high to low. This is for the hobbyist...it's fun to learn, then you're set.Spatchcocked chicken was delicious, steak was one of the top five I've ever eaten.I highly recommend Smoke It Like A Pro by Eric C. Mitchell...he covers different techniques on ceramic cookers within the recipes.I'm really glad I spent the money on this...it's really all I need.

Had this about a week now and thus far cooking on it low and slow has been a dream! Surprisingly roomy for what you’d expect. I’ve successfully completed two brisket cooks (a flat and a point separately), two full spatchcock chickens with intentions to do a vertical beercan chicken soon, and two sets of ribs (one set of baby backs and two sets of beef ribs curled around each other). Also done so snapper, shrimp, and salmon. This can easily hit 250F and hold steady for an overnight cook (done it) and with a little fire management at the start (proper coal placement, vent settings) a 200-225F can be achieved for a super low and slow cook (done this too).Super simple to set up and I was cooking in less than 20 minutes from UPS arrival to lighting my coal basket.Cannot be happier and I’ve decided to purchase a Big Joe iii.I went with the Kamado Joe over the Big Green Egg due to the reputation for innovation, reviews regarding customer service and warranty responses, the fact the Big Joe uses a fiberglass mesh seal over felt (although the Joe jr uses felt) and - a bit vain here I suppose - I like the red over the green. A few years ago I thought I’d be going after the Big Green Egg but after being in a position to actually purchase and researching it out decided on Kamado Joe.This product is Made in China.My complaints thus far:1) The grates are stainless steel (high quality stainless though) as opposed to cast iron so I purchased the upgrade. I also purchased the charcoal basket from Kick Ash and have not used the included cast iron coal grate.2) The finish appears to have some eggshell heat cracking which seems to be normal as there is no chipping or textural feel to it and I have to look very close to see it.A+

Awesome grill!

Best grill. The perfect size for a smaller space and family. Easy to clean.