by Bob Henrick » Fri Aug 31, 2007 6:46 pm
Hi Maria, congratulations on even considering a Kamado. There is as much difference between the metal Weber grill, and the ceramic Kamado as there is between day, and night.
I purchased the # 7 Kamado, and could have easily have been happy with a #5. I don't know if I will ever do it, but the idea of a #1 is appealing as a 2nd grill because it can be transported and the larger ones can not.
There is no comparison in taste of foods cooked over charcoal and the same food cooked on a gas grill. The gas is pretty convenient but the flavor of the charcoal is worth the small inconvenience that it has.
The Kamado lends it's self to what ever kind of cooking one wants to do. I cook pork shoulders (Boston Butts) for 18-20 hours at 210 degrees, and I cook rib eye steaks at 650 degrees for just a few minutes. I've done pork loins, prime rib, turkey, and roasted a whole bunch of chicken. All cooked at 350 degrees indirect. The best part of cooking in a ceramic kooker is that meats come out juicy and tasty. One can smoke the meat, or not using wood if desired. One can do cold smoking of fish using temperature down to or below 150 degrees. I had several kinds of jerky this past weekend made on a Kamado, and all were better than any commercial jerky I have ever tasted.
I will PM you and tell you the rest of the story Maria, because this might be a bit much for those not interested. But one last part is what I paid for mine. When I bought there was a sale ongoing and that allowed me to get some free accessories which I will explain in PM. I got the #7, 400 pounds of special coconut charcoal, I also bought a bbq Guru, and had a concrete pad 6' by 11' poured to sit it on. my total outlay was $2000. which sounds like a lot, but it is the last charcoal grill you will ever need. Talk to you in PM.
Bob Henrick