Ranked #2 in Best Charcoal Grills
Kamado Joe Classic III 18-Inch4.8
$2,199The Kamado Joe Classic III 18-Inch is the most capable single charcoal grill you can buy: ceramic insulation that holds 225 F overnight on one fuel load, the Divide & Conquer 3-tier system, the SloRoller smoke insert, and a lifetime warranty on the shell. Gardeners' World rated it 4.8/5 and Smoked BBQ Source picks Kamado Joe over the Big Green Egg because of the included accessories. The price ($2,199) is the only real friction — buyers under $700 should look at the Char-Griller Akorn for a ceramic-style alternative, and weekend grillers without low-and-slow ambitions are better served by the Weber Original Kettle Premium 22-Inch.
Strengths
- — Thick ceramic shell maintains 225 F to 750 F range and holds heat for 18-hour overnight smokes on a single fuel load
- — 3-Tier Divide & Conquer system flexes from 250 sq in primary to 510 sq in total with half-moon stainless grates
- — SloRoller hyperbolic smoke insert designed by Harvard researchers gives even smoke distribution and steady low-and-slow
Watch-outs
- — $2,199 puts it at the top of the price band — roughly 10x the Weber Original Kettle Premium
- — 280 lb total weight means once you place it, you are not moving it without a forklift or two people
- — Steep learning curve to master ceramic temperature management; over-shooting target temp takes hours to recover
