Testing kamado grills is an intense grilling experience. It requires playing with fire (literally) and high temperatures, albeit in a controlled, responsible manner. The most critical element to kamado performance is heat, specifically temperature control and how well the grill holds itself to one temperature. To smoke meat low and slow, that magic number is 225 F. Good smokers, kamado or otherwise, will hold this temperature for as long as 12, 15, or 20 hours. This means a temperature gauge is key, and so is the ability to control airflow through vents or dampers.
We monitor the internal temperature of the kamado grills as they go.
To capture temperature data, we place a thermocouple on each kamado grill. Essentially a sensitive temperature sensor made of a probe and connected wire, the thermocouple hangs suspended just 1 inch above the grill grate. It is connected to a datalogger and ultimately a computer that records the changes in heat level over time.
Then it's time to fire up every grill.
We try to run temperature tests on all grills at the same time. We also use the same weight and brand of lump of coal (4.4 pounds or 2 kg), often from the same bag. That goes for the firemen too (one on the grill).
A consistent heat level is key to good kamado smoker performance.
After that, we turn them on, as indicated in their manuals if available. Usually, this means letting the coals catch for 15 minutes, with the lid open, and then closing the grill. At this point, the vents remain wide open until the grill is within 50 degrees of the target temperature.
We carefully fiddle with the vents to get there. Finally, we dropped the controls and observed.
We follow the same procedure for our higher temperature test with a target of 350 F. The idea here is to simulate the heat performance needed to roast chicken and other poultry.
We smoke ribs along with other foods for anecdotal tests.
And speaking of food, we also do a lot of “anecdotal tests”. We smoke a rack of baby back ribs (225 F) in each grill. We butter chickens (aka spatchcock) and roast them as well or cook them beer can style. Sourced from the local Costco, these weigh approximately 5 pounds each. Last, we grill a set of four 8-ounce patties at high heat (600 F).
Burgers, anyone?
Want more options? Here are the other two kamado grill models we evaluated for this test group. They didn't make it into my picks, but you might want to take a look for comparison:
Watch this: CNET's Smart Home Gas Grill Testing