Aura Kettlezone


 
B

Brock Gingery

TVWBB Super Fan
So my new grate and stones arrived last night, and I was favorably impressed getting them out of the box(second time around as Amazon broke the first one).

I was wondering if anyone else was contemplating one and would like pictures that are a little more clear about what you get than some of the stock marketing photos.

Let me know if this would be of interest to anyone.
 
Brock,
I would definitely like to see that! I don't know a lot about it. I have a couple Aura charcoal grates and am very impressed with them.
 
Jon Tofte said:
Brock,
I would definitely like to see that! I don't know a lot about it. I have a couple Aura charcoal grates and am very impressed with them.
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Ok John, I will see what I can do tomorrow once I get home if there is still enough daylight. I have a pretty good idea for showcasing what you get in a way that it will hopefully be a lot clearer. There doesn't seem to be a lot out there covering it.
 
DanHoo said:
I'm interested in seeing some cooking in action pics.
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Dan, I cannot promise that this weekend, as things have been going every which way but loose for me, but if I get the chance this upcoming week or weekend, I will put them here and tag you in the reply so hopefully you will know as soon as it happens.
 
Brock Gingery said:
Dan, I cannot promise that this weekend, as things have been going every which way but loose for me, but if I get the chance this upcoming week or weekend, I will put them here and tag you in the reply so hopefully you will know as soon as it happens.
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Whenever you can. No worries.
 
First up, a standard 22 inch grate


1.jpg

Next the Aura grates
3.jpg
Then, My Killa Grilla grate, sorry it isnt clean at the moment
6.jpg
Now comparing the Rods of all three
5.jpg
7.jpg
As you can see it is thicker than the Weber grates, but not quite as thick as the Killa Grilla.

Next, the Ring and Ceramic Plates. As you can see the plates are directional.
8.jpg10.jpg

Now pay attention to this little guy here.
11.jpg


Next, photos of them in the grill. Pay attention to the close up of the two prongs I mentioned before.
14.jpg
15.jpg
16.jpg12.jpg13.jpg
As you can see the Aura sits up another inch and a half to two inches taller than the other grates, right to the edge of the bowl. Also, with the grates out, the center ring can be used to hold a round bottom wok(Would work great with a vortex!)


Now, the searing setup
16.jpg

The Half Indirect and direct sear
18.jpg


And the Full Indirect setup
17.jpg



All in all the grates and the rack are very sturdy with little flex. The prongs on the rack keep the grate from rotating while putting the ceramic in, and the added weight did not seem to make the kettle feel "Tippy". It is very well balanced.
 
Jon Tofte said:
Brock,
I would definitely like to see that! I don't know a lot about it. I have a couple Aura charcoal grates and am very impressed with them.
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Jon, The photos are up. I will still have to work on Dan's request. Hope this gave a good approximation of what someone is looking for before trying to order online.
 
Well, the roast is resting in the wsm as I write this. It hit 203 and probed tender at 5pm. still had half the charcoal left, so considering the wind today, the kettle could have kept on rocking at 250 for about 10 to 12 hours and a less than ideal fuel source. Will get final photos when I unwrap.
 
Look forward to the cooking pictures, but the setup ones you posted show a really nice unit. I wish I hadn't invested in the parts to make a homemade version as Tom Horsman shows on his video. I think his idea will work fine and is somewhat of a money saver, but I would have been willing to pay more for something like that extra nice Aura or maybe even the plainer Napoleon diffuser.
 
Looks like this could potentially turn the kettle into a very versatile smoker. Any reason it couldn't replace a WSM18? It seams it would give you about the same amount of room. Could even add a level if you wanted more space, but truthfully I have never filled both levels on my 18 up.
 
Joe Anshien said:
Looks like this could potentially turn the kettle into a very versatile smoker. Any reason it couldn't replace a WSM18? It seams it would give you about the same amount of room. Could even add a level if you wanted more space, but truthfully I have never filled both levels on my 18 up.
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Joe,
My Aura KZCS has left my WSM 14 feeling neglected. It is just so easy to use, has tons of space, is super sable with temps, allows me to use tons of smoke wood, is easy to clean up, easy to work with, and turns out really good bbq. I am making myself break out the WSM this weekend, because it has not been used since the fall because I have been doing all my low and slow with the Aura KZCS. I really want to do a pork shoulder cook off between the kettle with the Aura KZCS and the WSM 14, using the same injection, rub, cooking steps, charcoal, and wood to really compare the results, but I haven't ever needed to make two shoulders at once. I think this spring I am going to have to do it and take both shoulders to a soccer game and feed my team of teenagers with them. Am I thinking of getting rid of my WSM 14? NO!!!!!, but if you told me I had to downsize from the four Webers I current have to only having one unit, a kettle with all my accessories (Aura KZCS, Vortex, SnS, and Roti) would be the way I went.
 
Michael Richards said:
Joe,
My Aura KZCS has left my WSM 14 feeling neglected. It is just so easy to use, has tons of space, is super sable with temps, allows me to use tons of smoke wood, is easy to clean up, easy to work with, and turns out really good bbq. I am making myself break out the WSM this weekend, because it has not been used since the fall because I have been doing all my low and slow with the Aura KZCS. I really want to do a pork shoulder cook off between the kettle with the Aura KZCS and the WSM 14, using the same injection, rub, cooking steps, charcoal, and wood to really compare the results, but I haven't ever needed to make two shoulders at once. I think this spring I am going to have to do it and take both shoulders to a soccer game and feed my team of teenagers with them. Am I thinking of getting rid of my WSM 14? NO!!!!!, but if you told me I had to downsize from the four Webers I current have to only having one unit, a kettle with all my accessories (Aura KZCS, Vortex, SnS, and Roti) would be the way I went.
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Thanks. I would be really interested in your cook off. You may even want to film it for YouTube as I searched and could not find one. I also think you could fit 2 shoulders on the Aura. I am always looking to have less stuff to clean, take care of, and leave for my loved ones to have to get rid off down the road;-)
 
Joe Anshien said:
Thanks. I would be really interested in your cook off. You may even want to film it for YouTube as I searched and could not find one. I also think you could fit 2 shoulders on the Aura. I am always looking to have less stuff to clean, take care of, and leave for my loved ones to have to get rid off down the road;-)
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You could easily fit two pork shoulders on the 22 kettle with the Aura. I love doing ribs on it, as I have to cut them in half when I use my WSM 14.
IMG_20210828_155351279.jpg

IMG_20211023_115036360.jpg

When I pulled that pork shoulder off I popped the grates off, scrapped the ceramic plates, put the grates back, re-stabilized the temps and cooked the chicken.
IMG_20211023_143028783.jpg
 
Jon Tofte said:
Look forward to the cooking pictures, but the setup ones you posted show a really nice unit. I wish I hadn't invested in the parts to make a homemade version as Tom Horsman shows on his video. I think his idea will work fine and is somewhat of a money saver, but I would have been willing to pay more for something like that extra nice Aura or maybe even the plainer Napoleon diffuser.
Click to expand...
That's why I wanted to show it. It really hasn't been shown very much in detail in most cases. In the time it has been on the market it gets mentioned in a few videos, but not showcased and explained, or there are two videos that do but they are short and a bit more hit or miss.

Sorry for the delay in photos, I am fighting with my &#%@<#*!#¿ tablet trying to get the cook pictures off onto the computer. Not going well..
 
Joe Anshien said:
Looks like this could potentially turn the kettle into a very versatile smoker. Any reason it couldn't replace a WSM18? It seams it would give you about the same amount of room. Could even add a level if you wanted more space, but truthfully I have never filled both levels on my 18 up.
Click to expand...
If you got a stacker ring for the kettle, it could. Outside of that there is limited space under the kettle lid. For that reason the 18" WSM will probably always get the nod as a dedicated smoker just for volume and the benefit of a water pan. It will cook longer, but the aura with a gasket seal for the lid will get you into the same ballpark with a little less food capacity. The chuck roast came off awesome.

Of the reviews from folks at work, I had very picky BBQ "snobs" saying it was great(it takes a lot to get them to say it's more than ok). Someone else said it was better than what they get at one of the local BBQ restaurants. Another said I should open my own. Finally, it may have convinced another to get into it as it made him want to look at going out and getting a smoker.

When you see the pictures though, I didn't do anything extravagant. It was all off the shelf stuff and easily accessible by anyone. That's the beauty of a kettle setup like this. It works, hands down and you have a very versatile grill. Not everyone has the money for expensive setups or multiple cookers. Having a single grill at a moderate cost that can do many things is in many occasions the right fit.

I will try to have the photos up as soon as I can.
 
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