Saying Hi from Lake Ozark, MO!


 
D

DavenMonica

New member
Hello everyone-- thank you for the add! I'm on my third Weber gas grill-- Genesis II. I recently added a 22" WSM. Love it! I'm seriously considering selling it and getting a Summit Kamado-- I want the searing and smoking and everything. My hubby wants a Primo/Kamado Joe (he is getting jealous because I am doing all the cooking on it, I think). Let's hear what everyone thinks! I don't have space for all three, don't want to give up my gasser for the quick cooks! Can't wait to dig in more to this forum!

Thanks!

Monica
 
Welcome Monica!!

Over the years, I've had two ceramic kamados (a 14" Visions, and an 18" BGE), and two metal kamados (an 18" Broil King Keg and my current one being the Summit - 24").

My key experiences...

1) After having a 24" grilling surface to use, I would never go back to an 18". So many more options for cooking open up. I usually only cook for 2 people as well, but when party time comes...24" is it! If you ever plan on smoking larger volumes of food - two briskets, 4-8 racks of ribs, 4 pork butts, etc....the 18" will make you unhappy. If you want to grill 7-10 steaks, 20 burgers etc....18" will make you unhappy...etc. etc.

2) So, assuming point 1) is valid for you, then I went to $$$. If money was no object at all, it would be a tough choice between the Kamado Joe Big Joe III, and the Summit as both take care of the 24 vs 18 thing. But the problem is, the Kamado Joe is lot more $$. So, you have to price them out yourself and make a decision based on that too.

3) Fuel. You can use both briquettes and lump charcoal on the Summit...it happily burns both. The ceramics seem to prefer the lump charcoal and not work with briquettes properly. Not that big a deal IMO, but briquettes are cheaper, and burn nice and even etc. I personally use both (depending on what I am doing), and even mix them together.

4) Horizontal Grilling. The Summit, with both the lower and upper charcoal grates, can hybrid grill as a kettle and you can spread out coals on the top grate to get a very large grilling area and grill an absolute ton of hamburgers, steaks etc... Ceramic kamado design is more vertical and hard to do this on. All the heat tends to be center focused and food on the edges do not sear...so you are moving things around to cook evenly.

4) Weight. Do you need to move it around much? If so, you are going to have a bad day with the ceramic.

5) Temp control. The Summit is better at varying temperature - both up AND down. Ceramic grills are tough to lower the temps on once you hit them. If I had to pick a stability champion, I would say the ceramic is better than the Summit because of the greater mass, but not by much,

To me, those are the biggies....I would be happy with either from a cooking standpoint....I was NOT happy with the price of the KJ. I absolutely LOVE my summit. Cook on it so often here....
 
Last edited:
Welcome to the forum Monica, glad you joined us.
Grant has some very good points about Kamado grills. I bought a Kamado Joe Classic II only because it was clearance at 50% off. Then sold a Char Griller Akorn and my WSM 18 to make room. The KJ has turned out to be a fantastic cooker for both grilling and smoking. That being said, if it were not for the great deal I got on the KJ, I would have purchased the Weber Summit Kamado/E6. As much as I loved the WSM, the Akorn Kamado was just so much more versatile. It taught me a lot on the cheap. It taught me that I wanted a Kamado with better build quality and the Weber certainly has that.
 
Hi Monica, Welcome !

I'd absolutely trade the WSM 22 for a Summit Kamado. Oh, wait. I did that. This spring I sold my WSM 22 and a pit boss Pellet Smoker/Grill and picked up the WSK E6.

It is a very versatile grill and smoker. I still have my large BGE and I cook on both the E6 and the BGE, but if I were in the market, hands down I'd buy the Summit Kamado.

It really is a one grill to do it all.
 
GrantT said:
Welcome Monica!!

Over the years, I've had two ceramic kamados (a 14" Visions, and an 18" BGE), and two metal kamados (an 18" Broil King Keg and my current one being the Summit - 24").

My key experiences...

1) After having a 24" grilling surface to use, I would never go back to an 18". So many more options for cooking open up. I usually only cook for 2 people as well, but when party time comes...24" is it! If you ever plan on smoking larger volumes of food - two briskets, 4-8 racks of ribs, 4 pork butts, etc....the 18" will make you unhappy. If you want to grill 7-10 steaks, 20 burgers etc....18" will make you unhappy...etc. etc.

2) So, assuming point 1) is valid for you, then I went to $$$. If money was no object at all, it would be a tough choice between the Kamado Joe Big Joe III, and the Summit as both take care of the 24 vs 18 thing. But the problem is, the Kamado Joe is lot more $$. So, you have to price them out yourself and make a decision based on that too.

3) Fuel. You can use both briquettes and lump charcoal on the Summit...it happily burns both. The ceramics seem to prefer the lump charcoal and not work with briquettes properly. Not that big a deal IMO, but briquettes are cheaper, and burn nice and even etc. I personally use both (depending on what I am doing), and even mix them together.

4) Horizontal Grilling. The Summit, with both the lower and upper charcoal grates, can hybrid grill as a kettle and you can spread out coals on the top grate to get a very large grilling area and grill an absolute ton of hamburgers, steaks etc... Ceramic kamado design is more vertical and hard to do this on. All the heat tends to be center focused and food on the edges do not sear...so you are moving things around to cook evenly.

4) Weight. Do you need to move it around much? If so, you are going to have a bad day with the ceramic.

5) Temp control. The Summit is better at varying temperature - both up AND down. Ceramic grills are tough to lower the temps on once you hit them. If I had to pick a stability champion, I would say the ceramic is better than the Summit because of the greater mass, but not by much,

To me, those are the biggies....I would be happy with either from a cooking standpoint....I was NOT happy with the price of the KJ. I absolutely LOVE my summit. Cook on it so often here....
Click to expand...
Thank you! You hit on basically all the reasons I keep going back to the Summit! Especially they hybrid grilling. And the weight- that is a biggie for me. Don't plan on moving it around however when you need to..... Do you have any experience in winter temps? I wonder a bit about that but that is my last worry and I'll pull the trigger on it!
 
Colin said:
Welcome to the forum Monica, glad you joined us.
Grant has some very good points about Kamado grills. I bought a Kamado Joe Classic II only because it was clearance at 50% off. Then sold a Char Griller Akorn and my WSM 18 to make room. The KJ has turned out to be a fantastic cooker for both grilling and smoking. That being said, if it were not for the great deal I got on the KJ, I would have purchased the Weber Summit Kamado/E6. As much as I loved the WSM, the Akorn Kamado was just so much more versatile. It taught me a lot on the cheap. It taught me that I wanted a Kamado with better build quality and the Weber certainly has that.
Click to expand...
Thank you! It seems everyone is making this decision a lot easier for me!
 
DanHoo said:
Hi Monica, Welcome !

I'd absolutely trade the WSM 22 for a Summit Kamado. Oh, wait. I did that. This spring I sold my WSM 22 and a pit boss Pellet Smoker/Grill and picked up the WSK E6.

It is a very versatile grill and smoker. I still have my large BGE and I cook on both the E6 and the BGE, but if I were in the market, hands down I'd buy the Summit Kamado.

It really is a one grill to do it all.
Click to expand...
Okay.... all of you say go for it, I guess I will now! Do you have any experience with it in winter temps? Not talking Alaska here.. in MO-- not going nuts, I like casseroles and stews as well on those kind of days. However, 20's-40's I grill. Just wondering if anyone has smoked in it in these temps.
 
DavenMonica said:
Do you have any experience in winter temps? I wonder a bit about that but that is my last worry and I'll pull the trigger on it!
Click to expand...

Haha...I live in Edmonton. Winter is serious part of life here...I cook pretty regularly down to about -20C (-5F), if is is not too windy. The colder it gets, the longer it takes to heat the grill and the more fuel it burns...but it goes!! Have still done long cooks on single load of charcoal, but it does cut down the fuel burn time a bit. If I know I'll be cooking in advance, I'll actually bring the grates into the house to warm up .I actually find it helps a lot to heat faster not having all the mass to bring up to temp.

At the temperatures you mentioned above...it won't even care....a little longer to heat and a little more fuel...but it will handle it easily.
 
I can't say with any firsthand experience as I've only had my E6 since April, and my winters are not all that cold.

I cook year round and my large BGE does fine even when its 40 degrees and blowing rain. I would expect the E6 to be similar and worst case it might burn a little more lump when its cold and windy.
 
So I bought it thanks to all your recommendations. Hubby is out of town to assist in pick up (his truck). Will come home on Thursday and I have NY Strips calling my name.... tell the newbie what do you like to cook them on and temps. Please. About to start the deep dive into recipes and cooking....
 
Monica, congrats on your new addition.

I like lump charcoal. Jealous Devil, Lazzarri Mesquite. For steaks, Oak with some cherry wood would be my go-to.

Lots of ways to cook NY strips. I'm sure you'll get a number of suggestions.

I like to cover it with kosher salt, on a rack overnight in the refrigerator until the salt evaporates into the steak.

I've done reverse sear, and also direct sear over fire and then move to indirect.
 
My personal favorite for quick sear cooks like steaks, chops etc, is to raise the charcoal to the upper level so the coals will be right below the cooking grate - Weber instruction manual calls it their direct method. But, I'll put the coals off to one side, or use one of the baskets so I get a hot/direct searing searing zone, and then other side is indirect.

You can put some foil down on the side of the grill without the charcoal to help all the air flow into the coals and not up on the "cool" side.

Start the steaks over the coals to get some searing and color on both sides, then move them over to the "cool" side to finish up the cooking....pull when 135ish (mid-rare ?) internal temperature and let them rest a good 5 minutes. Of course you may prefer more or less rare,

Dome thermometer usually reads steady about 450 when I do this method...


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Monica, welcome to the forum. I look forward
to seeing some of the great things you make on
that WSK.
I have not been down your way for over 25 years,
but we will be down there in a couple of weeks at
the Four Seasons. I am hoping for good weather,
and imagine I will be shocked at all the changes
and development that has taken place since I was
there last.
 
Dave in KC said:
Monica, welcome to the forum. I look forward
to seeing some of the great things you make on
that WSK.
I have not been down your way for over 25 years,
but we will be down there in a couple of weeks at
the Four Seasons. I am hoping for good weather,
and imagine I will be shocked at all the changes
and development that has taken place since I was
there last.
Click to expand...
Are you staying at The Lodge? I'm in the Four Seasons, moved here last year and LOVE IT-- I'm sure you will be surprised at the growth- for me it's about perfect. We were here last year at this time house hunting and the weather was wonderful. We had a hot as he$$ summer, but the weather is gorgeous now!
 
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