WSM > Kamado Joe > Upgrades


 

Jogan Thomas

TVWBB Member
I currently have a WSM and a MT.

Just thinking ahead to if I every upgrade, what to go for?

IS a KJ / Big Green Egg that much better than the combo I have?

Are they worth the crazy price tag?
 
I think you are pretty well set now. Not sure how much a kamado will add to your day to day. Now if you want one more toy... Actually a gas grill comes to mind now as a day to day helper.
No offense to kamado lovers. They have a place. But the size and expense doesn't help.
 
For quite some time I have been tinkering with the idea to buy my first-ever Gas Grill to add to my BBQ Charcoal Arsenal. In fact, last January I went shopping for-one at a Costa Rican Authorized Weber Dealership and walked-out with another charcoal-based Weber Performer Deluxe. Go figure??
 
I restored a Weber Genesis 1000 a few years back to add to my grill lineup. Most of the time I cook with charcoal, but occasionally I just wanna bang something out for supper, or use it as an outside oven to keep from heating up the house. It's just another tool. I mainly use my 22.5 Kettle and my WSM for almost everything.

Kamados are pretty cool, but they aren't high on my list right now as something I just need. I think if you are super concerned with efficiency on your low and slow cooks, and you just really want to cook a lot hotter on your hot and fast, then go for it. I personally don't see the need for that much ambient heat for what I cook. People think they'll sear better but really you want more radiant heat and I find a Kettle does a good job of that and the charcoal is closer to the meat. If I just had the money to blow I'd love one of those Kamado Joe Big Joe or whatever they are called. Right now I'm itching for a really nice offset smoker.
 
I’ve owned 18” & 22” wsm, many kettles, performers and other gassers.

Ultimately my patio ended up with a large 18” green egg for small weeknight cooks and 95% of my bbq. 22” wsm for the other 5%. A 26” Weber kettle. And bounce between a restored genesis gasser and q3200.

I don’t use the wsm super often, maybe 3-4 times a year, but when I need the space it’s worth every penny. The egg is a fantastic cooking device but is limited by grate size. I don’t feel as though the xl kamados cook as well as the larges.
 

 

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