The 5 Best Kamado Grills, According to Our Tests

Our Favorite

Our Top Picks had perfect or near-perfect scores from our test results, so a favorite wasn’t easy to find. But the Big Green Egg Large Ceramic Grill stood out for its responsiveness, fuel efficiency, capacity, and user-friendliness.

The Tests

We designed our tests to mimic the consumer experience, from assembling to cooking. In that process, we scored each grill on the ease of assembly, the overall design, the grill’s ease of use, its performance, and how easy it was to clean.

Assembly: We assembled each grill, timing the process and noting the clarity of instructions, any particularly time-consuming steps, and whether the task required a second person to complete. When we finished assembling each grill, we examined its overall construction, noting the thickness of the grill’s materials, the sturdiness of the components, how well the grates fit inside, the distance between the grates and the firebox, and how easy it was to move the grill.

Chicken wings: This test evaluated the grill's performance while smoking and slow cooking. Since this was each grill’s first time cooking, we timed how long it took to stabilize at 225°F after adding lit charcoal and wood chunks. We also compared the grill’s cooking temperature on its built-in analog thermometer to the digital probe we placed inside it. Then, we added 20 chicken wings and let them cook for 45 minutes, noting if we had to add more charcoal or wood along the way. After adding the wings, we timed how long the grill took to recover its 225°F temperature. Thirty minutes into the cooking process, we again checked the ambient temperature with the digital probe thermometer. We used an infrared thermometer to check for heat leaks around the grill’s lid gaskets. At 45 minutes, we checked the internal temperature of the chicken wings, giving them more time to cook if they hadn’t reached a final temperature of 165°F. We then recorded the total cooking time for each grill.

Steak: We stabilized the grill’s internal temperature between 250°F and 275° before cooking a one-pound ribeye steak using the reverse sear method. We slow-cooked the steak to an internal temperature of 100°F, noting the time it took to reach that point. Then we raised the grill temperature to 600°F (again, noting the time required) and seared the steak for one minute on each side, with the grill open. After letting the steak rest for five minutes, we noted the coloring, grill marks, and texture of the sear before slicing to observe the steak’s uniformity of doneness.

Cleaning: We used a grill brush dipped in hot water to scrub the hot grates and then let the charcoal burn out. When the charcoal was cool, we removed the ash according to the manufacturer’s instructions. We then rated the difficulty of each task and recorded the score.

Factors to Consider

Ceramic vs. Metal

Ceramic kamados are heavy and fragile but have better insulating properties and heat retention. Metal kamados are significantly stronger and lighter than ceramic, but you trade off the heat retention that ceramic provides. If you’re using your kamado in a space that requires frequent movement, say from your garage to the yard or across a balcony, or if you want to pack it for travel, metal is a better choice because of its weight and strength, minimizing your chances of cracking or breaking it. If you have space where the grill will remain stationary and can take the weight (my deck shows some signs of stress from my ceramic kamado,) ceramic may be a better choice.

Cleaning and Maintenance

Look for a kamado with the best finishes and attachments to ensure longevity. After that, cleaning is a simple matter of periodically burning off the grill, scrubbing the exterior with a mild soap or Barkeeper’s Friend, and keeping the grates clean with a grill brush or sponge.

Mobility

Consider the model's construction material if you move the grill frequently. However, also look at the base material. A lightweight metal kamado can present mobility problems if the base is heavy cast iron. Wheels are also helpful in this situation.

Features

At the very least, look for a kamado with a stand. Some regard the stand as a separate purchase. Hinges that assist with lifting the heavy lids are also strongly recommended. From there, consider your grilling style and needs for extra features. Side tables are a requirement for me, but not everyone feels that way. Some kamados are fully digital with wireless app integration and ports for multiple thermometer probes. Those may be more than you want or need, so purchase accordingly. Also, examine the hardware for hinges, latches, and handles. Ensuring it’s heavy duty increases longevity and lowers maintenance costs.

Other Kamado Grills We Tested

Strong Contenders

Char-Griller Akorn Auto-Kamado Kamado Grill ($349 Home Depot)

The Auto-Kamado is a lightweight aluminum Kamado with app connectivity to control the heat and fan. Unclear directions, however, led to assembling incorrectly at first, and some inherent design flaws, like the lid latch design and the grill’s width, presented some issues with opening the lid or moving the grill through a doorway.

Kamado Joe Joe Jr. with Cast Iron Stand ($450 Amazon)

The Joe Jr. scored perfectly when we tallied our test scores, so we had to get picky about why this didn’t make our Top Picks. The three big standouts were the lack of wheels, which made moving the grill a two-person job, a lack of rendering during the chicken wing tests, and a bit of uneven searing between the two sides of the steak in that test.

Weber Summit Kamado E6 Charcoal Grill ($1,249 at Amazon)

The Summit had some heat retention and control issues. The bottom damper is also the ash disposal mechanism, and it can easily become clogged. The top damper was loose-fitting, so every time we opened the gill, it moved, making it so we had to tweak the opening to get the grill back to the proper temperature. 

Grilla Grills Kong Ceramic Kamado Grill ($849 at Grilla Grills)

The Kong is a large-capacity, well-performing grill. We had no issues with the performance or results, but the lid was problematic. It’s quite heavy and is difficult to open one-handed. The handle was large enough for a two-handed opening, but it felt flimsy, and the combination gave an impression of potential danger to hands, fingers, and arms.

What Didn't Make the List

When testing this many products, some won’t make the list. It’s worth noting that every grill scored highly, so there weren’t any real duds in the batch, but not every grill could win. The portable Broil King Keg 5000 ($788 at Amazon) had airflow issues that made low-temperature cooking challenging because it was difficult to maintain a cool enough temperature for the test. The Char-Griller Akorn Jr. Kamado Grill ($198 at Amazon) had similar issues with reaching a temperature low enough for smoking. The Primo Ceramic Grills Ceramic Round Kamado’s ($1,192 at Amazon) seal wasn’t as tight as it could have been, which resulted in heavy fuel usage to make it through the cooking tests. Finally, the Slow ‘N Sear Deluxe Kamado Grill Gen 2 ($1,799 at SnS Grills) had confusing directions, and the grill may have fared better without this learning curve on the first run.

Our Expertise

• Greg Baker is an award-winning chef, restaurateur, and food writer with four decades of experience in the food industry. His written work appears in Food & Wine, Tasting Table, Serious Eats, and other publications. He previously tested the Konnected Joe kamado grill for Food & Wine.