As barbecue culture gains momentum, kamado grills are becoming more and more popular. Ceramics are more close to some people's hearts, while others appreciate metal. If you are already planning to start your grilling career by purchasing a kamado grill - start it with confidence.
We are practical. We present reliable and verified facts born from practice.
Weight
Ceramic kamado grills are heavier, weighing as much as a tall, strong-shouldered man. For example, a 55 cm ∅ ceramic grill with a 47 cm ∅ cooking surface weighs about 90 kilograms, while a metal grill with the same cooking surface weighs slightly less - 57 kilograms.
Why? Manufacturers are guided by one principle: the more ceramic in the body of the grill, the longer the grill will retain heat, because ceramics have the following property - when not heated, it cools down, giving off the accumulated heat.
Durability
It's no news that ceramics are a more fragile material than metal. You're right - no need to exaggerate: any ceramic grill won't shatter into thousands of pieces when dropped. However, it can crack. Accidentally releasing the lid. Or when pushing the grill, tripping.
Also, ceramic kamado grills are "afraid" of large temperature changes. Ceramics should always warm up easily - if the temperature rises too quickly, the ceramics may crack.
Decomposition can also be caused by improper storage conditions of the grill. Heavy rain or cold can definitely cause the grill body or internal ceramic parts to crack.
If the crack is shallow, the grill is still usable. However, ceramic kamado grills that have suffered serious trauma, i.e. i.e. those with a deep crack across the entire width of the body will no longer be suitable for frying. In this case, you will likely need to purchase a new grill.
We're not painting everything dark: properly stored and maintained, ceramic kamado grills can last for many years, but they are significantly more complicated to use and maintain than metal grills. It already is - metal is more sustainable.
For example, Broil King KEG kamado grills are steel construction, have a stainless grill box, and a cast iron top flap. If you still did not believe in their strength, we will say one thing: Broil King KEG 5000 grills can be hung on a car hook! Of course, the fact that the strength of these grills is reflected in the price should also be appreciated.
It's hot
Both metal and ceramic kamado grills require considerable heat regulation skills. It is important to calculate the amount of coal, learn how to adjust the dampers, air flow and predict whether all the planned meals will be cooked.
Why? When the coals cool down, the ceramics cool down immediately: Kamado grills don't store as much energy as grandma's old stove. In other words, such a grill is not a grandmother's oven weighing several tons, in which bread or a kugel is baked as perfectly as possible due to the huge accumulated heat energy.
Thermal insulation properties
It can be confidently stated that metal kamado grills have significantly better thermal insulation properties than ceramic ones. The bodies of ceramic grills are monolithic, so they get so hot that you can't even touch them, while the bodies of metal grills, such as the Broil King KEG, are like thermoses, with a double metal body filled with thermal insulation. Such a construction improves thermal insulation to the outside.
Touching this type of grill will not burn you. It won't be too hot from the outside, which means that the thermal insulation properties are better than a monolithic ceramic grill - the metal Broil King KEG grill will preserve the energy stored inside for longer and better.
It is important not to forget the basic condition that applies to absolutely all light (not weighing several tons) grills: if the coal does not burn, then the food does not cook.
Economy
All charcoal grills use charcoal fuel: charcoal or wood/coconut briquettes. Ceramic kamado grills are mostly suitable for charcoal fuel and only grills with a metal charcoal basket are suitable for cooking with wood or coconut briquettes.
Metal kamado grills are completely versatile. You can burn both charcoal and wood or coconut briquettes in them without fear of the inner charcoal container breaking. In addition, for example, Broil King KEG grills are also available for fuel economy with cast iron coal case-accessory. With this charcoal tray, the Broil King KEG grill will use only 1.2 kg of briquettes for a multi-kilogram steak, whole chicken or duck, and will save the inner container of the charcoal body from unnecessary overheating, and most importantly, it will be easy to adjust the desired temperature in such a charcoal-free grill.
Practice shows that with a cast iron charcoal tray, the Broil King KEG grill maintains cooking temperatures for up to 8 hours with just 1.2 kg of coconut briquettes. It really is this one!
