Spotted this in local Morrisons for £250, I’m sceptical as it’s a steel not a ceramic one, any thoughts?
I have seen them in garden centres……i would think they will work well…….but they will eventually corrode? But the price is good versus the size of a traditional ceramic. Difficult one.
1 Like
If you buy it and we have a really wet summer in the UK, you do realise that many the UK members of the forum will hold you responsible for the rain 
Of course, a benefit would be that no BBQs due to rain means more time for sitting indoors listening to music, so some might thank you for forcing them to stay indoors.
1 Like
Next door have managd to pick up a ceramic Kamado from Lidl or Aldi for £350 or so, I 'm sure that would be better but undoubtedly sold out.
To be honest buying a Big Green Egg or Kamado Joe is not out of the question, but the big ceramic Kamados are bloody heavy! Almost tempted to give the steel one a shot.
1 Like
Another thought is the comments that they are selling on the bay for considerably more than £250 - why, unless there are supply issues and our store just doesn’t have customers that want one?
I bought a ceramic Kamado about two years ago.
The only thing it does that my Weber doesn’t is get very very hot. Hot enough to do a good pizza in a couple of minutes.
For general barbecue use I prefer the Weber by a long way… but I’ve had a Weber grill for the last 25 or so years so maybe it’s just me being resistant to change…
2 Likes
I’ve had several Weber BBQs, the 2 gas ones have been fantastic, the kettle Weber I got maybe 10 years ago was badly manufactured and whenever you remove the lid you get plumes of dust going onto the food, nothing like older ones I remember, and it also has an insecure leg that frequently fails!
What I’d like from a Kamaodo is better control of burn time, and longer slower cooking. I suspect a steel one would do this too. I just don;t want to look like a cheapskate!
1 Like
I think I’d hang on for the ceramic Kamado, since, as mentioned above by Stephen, they do reach the much higher temperatures needed for a pizza.
Aldi had the medium size one available online, and both they and Lidl are sure to be doing the mini versions again this summer.
Otherwise, the mini, made by Gardenline, is widely available online, just costs about double the price of the same product from Aldi and Lidl.
1 Like
Keeping things simple, the whole idea of these egg bbqs is the thick walled heat insulation, the perfectly sealed lid and the finely adjustable air circulation for the heat/smoke level. If you’re interested in a totally different way of cooking food outside, which is the egg philosophy, then the thin walled steel version is a gimmicky copy and can’t work.
I speak from experience and love this way of cooking.
1 Like
I’ve had a green egg ceramic since 2006, moved it across North America, zero regrets
1 Like
This time next year it will be all rusty.
Probably those newish double layer steel alternatives can do everything as well as an orignal ceramic one, in terms of keeping a stable temperature, even in winter (classic Weber kettle won’t). not sure if all of them seal as well (lid is much lighter after all), I somehow suspect them to burn a little more coal on low & slow than a classic one, like my KJ junior which was easily hoisted up 5 stairs to a roof terrace. A full size would have been murder to carry up that high.
3 Likes
To be honest for £250 I may give one a shot - I’m useless at putting covers on BBQs , maybe the ceramic ones withstand the elements better, but I really don’t want to give myself a hernia trying to move a big ceramic one probably as heavy as my old dead Miele washing machine which is too heavy for me to move!
Do I even really need one?
2 pieces of Waitrose organic lamb leg on the tiny Lidl Kamado I got a few years ago:
Hasn’t seen much T&C other than an upturned bucket over it for a year!
Pretty amazing really.
I just think a bigger one would give more options and better temperature control.
2 Likes
Nah, the wee Lidl is just the ticket.
I don’t even have any real need for a larger version either, as while we’re all munching nicely away, it keeps itself going at temperature until it’s time for the next juicy morsels to go on.
The wee Lidl rules!
2 Likes
We love our Lidl Kamado……£79.99 at the time, just the two of us, so it is fine.
2 Likes
Apparently there are double lined steel ones now that act more like ceramic but I have my doubts (hence reticence buying teh Morrisons one).
Funnily enough I think cheap as chips BBQs/Hibachi type are very good value and work well, just need more user input to control the cooking.
My gas Webers have been excellent value but lack the taste.
Large ceramic Kamado is a must to be honest but the tiny cheap one punches above its weight, plus I have another unopened one somewhere.
I’ve never really got on that well with non-kettle charcoal barbecues, far too prone to fires (IME) and not really easy to eat whilst cooking on them- need close to full time attention. I’m not a fan of gas barbecues on the basis of a lack of taste; charcoal does seem to add something.
I’ve currently got a large weber charcoal kettle barbecue, a weber hot smoker and a Kamado type ceramic. The Weber kettle gets used a lot in the summer; the hot smoker gets used at Christmas to smoke a couple of turkey breasts (using fallen, dead, oak from an old tree). The Kamado really only gets used for pizzas and not that often in all honesty; not sure why.
1 Like
