One of the great things about a kamado grill is…it’s not just a grill. It’s an accomplished smoker too! Don’t be afraid of wasting your good lumpwood, though. You can always snuff them out when you’re done very simply, just by closing the vents, then save anything that wasn’t used for another time. Big Green Egg (BGE) was always a dominant force in the kamado grilling sphere. However, things changed after 2009 when Kamado Joe (KJ) entered the market.

But they aren’t lightweight, with the Minimax being 7lbs heavier than the Joe Jr (75lbs vs 68lbs). One person can handle the weight of either grill, but we don’t recommend that. You’re dealing with fragile ceramic after all. One drop and game over.Both grills use the same vents system that you can find in any kamado — one at the top and one at the bottom. Both can hold heat and maintain consistent temperature extremely well. Therefore, we wish to see KJ upgrading the Joe Jr so other companies can come out with more accessories for it. The Junior is really a great grill. Warranty & Support You may be thinking, based on what we said earlier, that with such perfect insulation, once you’ve hit your target temperature, your job is done? Your Kamado will now hold that temperature forever and ever. Well, yes and no. The first thing which is observed in a grill is the material it’s made of. They both are made of the very same material, i.e ceramic. Thus, both the grills will be providing you with the same temperature control technology and flexible cooking system.

Don’t forget a spatula, too, for easy flipping of burgers and items that need a little more support. However, one weakness of this material is rusting. Char-griller puts a powder coating to protect the steel, but it will strip off over time. Therefore, you might have to buy a cover or store the Akorn Jr inside to protect it from the elements. Gasket If you need to open the lid, first raise it just a couple of inches to ‘burp’ your Kamado, to let more oxygen in, and let some heat escape safely. The company has some excellent and beautiful ceramic cookers. The Kamado Joe Junior is one of them. It’s a fun little grill. The Minimax, on the other hand, doesn’t come pre-assembled. Instead, you have to remove every component from the box and put them together. The assembly isn’t complicated, but will take some time. BGE does provide a helpful instructional video in case you need it. Nest/CarrierYou can grill hot and fast and barbecue low and slow on this grill. Just have to adjust the top vent together with the bottom vent accordingly to achieve whichever temperature that you want. Don’t forget to place the ceramic heat deflector below the grate if you want indirect heat. That’s not the case with double-walled steel. Once it gets hot, it stays there and takes a long time to come down. Because of that, you might want to start slowly if you’re planning to smoke foods on the Akorn Jr. Cleaning & Maintenance

This is great, except nowhere do you distinguish between a top vent and daisy wheel. A daisy wheel is a top vent isn’t it?

BIG4SPACE 150 kamado table is a high quality outdoor table designed to take most kamado type grills up to 24 in diameter. Its extra strong and durable, made to last years outside. On the MinMax, they’re screwed in instead. As a result, there is a chance that they might come undone after a while, which is not safe for the grill at all. If you know someone who’s thinking about going Kamado (not going commando; that’s a whole other issue, and we’re not touching it), make sure to hook him or her up with this article. Front panels are made of HPL (High pressure laminate) – extreme weather-resistant, easy to clean high-pressure laminate made in Austria. HPL panels are frost and heat resistant under constant temperature load -80 °C to 80 °C. HPL panels come printed on both sides. The core is flame-retardant and the surface is lightfast. Extreme weather protection consists of double-hardened acrylic polyurethane resins. Unlike solid wood, HPL is absolutely no-maintenance material. Abrasion, impacts, scratches, and extreme temperature variations – none of these will be an issue from now on. The panel surface closely resembles traditional hardwood and even feels like hardwood when you’re touching it. The two grills function the same. You adjust the temperature using the top and bottom vents. The food also comes out the same. Price-wise, the Minimax is more expensive than the Kamado Joe Jr.