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Just BBQ ! (104)


I've saved the best and most intriguing smoker choice for last. It is the Ceramic Smoker made originally in China and Japan. I think you should get one of these, if you can. Since they are not as popular as the Gas grills, Water smokers or Kettle smokers, they may soon become unavailable or at least hard to obtain locally. There are only two companies I know that sell them in the U.S. Lucky for me I bought a Primo Kamado which is manufactured in Norcross, Georgia, just 20 miles from me. (The other brand is called the Big Green Egg.) Why do I like something that seems "not" to be the "In Vogue BBQueing Tool"…? I may be different but that doesn't neccessarily make me crazy. The best answer I can give you is… Because most people are usually wrong and they just follow the crowd. They buy a BBQ grill/smoker based on price, convenience and whatever is on display at Home Depot, Walmart or Kmart. Consider the following… The Primo Kamado is the highest priced smoker I've bought, (so far), and it is also pretty darn heavy... but…..
*The first thing you're instructed to do with most other heavy metal or steel charcoal grill/smokers is to "season" them for 3 hours using 10 pounds of charcoal and a coating of vegetable oil inside the grill… much like seasoning cast iron cookware to keep it from rusting. And it is suggested to do this periodically to keep your grill/smoker from rusting away.
Not So with the ceramic smokers… just assemble and start BBQueing!
* It is the most efficient charcoal smoker there is because it is so well insulated.
* It is so efficient, it is probable one of the few charcoal grill/smokers that can obtain temperatures above 500 degrees F.
(if you ever need a small really HOT Pizza Oven, this is it)
* It can be used year-round without the cold outside temperatures slowing it's cooking time in the winter months. (This Ceramic Smoker is the solution to my Smoked Thankgiving Turkey Disaster! Years ago when I smoked a Thankgiving Turkey using a cheap water smoker, I was up all night adding charcoal every hour in the near freezing weather - The disaster was me falling asleep during the Thanksgiving Dinner!)
* It heats quickly and is ready for use in 7 -8 minutes instead of the usual 20 to 30 minutes.
* With the Primo Kamado, only three hand-fulls of charcoal will last for 6 hours! That's about 2 pounds of charcoal.. 2 pounds of charcoal in any other ceramic Grill/Smoker will only last 4 hours and in most other Grill/Smokers about 30 minutes max!
* So… you don't need to add charcoal while you're cooking.
* When you're through cooking, you can actually "stop" the charcoal from burning by closing both dampers, (one on top & one on Bottom). (With most other grills your only choice is to just wait and let the unneeded charcoal burn up into ashes.)
* This saves your unburned charcoal so you can use it again next time.
* The low thermo-conductivitity of this grill allows for the most accurate temperature control……
* oh sorry, I went and got all technic on you.... this simple means because this grill is so well insulated and only has one lower and one upper damper, it allows for easy control of temperature. (see added note below)
* Because of the egg-like shape and the insulation of the thick body of this grill and it's cover and the additional ceramic inserts inside the body, this grill is designed to cook with even heat distribution and without the need for a water pan or a rotisserie.
* Foods are tender, moist and juicy with NO shrinkage !
* It smothers grease "flare ups".
* Clean up is oh so easy - This grill uses so little charcoal you can usually cookout 5 or 6 times before you even have to empty the ashes.

*** Added Note: Did you know AIR FLOW past your meats is what makes your meats dried out and not as juicy as you would like? Hence, the sole reason for the water-pan in water smokers is to reduce this drying out of your meats. In a smoker that is not well insulated, you must keep the air-flow rather high to keep the fire going at a consistent temperature. It is also losing much of it's heat through the thin walls of the smoker.
Not So with the Primo Kamado… it works almost like a heavily sealed oven with very little air-flow needed to keep the temperature consistent. The thick ceramic walls heat up and actually cooks from all directions. And because of the thick ceramic walls, the outside of the smoker is not real hot to the touch like most other grill/smokers.

Now, am I the "Crazy One" for buying one of these big heavy pink-elephants ?

The following web sites are where fanatics like me hang out.
Ceramic Smokers seem to have cult like support, you'll see.
Check out the bulletin boards at these 2 great sites:

http://www.primogrill.com
http://biggreenegg.com