Reddit reviews Char-Griller E16620 Akorn Kamado Charcoal Grill, Graphite

Trust me, buy a smoker (highly recommend this https://www.amazon.com/Char-Griller-16620-Kamado-Charcoal-Barbecue/dp/B00GJEPTJS unless you're a fancy pants who can afford the Big Green Egg) and master your craft. You will be loved by your meat eating friends.

Depending on your budget and your luck on craigslist. I have one of these:

Char-Griller 16620 Akorn Kamado Kooker Charcoal Barbecue Grill and Smoker, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GJEPTJS/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_76gBub11YV2XE

It's a great grill and smoker so you get some serious versatility. Also you may want to look for a Weber Smoky Mountain:

Weber 721001 Smokey Mountain Cooker 18-1/2-Inch Charcoal Smoker, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001I8ZTJ0/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_n9gBub1RHMPFW

You may be able to find the weber on craigslist as well. They last forever with minor upkeep, and no one ever says a bad word about them.

And finally we come to:

Pitbarrelcooker.com

You'll probably not find one of these on craigslist, but for under $300 you get a decent setup with great customer support and a good number of how-to videos on YouTube put up by the company.

Sure there are cheaper smokers out there, but you really will get what you pay for, and maintaining steady temps on a cheap (leaky) smoker will make you hate smoking.

Honestly I think your expectations are as bit off to get all that in one. If you want a grill that can do very high heat for searing and low and slow your best bet is a Big Green egg, or in your price range of 500, https://www.amazon.com/Char-Griller-16620-Kamado-Charcoal-Barbecue/dp/B00GJEPTJS

If you want the ease of propane also, then just buy a separate grill that is compact such as https://www.amazon.com/Char-Broil-Performance-2-Burner-Cabinet-Stainless/dp/B01HID4Y7Q

You can actually get both for almost your price point. Will they both last a super long time? Probably not, especially the gas grill.

Your best bet is spend a bit more and get a big green egg and you'll have it for a very long time. Price over time is much better.

I think you should consider a kamado cooker. The entry level kamado is the Akorn by Char-Griller and it can often be found on sale at big box stores--HD, Lowe's, Target, etc.

You'll use charcoal with wood chip/chunk for smoking in it. Access to the fuel source while cooking is not direct, you have to remove your grate. But that said, there is often little need to access the fuel while cooking because it is very efficient. You load it up with fuel and chip and control the burn with a top and bottom vent.

I have smoked a ~17 lbs brisket on it whole; also done 2 pork shoulders at once; another time 2 racks of spare ribs at the same time. I had to cut it up the time I did a fully pork belly.

My wife loves the pizza I cook on it and it makes the best steaks I've ever made because I can sear them at 600°F+.

It's a fantastic unit for the price and is incredibly versatile and efficient.

All of that said, I intend on building a dedicated stick burning smoker in the coming years (once we move to a house from condo). But the kamado will still have a place in my cooking tool set; it's so easy and efficient.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00GJEPTJS?pc_redir=1410350068&robot_redir=1 looks like your deal is 50% off.

Consider this. It's just like the BGE but costs around $300

http://www.amazon.com/Char-Griller-16620-Kamado-Charcoal-Barbecue/dp/B00GJEPTJS

Changed my life. Makes amazing food of many kinds: smoking, grilling,even pizza.

I got my Akorn off of Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Char-Griller-16620-Kamado-Charcoal-Barbecue/dp/B00GJEPTJS/ref=sr_1_1?s=lawn-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1499661384&sr=1-1&keywords=chargriller+akorn

Char Griller Kamado Charcoal Grill and Smoker

WTF! You lucky bastard. That's a $300 grill

I got a sort-of clone called the Kamado Kooker and I love it. You can get them for as low as $200 if you hunt for them.

The big difference is that it's an insulated, metal dome instead of being ceramic. It might not insulate exactly as well but for an 85%+ price cut, I can afford to be a teensy bit more "wasteful" of charcoal.

I also got the Party Q which allows me to set a target temperature, and the device either starves the fire of air or jets it in, so regulates the heat. It works really well, though if you want to go really low and slow you have to practice to get the coals in the right shape.

I like it more than a regular kettle, as most of the food I cook tends to be indirect grilling, and with the stone addition, the indirect surface area is huge.

Well, I hate to be that guy, but since you asked about BGE, and everyone is chipping in with Kamodo Joes (which are great), I'll throw my vote in for the Char-Griller Akorn.

I'm cooked on all 3 of these grills, and honestly, the results/ease are exactly the same. The Char-Griller can usually be picked up for $250 on sale, and is easier to move around if needed, so it's been the choice for smaller competitions our team does, when we're not hauling around the stick burner.

You can find them anywhere and honestly, there's no downside to picking one up, using it for a few months/years, and then deciding you really want one of the two "luxury" models.

IMHO, there's just not much more to be said for the different styles. Perfect heat and smoke management are available on all.

Have you bought one yet? https://amzn.to/2rJJfxT I noticed they went on sale on Amazon Im about to pull the trigger myself. This is the cheapest I've seen them go for me. Online and locally.

How is the Akorn? Tempted to get one during a Memorial Day sale.

What size is yours? I'm thinking of this one:

Char-Griller 16620 Akorn Kamado Kooker Charcoal Barbecue Grill and Smoker, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GJEPTJS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_9aocBbDRRYHKJ

You might see if she'll go for one of these (https://www.amazon.com/Char-Griller-16620-Kamado-Charcoal-Barbecue/dp/B00GJEPTJS) cheaper than a green egg and honestly 99% as good. I have one of both and I'd be fine with just the Char Griller.

A lot of people have recommended the Kamado. Another user suggested the Weber Smokey Mountain. Would you still recommend the Kamado over the Weber?

Because it's my first smoker, I don't want to spend too much. I found this off amazon and was curious what your thoughts were on it.

if you don't already own a charcoal grill, the Akorn is what you're looking for, you can find them on clearance occasionally and you will have to pick up a heat deflector of some kind for smoking. smoker + grill + coal fired pizza oven

relatively high learning curve in how to hit your target temps but they cook and hold heat as well as the ceramic kamados if you take care of them and don't let them rust out

I will go against the grain, and say to get a cheap Kamado style like this: Akorn with one caveat. You need to be able to store it out of the elements and remember to empty it of ash after a cook. For my money, between what you have listed and a Kamado style, I find the Kamado more efficient with a slightly higher learning curve (you really have to raise your temps slowly) but beyond that, it is more efficient on fuel, once you get it dialed in it holds temps better for longer, plenty of room, and a versatility the others do not.

Just a thought, at the least.

Chargriller Akorn. Its a three layer steel insulated Kamado. Very efficient on lump charcoal and can do anything a grill/smoker/kamado can do. Its much lighter than ceramic and you can rest your hand on the outside at temps above 500 degrees. Usually you can find good deals at Walmart,Lowes, etc...

http://www.amazon.com/Char-Griller-16620-Kamado-Charcoal-Barbecue/dp/B00GJEPTJS

It's the red version of this: https://www.amazon.com/Char-Griller-16620-Kamado-Charcoal-Barbecue/dp/B00GJEPTJS/

It is riveted on the inside, I can get a picture later, but am out of the house at the moment

Can you tell me more about the Akorn? http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GJEPTJS?psc=1 I'm looking at this one specifically.

For good smoke flavor, you want a smoker that actually uses some form of combustion as the heat source (which would exclude the electric one). I know there are folks that would swear by their electric smokers, I generally don't think the smokiness is intense enough.

Who are you buying the smoker for? Are they more of a set it and forget it type of person? Are they okay with constantly watching cook temperatures? Also, do you plan to do any grilling (ie. hamburgers, hotdogs, steaks, etc)?

Many of your cheaper smokers are going to be made with thin metal sheets & won't keep constant temperatures very well. I originally started out with a masterbuilt cabinet smoker with propane. If you get one of those, you can smoke good meals on it, but you'll need to watch the temperatures more often (especially if you plan to smoke in an area with anything more than a gentle breeze). You may find that you outgrow it pretty quick too. There are all kinds of tweaks you can do to it to get it to work better, but in total, they can add significant cost onto the base price of the smoker (and it might be better just to get a more expensive smoker to start with).

I'm currently using a pellet smoker (which I love) as I like setting it and letting it go without having to worry too much about how it's cooking. Smoke flavor isn't quite as strong as if you were to use wood or charcoal, but it's acceptable to my tastes.

Since you're in Canada, you might consider investing in a Kamado-type grill. I haven't used one myself, but have read that they're quite versatile and the ceramic wall construction can retain heat and cook quite well especially in colder climates. Many youtube videos seem to show that they make excellent smokers as well, and I saw some on amazon which appear to be within the price range you indicated If you go with one of the other types of smokers, really consider getting one with thicker metal construction to make sure your cooking temperatures stay more regular.

edit:
I did start out with a masterbuilt (kind of did what you did and went with an initial google search), but it really wasn't optimal for my cooking environment (I get very brisk autumns and cold snowy winters where I live) and I outgrew it really fast. Hopefully you'll get a good grill/smoker for your situation and not have to end up spending more money later. Are you buying today or tomorrow morning? Also are you planning on mostly smoking meats, or do you plan on cold smoking things like cheeses?