The Best Kamado Grills You Can Buy In 2022

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"Kamado" is a Japanese word that translates to "stove" (via BBQ Guys). Thousands of years ago in Japan, egg-shaped cooking vessels with a removable domed lid were forged from clay and grew in popularity. Today, kamado grills still retain the same oval frame but have been upgraded with modern features like electric charcoal starters, wheeled carts, and trailer hitch attachments. Despite these different designs and modern improvements, all kamado grills still share one common feature: they are well-known for their high-caliber heat retention, versatility, and overall superior performance.

So, what are some of the benefits of cooking with a kamado grill? For starters, most kamado grills are made with ceramic — and even though ceramic is fragile, it still carries a wide range of advantages that offset its inherent delicacy. Some of these benefits include steady heat, moisture retention, and fuel efficiency (via BBQ Guys). Because kamado grills can hit impressively high temperatures, they can also function like an oven, which opens the door to all kinds of baked goods like fresh bread and homemade pizza. Kamado grills are also very well insulated and can also be adjusted to cook low and slow, making them a great choice for Southern barbecue dishes like pork and smoked brisket. The bottom line is that kamado grills are highly versatile tools that can produce some surprisingly delicious results.

If you're looking for a kamado grill that has it all, the Char-Griller AKORN should do the trick. With a locking lid, a foldable shelf on each side, and a thoroughly insulated design, this kamado grill clearly has a lot to offer. It's capable of hitting up to 700 F, which makes this a great grill for any recipes that require searing or baking at high temperatures. Another useful feature is the stainless steel warming rack, which provides this grill with two different cooking zones.

This kamado grill also boasts a spacious area to work, with 314 square-inches of cooking space. This model from Char-Griller also features two large locking wheels, simple heat control with top and bottom index dampers, and cast iron cooking grates. Smoked BBQ Source gave this model the thumbs-up, praising its triple-insulated walls and affordable price tag. With a nearly perfect rating after more than 3,000 reviews, it's easy to see why this kamado grill is so popular. Once you take it for a spin yourself, you'll never look back.

At the time of this writing, you can purchase the Char-Griller AKORN kamado grill on Amazon for $351.

Grilling up some delicious grub is a big part of what makes tailgating so much fun. But what kind of grill is best in this situation? We have a great model from Broil King that should fit the bill. This kamado grill has plenty of amazing features, but what really makes this model stand out is its ability to attach to a trailer hitch, making it a fantastic choice to bring along tailgating. Note: the hitch adapter is a separate piece that's available for purchase.

With its double-walled sealed body and durable construction, this kamado grill is built to last. Equipped with cast iron and aluminum dampers, a removable steel ash catcher, and excellent heat retention, this kamado grill is bound to impress all the grill masters out there. Considering it has 280 square inches of cooking space, it also has plenty of room to cook for a small group. When you add in two removable side shelves, bottle openers on the lid handle, and a removable wheeled base, there's no doubt that we have a real winner on our hands. It's received high marks on The Online Grill for features like its thermal construction and rust-resistant porcelain. All things considered, this is a great kamado grill for tailgating (and an excellent kamado grill in general).

You can buy the Broil King metallic charcoal grill on Amazon for $1,074.

For those looking for a more spacious option, the Weber summit kamado grill is an excellent choice. Equipped with an extra large 24-inch cooking grate and a porcelain-enameled finish, this kamado grill offers plenty of room to cook a big meal for a small crowd — and does it with style. It features an adjustable grate that allows you to alter the distance between your food and the fire, which adds some nice versatility to high-heat searing or low and slow cooking. Its roomy interior makes it possible for a two-zone setup with higher and lower heat settings for each side.

This grill was given a glowing review by Amazing Ribs for its practical features like its removable charcoal grate that can be adjusted to either sit down at the bottom of the grill just above the air vents or raised upwards to just a few inches below the cooking grate. At the end of the day, this high-quality kamado grill is spacious, well-designed, and comes with useful features that offer some impressive flexibility. As far as large kamado grills go, this is easily one of the nicest available. Treat yourself and take it for a spin.

You can buy the Weber summit kamado grill on Amazon for $1,249.

While it's true that ceramic has its advantages, it's also fairly fragile, so hooking yourself up with a metal kamado is a surefire way to ensure that your grill is durable. This model from Kamado Joe is made with top-notch stainless steel and also features an extra large cooking grate that has enough space for grilling up to 22 burgers at a time. That's the equivalent of eight whole chickens or five pork butts.

This kamado grill also features a special airlift hinge on its dome to make raising the lid practically effortless. It's equipped with a vertical two-tier cooking system with two separate cooking grates located at different heights to provide cooking surfaces with heat variation. That makes this grill excel at tasks like searing and keeping cooked food nice and warm until it's ready to serve. With a high-quality air vent located at the top of the dome and a durable firebox, this metal kamado grill is definitely a fantastic deal. We're sure the several hundred customers who gave this grill a perfect 5-star rating would agree.

As of October 2022, you can purchase the Kamado Joe 24-inch grill on Amazon for $1,899.

No kamado grill list would be complete with a Big Green Egg. You may have heard about the Big Green Egg, but do you know what the benefits are? Well-known today for its legion of loyal fans, the Big Green Egg is America's original ceramic grill (via Bob Vila). Its superior heat retention and durable design have won over the hearts and minds of grill masters all over the globe. This particular model is Big Green Egg's large size, which features 262 square inches of cooking space, which amounts to about 12 burgers. That should be plenty of food for most people in most situations.

Slow-smoked barbecue, seared tuna, beef jerky — the Big Green Egg can consistently deliver a wide range of tasty and popular dishes with ultimate ease. The only downside to the large model is that it weighs over 160 pounds, which can make moving it around difficult and also makes assembly a bit more time-consuming. The good news is that those minor setbacks are totally worth it.

As of October 2022, you can purchase the Big Green Egg for $999.