My wife and I have a nice Weber gas grill, it still works fine, but we are thinking about making the leap to a ceramic grill. The KJ knock off at Costco is $599. I know some of you will want to recommend a BGE or actual KJ, but I cannot get myself to the $1,100-$1,200 price.

If we make the leap and buy the grill at Costco, what accessories do I need / want to start with? I have read some of the old threads and it seems I need a nice temp sensor? Also a nice lighter / starter makes life easier? Give me your recommendations and help me get started.

1) Quality lump charcoal. You shouldn't use charcoal briquettes or lighter fluid in an egg.

2) Propane charcoal lighter torch or a charcoal chimney, because of the above. I use a BBQ Guru torch with the little green Weber camping propane bottles.

3) Ash scraper tool (aka ash rake). You'll need to regularly clean the accumulated ash out of the bottom compartment of the egg, usually by reaching in the air vent at the lower front of the egg with an ash tool and scraping it out into a container.

4) Plate setter and baking stone, which is only required if you want to be able to bake using indirect heat.


!*) Quality instant-read digital thermometer, like a Thermapen. You should have one of these anyway, regardless of what type of grill you have. Or even if you don't have a grill and just cook using the oven. Cooking quality meat requires cooking to a specific internal temperature, not just for a set amount of time.

A diffuser plate to cook with indirect heat.

As far as charcoal briquets, I prefer them to lump charcoal when doing long low temperature smokes for pulled pork. They seem to provide a more consistent temperature. I usually throw in a little cherry wood for flavor.

Lump charcoal is better for searing steaks and burgers. I start both charcoal types with a charcoal chimney and 1 block of paraffin charcoal starter.

thermoworks thermapen

don't get all caught up with the gadgets, temp controllers etc etc. once you learn how to regulate the temp, you'll be good for many many hours (expect about 45min to warm ceramic and stabilize, start closing vents 10deg lower than target, once its warmed up past target temp, its extremely difficult to lower)

I have a couple of the eggs.
If I were getting one today I'd get the KJoe.
Not because it cooks any better or any better built because it isn't.
It's the design of the heat deflectors that make it easier to use.
With mine it is harder to reverse sear as I have to take out the deflector to let it heat up to sear.
They do make some accessories to do this now days so you have two heat areas (indirect and direct) but the KJ was designed with from the start.
Making the cooking more versatile.

I have the Costco Joe, it work great, and it comes equipped. (Louisiana Kamado) you will need help getting it together and into the stand. It took two guys to get it into my pickup bed. I just took the box apart in the bed and assembled it from there.

The Costco Joe it's sized between the BGE Large and XL models for less than half the money of the BGE.

The stand it comes with takes some assembly and it works fine, the unit has the two flip up paddle side tables and a cover. The include the diffuser plate with the grill.



Wife bought me a BGE XL table from ACE and put mine in that, you can't put it in the large as the BGE large is smaller.



Next option is a KickAssBasket, they make them for BGE, Weber and the CostcoJoe. Link

I'd suggest a small propane tank with the electric torch for starting vs using the chimney, which works, but you'll have lots of paper debris to deal with, with the propane it's clean and easy to start.

quote:

Originally posted by snwghst:
thermoworks thermapen

Thermoworks is clearancing out their Thermapen Mk4 thermometers for $69. I highly recommend this one!

The pens are good for quick temp checks, but for longer cooks, boston butt, turkey, brisket, you really don't want to be opening and closing the lid often.

I'd add a BT or wireless temp monitor, the iGrill has multiple sensors, and is BT, connects to your phone via BT. So the big issue is range other wise they work well.

Thermoworks also offers one that monitors the grill temp and food temp, it has a remote monitor for limited distance monitoring
Link

You can add the Smoke Gateway for WiFi connectivity to your phone.

Link to Gateway

quote:

Originally posted by HRK:
The pens are good for quick temp checks, but for longer cooks, boston butt, turkey, brisket, you really don't want to be opening and closing the lid often.

We would like to try turkey and brisket down the road, so I do like the idea of this.

I find the wax fire lighting squares work fine (Menards even sells a brand of those) and don't use anything else to get my Kamado Joe going.

Someone already suggested the kickassbasket - that's very useful and worth the money.

If you leave your grill outside in the elements, get a cover for it.

I like the KJ lump charcoal. Costco used to have a sale on it once a year. I bought several years worth a while ago. No idea if they still sell it.

Absolutely the Kick Ash basket and pan .
And Thermapen ~ all mentioned before but all crucial.

I see folks buying used ones for really good prices, check facebook marketplace.I have a Primo Oval XL, that I bought from a buddy who was sponsored by Primo when he did competition BBQ.

I like that you can use a firebox divider and only need to light one side, great for reverse searing or just gilling a small amount of food.

You'll definitely want deflector plates for smoking meats and some kind of pizza stone. I wouldn't recommend the thin Pampered Chef kind of pizza stone, I hear about those not being able to withstand. I have the Primo brand pizza stone and it's always served me well. Fredstone pizza stones are popular but I hear folks get a lot of broken ones shipped to them and have to get them to replace it.

Depends how much food you need to cook, it's nice having the extender rack to expand your cooking area, they just sit on top of the existing grate.

Several things already mentioned and I'll add...a digital controller. You don't "need" one, I can hold 225 all night long with the vents but I sleep better with my Flameboss controller. It holds temp within a couple degrees and sends a text if something goes awry.

quote:

what accessories do I need?

ALL OF THEM!!!

In all seriousness:

Indirect ceramic insert

steel (not plastic or galvanized) ash bin

quality lump charcoal. I’m partial to B&B lump oak.

quality chunks (not chips) of smoking wood. Having both hickory and cherry is very flexible.

Instant read thermometer. I use Thermoworks Thermapen. Buy once cry once. 7+ years gor $70ish dollars vs 9 months out of a $21 Amazon best seller.

(optional)continuously monitoring remote temperature probe for longer smokes. I use Thermoworks Smoke but used to use a Maverick.

(optional)digital temperature controller. I have a BBQ Guru.

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Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.

Wish I had acquired these sooner. Definitely worth it.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
Absolutely the Kick Ash basket and pan .
And Thermapen ~ all mentioned before but all crucial.

Thermapen. As mentioned already the MK4 is a steal as it is being closed out for the newest fancy version. I use a Thermapen for everything.

You need a plate setter to cook with indirect heat if it doesn't have 9ne already.

You can use a standard pipe sweating torch to light the grill. I bought an electric starter but I think pipe sweating torch is much better.

Meat thermometer that you leave in during the entire smoke session. Thermoworks makes a good one.

Something to deal with raking up ashes.

I agree with all said and I will say the “ kick ash basket” on the Joe is the bomb. We LOVE ours. Stock up on the GOOD lump when you find it. Never EVER briquettes..

I have been cooking on my BGE's several times a week for 10 years. We are cooking for 2 up to 25 people. We learned a lot along the way.

I have learned to use only quality lump charcoal, with some chunks of wood thrown in for extra smoke. Scraps of pecan from my wood shop make their way to my smoker.

I learned to use a Mappgas torch to get the fire started-a tank of gas lasts more than a year and I don't have to fuss with fire starters.

We have a small shop vac that I use to vacuum out cold ashes from the bottom. A ceramic deflector is a must for long low and slow cooks. Rib racks, ceramic beer can cookers for chickens and turkeys, fish grates, and vegetable baskets are useful, and lots of grilling Pam. A Grill Grate is useful to get even temps across the surface, and it will speed up the cooking times a bit.

The most useful accessories we have are the BBQ Guru Digi-Q temperature controller, and the Smokeware chimney vent for temp control. Temperature control can be frustrating and the Digi-Q allows you to master it.

We have learned to write down time and temp and recipes every time we cook until we got exactly what we want so that we can repeat successful cooks. My reference books are Serious Barbecue by Adam Perry Lang, and the Big Green Egg cookbook.

Good luck and enjoy the journey.

The best tasting food has been with my BGE XL
Lots of good advice given here
I would add that it is so easy to overheat these grills and the temp gets too high, tough to get back down
So always start low and work your way up.
Also, get Aaron Franklin's book, lots of good helps.

Best tool I can suggest is , always cook to temperature, NOT time.
Time is a factor, but learning to cook to temperature will make you a pro.
Wanna know how you make great brisket...?

Make alot of bad brisket!