Wanna cook some wood-fired wings? Trying to find the recipe for making Anthony’s Coal Fired Wings? I’ve got you covered. Today we’ll be cooking wood fired chicken wings using a combo of lump charcoal and wood chunks – I’ll show it to you all in video form on this site and give you a link to get the full recipe with detailed cooking instructions from our grilling site if you want to do this cook yourself.
As you’ll see in the vid, I’ll be making my wood fired wings in an Ooni Pro Pizza Oven, but you can use this recipe for any brick oven, kamado, or even your regular oven. Grab a beer and let’s cook wood fired chicken wings!
Wood Fired Chicken Wings
Wood Fired Wings Cooking Notes
For the full recipe that I used in the video along with detailed cooking instructions please visit my grilling site: LordoftheGrills.com
About this recipe: This recipe is a 3-step process
The marinade (6-24 hours)
Cooking the Wings (20-30 minutes)
Making the caramelized onions. (20-30 minutes cooked at same time as wings)
Actually there is a 4th step – EATING the wings!!
Again for the full recipe with detailed cooking instructions visit my grilling site: LordoftheGrills.com
The result: I felt pretty good about this cook – the process was easy, my family loved the flavor, and I believe I can repeat this cook again and again with ease.
If you try this cook, let me know how it turns out. As always, please remember, I’m just an Average Joe so if you have any tips to share, I’d love to hear them so I can learn too.
Cheers!
Did You Know?
If you enjoy reading That Helpful Dad’s articles, you may also like…
Today we’ll be cooking some wood fired chicken wings using a combo of lump charcoal and wood chunks. I’ll show you how to cook wood fired wings in an Ooni Pro Pizza Oven, but you can use this recipe for any brick oven, kamado, or even your regular oven. Grab a beer and let’s cook wood fired wings!
Wood Fired Wings in an Ooni Pro
[lwptoc]
Wood Fired Chicken Wings – The Video
Wood Fired Chicken Wings – The Recipe
You can use whatever chicken wings you like (I’m using Costco’s Party Wings in the vid) and you can cook your wood fired wings with any recipe flavor you like, but our recipe today features a flavor style of wings made popular by the restaurant Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza which is…
Rosemary Garlic Wings with Caramelized Onions
This recipe ideally uses a 3-Step Process
Marinate Wings 6-24 hours
Cook the Chicken Wings
Prepare the Caramelized Onions
I suppose the only ‘required’ step is #2 (cook the wings) and obviously if you are using a different flavor style than the Rosemary Garlic + Onions that would change Steps 1 & 2.
There are many versions of Anthony’s Coal Fired Wings online, here’s one I like best from Copykat.com and my recipe is a version of it. Thanks, @CopyKatRecipes!
Remember – these ingredients are PER POUND of wings so if you have more than 1 pound, increase the ingredients accordingly.
To make the marinade simply put all these ingredients in a small bowl and mix them up, or just toss it all in a gallon-size Ziploc bag and mix them in there.
Once the marinade is done, put your wings in the ziploc bag too, seal the bag, and then mix the wings around to get them coated with the marinade.
Once the wings are good and coated then put them in the fridge in that ziploc bag and let the marinade do it’s magic.
If you can leave the wings in for 24 hours that’s great, but if you’re in a pinch, any amount of time is better than nothing. In the recipe video I have here, I marinated my wings for 6 hours and they still came out with great flavor. Here’s what my wings looked like after I took them out of the fridge…(and BEFORE the cook)
Rosemary & Garlic Marinated Wings
Step 2: The Cook
DISCLAIMER – it should go without saying that you need to be careful when cooking on any grill and that’s true here too. PLEASE USE HAND PROTECTION. If you buy an Ooni, they’ll often throw in a pair of their Ooni Pizza Oven Gloves but there are many other good options too and even a pair of welding gloves would work great.
As I mentioned at the start, and as shown in the vid, I’m cooking my wood fired chicken wings on an Ooni Pro. I love my Ooni and I give it my full, honest endorsement that it’s an awesome addition to my outdoor kitchen.
Ooni Pro
That said, you can make this recipe in another outdoor oven like a brick oven or a kamado, or you can just do in in your regular oven too, but if you want that ‘coal-fired’ flavor try to use a wood-fired oven if you can.
After you have completed Step 1 – The Marinade, now it’s time to take the wings out of the fridge – I’d recommend you do this about 1 hour in advance of the cook. When you take them out of the fridge go ahead and throw a light coating of salt on them. If you don’t know about the amazing benefits of salt, you really need to read the book Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat (the Salt section alone will change your cooking life). For this part of the salt process, my friends and I like using Maldon Sea Salt flakes (the larger size will add a bit of crunch to the crisp on your finished wings).
For the Ooni Pro, I used a combo of lump charcoal for the base and then added wood chunks to increase the fire.
For the lump charcoal, like the Western Brand from Walmart of Kamado Joe Big Block
For the wood, I like the Weber Wood Chunks (in this case Apple & Hickory; Weber’s bag is a great price) or the Smoak Kiln Dried Cooking Wood (which is especially good for wood-fired pizza, but a bit more expensive). When you add wood, be sure to let any ‘white billowing smoke’ dissipate before you add your wings so you don’t over smoke them. Remember, this recipe is ‘wood-fired’ NOT smoked wings – if you want to cook smoked wings, a kamado or regular smoker would be better than a pizza oven, but that’s a whole different story. .
My next purchase though will be the Ooni Sizzler and Ooni Grizzler pan because the are cast iron pans that have removable handles (read: so you don’t burn your hands)!
Take the pan out after about 10 minutes and let it cool for a minute or so. Then put your wings on the pans (but not into the oven yet).
Get the oven temp up to 500-600 degrees
(On the Ooni Pro this should take about 15 minutes or so, with the main oven door ON).
If you are doing the Anthony’s Coal Fired Wings recipe, then WHILE YOU ARE GETTING OVEN UP TO TEMP, START STEP 3 – Caramelizing Onions (see Step 3 Below)
Now go ahead and put your wings into the oven
(On the Ooni Pro, keep the main oven door ON)
(On the Ooni Pro, I keep my wings near the front door and away from the main heat in the back so they will bake and not burn).
Let the wings cook on 1 side for about 10 minutes
If you have not already cracked open a beer, now is the time.
After 10 minutes take the wings out of the oven, flip them over, then put them back in for another 10 minutes or until you reach your desired temperature (165F or 75C is my goal).
(On the Ooni Pro, keep the main oven door ON)
(On the Ooni Pro, I still keep the wings near the front door)
(On the Oon Pro, you may need to add more wood to keep the temp at 500+, do so now).
After 20 minutes your wings should be at 165F/75C and crispy enough for most people. You can take them out of the oven and eat them now or if you are doing the Anthony’s Coal Fired Wings recipe add the onions you’ve had cooking (from Step 3 below).
Personally, I like my wings ‘well done’ so I put them back into the oven for another 5-10 minutes
(On the Ooni Pro, the coals & flames should be starting to die down so now I’ll move the wings to the rear of the oven so they can really crisp up without burning. I’ll also leave the main door OFF on the Ooni Pro for this step so I can monitor and make sure they are not burning.
Once you have the wings where you like from an internal temp (165F/75C) and skin crispiness standpoint, you can take them out of the oven and eat them now or if you are doing the Anthony’s Coal Fired Wings recipe add the onions you cooked from Step 3 (below)
Here’s what your wings should look like…
Wood Fired Wings 🙂
STEP 3: The Onions
This step is only for those who are doing the Anthony’s Coal Fired Wings recipe and want to add Caramelized Onions on top.
**YOU SHOULD BE DOING THIS WHILE YOUR WINGS ARE COOKING. I like to do this step while my oven is preheating.
Notes: fresh grind the pepper – I like Simply Organics or McCormick’s here)
How I made caramelized onions in the video…
While slicing the onions, heat your EVOO In a small sauté pan over medium heat.
Add onions, salt and pepper.
Cook the onions over low heat for 20-30 minutes
You’ll know their done when the onions are golden brown.
Your onions should be done (aka. “caramelized”) by the time your wings are done, and if so, you can simply add your onions over the top of your wings after you plate the wings on your serving dish.
Garnish with a little fresh parsley and you’ve got a winner!
You can see my finished wings below in “The Results” section…
Wood Fired Wings – Results
Well, let’s see how our cook came out vs the goal (Anthony’s Coal Fired Wings)…
Here’s a pic of the real deal from Anthony’s.
Anthony’s Coal Fired Chicken Wings
Here’s how my version came out…
Mike’s Wood Fired Wings
While there may be no substitute for the original from Anthony’s, I felt pretty good about this cook – the process was easy, my family loved the flavor, and I believe I can repeat this cook again and again with ease.
YOUR Ideas – Recipe Tips, What to Cook Next, etc
If you’ve tried this recipe, let me know how it turned out in the comments.
If you have an Ooni Pro or another wood fired oven and you like it, please share your tips and feedback.
Dalstrong Knives? If you’ve shopped for knives online then you’ve seen the advertising for Dalstrong on Amazon and elsewhere. Yes the ads are compelling, but are Dalstrong knives any good? In this article I’ll share a Dalstrong Knife Review in the form of my personal experience with these knives and explain why I give them a big THUMBS UP! I’ll also share a link to the Dalstrong VIP Club where you can get alerts to unadvertised special deals.
Why did I buy a Dalstrong Knife?
I’ve been in the market for some good knives for years but could never pull the trigger (mostly because the sets I had on my wishlist from WÜSTHOF, Zwilling, and Shun are so darn expensive). Because of their advertising and consistently high ratings, my friends and I have been watching the Dalstrong knives for a few years and after some additional research (and a great sale from Dalstrong), I finally decided to pull the trigger – buying the Dalstrong Knife Block Set you see in the pic along with a couple other knives noted below.
After my cooking buddies and I tried them out, we all came away with the same opinion…
Wow – Dalstrong knives are incredible – sharp, durable, high quality, and great in appearance!
Although I always tell my readers I’m just an Average Joe, I sure do feel like a chef when I’m using a Dalstrong knife!
Which Dalstrong Knives Should You Buy First?
If you’re like I was and need a full set of knives then I highly recommend the Dalstrong Knife Block Set because it pretty much has everything you need from a kitchen knife perspective. This includes:
IMPORTANT NOTE: By itself the set is a fantastic value but the fact that it also includes a set of SIX Steak Knives makes it even more valuable. If you like steak knives that have a great weight/feel in your hand, you’ll love the Dalstrong Steak Knives. Not only are they hefty but they also include granton edges for smooth slicing through any meat on your plate.
On top of that the knife block itself is a work of art and looks fantastic in your kitchen!
Believe the hype – Dalstrong Knives live up to every expectation we have of them – they are strong, sharp, and beautiful to work with. Buy one or more Dalstrong knives today and you won’t regret it.
Did You Know?
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Readers of this blog know I’m a Kamado Joe fan and we’ve talked about how awesome the Kamado Joe grill is in numerous prior articles.
Today I’m thrilled to be able to talk to you about the all new Kamado Joe III – a product which has earned the Helpful Dad Editor’s Choice Award.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the Kamado Joe III, I’ll provide you links to learn more, we’ll check latest prices, and talk about whether you should upgrade if you already have a kamado grill. Sound good? Let’s go!
Meet the Kamado Joe III
In 2019, the Kamado Joe company introduced the Kamado Joe III. Here’s Kamado Joe’s intro vid…
Although the vid only features the Classic and Big Joe models, the Kamado Joe III will eventually come in three sizes: the Classic III, the Big Joe III, and the new Pro Joe.
Here’s what they look like. You can also check latest prices…
The SloRoller Hyperbolic Smoke Chamber is a bit of a mouthful so let’s just call it the SloRoller.
OK, so what is it?
The SloRoller is “the first of its kind, the revolutionary SlōRoller leverages patented, Harvard science that transforms a Kamado Joe® into one of the world’s most optimal smokers.”
Blah, blah, blah. So what does that mean?
Kamado Joe says the benefit of the SloRoller is “by distributing smoke and heat in rolling, recirculating waves, the SlōRoller surrounds food in clouds of delicious smoke while evenly distributing heat—resulting in enhanced flavor and significantly reduced hot spots.”
I’m down for fewer hot spots and better flavor, how about you?
Kamado Joe III – Full Review
If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you know that our Kamado Joe articles have become so popular that we’ve started a new website called LordoftheGrills.com. We’ve published a full review of the Kamado Joe III and encourage you to read it. Click the following pic to read more about the Kamado Joe III, see the specs, get comparisons of the Kamado Joe III vs the Kamado Joe II, the Kamado Joe III vs the Big Green Egg, see everything that the Kamado Joe III comes with, and learn even more about the SloRoller….
What can you do with the Kamado Joe III?
There’s no better way to judge the new Kamado Joe III then to see it ‘in action.”
For that we turn to legendary Kamado Joe Chef John Setzler. John has already been busy experimenting with the Kamado Joe III – let’s see some of his latest cooks on this new grill…
That said, if you’re like me, you probably like to read reviews from multiple trusted sources. This product is still quite new so there’s not a lot of reviews out there, in addition to our full review at LordoftheGrills, here are a few we found helpful…
As I wrote about on my expert review of the Kamado Joe III on the LordoftheGrills.com site, the question of whether to upgrade to the Kamado Joe III is interesting.
If you already have a kamado like the Kamado Joe Classic II or the Big Green Egg, you might not want to upgrade because you could buy the SloRoller insert (once it goes on sale), however even Kamado Joe says that using the insert with an older kamado may not get you the full performance that the SloRoller is designed for.
Why? Because the new Kamado Joe III is actually a larger kamado. In fact, the Kamado Joe Classic III is nearly 3 inches taller than the Kamado Joe Classic II and the Kamado Joe Big Joe III is over 4 inches taller than the Kamado Joe Big Joe II.
The reason the Kamado Joe III models are different goes back to that Harvard Science – the larger chamber is designed to take full advantage of the SloRoller by providing a ‘hyperbolic smoke chamber.’ Here’s what the science looks like…
If you use your kamado to do a lot of low and slow bbq cooking, then you’ll really benefit from the Kamado Joe III being specifically designed for the SloRoller Smoke Chamber.
Because the Kamado Joe III is so revolutionary, I am recommending that if you have the funds and you want the best kamado on the market today, then you should buy the Kamado Joe III.
And when you do send me a pic of all the great food you’re cooking – no better yet invite me over for a brew and some wings!
What are YOUR thoughts?
Have you already cooked on the Kamado Joe III? Do you have plans to buy one? Or do you have a different opinion? Let me know what you think in the comments.
If you’re a believer in the health benefits of turmeric and looking for the best turmeric supplement, this article can help you. We’ll talk about what turmeric is, why turmeric is healthy, how to use turmeric for weight loss, I’ll give you 3 recipes for Turmeric Smoothies, and recommend what I think is the best turmeric supplement.
If you’re in a hurry and just want to know which product I’m recommending that’s cool too. It’s FGO’s Raw Organic Turmeric Root Powder. Here’s a link to it on Amazon…
[amazon box = “B01CRXAYKS”]
Mike, That Helpful Dad
Editor’s Note: I’m Mike, AKA “That Helpful Dad” and this website is all about providing practical solutions to real life problems. I hope you enjoy today’s wisdom – if you do be sure to visit my home page and sign up for my free weekly emails. You can also follow me on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest. I’d love to hear from you so drop me a comment and let’s chat.
What is Turmeric?
WebMD provides us with a succinct and informative defintion for what is turmeric…
In the U.S., turmeric is best known as a spice. It’s one of the main components of curry powder. In India and other parts of Asia, turmeric is used to treat many health conditions. It is believed to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and perhaps even anticancer properties.
WebMD
Why Add a Turmeric Supplement to Your Diet?
The health benefits of turmeric have been written about in detail by numerous trusted websites, including:
Big Green Egg vs Kamado Joe – which is the better kamado? It seems like this debate has been raging for years now, but in light of new product developments, maybe it’s time to wonder: is there finally a clear winner between these kamado giants? And if so, which kamado king will wear the crown?
In this article, we’ll provide a head-to-head comparison of the Big Green Egg vs the Kamado Joe across 10 categories for review as we examine build quality, innovation, owner satisfaction, average reviews, overall price to value, and more, so put your grilling apron on and let’s get cooking!
[lwptoc]
Big Green Egg vs Kamado Joe – Current Products
Before we get into the head-to-head comparison, it’s important to know what’s currently available from each kamado manufacturer since recent updates will play a role in our results. As it stands now, here are each company’s latest kamado’s.
Big Green Egg
Big Green Egg currently offers SEVEN sizes of kamados, they are: The Big Green Egg Mini, Minimax, Small, Medium, Large, XLarge, and 2XL.
Big Green Egg Kamado Lineup
You can see every version of the BGE lineup on the official “How do you like your Eggs?” webpage where you can check out full specs, cooking grill dimensions, available accessories, etc.
The takeaway here is that Big Green Egg offers a kamado for every need. Additionally, outside of the size variations, but for minor updates over the years, the BGE kamado hasn’t changed much since it’s release in 1974. It’s a quality kamado, beloved in the passionate Egghead Community, and continues to be one of the best selling kamados on the market.
Kamado Joe
Like Big Green Egg, Kamado Joe is a retailer that offers a variety of sizes in its kamado lineup. Currently on it’s third major update, the Kamado Joe III lineup is comprised of 3 versions: the Kamado Joe Classic III, Big Joe III, and Pro Joe III. There is also the Kamado Joe Junior.
Kamado Joe Pro Joe
Kamado Joe Big Joe III
Kamado Joe Classic III
Kamado Joe Junior
Additionally, prior versions of the Kamado Joe lineup (particularly the wildly popular Kamado Joe II variations are still widely being sold).
The takeaway here is that, although Kamado Joe doesn’t offer the same breath of size variations as the Big Green Egg, Kamado Joe does offer the most popular size options AND has continued to innovate the kamado technology itself over the years. We’ll see the impact of this in our head-to-head ratings below.
10 Head to Head Comparisons of Big Green Egg vs Kamado Joe
In this section we’ll compare the Big Green Egg vs Kamado Joe kamados across the spectrum of 10 categories. Our goal is to see which kamado maker will emerge as the winner of this long debate.
Conversely, Kamado Joe didn’t come onto the market until 2009 and although the brand has captured a large chuck of the kamado market since then, it doesn’t have near the history of the Big Green Egg.
Winner: Big Green Egg
2 – Build Quality
Big Green Egg Eggtoberfest
Kamados have become so popular that the marketplace is filled with all sorts of kamados – you see them everywhere now and it seems like everyone and their brother has a knockoff version to sell you.
Instead understand that the purchase of a kamado is an investment – an investment into your personal cooking enjoyment and your family’s outdoor lifestyle. Buy a quality kamado and you can expect it to last for a decade or more. Buy a crappy one and you may well have to replace it in a year or two.
BOTH the Big Green Egg and the Kamado Joe are classified in the industry as top of the line kamados for a reason – they are both well built and capable of providing superior performance over the long term.
This is not to say that the Big Green Egg and Kamado Joe haven’t had minor quality control issues in the past, they have. However both companies have continued to improve their products to fix those issues (building with better quality ceramics, improving the hinges, creating a new firebox, etc, etc). As a result, both companies have developed a reputation for high end build quality.
Winner: TIE
3 – Popularity
Given that Big Green Egg has been on the market since 1974 and the Kamado Joe brand is still only about a decade old, there’s really no comparison on this one – ARMIES of EGGHEADS cannot be denied and I wouldn’t dare to argue with them.
Consider these articles about the Big Green Egg Phenomenon…
BTW, another quirky way you can tell is by looking at the swag that people buy on Amazon – there’s a ton for Big Green Egg and not much for Kamado Joe…yet.
Winner – Big Green Egg
4 – Owner Satisfaction AND Brand Loyalty
Gee whiz, it looks like the battle of Big Green Egg vs Kamado Joe isn’t much of a contest is it? So far the BGE is running away with this. Should we just crown BGE and be done with it?
Not so fast, because here’s where things start to get interesting.
When it comes to Owner Satisfaction, both Kamado Joe and Big Green Egg claim top spots in the kamado community and owner satisfaction is very high for both brands. Whichever brand you buy you’ll probably end up being satisfied too (at least in terms of overall quality if not overall price to value, but more on that below).
HOWEVER, when it comes to brand loyalty, one thing we can clearly see in the online world is that…
LOTS of people end up switching from Big Green Egg to Kamado Joe, but not many seem to switch from Kamado Joe to Big Green Egg.
I’m guessing the very reason YOU are reading this article is because you’re trying to decide between the two brands. Even the Egghead forums are filled with this question and if you peruse through the threads you’ll see countless stories about how loyal Eggheads made the switch to Kamado Joe (here’s one example of many) and are very happy. You can also find numerous articles online from folks who’ve debated the question and ended up deciding in favor of the Kamado Joe (for example, this article, and this one).
Kamado Joe Block Party
Perhaps the best testament to this is that, in less than a decade, Kamado Joe has become a fierce rival to Big Green Egg and the phrase “Big Green Egg vs Kamado Joe” is one of the most popular search term when people shop for a kamado.
Because of all these trends, I would submit to you that Owner Satisfaction is likely a TIE between the two brands, but Brand Loyalty swings in favor of the Kamado Joe (because again, many people have switched from BGE to KJ, but you rarely hear about the switch from KJ to BGE).
Winner: Kamado Joe
5 – Innovation of the Kamado
As we discussed above in the first two categories, both Big Green Egg and Kamado Joe have spearheaded innovations in the kamado market. Ed Fisher and his Big Green Egg company are one of the big reasons why kamados have become so popular in the US and Mr. Fisher was one of the first to turn the 3,000 year old kamado concept into a commercialized product as a result of his innovative ideas. Over the years, Big Green Egg has continued to improve its product (with stronger ceramics, a patented vent door and hinge cap, updated hinges, and more). As such we would be remiss if we didn’t give the Big Green Egg its due as a leading innovator in the kamado world.
As for Kamado Joe, from the early days of the company, it sought to compete with Big Green Egg by producing at least a similar kamado cooker (thus the Kamado Joe Classic 1st Generation – which used to come in red or black). But since it’s launch in 2009, Kamado Joe hasn’t been satisfied with merely producing a similar product – instead the company has continued to innovate in order to try to create a superior kamado.
Kamado Joe Black
Kamado Joe has done more innovations of the overall kamado itself in the last 10 years than Big Green Egg has done in over 40.
Consider the following innovations just to the kamado cooker that Kamado Joe is responsible for…
Kontrol Tower Top Vent – for more precise temperature control and better rain/moisture intrusion prevention.
Multi-panel Firebox – to help prevent cracks in the interior fire box.
Counterbalanced Air Lift Hinge – a safety feature that helps prevent the heavy lid from falling and cracking a problem that used to plague Big Green Eggs.
In fact the new Kamado Joe III is such a game changer in terms of innovation of the kamado cooker that the launch of this product alone may well push the scales in favor of Kamado Joe.
You can read my full review of the new Kamado Joe III here…
Kamado Joe III Review
For all these reasons, we must conclude…
Winner: Kamado Joe
6 – Innovation of Accessories
This category too offers little competition.
Nobody can argue that Kamado Joe has produced more impactful accessory innovations than Big Green Egg.
Here are just a few GAME-CHANGER Accessories that Kamado Joe is responsible for (click any pick to learn more)…
Kamado Joe JoeTisserie
Kamado Joe Flexible Cooking System
Kamado Joe Pizza DoJoe
Kamado Joe iKamand
And we haven’t even mentioned the wide variation of cooking surfaces that Kamado Joe offers that go beyond just the standard stainless steel grates most kamados come with.
The Kamado Joe accessories are so popular that Egghead Forums are filled with articles about Big Green Egg owners retrofitting their eggs in order to use Kamado Joe accessories in their BGE’s.
So who’s the winner of the kamado accessories innovation category?
Winner: Kamado Joe
7 – Availability
The score is currently 3-2 in favor of Kamado Joe vs Big Green Egg. Is Kamado Joe gonna run away with this game now? Ah, not so fast.
One of the reasons why Big Green Egg is still so popular is that you can find the Big Green Egg in more places – from big box stores to pool supply stores to outdoor kitchen makers and scores of local shops, it seems like Big Green Egg is everywhere. In a 15 mile radius of my house in the Tampa area there are more than 10 dealers selling the Big Green Egg. For Kamado Joe there are only 3.
But the story doesn’t end with just brick and mortar stores – after all, we live in an online shopping world don’t we? And yet, but for the occassional special packages offered by BGE, normally can’t buy the Big Green Egg online.
So the bottom line here is that Big Green Egg rules the ‘shop in person’ world, while Kamado Joe rules the online world. The result then is…
Winner: TIE
8 – Summary of Respected Reviewers
If you’re read my blog before, you know I don’t claim to be something I’m not – I’m just an Average Joe like you and the purpose of this blog is to share ‘practical solutions to real life problems.’ Since most people are not made of money, if you’re considering spending a grand or more on buying a kamado, then you’ll probably want to do your research like I did and you’ll want some honest answers to the Big Green Egg vs Kamado Joe question.
I’ve written a separate article about my personal viewpoint on the debate, but one of the things I try to do on this blog is provide you with links to OTHER quality reviews and opinions. I think that’s relevant to our head-to-head debate here too. Here are some of the most popular opinion pieces on Google that talk about the Big Green Egg vs Kamado Joe question…
Both Kamado Joe and Big Green Egg are known for providing top notch customer support in the event of an issue and both feature some of the best warranties in the kamado market.
We’ve made it to the last head-to-head comparison category, perhaps the most important one of all – in the battle of Big Green Egg vs Kamado Joe which kamado offers the best price to value?
One of the ways that Kamado Joe captured so much of the kamado market from Big Green Egg is because Kamado Joe not only priced their comparable size kamados well below the price of a similar Big Green Egg, but Kamado Joe also provided a number of free accessories with its grills (including the amazing Divide and Conquer cooking system, nest, ash tool, and more).
Since then Big Green Egg prices have come down. Although if you review the forums noted above that talked about the Big Green Egg vs Kamado Joe debate, you’ll see that most people still feel that Kamado Joe offers the better overall value.
Now it should be noted that with the release of the Kamado Joe III, the prices for Kamado Joes of a similar size are now higher in some cases than a Big Green Egg, HOWEVER it’s important to see what’s included in the package.
Kamado Joe III’s come standard with the SloRoller insert, the Divide and Conquer Cooking System, Ash Basket, Ash Tools, Kontrol Tower, Heat Deflectors, and more.
If you went with a Big Green Egg of comparable size, you’d have to buy some, if not all, of these highly useful accessories after the fact (which could add as much as $500 or more to your purchase price).
When we talk in terms of Price to Value, this is the reason most people switch from the Big Green Egg to the Kamado Joe…
The fact is that Kamado Joe gives you more of what you really need in your kamado (particularly in terms of the ability to cook in a wider variety of ways out of the box without the need to retrofit anything).
Because of these factors, the winner of price to value is…
Winner: Kamado Joe
Who is the Overall Winner – Big Green Egg or Kamado Joe?
If you’re keeping score in our Big Green Egg vs Kamado Joe 10 Head-to-Head Comparisons, it ends up as 5 wins for Kamado Joe, 2 for Big Green Egg, and 3 Ties.
Now as I’ve written about before, whether you purchase a Kamado Joe or a Big Green Egg, you’ll probably be happy. Both kamado’s are superior options in the world of kamado cooking. Over the years I’ve purchased both a Big Green Egg and a Kamado Joe and I do like them both, HOWEVER last year I ended up giving my Big Green Egg away to a neighbor and now cook exclusively on my Kamado Joe.
Why did I give away my Egg?
Because I just wasn’t using it as much as my Kamado Joe.
With all the innovations that are built in to the Kamado Joe it’s just an easier to use kamado.
That counts for something in my book. I got tired of fiddling around with retrofitting the Egg to make it work like a Kamado Joe.
I just want to cook and Kamado Joe allows me to cook on a kamado grill easier than a Big Green Egg does.
And with the amazing new innovations of the Kamado Joe III, there really is no longer any debate.
The Kamado Joe is the KING OF KAMADO GRILLS.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
What about YOU?
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Kamado Joe III is here as Kamado Joe continues to innovate. Their latest revolutionary new products are the Kamado Joe Classic III and Big Joe III – the first of their kind kamados to feature a SlōRoller Hyperbolic Smoke Chamber. In this article we’ll review the Kamado Joe III, provide comparisons vs other popular kamados, check current prices, and give you links to learn more. Let’s get cooking.
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Kamado Joe III Quick Look
Official Kamado Joe Classic III Intro
I. What is the Kamado Joe III?
The Kamado Joe III is the newest line of kamados from the Kamado Joe company – one of the most popular manufacturers of kamados in the US and by far the most innovative kamado company. In addition to their kamado grills, prior innovations from Kamado Joe that have revolutionized the kamado industry include:
The Kamado Joe III builds upon this tradition of innovation with a newly redesigned kamado that has been resized to the ideal specifications necessary to maximize the value of the all revolutionary new SlōRoller Hyperbolix Smoke Chamber.
Kamado Joe says that by distributing smoke and heat in rolling, recirculating waves, the SlōRoller is able to surround your food in ‘clouds of delicious smoke’ while evenly distributing heat. The end result is enhanced flavor and significantly reduced hot spots.
FAQ’s and Harvard Science tech is great but I’m just an Average Joe like you. I care about how the Kamado Joe III works for my cooks. I’m sure you do too. So let’s take a look at the Kamado Joe III in action with KJ chef John Setzler making some SloRoller Chicken…
What else is new about the Kamado Joe III?
The major update to the Kamado Joe is the longer body and the SloRoller insert, however that’s not all that’s new in the Kamado Joe III.
You’ll still enjoy all the things you loved with the Kamado Joe II like the air-lift hinge, 3-Tier Divide and Conquer Cooking System, the Kontrol Tower top vent, the Stainless Steel cooking racks that come standard, the powder-coated aluminum side shelves, and the multi-panel firebox, however the Kamado Joe III also comes with:
A newly designed nest (in the form of a heavy-duty aluminum rolling cart with a bottom storage shelf);
a free Kamado Joe ash basket to maximize airflow around your lump charcoal (as well as the slide-out ash basket and ash tool from the KJ II).
The Kamado Joe II comes in three sizes so far. They are…
Kamado Joe Classic III
Kamado Joe Big Joe III
Kamado Joe Pro Joe III
II. What’s the Difference between the Kamado Joe III vs the Kamado Joe II?
We discussed the major differences between the Kamado Joe II vs the Kamado Joe II above, but since I know nobody really reads a full blog article nowadays and instead scans to the parts they want, let’s talk about it again. (BTW if you DID read the above then just skip ahead – wait, isn’t that the problem?!?)
So what’s the Kamado Joe III vs the Kamado Joe II – what’s the difference?
It’s simple really…
The Kamado Joe III features a longer body that is designed to house the new SloRoller Hyperbolic Chamber Smoke insert – the SloRoller for low and slow bbq cooking and promises enhanced flavor and fewer hot spots.
Here’s what the difference looks like on the Kamado Joe Classic III vs the Classic II..
Kamado Joe Classic II
Kamado Joe Classic III
How does the SloRoller work?
This screen shot from the Kamado Joe website gives us a great idea of the ‘flow’ of smoke and heat in the Kamado Joe III using the SloRoller insert. Click the pic to see a larger view…
Kamado Joe SloRoller
Besides the SloRoller insert, the Kamado Joe III also includes a more heavy-duty nest (with bottom shelf) and a free ash basket. Otherwise the Kamado Joe III is very similar to the Kamado Joe II.
In terms of the size difference, the Kamado Joe Classic III is nearly 3 inches taller than the Kamado Joe Classic II and the Kamado Joe Big Joe III is over 4 inches taller than the Kamado Joe Big Joe II.
These size differences may be important to note if you are trying to include the Kamado Joe III into a built-in kitchen or custom kamado table.
This really isn’t a fair comparison. The Kamado Joe III features far and away more innovation than the Big Green Egg. However that doesn’t mean the Big Green Egg is a bad kamado. The fact is that the Big Green Egg is still one of the best kamados on the market today – you don’t remain a market leader in the kamado industry by producing a bad product. Big Green Egg’s are an awesome kamado (in fact I own both a BGE and an KJ) and you really can’t go wrong with either one.
Here’s a side by side of the Big Green Egg Large vs the Kamado Joe Classic III…
Big Green Egg Large
Kamado Joe Classic III
Did you know?
The Big Green Egg can also be retrofitted to use many of the Kamado Joe innovations (for example you can use the Flexible Cooking System in a BGE and then use the Kamado Joe cooking inserts, you can put a JoeTisserie in your BGE or a DoeJoe, and you’ll probably be able to put the SloRoller insert in your BGE eventually too. Big Green Eggs are great and as a fellow Egghead I’m raising my beer to the BGE brand.
So should you just buy a Big Green Egg?
I’m not saying that. If you do, you’ll probably be happy. However, why not get the KJ III?
Seriously, let’s call a spade a spade, right? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that…
With all the many innovations designed by Kamado Joe specifically for use in a Kamado Joe grill, the Kamado Joe III is the perfect kamado to make the most of all these great accessories.
And if you buy into the Harvard science tech behind the redesign of the ceramic housing of the Kamado Joe III in order to take full advantage of the SloRoller smoke chamber, then you’ll be buying a Kamado Joe III yourself.
What’s the bottom line on the BGE vs KJ III?
Don’t overthink it – unless you are in love with green, get the Kamado Joe III and get cookin’!
IV. Reviews of the Kamado Joe III
You’ve pretty much already ready our review of the Kamado Joe III – we love it and are confident you will too.
That said, if you’re like me, you probably like to read reviews from multiple trusted sources. This product is still quite new so there’s not a lot of reviews out there, but here are a few we found helpful…
Here’s another helpful video from KJ’s John Setzler featuring a full walk-around and assembly of the Kamado Joe III. As a bonus he even cooks a boston butt!
Should you upgrade to the Kamado Joe III?
When considering upgrading from an old model of a great product you already love to a new model, it’s usually a tough question. For example, moving from the Kamado Joe Classic I or Big Green Egg Large to the Kamado Joe Classic II was indeed a tough call – the KJ I and BGE were already great kamados, so unless you really wanted the safety of the KJ II’s air-lift hinge or you needed a new firebox, etc, you might have had a hard time justifying the upgrade if your existing KJ I or BGE was still working well.
But in this case, I think the upgrade question is far more in play.
The Kamado Joe III ain’t your daddy’s kamado.
The SloRoller redesign really is a game changer and makes an upgrade far more justifiable if you are in the market again.
If you use your kamado to do a lot of low and slow bbq cooking, then you’ll really benefit from the Kamado Joe III being specifically designed for the SloRoller Smoke Chamber (check out that SloRoller Chicken vid again and see what I mean).
If you have the funds and you want the best kamado on the market today, then buy the Kamado Joe III. Then send me a pic of all the great food you’re cooking – no better yet invite me over for a brew and some wings.
Can you buy the SlōRoller Hyperbolic Smoke Chamber as an accessory for another Kamado Joe?
Actually you can – or you will be able to soon. Kamado Joe plans to release the SloRoller insert as an accessory you can use to retrofit your older Kamado Joe (or Big Green Egg).
The only caveat is this – Kamado Joe specifically says that when you put a SloRoller in anything other than the Kamado Joe III “it may not perform as well [because the SloRoller] insert is optimized for the shapes and sizes” of the Classic III and Big Joe III.
That could be marketing puffery or it could be true. I guess it comes down to this – if you have the money, you’ll be able to enjoy the full benefits of the SloRoller by using it inside a Kamado Joe III. If you don’t want to upgrade, then it’s nice knowing you can still buy a SloRoller for your older Kamado Joe Classic, Big Joe, or Big Green Egg.
V. Kamado Joe III Current Prices
Kamado Joe Classic III
Kamado Joe Big Joe III
Kamado Joe Pro Joe III
Kamado Joe III – It’s YOUR Call
Well, what’s YOUR verdict? Have you bought the Kamado Joe III yet or will you be buying one soon?
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Cheers!
~Pitmaster Mike
Kamado Joe Accessories
If you want recommedations for the best accessories to buy for your Kamado Joe, check out this article from That Helpful Dad…
If you’re a fan of home cooked meals that are easy to make and taste delicious, you’ll enjoy today’s tip – a recipe for healthy Chicken Breast in the Slow Cooker by our friend Clara Holtz of the TheFryerHouse.com.
Slow Cooker Chicken Breast
Editor’s Note: This article is written by Clara Holtz – a part-time guest blogger and administrator of TheFryerHouse.com. Clara and the team at TheFryerHouse.com work to provide honest and accurate articles and reviews on all things relating to Airfryers. ThatHelpfulDad.com is happy to be able to share Clara’s recipe with you today. I enjoyed reading her recipe and felt like I was transported into her kitchen as she was making this dish. Keep up the good work, Clara.
Clara Holtz
Introduction
Knock! Knock!!
Wait, don’t open that door! You could get a pie your face! 🙂 Instead let’s get straight to the kitchen so that we can get something amazing done today.
Let’s use our slow cooker and make an easy and delicious chicken breast recipe.
I love to cook my chicken breast in broth in a slow cooker. Why? Because no significant culinary skill is required and and using a slow cooker makes sure the meat is evenly cooked. As a matter of fact, I like cooking my chicken breasts in broth in my crockpot before any other thing. I often use my slow cooker to cook my butchered chicken breast meat for 4hrs-6hrs, depending on the time frame I prefer for that day.
The result of making chicken in the slow cooker? It’s awesome and my children love to eat it — that makes me happy too because I know this recipe is healthy for them.
The Setting
Gone are the days that my family and I slave over our stove to make dinner. Now, I prefer my slow cooker because it’s safer and I can multitask (that means more time with family and friends). Just set the preset on the crockpot and let it work it’s magic. What could be easier?
Letting our crockpots work their magic
You do have a crockpot, right? I’m sure you do but just in case you need a new one or you’re looking for some top-notch features, check out these picks from Amazon…
What’s great about slow cookers like this is that they’re well built, have loads of presets to make cooking easier, and can be operated intuitively. Just be sure to read the manual so you understand how to use your crockpot safely. Once you know how to operate your slow cooker, you can preset the functions, and take a break with your family and friends.
But enough about crockpots – let’s get to the recipe!
If you make this dish, I know you’ll enjoy it. You won’t believe how easy this recipe.
Are you ready? Oh yeah, let’s do this!
Preparation
First of all, we need to make sure the kitchen is sanitized including the cooking utensils (let’s keep our family safe, right?).
Next, let’s take a look at the ingredients….
Slow Cooker Chicken Breast Recipe Ingredients
3 lbs of chicken breast meat.
2-4 tablespoon of butter.
¼ quart chicken broth
2-3 pinches of salt.
½ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon of garlic
¼ grounded pepper.
Pinch of paprika
sprig of rosemary to garnish
Slow cooker.
Tip: The amounts per seasoning are a guide – if you like more bold flavors then double the amounts of onion and garlic.
Once you have these ingredients, it’s time to take our focus to this super easy preparation process.
How to Prepare Slow Cooker Chicken Breast Recipe
1-Rinse the chicken
Would you like to sear the meat before or after you cook it in the crockpot? You can do that if you prefer, but it’s not really necessary, however I do recommend that you rinse the meat first. Here’s what I do to ensure my chicken is cleaned…
Pour the meat in an empty bowl, take the bowl to the faucet, and while the water is running, pick up each of the chicken breasts and use your fingers to remove any stuck on blood or other bits you want to remove. Then pat dry.
2-Preparation & Seasoning
I properly arranged the meats in the crockpot then fill the crockpot with the seasoning ingredients. I make sure that the seasonings are mixed around and then I add the chicken broth. (As an alternative, I also sometimes steam the chicken breast with the seasoning in the slow cooker for about 30 minutes before I add the broth. Both ways are fine and I encourage you to experiment to see which you like better). Most of the time I add the seasoning, chicken, and broth all at the same time and that’s what we’re doing today.
At this point I’ll add in the butter. I think you need at least 2 Tablespoons of butter, although I prefer to use 4 tablespoons (and sometimes even more – ssshhhh!).
There is just something about butter and what it does to your cooking. Do you know what I mean?
BTW, if you use margarine, write me a comment below. I would love to see what you have to say and don’t forget to tell me how you make your dish magical.
With your ingredients added, it should look something like this.
Chicken Breasts in the Crockpot
3-Cooking in the crockpot
The aim is that never overcook the chicken breast. So put this into consideration whenever you’re setting the time for your slow cooker.
Avoid timing it for a long period of time unless you want the meat to be overly juicy because you’re looking to shred it for a particular dish. Personally I like to serve these chicken breasts whole so my family and I don’t cook it too long.
Usually I set the time to 4 hours.
Important tip: one thing I don’t do is continually opening the cover of the slow cooker. This will let all the steam escape and ruin your cooks. It’s ok to check once or twice but I’d rather wait until the time elapsed and let the slow cooker work its magic.
Once the time is reached, I then check the meat by stirring the chicken breasts so as to ensure that the flavors are evenly distributed.
4- The Final Evaluation – Does the Family like it?
As the cook, before you serve this dish, you’ll want to check that the chicken breasts are up to your preferred temperature (165F) and then taste the meat (and that lovely broth) to decide if you’ve hit the mark. You may need to add some salt to taste, drizzle on some EVOO, or perhaps add a sprig of rosemary to garnish like in my pic above.
Once you open the lid of the crockpot I’m sure your family will notice the aroma – it’s sure to steal the show!
After you’ve cooked your chicken breast to your satisfaction, scoop the meat out (with that broth!) and serve it with your favorite sides. (Might I suggest some green beans along with some air fried potato wedges?)
Conclusion
Wasn’t this recipe easy? Definitely!
Best of all, if you don’t finish all the chicken for dinner, you can store in the refrigerator – that means another meal is already done. Bonus!
Another tip: if you are storing the chicken for later, I’d recommend you separate out the broth – you can use it later for all kinds of soups and to flavor other side dishes.
Well, what are you waiting for? Go make the recipe for easy slow cooker chicken breast, then come back and and let me know what you think. I’ll be looking forward to seeing your comments.
~Clara
What’s That? You Need a Slow Cooker?
If you’re in the market for a new crockpot, check out these highly-rated picks on Amazon…
Best Kamado Grill Tables – Unless you built a custom kitchen and had a stand-alone kamado installed, I’m guessing that when you first bought your Big Green Egg, Kamado Joe, Primo, or similar kamado-style grill you probably got it ‘in the nest.’ That was fine for awhile, but now I’m guessing you’ve discovered the nest just doesn’t give you enough work space to grill like you want to. Am I right? You probably also want something that looks a bit cooler too. Are we on the same page yet? And maybe you want something that has a bottle opener so you can drink a few brews while you’re grillin’. Sound about right?
@ Posh Patios – Gotta love those waterfall additions!
OK, so maybe you don’t need the waterfalls, but you get the idea…
Why do you want a Kamado Grill Table?
A table for your kamado will give more space to cook, more space for your accessories, more space for everything!
We’re Here to Help
On this page we’re going to recommend kamado grill tables for every budget.
You don’t have to spend thousands to get a great table for your kamado – you just have to know what you want.
Here’s how we’re gonna break it down.
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All of the tables on this page are high quality items, but there is one caveat…
Be sure that you confirm that the kamado you have (ex. Big Green Egg Large or Kamado Joe Big Joe II) will actually fit the table you order. You’ll usually see this in the product description or else in the Q&A with the manufacturer. It’s not hard to verify – just take the extra 5 minutes and do it so you can buy with confidence.
I. Best Kamado Tables for < $750
Let’s face it, owning a kamado and being able to afford all the accessories you want is enough to bankrupt anybody, right? So if money is a bit tight, you might think you can’t afford a kamado table – think again. Here are some great options for really affordable prices.
In fact, our #1 most-recommended option is actually in this price range!
If you want a metal or stainless steel cart…
If money is really tight, you might consider the Titan Great Outdoors kamado table – if your kamado fits, this could be a nice option to get more space. This table is made from aluminum.
Most custom kamado grill tables are made from wood (usually cypress, pine, or cedar). Prices go way up depending on how you want to customize things, but for most people (especially if this is your first kamado table), we think the JJ George Kamado Tables are a cut above the rest. Most of the JJ George kamado tables are:
Made from red cedar wood;
Already coated with clear spar-urethane coat so they’re ready for years of outdoor use.
Come equipped with caster/wheels so you can still move them around.
Consistently highly rated on Amazon.
Made in the USA
These 5 features are sometimes hard to find on kamado tables for twice the price – yet JJ George kamado tables include them standard. Better yet, JJ George has custom kamado tables pre-cut for most major kamado brands. And some of their tables even include a free cover – that’s about a $50-100 value depending on the size of the table and one less thing you have to worry about.
Because of all these features, we believe the JJ George Kamado Tables are the best value for most people who don’t need a lot of customizations.
Here are some examples our favorite JJ George kamado tables…
Click the pic to learn about the Big Green Egg Kamado Table by JJ George
Now you can finally have a custom table for your KJ Junior!
JJ George Kamado Joe Junior Cart
II. Best Kamado Tables for $750 – $1500
In this price range we’re now talking about tables that are sometimes more costly than the kamado grill itself. That’s a problem for most people, however if you have the money, the benefit of spending a bit more is you’ll usually be able to…
Get more customization options (doors, handles, logos, inlays, etc)
Get a larger size table
Have a wider variety of woods to choose from.
Have it delivered already fully-built.
Get that bottle cap opener!
Up in this range, you may benefit from checking Etsy – you’ll find a lot of woodworkers there who are doing some cool things with kamado tables. The three big names on Etsy for kamado tables are RusticWoodWorx, Mr2WoodWorking, and McVeyMadeWoodWorx.
I’ve personally purchased from RusticWoodWorx and I can tell you they do quality work. Ask for Janet and tell them “Mike Stoppa sent you.” Here’s one of the tables they did for me…
Mike’s KJ Table
The great thing about buying on Etsy is that you can do LOTS of customization. The bad thing is that it will cost you quite a bit, it will take a bit of time, and you’ll also probably have to pay $200-500 in shipping or more. But, if you can afford it, you’ll likely love it.
Meanwhile, if you don’t need something quite as macked out as Etsy offered and/or you don’t want to wait a month to get it, then consider these options from Amazon…
If you want a Stainless Steel Table…
RMP has a couple in this category. They are as follows (with the main difference being the upper work space)…
Alternatively, if you are looking for something a bit more permanent and perhaps designing a BBQ Island, you may want a kamado sleeve. If so, the Blaze Brand kamado sleeve is a quality option.
If you’re a big spender and/or want lots of customizations and/or you just have a larger grill (read Kamado Joe Big Joe, Big Green Egg XL, Kamado Kamodo, etc) then this is the category for you.
I’m going to again refer you to Etsy because you’ll find some great work in this price range, but if you wanna buy something faster here’s one from Amazon…
Outside of that, if you’re going to spend this much money, you may want to just design an outdoor kitchen and/or island grill station. Check out our giant selection of Island Outdoor Kitchens here…
More Kamado Accessories
Well, that about wraps up this article. If there’s a custom kamado table we missed that YOU really like, let us know in the comments below.
Meanwhile, here’s a couple more articles you may enjoy…
Kamado Grill Cookbooks – this page features our Top 10 recommendations for the best cookbooks for your kamado, whether you own a Big Green Egg, Kamado Joe, Primo, or similar kamado style grill. You’ll find our picks for people who are new to the world of kamado cooking as well as other books we believe are great for more experienced users – in short there is something for everyone. So who’s hungry for some knowledge? Cookbook-style!
Best Kamado Grill Cookbooks for BEGINNERS
Cooking on your kamado grill can be a zen-like experience (or) it can be super frustrating – this usually depends on if you know what you’re doing.
The fact is that there IS a learning curve with your kamado grills and the sooner you realize this the faster you can advance through it.
These following three books are not just awesome cookbooks from a recipe standpoint but they’re actually great ‘user manuals’ that will help you learn the craft of kamado cooking faster.
If you own a BGE, you may want a Big Green Egg specific cookbook. Eric Mitchell’s Smoke it Like a Pro (above) has a BGE focus but if you may also like…
AFTER you’ve checked out the recommendations above (which also have some great recipes), if you’re looking for kamado cookbooks with LOTS of recipes, here’s a couple books to consider…
If you’re already a pro on your kamado but still looking to up your game to keep the “Best Cook in the Neighborhood” Crown then the following books are for you. To be honest, kamado cooks of ANY level will benefit from the knowledge in these books but experienced users will SOAR with the wisdom in these pages.
Yes, it’s true these three books are not ‘only’ for kamado grilling, but the techniques taught here can definitely be used on your kamado and anyone who’s applied them to their kamado cooking can attest to this. Use the tips in these books and get your kamado grilling to the next level – then you can thank me with some BBQ!
That Helpful Dad 