Kamado Joe III – Classic III & Big Joe III – Reviews, Prices, Comparisons & More

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

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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 Divide and Conquer Flexible Cooking System
• A variety of easy to use Cooking Surface inserts
• The JoeTisserie kamado rotisserie
• The DoJoe – an accessory that turns your kamado into a wood-fired pizza making machine
• The iKamand remote pit master temp control tool
• and much more

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.

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).
• You can see the full specs on the Kamado Joe III at the bottom of this page.

What sizes does the Kamado Joe III come in?

The Kamado Joe II comes in three sizes so far. They are…

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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..

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…

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.

The CeramicGrillStore has a nice comparison chart if you want to see the full spec differences of the Kamado Joe III vs the Kamado Joe II. Or you can view them in detail on Kamado Joe’s site.

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III. Kamado Joe III vs the Big Green Egg

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…

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’!

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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…

• BBQ Guys Kamado Joe III Review
• Ceramic Grill Store – Kamado Joe III Review
• KamadoGuru Forum Discussion of Kamado Joe III

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).

You can sign up to be notified from Kamado Joe when the SloRoller is available or check back with us when we have it in stock at LordoftheGrills.

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.

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V. Kamado Joe III Current Prices

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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

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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…

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