What size kamado joe do I need?
Ensuring tenderness and moisture of your meat at any temperature, incredible smoke locking technology, topcellent 304 stainless steel structure, and above all, ease of use — these are the key considerations of choosing a kamado joe. But, what size kamado joe do I need?
Yes, size is another important thing to think about before purchasing your KJ. Many passionate barbecue lovers don’t mind having all the KJ models in their backyard fireplace. However, if you like to have only one kamado grill, then there’s no better option than the big size big joe.
Enough room for a large batch of cooking and consuming minimal fuel — these two features are enough to make your buying decision for big joe. Anyway, to make an informed decision, you’ve to know your space limitation and cooking capacity of your desired KJ. So, let’s get to the point.
Space limitation:
If you live in a very tiny apartment, then KJ classic will be the best option for you. It requires only 256 square inches of area with its two sets of grates. And its width is 118.11cm & height is 121.92cm.
But, if there’s a large fireplace in your backyard garden, or if you’ve a giant kitchen like a basketball court, then it’ll be wise for you to go for the big joe. It requires almost double the space than the classic joe. You’ll need 452 square inches of space to set up your big joe.
Cooking capacity:
You can cook 20 burgers at a time in big joe. If you cook only for your sweetheart and never need to cook this much food at a time, then KJ classic is okay for you. Here’s exact cooking capacity of all the KJ models -
Classic I & II:
Single grate (square inches) — 256
Divide and Conquer (square inches) — 256
2 full grates (square inches) — 508
Divide and Conquer + Grill Expander — 407
2 full grates + Grill Expander (square inches) — 660
Classic III:
Single grate (square inches) — 256
Divide and Conquer (square inches) — 510
2 full grates (square inches) — 508
Divide and Conquer + Grill Expander — 661
2 full grates + Grill Expander (square inches) — N/A
Big Joe I & II:
Single grate (square inches) — 452
Divide and Conquer (square inches) — 256
2 full grates (square inches) — 904
Divide and Conquer + Grill Expander — 604
2 full grates + Grill Expander (square inches) — 1056
Big Joe III:
Single grate (square inches) — 452
Divide and Conquer (square inches) — 864
2 full grates (square inches) — 904
Divide and Conquer + Grill Expander — 1016
2 full grates + Grill Expander (square inches) — N/A
Price is the last thing you should consider. The smaller the KJ, the cheaper it’ll be. And finally, considering all the features and comparing all the models, big joe II is my most favorite kamado grill.
We’ve only a girl who’s now six years old, but, every year we grill whole turkey to celebrate thanksgiving as well as other occasions. We also smoke large brisket and steak several times each year. I hope my story will help you decide exactly what size kamado joe you need actually.
