Has anyone purchased one of the Akorn Junior smoker/ grills from Bunnings (https://www.bunnings.com.au/char-griller-akorn-junior-kamado…)
Looking to pick one up to get started with smoking foods, and interested in any thoughts ore reviews from people that have one or any of the larger ones.
I know they are on the small side, but curious if it is something good to get started with.
Thanks
Thanks for that.
I have a standard beef eater gas bbq currently and have been considering a few different options. Have ready about the webber and might consider it, but sounds like it can be a little tricky to maintain heat for some slow cooks.
Super easy to maintain heat, im talking almost effortless 14hr + smokes, trust me, google the "Snake Method", i do it all the time, just use bluetooth probe thermometers to keep an eye on temp of the grill and the meat, i keep mine at 107C for hours, if it get a little hot, take 1 or 2 coals out, if it gets a little cold, move a burning coal or two slightly further along the snake to ignite more, trust me, the "Snake Method" is a game changer
Thanks for that
don't have the Junior, but got the full size Akorn almost exactly a year ago.
Was originally looking at a proper offset smoker but a friend convinced me to go the Akorn kamado instead. I had the same thoughts as you about perhaps going for the Junior to start with but decided against it. If you have the space then I'd recommend the full size version.
It's a good middleground between a proper smoker and a charcoal BBQ. Will take you a few cooks to get the hang of hitting and maintaining temps (plenty of youtube vids out there though). If you're going for the Junior, just be aware that the smaller unit will likely be a little harder to maintain a steady temp and will be more prone to spikes. Has been mentioned in a previous response that you can purchase automated fans that regulate airflow, but expect to pay $100+ for those. I never went down that route but can see the appeal when doing long cooks.
Unsure whether the Junior is the same but one thing I would strongly advise is to buy a can of high temp anti-rust BBQ spray paint when you buy your Akorn.
I kept mine covered and never rained on however the wet weather caused rust all over the place (Melbourne weather). The bolts, the undersides of the side tables, the hinge, pretty much everywhere. Within a week of putting it together.
Had to dismantle the whole thing, remove rust, and spray all parts with the aforementioned rust-oleum. Friend that has a similar model just lets his rust but I've read many stories of rust eventually rendering the unit unusable. So <$20 for a can of spray to prevent that is a good idea (and best done before you put it together because taking it apart is a pain). You'll want to spray all the bolt heads, the side tables, wheels, legs, etc, making sure to get the undersides. Basically any part that's metal.
After that, everything has been pretty good. I do cooks on it every other week. Mostly pork ribs, but also roast chickens, steaks, and various cuts of beef. As you get more confident in controlling temps, you'll find yourself wanting to try different meats. The reason I recommend the full size Akorn is because even when cooking for a small group of even 3 people, the full sized Akorn will allow you more space for sides and whatnot. And then if you have a larger group and need to do a few racks of ribs plus roast veggies plus whatever else, you'll be glad you didn't get the Junior. IMO, the Junior is used for when you're going camping or want to take it to a mate's house to use, or will only ever cook for 2 people and that's it.
Pick yourself up a good wireless thermometer (another $50+). Click Frenzy is coming up so keep an eye out for deals.
Happy to answer any other qns, but that's all I can think of for now.
Oh and expect to spend a lot on meats afterwards. Even cheap cuts having been getting more and more expensive with the smoker craze.
Thanks for all the tips
Hi, would you still recommend the full size Akorn?
Hello!
I've personally got one and it works well however I do not use it for smoking but mainly as a grill.
If you are interested in indirect slow cooking, you need to purchase a heat reflector plate (https://www.amazon.com.au/Char-Griller-6211-Smokin-Stone-Jr/…).
It does come with the cover which is nice but there's no drawstiring so the cover just kinda sits there. In the more windy days, it has flown out.
Before buying a BBQ, consider your use case and stick to that. BBQ's have many functions and some BBQs perform those specific functions better.
Kamado's are know for their ability to have consistent temperature and sealing compared to other types of BBQs.
Me personally, I don't cook low and slow on my kamado as I have weber smokey mountain for longer cooks but it is perfectly capable of slower cooks but keep in mind the smaller cooking surface area.
It's a good starter kamado as higher end (Kamado Joe's and BGEs (Big Green Eggs)) can get very pricey but offer more options.
If you do have any specific questions, feel free to PM me.
Agree about the cover, mine has blown off a few times too. These days I have a bungie tie wrapped around it. A standard one fits around the legs at their narrowest point and stops it going anywhere.
Echo'ing what's been said above but I would probably skip the smaller one unless you are planning to move it around a lot/take camping etc. The smaller one is just a bit more fiddly from what I've read and you'll also have to be careful about making sure you aren't buying meat cuts that won't fit.
I've got the full size bunnings kamado and while you don't have to get fancy gadgets there's a few things that just make life a lot easier. The wireless thermometer for one, assuming you'll be doing slow cooks. I just use a handheld one if I'm doing lid-open hot cooks, like steaks & burgers. To be honest, I kinda regret getting the wireless one as after the first summer I got a Smartfire setup and it's replaced it entirely (even if I don't use the fan).
The price is a hurdle but an automatic fan setup is convenient, especially with kids as you can fire up the bbq and not worry about overshooting your target temp because you were stuck changing a disaster nappy or something. But for me the big thing is that I can take the kids to the park or run some errands, even leave it going overnight. This means I can have a brisket ready for lunch without losing sleep. Similar devices exist for Webers though so don't feel that it is solely a Kamado thing.
I'd also recommend one of those electric lighters (like a souped up hair dryer), which reduces lighting time down to a minute or so even with old or damp charcoal and doesn't affect the taste like some other methods.
You'll definitely want some solid fireproof gloves for lifting up the grill to add more charcoal.
Oh and if there is a Costco nearby, consider signing up. Their 7-8kg briskets fit almost exactly on the Kamado and their Boston Butt pork cuts are also good eating.
Mine is about 3 years old at this point and while it hasn't rusted much, there is definitely some very light rusting on the underneath of the side trays and in small spots elsewhere. But at this point I'll just push on. If I eventually get another one I'd do the rust-oleum treatment on it from the start. Be aware that the Bunnings ones do take a few cooks to properly seal up so stick with forgiving items like lamb shoulders etc for the first few until you go risking $100+ worth of meat.
The larger one is much better value! Comes with a cover and a stone, plus its huge!
Dont be scared due to the size, they use so little fuel its crazy.
The small one was barely big enough to cook for 2 people.
I got the akorn kamado as my first taste of charcoal bbqing and it has been amazing.
Hit me up if you want some tips with it. The learning curve was all about how to control temp but i can explain it in a couple of mins now that ive got it figured out.
The akorn is also a great choice compared to ceramic ones as its cheap, light, moveable and the outside of it doesnt heat up heaps (safe around kids).
I do own one and it’s a great little unit. If I were to buy one again, I’d pretty much go with the big one (black color one, and not the ceramic one).
Good things about the big kamado.
1) larger cooking surface. (I found sometimes even the decent sized meat cuts won’t fit the Jr)
2) Has cover and a pizza stone. ( i did purchase these two separately for Jr and it did add up about $100)
3) Has wheels, bottom shelf for some storage and sides to keep your utensils to keep your stuff during the cook
4) You can add an upper rack which gives more space for warming up food. You can do for Jr as well, but will be very small size.
Good things about Jr over the big one
1) portability. if you want to go camping would be good. But if camping is your thing there are other more portable choices :-)
Good things about both Kamado models compared to other grills
1) Fuel efficiency. You’ll be amazed how little amount of fuel they use.
2) Maintenance. These can go upto around 700F if you want to deep clean by burning off the food scraps. Totally effortless to brush off the ashed over food scraps from grill at this temperature and little oil afterwards to keep the grill from rusting.
Ash removal is pretty easy too.
3) Accessories. You can buy some good accessories if you are interested such as temperature controllers that are available for these models that fits right onto the intake.
4) Smoke seal. Both these units come with a smoke seal around the upper half that does an amazing job at sealing smoke. I recently got a 2nd hand Rambler and that leaks smoke from everywhere you can possibly imagine.
I have never tried using a Kamado before, Not sure if you have a Kettle BBQ like a Weber or anything but i find using a Kettle BBQ and the "Snake Method" gives the best results for effort / taste, if you do get a kamado, i know you can also get a forced induction system you connect to the bottom air intake that will regulate the temperature for you, but Weber + Snake method is good, i also have a Bradley Electric smoker but don't use it anymore, much better results in the Weber