Best Value Kamado Grill for $300? | Chargriller Akorn Review 

Thank you!

BBQ superstar comment! Love baby back maniac

Youre absolutely right about a cover. It will rust if you don't keep it away from the elements.

That’s exactly what happened to mines it rusted out and fell off so had to get rid of it

Can't go wrong with it. It has served me well and is one of my favorite cookers. Thanks for watching!

No problem! Yeah, as long as you keep it cleaned and covered you won't have issues. The grate can rust, but it's easy to clean and season. Good luck!

I've had one for two years, and as you said, if you do the maintenance on it, you'll be fine.

You will love it!

You'd love it!

@@littlepigbarbeque9756 got the pizza stone heat deflector too!

Cooking surface is about 19.5 inches. It’s a great size!

Dude I’ve accidentally left mine unattended for too long when trying to get the coals going. Both vents wide open…the grate was glowing red and the thermometer was PEGGED. It can get dangerously hot if not careful. Lesson learned. It smokes like a dream though!

Honestly my garage floor doesn’t have a coating or anything. Just concrete. Maybe the lighting made it look good or something! The thermometer on mine is ok. I have checked it and it is usually off about 30 degrees. Once you learn the pit though it doesn’t really matter. If I know I want to cook at 250, I’ll let the thermometer reach 270-280 and I know I’m good.

I have one rib video I uploaded a few weeks back on it. Thank you so much for watching. I'll be doing more videos with this cooker this year!

I really appreciate it! Glad you love the cooker. It really is a great value.

I agree 100%. I’ve left mine open and my cast iron grates were glowing red.

I literally agree with everything you said. It is one of the most efficient cookers I have ever used.

I agree! It’s obviously not going to last as long as an egg (assuming you don’t crack the egg). But it’s MUCH cheaper!

I haven't done a turkey on mine, but it does chicken perfectly. Im glad you're enjoying yours!

Great info. I didn’t know that!

Hahaha I definitely have a problem. I enjoy cooking on them all!

I have some video ideas for the Akorn that I plan on doing soon. It may not last forever as many have mentioned, but it also doesn't cost 1000+ bucks! Thanks again for watching!

Thats awesome! The Weber is easier to maintain a lower temp, but it is MUCH more expensive. In saying that, its not far off either. Some may disagree, but I think they cook identical. Trust me, you won't regret getting the Akorn and that's coming from a Weber guy! Thanks for watching!

I've never personally used the Kamander by char broil, but I have seen it put together in stores. Personally, I like the build quality of the Akorn. I dont know, it may be just me but the Char-broil seemed cheaply built. I can speak for the Akorn as I still use it weekly and it is holding up like it's brand new. I do keep it stored in my garage and clean the ashes out after each use. More than likely you can't go wrong with either, BUT I do know the Akorn is a beast and I'll never get rid of mine. Hope this helps.

Appreciate ya watching! Its definitely a beast. I love cooking on it.

10 hours for a tri tip is pretty long! You might want to check it every hour so you don't over cook it! As for the wood, I always use 2-3 fist size chunks of wood if I'm using briquettes or lump coals. I have a rib cook on the akorn dropping today that explains how I set the cooker up. Check it out!

You'll love it. Thanks for watching!

Thank you! I never thought I would get this many subs to be honest. Hoping to get back to videos soon. As for the rotisserie, I have no experience with one on this cooker so I wouldn't know for certain which one fits and which one doesn't.

Thanks for watching! The cast iron can be a pain at times, but you can't beat its sear!

Totally agree and that's coming from a Weber guy! What stainless steel grate did you go with?

You da man. Thanks!

Definitely the Akorn from my experience. Mainly due to it being a double wall design. I’m saying that though, my barrel smokers hold heat very well and are super easy to dial in.

The thing runs like a champ once you get it figured out! Glad you're enjoying it. Thanks for subscribing!

I appreciate you watching!

Heck yeah! Thanks!!!

Totally agree with you. A cover is a must. I keep mine in the garage when I'm not using it, so hopefully I get many years out of it.

@@littlepigbarbeque9756 Hopefully in the future they can correct that because I seen the Louisiana Kamado doesn’t require you to take the whole ash trey off to dump the ashes but thanks for the video!

You'll love it man. Its a great cooker.

They are solid cast iron. They’re awesome but can be a chore to keep seasoned. Especially if you cook hot pretty often.

You will love it! Thanks for watching.

Well I appreciate that!

Thank you for the comments!

I have a summit as well. It’s definitely worth every penny and won’t rust.

Just as good my man. Save that extra cash and buy yourself a good thermometer or other accessories. I'd put my Akorn up against my Kamado Joe any day.

You won’t be sorry about it! Just make sure to keep it clean and keep it covered or out of the elements so it doesn’t rust! Mine is garage kept and still looks brand new.

@@littlepigbarbeque9756 bought it, assembled it and it works great!

I'll put it on my video list!

You can't go wrong with a new gun!

You are 100% right about being insulated. I use this cooker almost exclusively in the winter because it holds heat so well. Thanks for watching all the way from Alaska!

It’s great for the money! There are obviously better and easier cookers out there but learning a cooker is half the fun.

No problem! Thanks for watching.

You’ll love it! Thanks for the support!

Ordered mine from Amazon. amzn.to/3N7WaSQ

Agree about keeping it dry. Definately keep it out of the elements.

So glad to hear that!

Be patient with the fire and bring it to temp SLOWLY. It can get away from you fast if you're not careful. But once you have it dialed in, it's smooth sailing from there. Appreciate you subscribing!

That's awesome!

What do you think is the best way to season your Akorn?

@@JodanKenshi47 Hey mate - sorry I didn't reply bro - bloody google, youtube and adblocking fk em!. Mate I honestly did what everyone else did honestly which I learnt from this channel and others. I washed my grill/s in soapy water, towel-dried them then fired up a good lot of cheap briquettes to burn her in (Got that shit mad hot - topped out the dome temp gauge, I have production kitchen experience so I can't advise). short answer mate, give it a wash and a rinse and then burn it, baste/treat it like a cast iron grill. Honestly, that's all I did, you can salt season the grill grates themselves later if you chose - I'm only offering my experience to literal out of box. Tag everyone you follow in your cook's cos you're goin' rock :)

Thanks! I wouldn't mind doing reviews for them. I think that would be awesome!

I appreciate that! You should get one!

Hoping to start videos back soon.

I could be wrong, but I think you are correct. These are triple wall steel grills and I believe there is a layer of insulation between the steel as well. I know it holds the heat and is VERY efficient. I also have a Kamado Joe and a Weber Summit kamado. The Akorn is every bit as efficient as either of those, and that's coming from a Weber guy.

Dude that’s a steal. You’ll regret it later if you don’t get one at that price!

I really appreciate that Bill. I have no idea what I'm doing as far as making a video, but I do try to be informative.

It's a good cooker. Bad luck on the Weber. Just so you know they have a 10 year warranty on the coating. They'll send you a free one if you contact them!

He will love it! Cooks like a much more expensive smoker/grill.

I love this cooker, but it will never replace my Webers.

I'm a Weber guy myself, but I cook on my Akorn ALL of the time. I'll always have one.

Get one. I promise you won't be sorry you did.

You're welcome! Check out my affiliate links in the video description. If you order from one of the links, Amazon gives me a small cut (very small) to help support my channel. But wherever you get it, you're gonna love it! I appreciate you watching!

Happy cooking!!!

Actually, I do believe you can get a temperature controller for this. I'm not 100% sure what the brand was, but I remember seeing one in a video once.

Thanks for watching! Check out my new video uploaded this week. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-gXdp5TpqeF4.html

It's been a long while since I've posted a video, but I do plan on starting back soon. I might just have to do a comparison video! Thanks for watching.

That is something that you may have to deal with on any Kamado. I think its due to the lack of air flow compared to something like an offset smoker. In order to maintain a kamado, the vents are almost closed which really limits the air movement. I love the way a smoke ring looks, but it adds nothing to the flavor in my opinion. Glad to hear others loving this cooker!

Glad to hear that!

Not a bad deal. Never had any experience with it.

I appreciate ya watching! I have read where folks struggle with rust issues but I can only speak on my experience. I clean the ash out after every use and it always gets stored in my garage. My akorn is about two years old and literally looks brand new. There is absolutely zero rust anywhere, so my experience has been very positive. I could see it lasting 10 years if I continue to maintain it and keep it out of the elements.

You're welcome! Please subscribe if you haven't already! I appreciate the support!

This thing heats up fast with very few lit coals. I can get it to temp in around 15 minutes by opening the bottom and top vents all the way. If you overshoot the temp, it will take some time to come back down because it is such an efficient cooker. That is a drawback at times. In saying that, it is so efficient I have had it maintain 225 for around 24 full hours with a completely full load. I did this as a test only without any food, but that's still pretty good!

​@@littlepigbarbeque9756 Thanks for the reply, so do you start closing down vents when you're 50F from your target temp? What charcoal did you use to get you 24 hours? And final question, does this hold temp pretty well for long periods, or are you adjusting a lot?

I do start adjusting the bottom and top vent when it's within 50 degrees of my target temp. I usually smoke at 250-275, so I'll adjust it when it's around 200. I normally use Kingsford original if I want very long burn. If I'm using lump, I go with royal oak. Once it's at temp though, it stays there with literally no adjustments at all. If you open the grill a bunch it will of course spike and you will have choke it back some.

@@littlepigbarbeque9756 Thanks for the feedback, much appreciated and I just subbed!

Thank you!

Still cooking like a champ. Use it at least once a week. I keep it in my garage when not using it and it still looks brand new!

Honestly, cooking capacity would be the number one thing. Aside from that, I would consider the Summit to be more versatile. You can raise and lower the charcoal grate which allows you to really get that steak closer to the coals when searing. You can grill with the charcoal grate further away, which is good for baking perhaps? Throw in the heat deflector and its just like a Kamado. Also, the heat deflector in the summit has hinges. This allows you to easily add coals or wood chunks when doing low and slow. If money wasn't a factor, I would definitely go with the Summit. If we are talking about saving some dollars and you want something "almost" as good as the Summit then the Akorn is the ONLY way to go. Its a really great cooker. Thanks for watching by the way! I do have plans for putting out more videos this year.

I'm going to have to check these out. Thanks for the info!

That's awesome! You're going to love it.

Thanks!