Fantastic review! I seek input for so much that I buy from RU-vid. The points you make and the process in this review is one of the best formats I've seen for any product. Thanks for doing this for everyone!
Justin, I can see you EASILY having over 100k subs very soon. The content quality and production value of your videos is really simply amazing......hang on tight brother because you're going to explode when you least expect it! I knew they had a mini, didn't know about the MM! I like it though and would love to have one!! What grill did you trade for it??
Sadly, I sold the KK for this and some cash. I just wasn't using enough for the my money I had in it and the guy who bought it loved it so it all worked out in the end. Brother thanks for your kind words about my channel. That means a lot. a lot of my favorite "big youtubers" (like you and Rus and Dan and Phil) have had the same reaction to this one and it means the world to me considering since you guys have been there and done that.
Thanks from the Netherlands. This review was exactly what I was looking for. One more question though: would it be able to fit an average size beer can chicken ? Thanks :)
Justin, fantastic review brother. I have been pondering purchasing a big green egg, the large version. Can't bring myself to pull the trigger just yet with all the other smoker and grills I have. But love the video, great review and great videography. Keep smoking brother.
Thanks Daryl, The larges are a good size. They fit everything though sometimes you have to play games to get Packer briskets and full spareribs on. But they're still small for the day-to-day cooks. If you have a Costco near you check out at Kamado Joe roadshow next time they roll through town. They are really nice and the road show prices are very compelling compared to BGE.
Great video as always Justin. I really enjoy how you film and editing your videos, it's a really professional touch in them. The graphics are also cool and very well done as well. I hope you continue to make more videos, I love watching them.
Hi Mr. Maniac, first I want to say how much I enjoy your video's and this one is very thorough and informative. I too have tried to do research on the pro's and con's of a MM here on RU-vid and yes, the video's are limited. You've manage to life the hood and let me take a good look at what I'm getting - Thank you! Tim
Justin, This review was amazing. I really like your videography style! Your editing and story telling is precise. Thank you for the wealth of knowledge that you gave. I agree with Rus Jones (Smoky Ribs), you will definitely be a huge RU-vid personality soon! Don't forget us little people when you take off!!! Great job my friend!! Merry Christmas!!
90 lbs definitely isn't portable for me. :) I guess you have Papa Murphy's in Texas. I cooked one of those in my toaster oven and people keep telling how stupid I am because I didn't take it off of the cardboard baking tray. I guess a lot of people aren't familiar with them. Anyway, great video Justin! Very informative and well filmed!
You know I never thought about Papa Murphy's being regional. I need to think about that more before I mention Brands like that. Actually Jim, I was thinking about you when I was using this one. You're right, it would be too heavy to be portable but once you got it set up it's really easy to use because the pieces are so light. I have shoulder issues that come and go and I like that this is small and light.
I just bought the Mini Max to accompany my workhorse of an XL. Just didn't make sense to light up and wait for the XL to heat up to sear 2 steaks for my wife and I. I think the Mini Max is ideal for someone who already has a full size smoker/grill, and looking for a nightly grill, or something to take camping, tailgating, etc.
Happy to help. It's hard to clean. That's really the only thing I don't like about it. Other than that it's a lot of fun. You might want to look at the Kamado joe version too.
Hey Justin I’m also here in Texas, I have a quick long question for you. I recently got a Traeger 34 cause I got a steal on it. I traded a shotgun for it, it was new still in box, I used it and like it. Problem is I got an Akorn kamado at wal mart on clearance for 69$ and I love it! Should I get rid of the Traeger and buy a true Kamado Grill? I really like kamado joes. My wife likes the Traeger for ease but we don’t use it much. I’m just afraid the akorn is gonna fall apart prematurely. I do have it under a patio and a cover but I know it’s no premium kamado. Thanks man. I love your channel just subscribed.
That is a really difficult question to answer for another person. Someone is going down this road before I can tell you that the ceramics are much nicer to cook on but value value of The akorn is awesome...especially at $69
I own a large green egg and a traeger and I can tell you that they are different grills. I use them both for different things. I tend not to "smoke" in my green egg. Maybe thats because I suck, but maybe not. Generally a brisket or pork shoulder will go on the traeger.
Actually it went from 28-750 haha. Anyways, what firestarters do you use? I made my own from saw dust, egg cartons and candle wax. They burn high and for a long time. Though I'm not sure of the effects of having candle wax in your grill.
I'm thinking about getting one…….well…...now I'm not sure……No,… I don't want one! But, maybe….. I'll think about it…. Yep….I'm getting one! I don't know…….probably not gonna get one. Ok….. I'll just make one! LLLLLLLLLL Hey Brother! Excellent job with this review! And You got a new/used toy! I'll be checking out the Grill Store….. sounds like my kinda place. Keep up the great work! \m/ \m/
Yeah, Tom is your kind of guy. He fabricates all his Products in house and some of it is pure genius. Check him out and tell him I sent you… He will have no idea who I am though. I only went to his store once and it was years ago. LOL
We are pro BBQ cooks, with everything from a Jambo to a PK to an army of drum smokers. We won a MiniMax in a raffle last winter, and it immediately became our go-to cooker. With just two of us in the house, we find an excuse to use it at least 3 times a week.
Yep, I know the feeling. I sorta fell into this one as well. I don't think I would have paid full price for it but now that I have it, I really like it. Thanks for the comment, Smoke Freaks, have a great weekend. Justin
And (this is a biggie for me) you can bring it in when the weather gets bad, not to use indoors of course. Think of all those poor grills that have to withstand the elements, all of the time. Grill covers are one thing, having a roof overhead is a better thing!
Can you tell any taste different in a lump OAK charcoal vs a lump MESQUITE charcoal? HEB sells a central market brand, and the lump is very big and nice, but they only ever seem to have the 20 lbs bags in mesquite. Thought you may know or know someone that would know. Thanks for the vids!
Yes, Mesquite lump tends to be more smokey and produce more ash. Its also cheaper. But lump varies so much from bag to bag even within the same company so it really hard to nail it down and make definitive statements on stuff like this. I think part of the issue could have been that the mesquite is so big that it doesn't get processed as well. Short answer: Try it and see what you think. Some people love it.
Hey dude, this has been such a useful video for me. I’m on the fence about getting a Kamado Joe jr. I'm thinking I can justify kj jr or a minimax, can’t justify the cost on a larger one (to my wife 😉). I must have missed this video previously, did you do other vids with this cooker? I’ve been a fan of your page for long while now, hope things getter better soon with your Dad & Co and look forward to seeing more videos in future. Best regards 👍🔥
Thanks Jason, I'm glad you enjoyed it. I will say this, I love cooking with this cooker but I find it so difficult to clean out that I don't use it very often. I would take a good hard look at the Kamado Joe at Costco (I think it's $450 at Costco) before I would get this one for more. The reason has to do with no way to get the ash out without going through the top.
@@BabyBackManiac Have you tried using a small shop vac? I found it very easy to clean. I take the old lump out and put it in a small ice cream bucket, vacuum out the bottom, put the old lump back in, add some new, wipe down the grate and i'm good to go. Easy peasy. Yes, you do have to clean out after every cook because it's so small but usually takes less then 5 minutes so I don't mind.
Hey man, im the market for one of these. Just noticed Rus from smoky ribs has an Aredalin bbq shirt he told me it four years old. The circle that is youtube. Good Video man.!!:) On your pros and cons which i would have asked you yet you covered!, The charcoal size in which i use larger pieces, did or have you used briquettes at all just out of interest? A comment your vocab is very diverse !!.
Thanks man. I've used briquettes. They burn fine but the cooker has very little room for ash to accumulate under the grate so on longer cooks, it can choke itself out. Lump works a lot better.
Not sure if I should get this Minimax or Medium Egg... It's for 3 of us 99% of the time. Will this mini max fit 3-4 pieces of good sized steaks? My concern is that if we have to squeeze in the steak, it won't cook evenly (hence better to get medium), or do you think this size is perfectly fine?
Between those two options, I'd get the medium. Actually, based on what you told me, I'd just save and get the large. This really isn't a daily driver. It's the car equivalent of the old weekend convertible. ;-)
*excellent excellent* video. How you don't have at least 10xs the subs you already have is beyond me. I am definitely interested in getting a MiniMax! (new sub!)
I really love your Videos! I am not sure if the minimax will suit us.We are a couple, we have only a small terrace and we can't store a big and heavy bbq.I would like also to bake bread and use a Dutch oven,would the minimax be Suitable? I read about the kamado joe junior but I think is too small?
Hi there, The KJ Jr and the minimax are about the same size so if one doesn't work, the other probably won't either. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. Justin
For this much weight - and money - a charcoal smoker is another indirect competitor to consider. It often comes down to brand-loyalty for many people, which is good enough for me!
Yep, that's a lot of money for what you get. If I would not wouldn't have fallen into this one I don't think I would've bought it but now that I have it I really like it.
I'm not sure it's worth what they are asking; However, it would be one of my most used cookers if it was easier to clean. As it is, I don't use it much anymore.
I have the large egg and when I do big turkeys (20ish pounds) I have to pull the thermometer out. I have no trimmed down a wine cork with a whole in the middle that is spaced properly for the big stuff. You may want to try that with the mini max
I am curious about the pork shoulder cook. How long did it take and did your MM have enough lump to go the entire cook? I recently did a shoulder at 325 and had to add lump half way through the cook. Thanks.
I didn't run it straight through like that. But I did these cooks back to back. So it is an hour and a half of burnout and ribeye cooking at nuclear temps followed by 5 1/2 hours of low and slow before I noticed temps dropping. . I took it apart and check out the ash and realized about a quarter of the firebox was still full. So I think in a normal conditions it would work straight through. The bigger issue is ash accumulation. I'm going to try one of those kick ash baskets.
I've had a similar experience with my MM. Unburnt charcoal and temps starting to drop. I bought a kick ash and it does help. I wish I had the original fire ring the BGE had in the MM. It was almost an inch taller. So the grill was level with the felt. Lots more room for charcoal. BGE was using the fire ring from the small. But for some reason, they decided it was too high and built a MM specific fire ring which is what you and I have.
Good to know about the kick ash basket. I may pick one of those up. You should look into the woo. Without the heat defector in place, it raises the cooking grate up. It's not even with the felt, but slightly higher. It won't help with charcoal if you are doing indirect but at least it gives you some options on distance from the fire.
I have been looking at the Woo for a while, but I've only ever seen pictures. Yours is the first video so I was happy about that. The problem is getting one. The ceramic store won't ship to Canada. He's actually pretty animated about it too. I won't get into that though. I'll get one when he gets a distributor up here.
Hey Justin... awesome review... at the end where you talk about who this grill would best work for, I say why I got mine: Its small, I wanted a green egg, and I have very limited space on the balcony of my place. So people who have little space, this grill gets you there. Thanks for the review.
Hey Baby Back... Big Swole here from the Brethren (the guy that refurbed his grandfathers vintage egg).... Just shared this on another forum (non-bbq related)...they guy was appreciative of the review! Thanks again!! See ya on the BBQ Brethren
Thanks for sharing it, man. I really appreciate it. Cooking anything this week? You need to start smoking on your channel with all those grills you've got. lol
I wished I had more time too. I'm an LEO and on-duty quiet a bit. I would like to do a vid or two someday. Love watching yours and wished I had those editing skills.
Great video. I have 3 Weber grills, the Smokey Joe, Jumbo Joe, and the Performer and Love and use them all. I'm not in the market for a new grill but I've heard good things about this one. Are you going to try using the Craycort Cast Iron grates on this?
Hey Spike, No, It was just a mistake. LOL. It was freaking cold and I was running late and I just didn't notice because I was thinking about the camera. At least I had it right in the close up shot of it at the beginning of thex video… That's what I keep telling myself. LOL
Justin I need your opinion here.....I am looking for something else besides what I have......I currently own a Weber Genesis EP-330 and a Weber Kettle 22 inch. Looking for something more to possibly smoke with but also maybe have something that I can cook on at times if need be. I am torn between a big green egg or a Traeger. I mean I know I can cook on both but what will be be more useful as well making large briskets on but I don't want to break the bank either...what are your thoughts?
If I was picking with between those two options, I'd go with the BGE simply because it's a bit more versatile. Traeger's are easier to use and hold more meat but they aren't the best choice for grilling directly (there are work arounds you can do but the Big Green Egg is more all around versatile.) I'd also take a look that the Kamado Joe Big Joe (very similar to Big Green Egg except some better features). Also, there is a 26 kettle which at 299 is the best value in the bbq world in my humble opinion. I have a Slow N Sear from Adrenaline Barbecue Company (discloser: I didn't pay for it. They sent it to me so I could do some video work for them.) and the 26 kettle with the Slow N Sear is one of my favorite set ups....and also one of my cheapest. Lots of options there, and I hope I didn't just give you tired head, but if was picking between the big Green egg XL and the Traeger, I'd go BGE XL just for the versatility and the fact that it's not mechanical (augers and motors and fire rods all break eventually).
Baby Back Maniac thank you very much. Just letting you know you didn't confuse me at all you put a lot of things into perspective. I see things a lot more clearly thank you again keep the videos going absolutely love them and I'm a big fan.
Nice video. Good breakdown. Hope everything has been going well for you. I'm trying to type and rock my little one asleep so I might make a few mistakes lol. Take it easy
I came across your video by mistake and i am glad I did. Great all around. I do have a question. what rub did you use on the pork butt to get that great color? Keep up the great work.
I want to trade mine as well. It's brand new! The only reason I want to sell it is because I have 6 people in my household at all times. If it were just me it would be different. Anyone in PA??? lol
People don't believe me when I tell them how fast it will come up to temperature. Then the same when I say how easy temperature adjustments are. But they still eat like 🐺 wolf's off of !
i love your channel bro keep up the good work and laughs .I recently bought the chargriller akorn because of your channel would of bought a ceramic one but could not afford it lol.works great
Yeah, those are awesome for the money. They won't last forever but chargrilled actually doesn't even charge a lot for replacement parts so it's not hard to "keep it on the road" even when you do start having issues. It really does help prolong the life if it if you can keep it out of the rain as that's the main culprit. (they can leak and let water into the ash pan.) If you could keep it in a garage when not in use, it would probably last forever.
None at all. My only issue has been cleaning out the firebox is harder than with bigger grills where you can quickly pull it out through the front vent. Most likely the issue is your vents are brand new and very clean so air flows through them more easily. After a few cooks it will tighten up.
@@BabyBackManiac it took me about an hour to settle it in. After that I made 3 adjustments throughout a 9 hour cook. I guess that's not too bad for it's first cook. Thanks Justin! You inspire me to want to start a channel, I tried making a video the other day... Yeah I'm not good at this. Lol. Nice work my dude!
Nobody is good at it at first. You are talking to inanimate objects...if that's not weird at first there is something wrong with you. lol. Stick with it. It gets easier.
I like to think you got the "It likes big butts" part from my handle on KG. Great video, would love to produce something 1/10th as good for the Akorn Jr.
bwahahaha man I love your videos! that was a perfect analogy of comparing the mini max cooker to an iPad! I can't wait to see what your ad excited about! Cheers to ya my bbq brother from another mother.
Yours reviews are so informative ,fun and interesting. I really wish to get one of this BGE but can't find any dealer in my country Malaysia😕 . Do you know where can I buy it in Malaysia? Thank you!
Hey, I just wanted to drop you a line and let you know that you made an awesome video. I got a Minimax for Christmas 8 days ago, and was pleased to learn from your experiences.
Thank you, Christopher. I really appreciate you stopping by. By the way, I recently got something called a "Kick Ash basket" which I think is going to make clean out easier. If you haven't heard of it, you might google it. It's looks cool but I haven't tried it yet.
Hi Ryan, I traded my KK for this and some cash. It was a fantastic cooker... Probably the nicest I'll ever own but I just wasn't using it enough. Too much money for it not to be used. Thanks for asking and thanks for watching.
Justin, As you predicted in your video, my Joe Jr. has become my go-to everyday cooker (also cook for 3 most of the time). Love that little guy! Would never give up the Primo's or KK but would buy another Joe Jr. tomorrow if it disappeared. Great video's! Keep them coming!! Jon B.
Yeah, I think the Joe Junior is a better deal. I may end up selling this one and picking up a Joe Jr with a warranty. I think it'll be about the same price. That shows you how much cheaper the Joe Junior's are and how well the big green egg retains its value.
Great video, I almost bought a Komado Joe at Costco until my wife reminded me that the Expedition was down and it would not fit in the car oh well, PS what is KK ?
Komodo Komado. It's a fancy grill I recently sold. You can see it in my first video. If you every get a chance, think about getting that Kamado Joe. You'll love it.
Yeah, I considered it as well and ran into the same problem you did regarding reviews. Then I met a couple people who have them and they both said the same thing ("They are made incredibly well" and "I don't use it very often") That's sort of a red flag for me because I've had incredibly well made grills that weren't fun to cook on and it ended up being a waste of money for me. The fact that there aren't any reviews on youtube are another red flag. A company that old and with cookers that well made should have a ton of people out there singing it's praising. Just look at other similar companies like Weber, Big Green Egg, or PK Grills. (all similar aged companies with a great product.) It confuses me they don't have that type of following you youtube.
Picked up an Akorn Jr. kamado today for 100 bucks just to play around with and came across this video while researching it. Absolutely LOVE the iPad comparison! Very well said. Keep up the awesome work! Your videos are a million times more informative and enjoyable to watch than anything on the cable tv cooking channels. Much appreciated.
Wow, Adam! I really appreciate that, man. What do you think of that Akorn Jr. I saw it on sale at Walmart and seriously considered it but I absolutely do not need it. Justin
Justin, I am in LOVE with this thing! Assembly was a breeze, only taking about 20 minutes using a cordless drill with a Phillips bit. So far I've cooked beef brats and dogs, bone in and boneless chicken thighs, ribeyes, thick cut New York strips, a random t-bone, a flock of chicken wings, a few burgers, and now planning to do a brisket as soon as Amazon delivers the smoking stone. It's super easy to regulate the temp, and the meats stay very juicy. I've been running it with Cowboy lump, pecan and/or hickory chunks (pecan FTW), and lighting the coals with a single Weber cube. The bare cast iron grate seasoned up beautifully in about an hour and is basically non stick at this point. Totally got the kamado bug now and looking to add a full sized one to the family in the near future. (don't tell my Genesis II... I think she's feeling a bit neglected already)
I let my KK go. I got this and some cash. I just wasn't using it enough. Makes me sad but itneeded to get more used than I was giving it for the amount of money I invested in it.
As usual great job!! I have a joe jr and I love it (also a big joe) , I couldn't agree more with your review, its amazing these cookers are small but when you put a defuser plate in them how much you can cook, I have cooked a 7 or 8 lbs brisket flat, and 8 chicken thighs at once (separate cooks obviously) and I have a 9 plus lbs pork shoulder i am gonna try to cook in it tomorrow, definitely need a stand for these little grills though
Pulled pork turned out pretty good, I basically used John's method from kamado joe cooking channel, I did not have to remove the thermometer (but it didn't poke into the meat either) after several hrs. I did have to adjust the vents because the temp started to drop off.
I think next time I will use a spacer between the drip pan and the defuser (so the dripping's don't burn) I did have a great bark because I didn't wrap the whole cook, just wish I had a little dripping juice to mix back into the pulled pork
