Prices from Amazon AU, updated daily. Swipe or use the arrows for more.
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Quick summary8 picks
- Entry PickEverdure by Heston Blumenthal CUBE 360… about$276
- Weber Original Kettle 22-Inch Charcoal Grill about$299
- vidaXL 2-in-1 Kamado Barbecue Grill Smoker… about$382
- vidaXL Kamado Barbecue Grill Smoker Ceramic… about$461
- Weber Master-Touch 22" Charcoal Grill about$63722" screen.
- Kamado Joe Joe Jr 13.5-Inch Portable… about$941
- Kamado Joe Classic Joe Series II 18-Inch… about$1,677
- Most PremiumKamado Joe Series I Charcoal BBQ Grill about$2,015
Kettle, kamado or portable
Charcoal BBQs on Amazon AU fall into three groups, and the group matters more than the brand. A kettle is a steel bowl and lid with a porcelain enamel coating, and the Weber Original Kettle is the one most people picture. A kamado is a thick ceramic egg that holds heat for hours, which is what you want for low and slow smoking. Portable charcoal grills are small boxes you carry to the beach or the campsite, and they're built for a quick cook rather than a long one.
The six picks cover all three: two Weber kettles, three ceramic kamados and the Everdure by Heston Blumenthal CUBE 360. Five are sold by Amazon AU, and the vidaXL kamado comes from vidaXL AU, the brand's local storefront. Prices run from $276 for the CUBE 360 to $2,015 for the Kamado Joe Big Joe at time of writing. I've left out offset smokers, pellet grills and gas BBQs, which our hooded gas BBQ guide and the pellet grill guide cover.
If you mostly grill sausages, burgers and steak on a Saturday, a kettle does that well and costs a fraction of a big kamado. If you want to smoke a brisket or a pork shoulder for ten hours without feeding the fire every forty minutes, a ceramic kamado is the better tool, and the price reflects the weight of ceramic in it. If it has to fit in the boot, the CUBE 360 or the Kamado Joe Joe Jr are the two built for travel.
How heat control actually works
Every charcoal BBQ controls heat the same way: air. A vent at the bottom lets oxygen in, a vent in the lid lets heat and smoke out, and the fire burns as hard as the airflow allows. Open both vents and it runs hot, close them down and it settles low. The Weber kettles use dampers in the bowl and lid, the Kamado Joe Big Joe lists a cast iron top vent, and the vidaXL kamados list a ventilated lid with a built-in thermometer.
Kettles are quicker to respond and quicker to lose heat, because a thin steel shell doesn't store much. That's fine for grilling, and it means a kettle comes up to temperature fast and cools down soon after you close the vents. Kamados go the other way. The thick ceramic soaks up heat for the first half hour, then holds it steady for hours, and it takes a long time to bring the temperature back down if you overshoot. Most people overshoot their first few cooks.
The trick with a kamado is to creep up on the temperature you want. Light a small amount of charcoal, leave the lid open for ten minutes, then close it with the vents partly open and adjust in small steps, waiting ten minutes between changes. The lid thermometer reads the air near the dome, not the grate, so on any of these grills a probe thermometer at grate level tells you more. Our guide to pellet grills and smokers covers the electric alternative for people who'd rather not manage vents.
Why ceramic kamados crack
Ceramic is the thing that makes a kamado work, and it's also its weak point. It cracks from thermal shock, when one part of the ceramic heats or cools much faster than the part next to it. The classic case is a kamado left out in the rain, with moisture soaked into the ceramic, then lit and taken straight up to pizza temperature. The water turns to steam inside the ceramic faster than it can escape, and the firebox or the fire ring splits.
Most cracks I'd expect to see are in the internal firebox and fire ring rather than the outer shell, and those parts are designed to be replaceable. A hairline crack in the firebox usually doesn't stop a kamado working, and the pieces keep sitting where they should. Cracks in the dome or the base are more serious. The Kamado Joe Big Joe lists a limited lifetime warranty on its ceramics, which is worth registering for, and none of the other kamado listings states a warranty at all.
Avoiding cracks is mostly about patience. Bring a kamado up to temperature slowly, especially in the first few cooks and after it's been sitting wet. Keep it covered when it's not in use, and if it's been rained on, run a gentle low fire for an hour before a hot cook to dry it out. Don't hose cold water onto a hot kamado to cool it or clean it, and don't drop the lid shut, because a heavy ceramic dome slammed onto its base chips the rim.
Kettles don't crack the same way, but their enamel can. The porcelain enamel on the Weber bowls is a glass coating fired onto steel, and the listings say it won't rust or peel. A hard knock or a dropped tool can chip it, though, and bare steel exposed at a chip will rust. Touch up a chip early with high temperature paint, keep the grill covered, and empty the ash catcher after every cook, because wet ash sitting in the bowl is what eats a kettle from the bottom up.
Gaskets, bands and hinges
A kamado's felt gasket is the strip around the rim of the base and the dome, and it's what lets the vents control the fire. Once it wears, crushes or burns, air leaks past it, the fire runs hotter than the vents say it should, and holding a low temperature gets hard. Gaskets wear fastest on kamados that get run at very high temperatures for pizza or searing, and they're a normal replacement part every few years rather than a fault.
The tell is smoke leaking around the rim when the lid is closed and the vents are mostly shut. Do a dollar note test: close the lid on a note at a few points around the rim, and if it slides out easily, the gasket isn't sealing there. Replacement gaskets are model-specific, so note your model code. The Kamado Joe picks are BJ24RH for the Big Joe and KJ13RH for the Joe Jr, and the vidaXL listing gives part number 316093, which is what you'll search for when a part goes.
The metal bands that hold the dome to the base, the hinge and the springs that make the heavy lid liftable are the other wear points on a kamado. Check the band bolts once a season, because they loosen as the ceramic expands and contracts through hundreds of heat cycles, and a loose band lets the dome sit off centre so the gasket stops sealing. A light film of high temperature grease on the hinge pin keeps it moving, and rust on the bands is cosmetic until it reaches the bolts.
Charcoal, lighting and ash
Lump charcoal and briquettes both work in every pick, and the choice mostly comes down to taste and ash. Lump charcoal lights faster, burns hotter and leaves less ash, which suits kamados because ash builds up in the firebox and chokes the airflow. Briquettes burn more evenly and for longer in a kettle, and they're easier to set up in a two-zone fire. Avoid briquettes with lighter fluid already in them on a kamado, because the ceramic soaks up the smell.
Light the fire with a chimney starter or natural fire lighters, not liquid lighter fluid. The Everdure CUBE 360 lists electric ignition, though the listing doesn't say how it's powered, so check whether it needs a power point or batteries before you take it camping. If you use a mains electric charcoal lighter at home, run it from a safety switch protected outdoor power point, keep the lead clear of the grill and unplug it once the coals catch, because a lead melted against a hot kettle is a common way to blow a fuse.
Ash is where most charcoal grills lose airflow and start rusting. The Weber kettles both use the One-Touch cleaning system, which sweeps ash through the bottom vents into a removable aluminium ash catcher, and the CUBE 360 lists a removable ash tray. Kamados need the ash raked out of the bottom vent once the grill is cold. Let ash sit for at least a day after a cook before you bin it, in a metal bucket, because coals buried in ash can stay hot far longer than they look.
Size, weight and where it lives
Size a charcoal BBQ by what you cook, not by the box. The Weber kettles are 22 inch, about 57cm across the grate, and the listings say both fit 13 burgers. The Kamado Joe Big Joe is a 24 inch kamado with 450 square inches of cooking space across a 2-tier divide and conquer system, according to its listing. The Joe Jr is 13.5 inches, about 34cm, and the vidaXL 2-in-1's cooking grid is 26.5cm, the smallest of the picks that state a grate size.
Weight is the thing people forget with kamados. Amazon's item data puts the Joe Jr at about 34kg, which is portable only in the sense that two people can lift it into a car, and the Big Joe at about 160kg, which needs its cart and locking wheels to move at all. The CUBE 360 is about 10.5kg in item data, and the vidaXL 2-in-1 about 17kg. Decide where a big kamado lives before it arrives, because you'll move it once and then leave it there.
Give any charcoal grill at least a metre of clear space from fences, walls, timber decking and anything that burns, and keep it out of a garage, a carport or any covered space. Charcoal produces carbon monoxide, which builds up in enclosed spaces, so these grills belong in open air. The Everdure Cube listing talks about grilling indoors, and I'd ignore that part entirely and use it outside. A paver or a heat-proof mat under it protects a deck from falling embers.
Fire bans and the summer rules
Charcoal BBQs are solid fuel fires in the eyes of the Rural Fire Service, and that changes what you can use on a total fire ban day. On those days in NSW, wood and charcoal fired BBQs aren't allowed, while gas and electric BBQs can be used under conditions. Check the RFS fire danger rating for your area on hot, windy summer days before you light anything, and have a hose or a bucket of water within reach whenever a charcoal grill is going.
Wind is the other summer risk. Embers lift out of an open kettle or a kamado with the lid up, and on a dry, gusty afternoon they travel further than you'd think. Keep the lid closed as much as you can, light the fire out of the wind, and never leave a lit charcoal grill unattended. When you're done, close every vent fully on a kamado and the dampers on a kettle, which starves the fire and lets the leftover charcoal be relit next time.
Don't put a hot grill away under a cover. Covers are for a cold grill, and a cover over a kettle that still has live coals in it melts or catches. Leave it uncovered overnight with the vents shut, and cover it the next morning. That habit also keeps rain out of a kamado's ceramic between cooks, which matters for the cracking problem above.
Thermometers, phones and the heat
This is the part an electronics workshop actually sees. Long kamado cooks bring out wireless meat thermometers, Bluetooth probes, phones running the thermometer app and a speaker on the side table, and all of them spend hours beside a fire. The most common fault is heat: a phone left on a kamado's side shelf in the sun, or a probe's transmitter sitting on the hot dome, cooks its battery long before the brisket is done.
Keep the probe's base unit and any phone off the grill, out of direct sun and out of the smoke, which leaves a sticky film on screens and ports over a long cook. Lithium batteries don't like heat, and a battery that's been cooked swells, which pushes up the screen or the back of a phone. If that happens, stop charging it straight away and bring it into our Erina phone repair shop before the swelling cracks anything.
Smoke and grease are the slow problem. A speaker or a security camera mounted under the eaves above the BBQ area collects a greasy film that clogs its vents and speaker mesh over a summer. Move the grill away from them or move them, and wipe them down at the end of the season. Our guide to bad chargers and what they do to batteries covers the charging side of looking after anything that lives outdoors.
The 6 picks, $276 to $2,015
Prices are Amazon AU at time of writing (2026-11-14) and move week to week. Ranks are Amazon AU category sales ranks, checked the same day, with the overall Amazon AU rank alongside because the six picks sit in two different categories.
Everdure by Heston Blumenthal CUBE 360 Portable Charcoal BBQ
ASIN B0C648X65R • $276.00 • Ships from Amazon AU
The Everdure by Heston Blumenthal CUBE 360 is the lowest-priced pick of the six and the one built to travel. Amazon AU lists it at $276 and sells it itself, and it ranks #19 in Amazon AU's Charcoal Grills category and #4,237 overall on the site, the second best-ranked of the picks after the Weber kettle. It's a compact box grill for picnics, camping and small balconies rather than a backyard centrepiece. The listing pitches a 360 degree cooking surface for even grilling, and its part number is HBCUBE360B. Everdure also sells the plain Cube in several colours, a separate model that the listing for this one doesn't cover, so check you're on the 360 if the electric ignition is the reason you're buying it.
The features that set it apart are electric ignition, which the listing says gets the charcoal ready fast, and a removable ash tray for cleanup. Amazon's item data puts it at about 38 by 27cm and 32cm high, and about 10.5kg, so one person can carry it to the car. That makes it the lightest of the six by a long way. The listing says it's built from materials that last multiple seasons, but it doesn't state what they are, the cooking area, a warranty or what the ignition runs on. For a grill sold on convenience, that's a fair amount left unsaid, and the manual is worth reading before the first trip.
That last gap is the one I'd chase before a camping trip, because a charcoal grill whose ignition needs a power point is a different thing at a campsite. Ask Amazon AU or Everdure if the manual isn't clear. Use it on a heat-proof surface rather than a timber table, keep it out of the wind, and let it cool fully before it goes back in the boot. Empty the ash tray each time so damp ash doesn't sit against the steel. It's a small grill, so plan on cooking in two batches for more than four people.
Honest caveats: The listing doesn't state what powers the electric ignition, the cooking area, the materials or a warranty. It's a small portable grill, so it suits two to four people rather than a backyard party. Use it outdoors only, on a heat-proof surface.
Best for: Couples and campers who want a light charcoal grill for picnics, the beach and small balconies.
Price: $276 (Amazon AU) • Type: Portable charcoal grill • Ignition: Electric, power source not stated • Ash: Removable ash tray • Size: About 38 x 27 x 32cm (item data) • Weight: About 10.5kg (item data) • Part number: HBCUBE360B • Rank: #19 in Charcoal Grills, #4,237 overall on Amazon AU
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Weber Original Kettle 22 Inch Charcoal Grill, Black
ASIN B00004RALU • $299.00 • Ships from Amazon AU
The Weber Original Kettle 22 inch is the best-ranked charcoal BBQ of the six picks, and it's the one I'd send most people to first. Amazon AU lists it at $299 and sells it itself, and it ranks #5 in Amazon AU's Charcoal Grills category and #2,231 overall. It's the classic kettle: a porcelain enamelled bowl and lid on three legs, with dampers in the bowl and lid for temperature control. The listing says it fits up to 13 burgers made with a Weber burger press, which is plenty for a family barbecue. A kettle this size also handles a two-zone fire, coals on one side and food on the other, which is how you roast a chicken or a leg of lamb with the lid on. Plenty of charcoal recipes are written with a kettle like this one in mind.
The porcelain enamel lid and bowl hold heat and won't rust or peel, according to the listing. The One-Touch cleaning system sweeps ash through the bottom vents into a removable aluminium ash catcher, which is the feature that keeps a kettle going for years, because it makes emptying the ash quick enough that people actually do it. There's a lid hook so the lid doesn't go on the ground, and Weber's 3D assembly instructions are available through the free BILT app. The part number is 741001, which is worth noting because Weber sells several kettle versions and the parts differ between them. There's no thermometer in the lid, so a probe thermometer at grate level does the job for roasts and anything cooked indirectly.
What it doesn't have is a lid thermometer, a hinged grate or a warming rack, which the Master-Touch adds, and the listing doesn't state a warranty, so ask Amazon AU if that matters to you. Buy a cover with it, empty the ash catcher after every cook and touch up any chip in the enamel before it rusts. Looked after like that, a kettle like this one can last a very long time. Replacement grates, ash catchers and handles are common parts, which is part of why so many kettles stay in use for decades. If the legs get wobbly, tighten their screws before they strip.
Honest caveats: There's no lid thermometer, hinged grate or warming rack on this model, so adding charcoal mid-cook means lifting the food off. The listing doesn't state a warranty. Enamel chips from knocks rust if they're left bare, so touch them up early, and the thin steel loses heat quickly on a windy day.
Best for: Families who want a proven 22 inch kettle for weekend grilling, at a modest price.
Price: $299 (Amazon AU) • Type: 22 inch charcoal kettle • Capacity: Up to 13 burgers • Finish: Porcelain enamelled lid and bowl • Ash: One-Touch cleaning, removable aluminium ash catcher • Thermometer: Not listed • Part number: 741001 • Rank: #5 in Charcoal Grills, #2,231 overall on Amazon AU
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vidaXL 2-in-1 Kamado Barbecue Grill Smoker, Ceramic, 56 cm, Black
ASIN B0B2TH2DTN • $381.99 • Sold by vidaXL AU on Amazon AU
The vidaXL 2-in-1 kamado is the lowest-priced ceramic kamado of the six picks, and it's a way to try ceramic cooking without spending close to a thousand dollars. Amazon AU lists it at $381.99 from vidaXL AU, and it ranks #354 in Amazon AU's Outdoor Smokers category and #130,136 overall, the weakest rank of the picks. It's a small glazed ceramic kamado on powder coated steel feet, with a built-in thermometer and a ventilated lid. The 56cm in the title matches the height in Amazon's item data rather than the grill size. vidaXL also sells this kamado in red as a separate listing, and a 33cm version with side shelves, so read the title closely before you order. It's the one ceramic pick of the six sold by a local storefront rather than Amazon AU itself.
The cooking grid is 26.5cm across, according to the listing, which is the smallest grate of the picks that state one and suits two people or a small cook. The listing says it grills, smokes, bakes and cooks, which is the same set of jobs any kamado does at a smaller scale. Amazon's item data puts it at about 17kg, light for a ceramic kamado. Its part number is 316093, which is worth writing down for the day you need a gasket or a grate. The listing calls the exterior a glazed, pitted finish, which is typical of lower-priced kamados and hides fingerprints and small marks well. There's no cart, stand or side shelf listed, so plan on a heat-proof table or paver to stand it on.
The listing doesn't state a warranty, the thickness of the ceramic, a gasket or whether the firebox is a separate part, so treat it as a starter kamado rather than a lifetime one. Bring it up to temperature slowly, keep it covered and dry between cooks, and keep it off timber decking. A small kamado like this one is also more prone to overshooting, so make vent changes in small steps. If you outgrow it in a year, it still makes a useful second grill for small cooks and side dishes.
Honest caveats: The 26.5cm grid is the smallest of the picks that state a grate size. The listing doesn't state a warranty, ceramic thickness, gasket or firebox details. Its sales rank is the weakest of the six, and it's sold by vidaXL AU rather than Amazon AU.
Best for: Couples who want to try ceramic kamado cooking on a small scale before spending more.
Price: $381.99 (vidaXL AU) • Type: Ceramic kamado grill and smoker • Grid: 26.5cm • Height: 56cm • Control: Built-in thermometer, ventilated lid • Weight: About 17kg (item data) • Part number: 316093 • Rank: #354 in Outdoor Smokers, #130,136 overall on Amazon AU
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Weber Master-Touch 22 Inch Charcoal Grill, Smoke
ASIN B01BKL3IWY • $637.13 • Ships from Amazon AU
The Weber Master-Touch 22 inch is the kettle step-up of the six picks, for people who grill most weekends and want the conveniences the Original Kettle leaves out. Amazon AU lists it at $637.13 and sells it itself, and it ranks #49 in Amazon AU's Charcoal Grills category and #10,079 overall. It's the same 22 inch kettle shape, with a porcelain enamelled lid and bowl that the listing says resists rusting, cracking and peeling at high grilling temperatures. It also fits 13 burgers, according to the listing. Smoke in the title is the colour of the enamel, a grey finish that shows ash less than black does. For someone who already knows they like kettle cooking, it's the version that takes the fiddly parts out of it.
The differences are in the details. The cooking grate is hinged, so you can add charcoal mid-cook without lifting the food off, and it's compatible with Weber's Gourmet BBQ System inserts. There's a warming rack to keep food warm or toast buns, char baskets for setting up a two-zone fire, and a Tuck-Away lid holder on the side so the lid never goes on the ground. The One-Touch cleaning system sweeps ash into a high-capacity removable ash catcher. The part number is 14510601, which is the code to quote when you order parts. The char baskets are the feature I'd use most, because they hold the coals in two neat piles against the sides of the bowl and leave the middle free for indirect cooking.
For a kettle that gets used every weekend, the hinged grate and the char baskets are the two features I'd pay for, because they make indirect cooking far easier. The listing doesn't state a warranty, so check with Amazon AU before you order. Keep it covered, empty the ash catcher after every cook and wipe the warming rack before it gets sticky, and a Master-Touch should outlast a few lower-priced grills. Oil the hinge on the grate now and then so it doesn't stiffen, and keep the char baskets out of the rain.
Honest caveats: It costs about twice the Original Kettle for the same 22 inch cooking area, so the extra money buys convenience rather than capacity. Gourmet BBQ System inserts are sold separately. The listing doesn't state a warranty or say whether a lid thermometer is fitted.
Best for: Regular grillers who want a hinged grate, char baskets and a lid holder on a 22 inch kettle.
Price: $637.13 (Amazon AU) • Type: 22 inch charcoal kettle • Capacity: 13 burgers, plus warming rack • Grate: Hinged, Gourmet BBQ System compatible • Extras: Char baskets, Tuck-Away lid holder • Ash: One-Touch cleaning, high-capacity ash catcher • Part number: 14510601 • Rank: #49 in Charcoal Grills, #10,079 overall on Amazon AU
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Kamado Joe Joe Jr 13.5 Inch Portable Ceramic Charcoal BBQ with Stand, Red
ASIN B00IJ74RBO • $941.00 • Ships from Amazon AU
The Kamado Joe Joe Jr is the small ceramic kamado of the six picks, for balconies, small patios and people who want kamado cooking without the bulk. Amazon AU lists it at $941 and sells it itself, and it ranks #318 in Amazon AU's Charcoal Grills category and #65,237 overall. It's a 13.5 inch, about 34cm, ceramic kamado with a thick ceramic body that the listing says holds stable temperatures. Its model code is KJ13RH, and it comes in red. The size suits a couple or a small family, and the cooking grate takes a couple of steaks, a small chicken or a tray of wings rather than a full family barbecue. It's the kamado I'd suggest for someone who mostly cooks for two and wants the ceramic heat hold.
The box is the most complete of the kamado picks. The listing includes the grill stand, a stainless steel grate, a heat deflector for smoking and indirect cooking, and an ash tool for raking out the firebox. That heat deflector is what turns it from a hot grill into a proper low and slow smoker. The listing calls it lightweight and portable, but Amazon's item data puts it at about 34kg, so it's portable between the garage and the patio rather than in and out of a car every weekend. With the stand fitted, it sits at a comfortable working height on a patio, and the stand keeps the hot base off the paving.
The listing doesn't state a warranty, which the Big Joe's does, so ask Amazon AU before you order. A small kamado has less thermal mass than a big one, so it's quicker to overshoot. Make vent changes in small steps and wait between them. Keep it covered, run a gentle low fire to dry it out after rain, and check the gasket for smoke leaks once a season, because the gasket is what keeps a low temperature low. Rake out the ash before every long cook, because a choked bottom vent is the usual reason a kamado won't come up to heat.
Honest caveats: At about 34kg in item data, it's portable for two people rather than one. The listing doesn't state a warranty or the cooking area beyond its 13.5 inch size. A small kamado overshoots temperature more easily than a big one.
Best for: Small patios and balconies that want proper kamado smoking in a 13.5 inch ceramic grill with its stand.
Price: $941 (Amazon AU) • Type: 13.5 inch ceramic kamado • In the box: Stand, stainless grate, heat deflector, ash tool • Weight: About 34kg (item data) • Colour: Red • Warranty: Not stated on the listing • Model: KJ13RH • Rank: #318 in Charcoal Grills, #65,237 overall on Amazon AU
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Kamado Joe Series I Big Joe 24 Inch Ceramic Charcoal BBQ Grill
ASIN B00IIUO9FQ • $2,015.00 • Ships from Amazon AU
The Kamado Joe Series I Big Joe is the biggest and highest-priced pick of the six, a full-size 24 inch ceramic kamado for people who cook for a crowd. Amazon AU lists it at $2,015 and sells it itself, and it ranks #157 in Amazon AU's Charcoal Grills category and #31,397 overall, ahead of the Joe Jr. The listing gives 450 square inches of cooking space, a cart with locking wheels and a cast iron top vent for holding a steady temperature. Its model code is BJ24RH. Amazon AU lists a release date of December 2020 for this Series I version, and Kamado Joe sells later series with more features, so this is the plainer and older of the range. For most people, that plainness is fine, because the ceramic and the vents do the work.
The 2-tier divide and conquer cooking system lets you cook different foods at different temperatures at the same time, according to the listing, for example searing low over the coals on one side while something sits higher up on the other. The cooking grates are stainless steel. It's the one kamado of the picks with a stated warranty, a limited lifetime warranty on the ceramics, which matters on a grill this size because a cracked dome is the expensive failure. Amazon's item data lists it at about 160kg, which is the heaviest of the six by a very long way. On a hot, steady cook it can hold its temperature for many hours on one load of lump charcoal, which is the main reason people pay this much.
That weight is why the cart matters. Plan where it lives before it's delivered, on a level paved area away from the house and any timber, because you won't move it far once it's assembled. Register the warranty, bring it up to temperature slowly in the first few cooks, keep it covered and dry between them, and check the band bolts and gasket every season. Looked after, a big kamado is a grill you buy once. Get a fitted cover for it on day one, and keep the cart wheels locked whenever it's lit.
Honest caveats: It's the highest-priced pick by a long way and very heavy, about 160kg in item data, so it needs a permanent level spot. Gaskets and band bolts need seasonal checks. Big kamados take a long time to cool if you overshoot.
Best for: Keen cooks who smoke for a crowd and want a 24 inch kamado with a cart and a lifetime warranty on the ceramics.
Price: $2,015 (Amazon AU) • Type: 24 inch ceramic kamado • Cooking area: 450 square inches • System: 2-tier divide and conquer • Vent: Cast iron top vent • Cart: Included, locking wheels • Warranty: Limited lifetime on ceramics • Model: BJ24RH • Rank: #157 in Charcoal Grills, #31,397 overall on Amazon AU
View on Amazon AUSide-by-side comparison
What we see fail in the workshop: electronics beside the BBQ
Charcoal grills themselves don't come into an electronics workshop, but plenty of what sits beside them on a long cook does. Wireless thermometers, phones running the probe app, speakers and outdoor cameras all spend summer afternoons next to a fire, and the faults that follow are predictable. These are the three I'd plan around, because each one costs far more to fix than the thermometer or lead that caused it.
Phones cooked on the side shelf
A phone left on a kamado's side shelf in the sun, running a thermometer app for hours, gets far hotter than it's designed for. Lithium batteries age fast when they're hot, and a battery that's been cooked repeatedly can swell, which pushes up the screen or the back glass. If a phone starts lifting at the edges, stop charging it and bring it in. A swollen battery is a straightforward replacement when it's caught early, and a much bigger job once it has cracked the screen.
Probe thermometers on the hot dome
Wireless probe thermometers are built for the probe to go in the meat and the transmitter to stay cool. Sitting the transmitter or its charging base on a hot kamado dome melts its case and cooks its battery, and the usual result is a probe that won't hold a charge or drops its connection halfway through a brisket. Keep the base unit on the table, out of the sun and smoke, and charge it inside after the cook rather than out on the patio.
Leads, lighters and melted plugs
Electric charcoal lighters and outdoor leads run close to hot metal, and a lead draped across a kettle melts its insulation in seconds. That's how a BBQ afternoon ends with a tripped safety switch or a scorched power point. Run any lead from a safety switch protected outdoor point, keep it on the ground away from the grill and unplug the lighter once the coals catch. A lead with melted or cracked insulation goes in the bin rather than back in the shed.
Decision tree: which one should you actually buy?
- Want one charcoal grill for weekend sausages and steak? → The Weber Original Kettle 22 inch at $299 is the best-ranked of the six picks, fits 13 burgers and has One-Touch ash cleanup.
- Need a charcoal grill for camping and the beach? → The Everdure CUBE 360 at $276 is about 10.5kg with a removable ash tray, but check how its electric ignition is powered first.
- Grill every weekend and want more than the basic kettle? → The Weber Master-Touch at $637.13 adds a hinged grate, char baskets, a warming rack and a lid holder.
- Want to try ceramic kamado cooking on a small scale? → The vidaXL 2-in-1 kamado at $381.99 has a 26.5cm grid, or step up to the Kamado Joe Joe Jr at $941 with a stand and heat deflector.
- Smoking for a crowd and want a grill you buy once? → The Kamado Joe Big Joe at $2,015 has 450 square inches, a cart and a limited lifetime warranty on the ceramics.
- Phone or thermometer cooked on the grill? → Stop charging it if the battery has swollen. Bring it into our Erina workshop and we'll check the battery and tell you what it needs before you spend anything.
Frequently asked questions
Is a kamado better than a Weber kettle?
They're better at different things. A kettle like the Weber Original heats up and cools down quickly, which suits regular grilling, and it costs a fraction of a big kamado. A ceramic kamado holds a steady temperature for hours, which is what you want for long low and slow smoking, but it's heavier, slower to adjust and more expensive. If you mostly grill, a kettle is enough. If you want to smoke briskets and pork shoulders, a kamado is the better tool.
Why do kamado grills crack?
Mostly thermal shock. When a kamado has soaked up rain and is then lit and taken straight to a high temperature, the water inside the ceramic turns to steam faster than it can escape, and the firebox or fire ring splits. Bring it up to temperature slowly, keep it covered between cooks, dry it with a gentle low fire after rain and never hose cold water onto hot ceramic. Firebox cracks are common and usually don't stop it working.
Can you use a charcoal BBQ on a total fire ban day?
Not in NSW. On a total fire ban day, wood and charcoal fired BBQs aren't permitted, while gas and electric BBQs can be used under conditions. Check the Rural Fire Service fire danger rating for your area before lighting a charcoal grill on hot, windy summer days, keep water nearby whenever it's lit and never leave it unattended. Rules differ between states, so check your own state's fire service if you're outside NSW.
Can you use a charcoal BBQ in a garage or carport?
No. Burning charcoal produces carbon monoxide, which builds up in enclosed and partly enclosed spaces, so every charcoal grill belongs in open air. Even a portable grill like the Everdure Cube, whose listing talks about grilling indoors, should only ever be used outside. Keep it at least a metre from walls, fences and timber decking, and put a paver or heat-proof mat under it to catch embers. A carbon monoxide alarm in the house is a sensible extra if the BBQ area sits close to a door or window.
How often do kamado gaskets need replacing?
Every few years for most people, sooner if you cook pizza or sear at very high temperatures often. The sign is smoke leaking around the rim with the lid closed and the vents mostly shut, and a low temperature that keeps creeping up. Close the lid on a dollar note at a few points around the rim, and if it slides out easily, the gasket isn't sealing there. Replacement gaskets are model-specific, so keep your model code handy.
How do you clean ash out of a charcoal BBQ?
Wait until the grill is completely cold, ideally the next day. On the Weber kettles, the One-Touch cleaning system sweeps ash through the bottom vents into a removable ash catcher, which you empty into a metal bucket. On a kamado, rake the ash out of the bottom vent with an ash tool. Empty it after every cook or two, because ash blocks airflow and wet ash sitting in the bowl is what rusts a kettle from the bottom.
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Phone or thermometer cooked on the BBQ?
Phones and wireless thermometers that spend a long cook beside the grill often work fine that afternoon and then won't hold a charge, or start lifting at the screen, a week or two later. Stop charging anything that's swollen and bring it into our Erina workshop. We'll check the battery and tell you what it needs before you spend anything.
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