Kamado Joe Classic II Review

The Kamado Joe Classic II is a quality design that will help you grill, bake, and smoke anything you can dream up.

DESIGN + VERSATILITY | Highly Versatile

If you’ve never heard of the Kamado Joe Classic II, you’re missing out big time. This could be considered the king of grills, both in durability and in capability.  Almost all users state that this grill beats the Big Green Egg, an iconic Kamado grill. The Kamado Joe is a master smoker of meats as it’s perfectly built for long and low cooking, but is also good for searing hot cooking, too. What makes the Kamado Joe Classic II unique is the exclusive divide and conquer flexible cooking system. It’s a multilevel, half-rack design that doubles cooking space and allows you to cook different foods on different levels. However, it can also be used as a one-level cooker if you don’t need the multi-surface component.

Almost all users state that this grill beats the Big Green Egg, an iconic Kamado grill.

The Kamado Joe Classic II not only grills, roasts, and bakes, but has outstanding smoking capabilities. This charcoal grill is designed for Kamado-style cooking, a 3,000-year-old cooking technique invented by the Japanese. This style of cooking traditionally uses ceramic cookware that holds and disperses heat exceptionally well. What’s great about Kamados is the ability to sear at high heat or enjoy a low and slow roast. Kamados can be used as grills, roasters, smokers, and pizza ovens and their versatility are nearly endless.The Kamado Joe Classic II can reach temperatures ranging from 225 to 750 degrees Fahrenheit…that’s a huge range! Due to the insulated and ceramic design, the Kamado Joe Classic II holds heat like no other. 

The firebox isn’t one solid piece of ceramic (unlike other ceramic grills, making them easy to break), but is made of 6 different panels of ceramic to prevent cracking. There’s an all-new, double-thick gasket that lines the outside edge of the lid and is made to handle extreme temperatures and maintain an air-tight seal. The stainless steel latch traps in heat and doesn’t let it go, unlike other smokers we’ve reviewed where the lid just rests on the body, allowing for heat to escape.

The stainless steel latch traps in heat and doesn’t let it go…

Another huge design feature for the Kamado Joe Classic II that is unique to ANY grill we’ve reviewed is the airlift hinge that reduces the weight of the lid by 96%. Ceramic grills are seriously heavy (they’re made of stone after all) and it’s pretty normal to have lids that weigh a ton, and are easy to break due to accidental slamming or falling during lifting or closing. This design feature is a lifesaver and makes lifting and keeping the lid open a breeze.

SAFETY + DURABILITY | Made to Last

Durability and safety for the Kamado Joe Classic II are outstanding. It has a patented, all-aluminum, no-rust, rain-proof top vent that helps maintain consistent air settings for precision air control during smoking. The outside of the Kamado Joe Classic II is made of ceramic, so although it won’t rust, there is always a risk (a very small risk) that it might crack, unlike conventional metal grills. Also, if you’re cooking in extreme cold make sure you warm up your Kamado Joe slowly to prevent cracking.

The outside of the Kamado Joe Classic II is made of ceramic…

Inside the Kamado Joe is a six-piece ceramic design that eliminates the chance of cracks, something that is common with conventional Kamados even though it doesn’t affect the effectiveness of their cooking abilities. The Kamado Joe cooks with charcoal, but if you’re really into grilling and smoking, natural lumps of charcoal are a more efficient choice for this smoker and grill. Natural lumps of charcoal get much hotter and can burn longer.

Six-piece ceramic interior hold heat and doesn’t crack

Safety for the Kamado Joe Classic II is somewhat better than other smokers we’ve reviewed, and outstanding compared to other ceramic grills we’ve reviewed. It rests on a heavy-duty rolling cast iron cart that will safely support the weight of this beast. This Kamado weighs about 190 pounds, so it’s very heavy. The cart has a wide base with four locking wheels, making it a little easier to move around on smooth surfaces. One downside is that it doesn’t have heavy duty rubber wheels that are so common with many grills today. Also, because your meat is cooking over the flames, it’s important to be aware of flare-ups and how to handle them. And, because the Kamado Joe Classic II can hold heat for long periods of time, just know that this bad boy can still be very hot long after you’re done cooking.

PERFORMANCE | Tons of Features

Ease-of-Use

The Kamado Joe Classic II is one of the easiest and highest quality ceramic smoker grills you’ll find. It has some truly unique and thoughtful features that will result in professional-style cooking. A top easy feature that this Kamado Joe offers is the Divide and Conquer Flexible Cooking System. This is a multilevel, half-rack design that doubles cooking space and frees you to cook different foods on different levels and on different cooking surfaces. That means you can cook your meat, veggies, and any other sides or different meat types that need different cooking temps. Super convenient!

You can cook your meat, veggies, and any other sides…that need different cooking temps.

Another huge feature that makes the Kamado Joe Classic II easier than any other ceramic grill we’ve reviewed is the airlift hinge that reduces the weight of the lid by 96%. Ceramic grills are seriously heavy (they’re made of stone after all) and it’s pretty normal to have lids that weigh a ton, and are easy to break due to accidental slamming or falling during lifting or closing. This design feature is a lifesaver and makes lifting and keeping the lid open a breeze. You can literally lift up the lid with one finger and stop wherever you want it to.

It also comes with a grill gripper, allowing you to grab the grill grate while it’s still hot. You do have to remove the cooking grate to add charcoal, but many users have said that they’ve cooked with the Kamado Joe Classic for over 18 hours without needing to add any charcoal. Since we’re talking about heat, let’s talk about how easy it is to cook with this grill. The Kamado Joe holds heat and really doesn’t compare to any other smoker we’ve reviewed. It’s a breeze to smoke, grill, bake, and roast as well as cook pizzas stone oven style like some top of the line outdoor pizza ovens on the market. There’s a stainless steel latch that traps in the heat as well.

It’s a breeze to smoke, grill, bake, and roast as well as cook pizzas…

Also, we can’t forget the patented slide-out ash drawer for easy cleaning. Other Kamado grills expect you to awkwardly sweep out the ash that collects beneath the fire box. The Classic II integrates a first-of-its-kind drawer that takes the hassle and mess out of emptying your ash. In addition to good easy features, the Classic II includes two plastic side tables for setting your supplies on, and it also has tool hooks for grilling tools. What’s even more, there’s a thermometer built into the lid of the Classic II, but we always recommend buying a separate grilling thermometer for extra heat precision.

Easy patented ashtray

Best Features

So how well does the Kamado Joe Classic II cook? To be honest, you probably can’t find a better more versatile grill. The multi-level design puts an end to batch-cooking and overcrowding. Tiered grates double your grilling space, making it super easy to cook meats, veggies, or any other sides you have planned. The half-moon heat deflector helps partially blocks off heat to provide both indirect heat and open flame at the same time. If you don’t want to use the multi-level design, you can adjust the grates to have one big surface as well.

Multi-tiered cooking ends batch cooking

The multi-level design puts an end to batch-cooking and overcrowding.

The easy-open dome includes a counterbalanced Air Lift Hinge that makes opening the heavy lid seriously easy. You can literally lift the lid with one finger and stop it wherever you want. Let’s talk about the heat that is trapped by this heavy duty lid. The Kamado Joe Classic II is one of the best grills on the market for holding and trapping heat. It has an airtight design with a top tower vent that helps you control heat with precision. The all-new, double-thick wire mesh fiberglass gasket is engineered to handle extreme temperatures and maintain a superior air-tight seal around the lid, with industry-leading heat technology that gives it 10 times the life of any other industry gasket.

The Kamado Joe Classic II has a heat range of 225 to 750 degrees Fahrenheit. This huge range is perfect for cooking almost anything, from smoking at long and low temperatures to high heat cooking for steaks, burgers, or stone-oven style pizzas. The grill grates can fit about 14 burgers, very comparable to other backyard grills.  Other featured innovations that come standard with the Classic II include an Advanced Multi-Panel Firebox to eliminate interior cracks, a heavy-duty rolling cast iron cart, and the patented slide-out ash drawer for easy cleaning.

PRICE + LONGEVITY |

Longevity

Due to the quality and durable construction of the Kamado Joe Classic II, this outstanding grill is sure to last for a long time. It’s always recommended that you buy a cover for any grill to increase the longevity. There are also a few features that can guarantee that the Classic II will last. The new double-thick wire mesh fiberglass gasket offers superior air-tight seal and 10 times the life of normal industry gaskets that line other grills for a good seal.

The Classic II will last for a very long time…

Also, the outside of the grill is made of coated ceramic, so it’s durable and not likely to rust. The top venting tower is also made of aluminum which is anti-rust. The cart that the Kamado Joe Classic II rests on is heavy-duty cast iron, which is coated but can rust over time. Ultimately, the Classic II will last for a very long time and will stand up to heavy use as long as it is well taken care of.

All-aluminum, no-rust vent

Price

The price tag on the Kamado Joe Classic II is hefty, but if you’re looking for a serious grill that does everything you can think of, and does it very well, then this is your grill. You could buy a grill, a smoker, and an outdoor pizza oven which would take up a lot of space AND cost a nice chunk of change. Or, you could buy the Classic II that has all the above capabilities in one compact unit that also is exceptional at what it does. Also, the website is extremely easy to navigate and has user manuals as well as warranty information.

PROS

• Multi-level design to cook with different heat at the same time
• No-rust design and extremely versatile
• Air Lift Hinge makes opening the lid easy
• Convenient side tables and easy ashtray

CONS

• Not portable due to heavy design
• Thermometer isn’t as accurate as separate grilling thermometers

THE BOTTOM LINE |

Its easy-open dome includes a counterbalanced Air Lift Hinge that makes opening the heavy lid seriously easy. The Kamado Joe Classic II has a heat range of 225 to 750 degrees Fahrenheit. This huge range is perfect for cooking almost anything, from smoking at long and low temperatures to high heat cooking for steaks, burgers, or stone-oven style pizzas. It has a sturdy and quality design that is sure to last you for a very long time and help you grill, bake, and smoke anything you can dream up!