The Mushikamado was typical of southern Japan and took the shape of a round clay pot with a removable domed clay lid. Further innovations for the basic clay pot included a damper and draft door for easy temperature control and it was charcoal fired as opposed to wood.
The Modern Kamado
Modern Kamado style ceramic barbecues are made of high fire ceramics and some such as the Big Green Egg use space age ceramics for heat retention performance and resistance from cracking during exposure to the elements.
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In addition, the original paint has now been replaced by a high gloss ceramic glaze.
Kamado Fuel Source
Kamado grills are lump wood charcoal burners. However, there are some modern examples of electric and gas fired versions.
Just as one of the claims of the ceramic construction is that there is no flavor contamination such as a metallic taste to the cooked food, lump wood charcoal is the preferred choice for modern kamado because of the lack of additives typical of briquettes.
The Kamado Offers Versatility
Kamado style cooker manufacturers claim that they are extremely versatile in that one can do a pizza (on a pizza stone) or even bake bread as well as the usual grilling and smoking. This is by virtue of the excellent heat retention properties of the ceramic shell that mean temperatures of up to 750°F can be achieved.
The only drawback I have found so far is the price – they’re not cheap. However, if they’re that good, maybe we don’t need to be too concerned with the price tag?
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