Kamado Smokers: Why You May Want a Kamado in Your Garden

BBQ Smoker — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 01:45:31 +0000

The Kamado style cooker or clay cooker has been around for many thousands of years. Globally considered one of the first BBQ smokers, the basic clay cooking vessel has evolved in several key ways: the Tandoor for example in India and in Japan, the Mushikamado; which a device designed to steam rice for ceremonial occasions.

Today’s modern Kamado cooker comes directly from this tradition – but with space age ceramic materials having taken over from clay.

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.

Americans first started to take an interest in it after the World War II but it wasn’t until the 1960′s when Richard Johnson patented his improved ceramic design that the commercial potential of the Mushikamado was fully exploited. The name Kamado name was also trade marked by Johnson but the word has become a somewhat generic term for this style of ceramic barbecue.

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.

Dragon Fire King Kamado Charcoal Grill

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In addition, the original paint has now been replaced by a high gloss ceramic glaze.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?

Dragonfire Kamado Ceramic Cooker The Dragon Fire King Kamado is a relative newcomer to...

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