Kamado Joe Classic Joe I vs Kamado Joe Classic Joe II
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Quick take: The Kamado Joe Classic Joe I costs $500 less.
| Spec | Kamado Joe Classic Joe I | Kamado Joe Classic Joe II |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$1,000 | ~$1,500 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Kamado | Kamado |
| Cooking Area | 250 sq in | 250 sq in |
| Max Temp | 750°F | 750°F |
| Fuel Type | Charcoal | Charcoal |
| Build Material | Ceramic | Ceramic |
| Hopper Capacity | — | — |
| Burners | — | — |
| WiFi / App | No | No |
| App control | No | No |
| Meat probe | No | No |
| PID controller | No | No |
| Side burner | No | No |
| Rotisserie | No | No |
| Searing | Yes | Yes |
| Dimensions | 47.6 x 46.2 in | 47.6 x 46.2 in |
| Weight | 228 lbs | 228 lbs |
| Warranty | Limited lifetime warranty | Limited lifetime warranty |
Pros & cons
Kamado Joe Classic Joe I
- ✓$1,000 including the cart and folding side shelves, which Big Green Egg charges separately for
- ✓Two-tier Divide & Conquer rack ships standard, so two-zone cooking works out of the box
- ✓Slide-out ash drawer is faster and cleaner than scooping a ceramic base
- ✓Same limited lifetime warranty and 225-750°F range as the Series III above it
- ✓Stainless steel grates and a built-in dome thermometer at the entry price
- ✗Cast-iron daisy-wheel top vent is harder to set repeatably than the Series II Kontrol Tower and can seize when wet
- ✗No Air Lift hinge, so the full weight of the ceramic dome is on the wrist every time it opens
- ✗No SloRoller smoke chamber — that is a Series III and Konnected Joe feature
- ✗228 lbs on locking casters moves on a flat patio and nowhere else
- ✗Only 250 sq in for a grill this heavy and this wide once the shelves are out
Kamado Joe Classic Joe II
- ✓Kontrol Tower top vent stays where it is set and does not need re-dialing after every lid lift
- ✓Air Lift hinge drops the effective dome weight enough to open one-handed
- ✓Double-thick wire-mesh fiberglass gasket seals better and lasts longer than the felt gaskets it replaced
- ✓Two-tier Divide & Conquer, slide-out ash drawer and stainless grates all standard
- ✓A standalone version without the cart sells for $1,399.99 if it is going into a built-in surround
- ✗No more cooking area than the $999.99 Series I — the entire premium is vent, hinge and gasket
- ✗Still the two-tier rack; the three-tier Divide & Conquer needs Series III
- ✗No SloRoller hyperbolic smoke chamber at this tier
- ✗228 lbs, and the folding shelves push it to 46 inches wide in use