The Akorn Kamado grills from Char Griller have been getting a lot of attention in the barbecue world and it is easy to understand why. The Akorn cookers are surprisingly good kamado style grills at a fraction of the cost of a Big Green Egg.
Char Griller offers three versions of the Akorn including a ceramic model that was introduced in 2018. Let’s review the pros and cons of these grills and see if one of them is right for you.
Metal Akorn Kamado Grills
Char Griller has two versions of their metal kamado, one with a 14 inch grate and the other with a 20 inch grate. Despite the simplicity of the product line, Char Griller makes things confusing by having six different models of the 20 inch and two 14 inch models.
In general, the only differences between the models is where they are sold. For example, Model 6719 is available at Lowes while Model 16620 is available at Home Depot. Cosmetic differences include colors (black, red, blue, graphite) and whether the grill has side tables or a cart. At the core though, all of these grills are identical.
Specifications for the 20 inch Metal Kamado grills
- Primary Cooking Area: 314 square inches
- Primary Cooking Grate: Porcelain enameled cast iron
- Weight: 97 pounds
- Construction: Insulated triple wall steel. Exterior is powder coated, interior is porcelain enameled.
These grills come with a removable warming rack, folding side tables and large wheels for easy movement across your deck. The top and bottom air vents have calibration marks allowing you to easily reproduce your temperature settings.
Specifications for the 14 inch Metal Kamado Grills (Akorn Jr)
- Primary Cooking Area: 153 square inches
- Primary Cooking Grate: Porcelain enameled cast iron
- Weight: 40 pounds
- Construction: Insulated triple wall steel. Exterior is powder coated, interior is porcelain enameled.
The Akorn Jr does not come with a warming rack,wheels or side tables. The Jr is available in red and black and comes with side handles so you can easily pick it up and take it wherever you want to go.
Benefits of the Metal Kamados
Affordability: These grills are the cheapest way to experience grilling and smoking with a kamado style grill. The absolute best kamado grills cost well over $1,000 which is a price point out of reach for most people.
Lightweight: Kamados like the Big Green Egg are HEAVY. Transporting an Egg is not a trivial matter and if you are not careful then it is easy to drop the cooker and crack the ceramic. It is easy to move the Akorn grills around and even if you mange to drop them then all you will do is put a dent in the outer shell. While a dent might be unattractive it sure beats the heck out of broken ceramics.
Performance: The insulated triple wall steel design on these kamados is extremely effective at holding in the heat. The folks over at Naked Whiz did a comparison study and found that the Akorn was more efficient at heat retention than a Big Green Egg.
Drawbacks of the Metal Kamados
Longevity: The biggest knock on these grills is that, like all Char Griller products, they are not built to last. The main failure mode I have seen on these grills comes from rust at the ash disposal pan.
Once the ash pan starts rusting like this the grill has massive air leaks and your ability to control the airflow/temperature is greatly diminished. Eventually the ash catcher rusts out completely and falls off the grill thus rendering it useless.
I have read different timelines for how long it takes the rust to set in. Some folks say one year while others have gone for five or six years. The corrosion can be delayed by keeping the ashes cleaned out and using a cover.
Accessories: These grills need two accessories to be as functional as you need and it is frustrating that they have to be bought separately. To do serious “low and slow” barbecue you are going to need the heat deflector stone. To do serious high heat searing you are going to need the adjustable charcoal grate to get the coals close enough to the meat.
Both of these accessories work great but they should already be included with the grill since they are needed to make the grill work properly.
Reviews of the Akorn Metal Kamados
Below is a snapshot of the reviews for the 20 inch version sold at Lowes.
As of 7/25/18 the grill has an average rating of 4.5 stars from total 290 reviews. 87% of owners would recommend this product.
The negative reviews are extremely consistent. In general they say that the grill is amazing when you first buy it but that the rust makes the grill unusable too soon. Customer service from Char Griller is also a negative since they will not do anything about the rusted parts.
Should You Buy This Grill?
Tough question!
The Akorn is an inexpensive way to experiment with kamado cooking and see if you like the technique and results. As long as you go into the purchase with the understanding that the grill probably won’t last that long then I think you are going to be pretty happy.
You can buy an Akorn and if you don’t like kamado grilling then you aren’t going to be out much money. If you find that you love kamado grilling then you will have a year or two to save up enough cash to buy a Kamado Joe.
Ceramic Akorn Kamado Grill
In 2018 Char Griller stepped up to the big time and introduced it’s first real ceramic kamado grill. The grill is budget priced and designed to compete against Pit Boss Kamados as well as Big Green Eggs.
Specifications for the 20 inch Ceramic Kamado grills
- Main Grilling Area: 324 Square inches
- Primary Cooking Grate: Two half moon porcelain enameled cast iron
- Weight: 224 pounds
- Construction: Ceramic body and firebox
The ceramic kamado comes with folding side tables, a shock absorbing plunger for lid protection, upgraded dome thermometer and a top air vent that offers a level of rain protection.
One of the nicest features on the grill is the innovative lower air intake vent. The vent actually doubles as a removable ash catcher that slides out for easy cleaning.
Reviews for the 20 inch Ceramic Kamado
Since these grills are relatively new to the market the number of real user reviews is limited. Here is a snapshot of the reviews from customers at Lowes.
The grill has a 4.5 star rating and is recommended by 94% of reviewers. The few negative reviews concern grills that were damaged during delivery and do not reflect the actual performance of the grill.
While it is too early to have any information on the longevity of the ceramic grills there is no reason to think that they won’t last as long as all of the other ceramics on the market. There will not be any rust issues with this grill and, unless you crack it, the grill should last for decades.
What About You?
If you have a ceramic Akorn I would love it if you would be willing to share your experiences with the grill, positive or negative. Drop a comment below!
