Buy a kamado if you smoke often and want one charcoal cooker that also sears. Buy a gas grill for fast weeknight meals, or a kettle if budget comes first. A thick ceramic kamado holds low heat for hours and climbs to searing heat on the same load of lump charcoal. A regular grill is faster to use, gives more grate for the money and can be moved.
Our tests backed that split. The Kamado Joe Classic Joe II smoked all night and seared on the same load of lump, but it's heavy and its grate is small. The Weber Original Kettle 22 grills, sears and smokes ribs for a fraction of the outlay.
Pick for the cook you do most in a normal week, not the showpiece cook you do twice a year.
How to Pick: Which One Fits You?
Your cooking habits point to the right grill.
Find the line that sounds like you, then jump to the section that backs it up.
| If you… | Buy | Read |
|---|---|---|
| Smoke brisket, pork or ribs at least once a month | Kamado | Smoking |
| Grill most nights after work | Gas grill | Ease of use |
| Want charcoal flavor on a small budget | Charcoal kettle | Worth the money? |
| Grill through cold, windy winters | Kamado | Smoking |
| Cook for 10 or more at once | Gas grill, or a kamado plus another grill | At a glance |
| Rent or rearrange the patio often | Anything but a kamado | At a glance |
Plenty of people who cook outdoors several times a week end up owning a kamado and a gas grill. If that's your path, start with the one that matches your most frequent cook.
Kamado vs Regular Grill at a Glance
The kamado wins on heat range; regular grills win on speed, space and price.
These figures come from our reviews of the Kamado Joe Classic Joe II, Weber Spirit E-325 and Weber Original Kettle 22.
| Kamado (Classic Joe II) | Gas (Spirit E-325) | Kettle (Original Kettle 22) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel | Lump charcoal | Propane | Briquettes or lump |
| Main grate | 250 sq in | 360 sq in | 363 sq in |
| Low-and-slow | Best: all night on one load | Weak smoke flavor | Good for ribs on one snake |
| Searing | Hottest of the three | Fast with the Sear Zone | Strong over direct coals |
| Weight | 227.7 lb (Kamado Joe) | About 98–103 lb | About 33 lb |
The kamado's grate is smaller, but its thick walls hold heat the steel cart can't.
How does a kamado cook differently?
Thick ceramic walls and a sealed lid hold heat like a masonry oven.
A kamado is an egg-shaped ceramic cooker with a gasket around the lid and two vents: a bottom intake and a top exhaust. With the lid closed, the only air comes through those vents.
The ceramic soaks up heat and radiates it back evenly, and the tight seal means charcoal burns slowly and food loses less moisture. Close the vents and it holds 225°F for half a day; open them wide and it climbs to searing heat.
A thin steel grill sheds heat through its walls. It needs more fuel and reacts to every gust of wind, but it also heats up and cools down quickly, which is exactly what makes a gas grill easy on a weeknight.
Which is better for smoking?
The kamado wins for long, steady low-and-slow cooks.
When we tested the Kamado Joe Classic Joe II, it held 225°F for over 12 hours on one load of lump during an overnight pork shoulder. It rode out a 37°F start and 16 mph gusts without trouble.
That's the core reason to buy one. Load the firebox, light it in one or two spots, set the vents and the fire burns slowly through the pile with no refueling. Smoking a brisket overnight on a kamado takes far less tending than on a steel smoker.
A kettle can smoke too. On the Weber Original Kettle 22, one snake-method load held 250°F for over 4 hours, enough for ribs, though an overnight cook means refueling.
Gas grills are poor smokers. A smoker box adds a little flavor, but they can't hold low heat with real smoke through a long cook.
Cold and wind make the gap wider. Thick ceramic barely notices the weather, while a steel kettle burns more fuel and swings in wind, and propane vaporizes more slowly in deep cold.
Which is better for searing?
Both sear well; the kamado gets hotter, the gas grill gets there easier.
The Classic Joe II passed 700°F in about 15 minutes from a cold start in our testing, hot enough for a hard steak crust and pizza. With the split-level Divide & Conquer racks, you can sear over open coals on one half while the other half cooks indirectly.
Both crust a thick steak; the gas grill just needs a knob turn instead of a vent routine.
A good gas grill doesn't need 700°F to crust a steak. The Weber Spirit E-325's Sear Zone crusted our ribeyes in under 3 minutes per side, with no charcoal to light or ash to empty.
On a kettle, bank the coals for a two-zone fire and sear over the hot side. You get the same sear-then-finish control a kamado's split racks give you.
Which is easier to use?
Gas is the easiest; a kamado takes a few cooks to learn.
A gas grill lights with a button and changes temperature in a minute or two. A kamado responds slowly, so the main beginner mistake is overshooting your target and waiting a long time for it to come back down.
These habits make a kamado easy:
- Approach your target from below. Start closing the vents about 25–50°F before your setpoint, then wait several minutes between changes.
- Burp the lid above about 400°F. Lift the dome an inch or two, pause a few seconds, then open fully, so a rush of air doesn't flare up as a fireball.
- Use the heat deflector for indirect cooks. The ceramic plate under the grate blocks direct heat so low-and-slow meat cooks like it would in an oven.
- Heat it gently after rain or a freeze. Ceramic can crack from fast heating when it's wet or frozen.
Watch out: a kamado that overshoots is slow to cool, so make small vent moves. Our charcoal grill temperature control guide explains vent basics that apply to kamados and kettles alike.
A kettle sits in between. Its vents respond faster than a kamado's, but it needs more attention on long cooks.
Is a kamado worth the money?
Only if you'll use both its low-and-slow and its searing range.
A kamado costs several times more than a kettle, and accessories like a heat deflector, a cover and a second-tier rack add to it. What you pay for is one cooker that does two jobs well, as the smoking and searing tests above show. The sealed ceramic burns charcoal slowly, so a load goes further than in a thin steel grill, and the ceramic carries a limited lifetime warranty.
The trade-offs are real. It's the heaviest grill here by far, its main grate is the smallest, and it rewards practice with the vents.
A kettle is the better value if you smoke now and then. The Weber Original Kettle 22 gives you more grate than the kamado, smokes a rack of ribs on one load and has a 10-year warranty on the bowl and lid.
A gas grill is the better value for weeknight cooking. The Weber Spirit E-325 has a bigger primary grate than the kamado and sears with a knob turn instead of a vent routine.
A kamado is worth it if you smoke at least once a month and grill through the winter. Otherwise, start with a kettle.
Still unsure?
A few quick questions settle the choice.
Run these last checks before you buy:
- Count your cooks: list last month's outdoor meals. If most took under an hour, buy a gas grill.
- Check the path to the patio: stairs or narrow gates make a kamado of over 200 lb a hard delivery.
- Measure your crowd: two packer briskets won't fit on a kamado's main grate. A large pellet grill or offset smoker handles big batches better.
- Test your patience: if learning vents sounds like a chore, skip charcoal altogether.
Still split? Start with a kettle. It's the low-risk way to learn charcoal before spending more, and our best charcoal grills picks compare it with kamados and smokers.
A kettle covers weeknight grilling and weekend ribs for a fraction of a kamado's price.
Our Picks: Which Grill Should You Buy?
Our top kamado, gas and charcoal models, matched to how you cook.
For smoking and searing on one fire, buy the Classic Joe II. If the Air Lift hinge and Kontrol Tower vent aren't worth the extra, the Classic Joe I gives you the same ceramic for less.
For weeknight grilling for one to four people, buy the Spirit E-325. For bigger groups, the Weber Genesis E-325 adds a 513 sq in grate and a separate sear burner that crusted ribeyes in under 2.5 minutes per side.
For charcoal flavor on a budget, buy the Original Kettle 22.
Best kamadoSmokes all night and sears hot on one load of lump, with split racks for two-zone cooks.
Best gas alternativeWeber Spirit E-325★ 4.5/5
Three burners and a Sear Zone for fast weeknight steaks, sized for 1–4 people.
Budget charcoalWeber Original Kettle 22"★ 4.7/5
Grills, sears and smokes ribs for the lowest outlay here.
Frequently Asked Questions
01Is a kamado grill worth it?
Yes, if it will replace both a smoker and a charcoal grill for you. A kamado holds low heat for hours and reaches searing heat on the same load of lump, so one cooker covers brisket and steak. It costs several times more than a kettle, weighs the most and has the smallest main grate. If you mostly grill quick meals, a gas grill is better value; if you're unsure, start with a kettle.
02Is a kamado better than a gas grill?
For smoking and cold-weather cooking, yes; for fast, easy weeknight meals, a gas grill is better. The Classic Joe II held 225°F for over 12 hours on one load of lump, which no gas grill matches with real smoke. A gas grill lights with a button and changes temperature in a minute or two, while a kamado responds slowly. Many owners end up keeping one of each.
03Kamado or kettle: which is better?
A kamado holds temperature better and uses less fuel, but a kettle is far cheaper, lighter and still very capable. The Original Kettle 22 weighs about 33 lb against the Kamado Joe's 227.7 lb, and its 363 sq in main grate is bigger. With a two-zone fire or a snake setup it sears hard and smokes ribs. Choose the kamado only if you'll run frequent overnight cooks.
04Big Green Egg or Kamado Joe: which is better?
We've tested Kamado Joe but not Big Green Egg, so we can't rank them. Both are ceramic kamados that cook the same way, with thick walls, a lid gasket and two vents. The Egg sells mainly through dealers, and stands and racks often cost extra; Kamado Joe's Classic models come with split-level racks. Compare what comes in the box, then pick by size and accessories.
05Do kamado grills crack?
Rarely. Most cracks come from drops during setup or from fast heating when the ceramic is wet or frozen. After rain or a freeze, bring the kamado up to temperature gently with small vent openings rather than a roaring fire. Check the gasket and metal bands each season too. If cracking worries you, an insulated steel kamado like the Char-Griller AKORN can't crack at all.
06Can a kamado stay outside all year?
Yes. Ceramic doesn't rust, and the thick walls barely notice cold or wind, which is why a kamado grills well through winter. Use a cover to protect the gasket and metal bands from rain, and close the vents between cooks so less water reaches the firebox. In freezing weather, heat it slowly so trapped moisture doesn't stress the ceramic, and check the gasket each spring.
07How long does a kamado take to heat up?
For searing, about 15 minutes: the Classic Joe II passed 700°F in that time from a cold start. For low-and-slow cooks, approach your target from below, start closing the vents about 25–50°F before the setpoint, and wait several minutes between changes. Overshooting is the main beginner mistake, because thick ceramic is slow to cool back down. Make small vent moves and give each one time to settle.
08Is a kamado grill fuel efficient?
Yes, a kamado is the most fuel-efficient charcoal grill here. The gasketed lid and thick ceramic mean only the vents feed air, so lump burns slowly; one load ran an overnight pork shoulder past 12 hours. A thin steel kettle sheds heat through its walls and needs refueling on overnight cooks. Close both vents after cooking to snuff the fire and save the leftover lump for next time.
The Takeaway
Don't pick a grill type; pick a job. A kamado is for smoking and searing on one fire, a gas grill is for fast weeknight meals and a kettle is the smart budget choice.
- Monthly brisket or pork shoulder: buy the Kamado Joe Classic Joe II.
- Kamado on a tighter budget: buy the Classic Joe I.
- Cheapest way into kamado cooking: the Char-Griller AKORN is a light, insulated steel kamado that won't crack.
- 18-inch kamado with shelves on a budget: the VEVOR 18-inch kamado adds lift assist and wheels for less.
- Kamado for a balcony or two people: the compact London Sunshine 15-inch kamado fits small spaces.
- Weeknight griller: buy the Weber Spirit E-325.
- Charcoal on a budget: buy the Weber Original Kettle 22.
- First kamado cook: try a smoked pork shoulder; it forgives vent mistakes.
Written by
Marcus Reilly
Head Pitmaster & Lead Tester
Marcus Reilly is a KCBS Certified Judge with 15 years of competition barbecue. He leads SmokyHQ’s smoker, pellet, charcoal and kamado testing, so if you’re choosing a cooker for brisket, ribs or overnight smokes, his reviews tell you which ones hold temperature and which ones fall short.
- Smokers
- Pellet Grills
- Charcoal & Kamado
- Low-and-Slow BBQ
- Temperature Control
Every grill is bought with our own money and scored on the same tests. How we test
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