So I walk into COSTCO.....

tz666

and the Kamado Joe rep has a giant set up in the middle with displays of all their stuff. I have 2 BGEs and numerous contraptions that go along with them. I grabbed a sack of lump off a pallet by his set up and he asked me what I was going to put it in. I told him Eggs and he gave me the sales pitch and showed me all about the new KJs. First off, Big Lump XL is legit. I dont know how much it cost but they had it on special $20 for a 30# bag. That is the largest pieces of lump I have ever seen in a bag. Now on to the KJs, they looked nice. If you havent seen them they have some new features that looked pretty interesting. There is a new cap that looks way nicer than the old school DW. It rotates out of the way on a hinge and it has a damper on the perimeter that can be opened much like the smokeware cap. It is a one piece deal, no need for putting the ceramic cap back when done. Also it has a woven wire mesh gasket from the factory so there is no need to replace with aftermarket as soon as you get one. It came with a 2 level cooking system with 2 half pizza stones. The bottom vent had a tray that you could just pull out and dump the ashes, I liked that idea. Also had nest with wing type fold out tables on each side. The fire box was a 5 piece design that he said reduced cracking. You may be able to find them online to check out the new features if you want to look. At the demo he had KJ with all stated above for 699.00 and XL for 1499.00. I asked and he said he was a dealer and these were full warranty items. I have heard that KJs warranty is not as fast acting as BGE. Im not trying to sway anyone, Im sticking with my eggs but I did enjoy seeing some possible innovation in the ceramic cooker world.
Trav

DoubleEgger

This thread seems familiar 

lousubcap

And here is the most recent related thread, I believe:

Innovations From the Dark Side  

SaintJohnsEgger

Does anyone know if that top cap will fit a LGBE?

That is quite honestly the only thing that interests me about the new KJ offerings.

tz666

My bad

lousubcap

@tz666 -  no worries.  Better to get the info more than once than not at all.  Nice write-up.

Photo Egg

$699 seems a little cheap even for a road show. Sure that is correct? New style?

tz666

yes it was cheap

nolabrew

I too went to Costco and saw a KJ display.  I looked at them for a hot second while the KJ guy stared at his phone.  Later he was staring at his phone in the middle of an aisle and another customer asked him if the aisle was closed and he gave the guy a **** smile and said "It doesn't look closed to me".  Then later still a guy asked the rep "Why should I buy one of these" and the rep didn't even look up from his phone and said "Well, do you know anything about them?"  the customer said no and the rep gave him a brochure.  Then the guy from Cutco (which was set up next to KJ) came over and started talking about how great KJ was. 

nolabrew

When did it start censoring words here? I thought this was AMERICA!

tenpenny_05

The new KJ cap has a lot of issue with the powder coat coming off. That being said, the new KJs come with accessories that would cost you  well over 200 dollars if you were to buy them a la carte. I sold my medium BGE to buy a used KJ classic and have not regretted the decision.

jaydub58

I have a KJ jr.  Great for cooking meals for two people.
If it's just wife and I, the cover stays on the large BGE a lot of the time.

SoCalTim

My lust cannot be sated with a cheap imitation, or even an expensive one. When you have lust in your heart, only a real Big Green Egg will do. #ForeverBigGreenEgg!

Firemanyz

I saw the new joe's at Lowes. Some of the features looked nice. I did like the top vent. Also the gasket did seem to be a superior product. 

DieselkW

I work part time at Costco, and when that roadshow shows up, a little Joe is going home with me.

I keep looking at the MiniMax, and can't justify the cost knowing the little Joe is less expensive with more options and a bigger grilling surface. 

I went on vacation, and the rental place had a gas grill. Next time, I'm bringing a little ceramic cooker with me.

Photo Egg

DieselkW said:

I work part time at Costco, and when that roadshow shows up, a little Joe is going home with me.

I keep looking at the MiniMax, and can't justify the cost knowing the little Joe is less expensive with more options and a bigger grilling surface. 

I went on vacation, and the rental place had a gas grill. Next time, I'm bringing a little ceramic cooker with me.

Kamado Joe Jr. does NOT have a bigger grilling surface than the BGE Mini Max that is also the same as the Small BGE at 13".

Hungry Joe

Photo Egg said:

DieselkW said:

I work part time at Costco, and when that roadshow shows up, a little Joe is going home with me.

I keep looking at the MiniMax, and can't justify the cost knowing the little Joe is less expensive with more options and a bigger grilling surface. 

I went on vacation, and the rental place had a gas grill. Next time, I'm bringing a little ceramic cooker with me.

Kamado Joe Jr. does NOT have a bigger grilling surface than the BGE Mini Max that is also the same as the Small BGE at 13".

They advertise 13.5" for the JR and 13" for the small with a 148.5 sq inch cooking area vs 133 sq inch for the Small. 
FWIW, my JR cooking grate measures 13.25". The ceramics inside rim to rim is 14" so I'm not sure how they measure. The size difference is basically meaningless in my opinion..

bigbadben

Did this thread already get buffaloed? 

northGAcock

DoubleEgger said:

This thread seems familiar 

I thought you were more of a Bubba Keg guy?

Mayberry

I've 99% convinced myself to buy a Joe Jr.  I went back and looked at the mini, minimax and small today, and I just like the joe Jr better.  I'm a die hard Egg fan and I love BGE.  But the cost, comparable warranty, inclusion of all the accessories, raised grate included, carrier with handles, and 20 less lbs make it the best option in the size. If I were to buy another large, or an XL, I don't think I'd buy anything other than a BGE. The support I've received is second to none and the company simply stands behind their products and are worth a premium.  I just think they have 3 ugly stepchildren that don't fit the bill in their small sizes, and KJ seems to have hit the nail on the head...for me, at least.  

Terrebandit

I suspect that BGE uses comments on this forum to make decisions about future product offerings or to gauge satisfaction levels with current products. If they are objective, this kind of information could be useful to them.  If you like other products better, say so. 

booksw

we almost bought a KJ a few years back when we got the egg and for us the decision was about the ceramic quality. I know KJ has done side by side comparisons with bge studying heat retention at 400 degrees and that's not the super hero part of our bge. I would be worried about t- Rexing a ribeye at 700 degrees on anything other than my egg. Other than that, a KJ would probably be fine. Of course it's not as photogenic, so there's that...

DieselkW

Photo Egg said:

DieselkW said:

I work part time at Costco, and when that roadshow shows up, a little Joe is going home with me.

I keep looking at the MiniMax, and can't justify the cost knowing the little Joe is less expensive with more options and a bigger grilling surface. 

I went on vacation, and the rental place had a gas grill. Next time, I'm bringing a little ceramic cooker with me.

Kamado Joe Jr. does NOT have a bigger grilling surface than the BGE Mini Max that is also the same as the Small BGE at 13".

From the BGE website: 
Specifications

• Grid Diameter: 13 in / 33 cm
• Cooking Area: 133 sq in / 856 sq cm

From the KJ website: 

• Dimensions: 16” W x 22” H x 20.75” D
  - With Stand: 19.75” W x 27” H x 20.75” D
• Cooking Surface: 13.5” diameter / 148.5 sq. in.

A half inch diameter works out to 10% bigger cooking area. Not insignificant unless the KJ website is wrong.

Biggreenpharmacist

Unless my math is wrong I get 143 sq inches vs 133 sq inches. Thats big enough for a small burger. 

BigGreenKev

Biggreenpharmacist said:

Unless my math is wrong I get 143 sq inches vs 133 sq inches. Thats big enough for a small burger. 
As a numbers guy myself, I smile when someone does the math on these things!