OT: RTIC Kamado Grill

Toxarch

I didn't see any threads on it already. Saw an announcement on the RTIC Facebook page that they are releasing a Kamado grill this Fall (which means next spring). They posted up a video clip of it in use. Big RTIC name embossed in the dome. The grate is a rounded square shape and the whole thing looks like maybe the size of a small BGE. Also looks like a center circle grate comes out of the bigger grate. Maybe to add more wood chunks for smoking? No price yet but they said they are sticking with their half price slogan. 

GATraveller

Saw that this AM.  

odie91

Looks more like a primo than an egg

WeberWho

RTIC is known to change their warranty from 7 years to 90 days on their coolers. I'm not going to buy a ceramic grill from them with that track record like that. I hope it's the next big grill on the market. 

Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. 

Biggreenpharmacist

johnnyp

stlcharcoal

I wonder if it's ceramic or more like an acorn (insulated)

SonVolt

Maybe it's rotomolded. 

fishlessman

i see a square ceramic grill being prone to cracking

alaskanassasin

Waiting for them to come up with something original 

YukonRon

Supposedly they are kicking up their outdoor equipment game. Camping gear of all types is supposedly in the works, and I have to admit, I am a bit curious on how this might turn out.

saluki2007

Is it April already?

HeavyG

stlcharcoal said:

I wonder if it's ceramic or more like an acorn (insulated)

It's ceramic.

Photo Egg

Like some of the other ceramic grills on the market, I do like the recessed channel for the bands.
It's also hard to tell from the above photo but it looks like they might have moved the main band bolts to the side instead of being in the back next to the high stress area of the main rear hinges.

DMW

It might be the angle of the photo, but I don't like how shallow the dome is. The old XL was kind of like that.

SonVolt

DMW said:

It might be the angle of the photo, but I don't like how shallow the dome is. The old XL was kind of like that.

That's crazy shallow unless the grate sits further down lower in the unit. 

DoubleEgger

DMW said:

It might be the angle of the photo, but I don't like how shallow the dome is. The old XL was kind of like that.

Agreed. I’ve seen several older eggs that were like that. There’s a reason it was changed...

fishlessman

https://www.facebook.com/rticcoolers/videos/1756930857696233/?t=0

tenpenny_05

DoubleEgger said:

DMW said:

It might be the angle of the photo, but I don't like how shallow the dome is. The old XL was kind of like that.

Agreed. I’ve seen several older eggs that were like that. There’s a reason it was changed...

Its the angle, you are seeing how tall the dome is from the band up. Which does make it look shallow. Look at it from where it opens, actually looks like a pretty tall dome to me.

DoubleEgger

Kinda dumb to be getting into the kamado market when the pellet droppers are all the rage these days. 

Photo Egg

fishlessman said:

https://www.facebook.com/rticcoolers/videos/1756930857696233/?t=0

Video helps. I did see 4 springs in the back.

SonVolt

@SGH - which lather do you think the dude opening the lid used to shave his arms? 

SGH

SonVolt said:

@SGH - which lather do you think the dude opening the lid used to shave his arms? 

If I was a gambling man I would put my money on Cremo Original or Proraso Green. It’s what most “body” and “parts” shavers use. They both provide good protection at a reasonable price. 

TEXASBGE2018

DoubleEgger said:

Kinda dumb to be getting into the kamado market when the pellet droppers are all the rage these days. 

I will make an assumption that RTIC has enough sense to see that market is getting oversaturated. Everyone is making pellet smokers now. They then probably looked at demographic studies on who buys their products and realized that even a $200 Rotomolded cooler is not being bought very often by the shall we say "lower income rung" of society.  So they said, "ok mostly the people buying high end rotomolded coolers are middle to upper middle class males making $100k+ a year. What other grills do we generally see those people buy? Ahh Kamado's, that's not a market that is oversaturated currently. Lets give it a try." Personally, I think its a gimmick. I can see them getting into outdoor equipment like fishing or hunting gear maybe even backpacks and tents. I think that if these actually do come to market they will sell well at 1st and then fade away. Unless they can prove the quality is superior and the price would have to be way cheaper. Plus as others have stated they would have to have a warranty at least close to lifetime. What this may do to benefit the market is give KJ and BGE a little competition and require that they lower their prices a bit in addition to including all the accessories. Look at what happened with the XXL. Noone was buying them at $2,999 so BGE said well we were making insane profit so lets redesign them slightly and drop the price by $1K. I bet the 2XL once it arrives in stores may start out selling the XL's.

Lit

Isn’t the kamado market pretty saturated as well? 

TEXASBGE2018

Lit said:

Isn’t the kamado market pretty saturated as well? 

Not compared to the Pellet grill market. There are what 2 main kamado companies controlling 90% of the market. Sure Primo is there and they are tiny, Komodo Kamado is a fraction of the market. Who else really is there except KJ and BGE?

Photo Egg

Lit said:

Isn’t the kamado market pretty saturated as well? 

Kind of agree with you. Seems like the company sitting pretty right now is Weber with their basic kettle grills. All the companies seem to changing gears towards Kamado and Pellet. Even the cheaper so called knock off grills are getting away from Kettle style leaving Weber to dominate this area as they always have.

SonVolt

Pellet grills are so saturated right now that my brother snagged a brand new Traeger off the end of someone's driveway last week that had a "Free" sign on it. 

alaskanassasin

 I wonder what that guy did....

SonVolt

Something bad I'm sure... I asked my brother if his clothes were also scattered across the lawn. 

Kent8621

TEXASBGE2018 said:

Lit said:

Isn’t the kamado market pretty saturated as well? 

Not compared to the Pellet grill market. There are what 2 main kamado companies controlling 90% of the market. Sure Primo is there and they are tiny, Komodo Kamado is a fraction of the market. Who else really is there except KJ and BGE?

I thought there were just 4 or so also but I met with the owner of  JJ George the other day for lunch and he said there are 16 ceramic grill style companies out there they have built tables for.  I was blown away that there were that many.