The ceramic difference

Powak

Been cooking boneless thighs on the egg for over 2 years now and they just come out great. Even if i go far beyond the 170s internal temps, theyre still crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. I’ve kept my ole 22” Weber kettle as an auxiliary rig for when we host partys. While recently been flipping thru a kettle forum on FB I noticed a lotta kettlers cooking thighs indirect with the coals over on one side. Alot of them are using this rig called a Slow’n’Sear. So I thought I’d try this out on the old kettle. The chicken came out ok, and looked tasty, but even at the same finish temps as on the egg, the chicken was dryer and the texture just wasn’t as crisp. I didn’t tell swmbo what I had done differently and she wasnt impressed at all. Think ole kettle’ll be going back into hibernation. 

cookingdude555

Interesting, it sounds like you are making some really good chicken on your egg.  In my experience, chicken really shines on the kettles.  I find my chicken wings are superior on the kettle.  I’m not saying they are bad on the egg, I just really like kettle chicken, the skin seems to render better.  I tend to use the egg more just because i enjoy the experience, and I have made cooking on the egg my primary method of grilling.

Photo Egg

cookingdude555 said:

Interesting, it sounds like you are making some really good chicken on your egg.  In my experience, chicken really shines on the kettles.  I find my chicken wings are superior on the kettle.  I’m not saying they are bad on the egg, I just really like kettle chicken, the skin seems to render better.  I tend to use the egg more just because i enjoy the experience, and I have made cooking on the egg my primary method of grilling.

I agree with you but @Powak might be cooking skinless thighs.
Getting crisp skin of the Egg is more of a challenge to me.
The Weber kettle has more airflow to keep similar temps and dries the skin better. I do like skinless thighs and breasts better on the Egg.

HeavyG

I also have a kettle with a Slow n Sear and I can't really say that I find much difference in the food coming out of my kamados or the kettle.

GrillSgt

Really? I can get a lot more crisp to chicken parts on the kettle. Burgers are much more manageable on the kettle also. 

GoldenQ

for thr egg try raised direct for browning then move to an indirect with a stone under the grate.   Works better than my kettle 

GrillSgt

Not worth the trouble unless I’m doing a big batch. I can have food on in 20 minutes with the kettle. Indirect on one side and direct on the other. Not even close with burgers. 

blasting

Chicken wings or any chicken with skin gets cooked on a kettle with slow n sear around these parts.

tenpenny_05

I love my Webers, but chicken quarters on the kamado raised indirect at 400-450 are hard to screw up and always delicious.

mEGG_My_Day

Question for the kettle users.  Do you use lump or charcoal briquets in your kettle grills?

tenpenny_05

I use kingsford blue pretty much 100% of the time in my kettles and in weber smokers.  Lump just doesn't seem to burn very predictably in them for some reason.

GrillSgt

I use Stubbs Briquettes. Lowe’s. I think they’re hotter than Kingsford and denser so I seem to get more coal left after the cook. My best friend’s SIL uses lump with his kettle for low and slow. Damn good. He reminds me of APL Jr. An engineer that is now Mister Mom. His side business is raised bed gardens. He builds them and gardens them for you. Wife’s a nuclear medical physicist. Both GT grads. 

blasting

mEGG_My_Day said:

Question for the kettle users.  Do you use lump or charcoal briquets in your kettle grills?

If i want a lot of coals lit for grilling i use kingsford.  Otherwise I use lump (RW).

fishlessman

always liked the kettle for chicken parts, the vents are rusted in stuck at the setting i used for chicken its an herb garden now though

mEGG_My_Day

Thanks @tenpenny_05 , @GrillSgt and @blasting.  The reason I ask is my wife has never become comfortable with the BGE.  But when we first were married many years ago she would cook fine on a kettle.  I am thinking of buying her one.  There should be a bunch of sales coming up.

HeavyG

mEGG_My_Day said:

Question for the kettle users.  Do you use lump or charcoal briquets in your kettle grills?

I always use Kingsford of one type or the other. Never have used lump in my kettle or WSM.

tenpenny_05

@mEGG_My_Day
Check out a weber jumbo joe. That paired with one of the mini chimney starters weber makes is a great combo and a cooking machine.

mEGG_My_Day

tenpenny_05 said:

@mEGG_My_Day
Check out a weber jumbo joe. That paired with one of the mini chimney starters weber makes is a great combo and a cooking machine.

I may go that route.  I would have plenty of room to put it on my BGE table if we wanted to elevate it while in use. Thanks.

cookingdude555

In my kettles/WSMs I use kingsford natural briquettes, or, if I can find them on sale, Weber briquettes.  

GoldenQ

If buying kettle look at 26 in.   I got 22 in and wish I had 26 so it would be better for 2 zone cooking

Kent8621

we do thighs every week for meals through the week, the wife and kids ask for them.  we do a buttermilk brine overnight that really adds extra tenderness and flavor.  we eat them for a whole week and they are just as juicy friday as they are on monday.

tenpenny_05

GoldenQ said:

If buying kettle look at 26 in.   I got 22 in and wish I had 26 so it would be better for 2 zone cooking

I do 2 zone cooking in my 18" jumbo joe all the time. Did it last night actually.

tenpenny_05

Plenty of room!

blasting

GoldenQ said:

If buying kettle look at 26 in.   I got 22 in and wish I had 26 so it would be better for 2 zone cooking

The 26 has a ton of real estate fore two zone just like you say.  I really enjoy cooking on it.  

Powak

mEGG_My_Day said:

Question for the kettle users.  Do you use lump or charcoal briquets in your kettle grills?

Charcoal. I’ve had the best luck with Weber brand briquettes or kingsford professional

Powak

blasting said:

Chicken wings or any chicken with skin gets cooked on a kettle with slow n sear around these parts.

Totally agree with this. That same night I made the boneless thighs, I also had two bone in ones with skin. The bone in’s came out superb in the kettle. Same thing with beer chickens. They’ve always come out better in the kettle for me. But for boneless thighs, burgers, steaks and sausages, the egg takes the cake.

Powak

I also find pork spare ribs and chops to get extremely dried out in a kettle. I don’t know if it’s because a kettle let’s out so much more air all the way around or if because briquettes don’t put out the radiant heat that lump does.

unoriginalusername

Try dry salt brining your wings if you want really crispy skin 

fishlessman

lump is better in colder climates in the winter, briquettes the rest of the year.