Kamado Joe Struggle

GeboM

I am not a troll.  I have had a Big Joe II for about 2 years.  I don't know what is going on but I keep going into BGE dealers and looking at the XL. It's like at least once a week I go in and rub and touch a BGE.  I want a BGE but I'm having a hard time trying to justify the purchase and what to do with my BJ II.  I could sell it to my son or son-in-law but my wife said how can you sell them something you don't want.  Then I get this guilty feeling.  After about a week, I get over that guilty feeling and go out shopping again.  Now, I am even posting on a BGE forum asking for advice.  My wife is ok with the purchase so that hurdle is over.  I have had a lot of things break on my BJ II but the company has eventually gotten all my parts replaced.  The one thing that has not worked out is my firebox ring is broken in two and has been since last March.  I JB welded it.  They are saying now that my ETA is February/March '22.

The one thing I have noticed is the firebox of the BGE XL is much bigger (wider) than the Big Joe II.

Is there any words of comfort you could share?  Or am I on my own on this one?

PeteSliver

Long story and you lost me a little.  Is your wife pro BJ or not?

WeberWho

Forget the troll above and welcome to the forum!

Why BGE and not your current Big Joe? I'd imagine the Kamado Joe and Big Green Egg cook the same. Both companies have lifetime warranty. I'm not sure it's worth the jump going Kamado to another Kamado. Both great companies with good lifetime warranties. 

alaskanassasin

I assume it’s about the same cooker, probably close to the same experience. I’ve never rubbed a bj 2 so I can’t help you there. Get the egg and gift your kids the bj then you can have good bbq when you visit them.  

 I am also curious what you keep breaking on the joe. You should ask the egg dealer how they handle claims, if they scratch their head then you may want to get one elsewhere. There was a rash of xl bases cracking a year or so ago but I haven’t heard much on that lately.
  

BigGreenKev

What is it about the xl you like better? Do you run out of room for.cooks on the kj? I have an XL and a Joe Jr.

TEXASBGE2018

Before deciding on my Large a few years back I looked at the kamado joes, they felt like cheap knockoffs with plastic parts everywhere. On par with the cheap pitboss or vision kamados that you get at Costco. You can get all the cool accessories for an egg from the Ceramic Grill Store. Some people love the"innovation" of KJ with their adjustable racks and  hyperbolic smoke chambers I think it's cheesy for the most part. There is a reason all these rip off companies try to mimic BGE. Ultimately it's your money, buy what you want. Me, I hate the color red so give me the Green one any day of the week.

TEXASBGE2018

nolaegghead said:

BGE is a knock-off of a Japanese style cooker that's been around for millennia. 

Yes, this is true but to me there is a clear difference in craftsmanship with a BGE versus a KJ. I compared them side by side for weeks and there is just something about the BGE that feels like it's better.

JohnInCarolina

TEXASBGE2018 said:

nolaegghead said:

BGE is a knock-off of a Japanese style cooker that's been around for millennia. 

Yes, this is true but to me there is a clear difference in craftsmanship with a BGE versus a KJ. I compared them side by side for weeks and there is just something about the BGE that feels like it's better.

Green paint?

TEXASBGE2018

JohnInCarolina said:

TEXASBGE2018 said:

nolaegghead said:

BGE is a knock-off of a Japanese style cooker that's been around for millennia. 

Yes, this is true but to me there is a clear difference in craftsmanship with a BGE versus a KJ. I compared them side by side for weeks and there is just something about the BGE that feels like it's better.

Green paint?

No the paint color is secondary. The KJ just felt like it would fall apart after about 5 years outdoors whereas the Egg felt like I could give it to my son 30 years from now with minimal upkeep. The KJ when I was looking at them had plastic parts everywhere, that would eventually become brittle and break off.

nolaegghead

PeteSliver said:

PeteSliver said:

Long story and you lost me a little.  Is your wife pro BJ or not?

Rude.

Fix N2

cookingdude555

I had two kamado joes, and the ceramic did not "seem" to be the same quality as BGE, I eventually sold both of them.  This video of how primos are made helped illustrate the cheapness of lesser quality kamados such as vision and kamado joe compared to primo and bge.

https://youtu.be/mxjh43Pyr0s?t=321

Head to 5:21 if you want to see what happens when you refire all 4 of the grills according to primos specifications when they are made.

nolaegghead

I think the BGE does survive a kiln better than a KJ, but that's not anything we put our kamados through unless there's a house fire.  Real world ceramic performance is another story, although I don't know who's better....just about everyone has had some ceramic component crack.

Personally I like the idea of shipped warranty service so I don't have to haggle/deal with small shop owners trying to avoid warranty service, or minimizing their cost by getting parts on the "next" delivery which could be months.

Just to be devil's advocate (not that I have an opinion either way)...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFKY-WnevJk

nolaegghead

That said, the BGE is definitely the brand to have if brands are important to you, the one that says you're a hard-core kamado guy. 

cookingdude555

yeah, I am not a hater on either side either.  I bought both, used both, and decided I liked the quality of the egg better.  I wont melt my kamados to test them out, so its a valid point.  To be really honest, webers are my original love, and there is just always a place there for me.

GeboM

Thanks for the great info.  I have noticed the firebox on the BGE appears to be much wider/larger on the XL as compared to the Big Joe Ii.  

The Primo video was very informative. The other video (why I sold my BGE) oI have seen and that guy is paid by KJ so I take what he says with a few grains of salt. 

Lowcountrygamecock

I’ve had a classic Joe for years and love it. Had an issue with a cracked firebox that was handled and shipped straight to my house with just one email and a form submission. I think they both have their advantages but I don’t think I would sell one for the other. If it was me I would the money or use it for a Santa Maria cooker, a blackstone or a pellet grill just to learn something different. 

GrateEggspectations

When I was shopping for my kamado, I visited a dealer who sold both KJ and BGE. I always assumed his favouritism was a result of his margins, but he strongly favoured the BGE and spoke specifically about the ceramics while saying that he only sold KJs because his boss made him. 

Personally, I see pros and cons on both sides. One of the pros of the KJ used to be price, but I feel like that gap has closed considerably.  

RyanStl

I have a friend that loves his KJ.  I love my eggs, but if I already had a KJ I wouldn't bother selling just to get a BGE unless I was switching sizes and don't want two grills.

Lit

TEXASBGE2018 said:

JohnInCarolina said:

TEXASBGE2018 said:

nolaegghead said:

BGE is a knock-off of a Japanese style cooker that's been around for millennia. 

Yes, this is true but to me there is a clear difference in craftsmanship with a BGE versus a KJ. I compared them side by side for weeks and there is just something about the BGE that feels like it's better.

Green paint?

No the paint color is secondary. The KJ just felt like it would fall apart after about 5 years outdoors whereas the Egg felt like I could give it to my son 30 years from now with minimal upkeep. The KJ when I was looking at them had plastic parts everywhere, that would eventually become brittle and break off.

Thats funny cause Atlanta Grill Company was the largest egg dealer in the world then started carrying KJ. When people saw them side by side they told me they sold the KJ like 4 out of 5 times and the KJ wasnt the cheaper option. It got so bad they quit carrying eggs. If I had to get another ceramic kamado it would be a KJ for sure.

Langner91

I have been around Primo, Eggs, and KJ's.  All very nice grills.  All have a feature or two that I like.  At the end of the day, I went with BGE because it is recognizable and I figured it was here to stay.

Honestly, isn't it sorta like buying a Buick and not being able to get the Cadillac out of your head?  I mean, both do exactly the same thing, both are very similar in construction, but one is the more recognizable brand. 

The Egg is certainly more recognizable, if you are into that sort of thing.  But a steak off an Egg tastes just like a steak off a KJ.

Give the KJ to your son, get an egg, hang out here, you will feel better!

alaskanassasin

Coming from a guy who bought boot rub to season his cast iron pans I think you would pretty much believe anything a salesman says. 

Lit

alaskanassasin said:

Coming from a guy who bought boot rub to season his cast iron pans I think you would pretty much believe anything a salesman says. 

I see you cant read 

Lit

alaskanassasin said:

Coming from a guy who bought boot rub to season his cast iron pans I think you would pretty much believe anything a salesman says. 

Man i need a good forum handle what should it be? Im gonna go with Alaskan assassin that sounds badass. What a loser

alaskanassasin

That nickname was given to me years ago, much like the one given to you @litisadouche

xfire_ATX

Lit said:

Thats funny cause Atlanta Grill Company was the largest egg dealer in the world then started carrying KJ. When people saw them side by side they told me they sold the KJ like 4 out of 5 times and the KJ wasnt the cheaper option. It got so bad they quit carrying eggs. If I had to get another ceramic kamado it would be a KJ for sure.

My dealer tells me the same- they sell 4 to 1 KJ to BGE once they started stocking them.  But every time I go there its the BGEs that are outside lined up.

Thread Hijack...
My neighbor sold me his LBGE years ago when he bought the XL from the Eggfest.  He is now fully in the Treager Pellet camp and is working up a price for me to buy his XL.
1. Any warranty I need he has and will start the process for me.
2. I can turn around and sell my Large and extras to lower the cost
3. The Mrs is wondering why I need a larger egg with 3 of us (2 years) 2 of us.

For me I read on here so many people like the XL and yes 2x a year I need more space but help me sell the Mrs please.

JohnInCarolina

nolaegghead said:

I think the BGE does survive a kiln better than a KJ, but that's not anything we put our kamados through unless there's a house fire.  Real world ceramic performance is another story, although I don't know who's better....just about everyone has had some ceramic component crack.

Personally I like the idea of shipped warranty service so I don't have to haggle/deal with small shop owners trying to avoid warranty service, or minimizing their cost by getting parts on the "next" delivery which could be months.

Just to be devil's advocate (not that I have an opinion either way)...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFKY-WnevJk

Does he have another video where he talks about leaving the Eggheadforum because JIC ruined it?  

GeboM

This is an interesting forum. 

stlcharcoal

Stick with your BJ2......maybe get a CL3 next to it, or upgrade to a CL3.  

Either way, moving to a BGE.....why?  You have a better hinge, gasket, chimney, rack system, etc.  Does yours not have the multi piece firebox?

The wide firebox of the XL is NOT better.....it's because the XL is so short.  The XL BGE is the height of a Medium BGE.  Measure the height next to the BJ2, it's 3-4 inches shorter.  The BJ3 is nearly 10 inches taller.  Plus the domes on both have a higher radius allowing you to get closer to the corners.  The XL BGE has been reworked a dozen times since it came out with firebox, dome height, dome radius, plate setter height, fire ring, etc and it's STILL too f'n short!  You can barely close the lid on a turkey if you're running the plate setter, and you can't use standard steamer trays between the plate setter and grid without smashing them.  I use my XL for grilling, rarely for smoking.

Regardless of all the extra toys, upgrades, colors, etc, the food you're going to turn out is the extra same.  I switched from being a BGE dealer to a KJ dealer, yet I still have BGE's at home.  The KJ is not so much better that I need to swap, but if I was buying new, that's what I'd get (or a Primo.)  As a dealer, it's 10x easier to deal with KJ on ordering, warranties, assembly, etc.  Everything you need is in the crate and it's not "here's the BGE for $1000, now you need to get $1000 more in eggessories" just to get to to the same as what would have been an out of the box KJ.  Keep that in mind with your budget.

Don't get too hung up on the videos about ceramics.  They all have a lifetime warranty--who cares as long as they all can handle standard heat cycles.  And everybody's supply chain sucks right now, so their may be other brands you can't get a firebox from.  I've been through a dozen fireboxes between my three BGE's.

The grass isn't always greener (or redder?) on the other side.

Legume

All I wanted was some KJ advice, I really don’t know what happened after that.

Lit

alaskanassasin said:

Lit said:

alaskanassasin said:

That nickname was given to me years ago, much like the one given to you @litisadouche

I remember now. You used to fill your mouth with ice cubes and let your boyfriend assassinate it. An Alaskan Assassin 

That would make him the assassin genius. Your shots weak bro, go hang out with bbq salesman and pick up some more pointers so you have something to talk about.

It was actually the owner and your boyfriend said your shot is weak

fiber_induced_deuce

@Lit do yourself a solid, bro, and lay-off the homoerotic imagery.  It’s not a good move, it smells of desperation or longing.  One of those.