Photo Egg said:

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 The new KJ gasket looks promising but time will tell. @RRP , how many replacement gaskets have you shipped over the years?

"Just" 3,357 as of Friday!

Focker said:

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HeavyG said:

Another new KJ "innovation" ( or rip-off or unneeded toy depending upon ones point of view) is this new gizmo coming out this summer:


It is a pit controller with the electronics and fan in a weatherproof enclosure. One neat trick is that it has a much more powerful fan that can be triggered by the software  "Startup Mode" to run at full blast (30cfm) after you light your lump and the forced air will get your fire really blazing in just a couple of minutes sort of like the BBQ Dragon does.

If I remember correctly the anticipated price point was in the neighborhood of $150. They plan on sending out a hundred or so units to users for a soft launch in June. 

This is really cool, clever name, good pricepoint to boot considering a FB is $300.....CRUSHING IT 

We, as a society, have become Wifi gadget freaks, this will definitely cater to that crowd.  

We do live in an age of wonders...even our salt shakers are connected devices - http://www.mysmalt.com/

I read an interesting article the other day about technology innovation being dead. Innovation now is merely web connectivity of everyday devices that don't need it. I'm ready to be wowed again like when the I phone came out. It's time for something truly innovative like that. 

Photo Egg said:

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bclarksicle said:

Photo Egg said:

bclarksicle said:

Those innovations seem like solutions in search of a problem. 

You made a great point calling them solutions. Many of the changes KJ made are solutions. They DO fix problems. They are not only problems common to BGE but all ceramic cookers. Cracked firebox and firerings have always been a problem. Granted, they are warrantee covered but still a pain for many people who do not live close to their dealer or have dealers that are not very supportive to help with replacement parts. 
The newer BGE gaskets are better than their past versions but I would still say its not very good. The new KJ gasket looks promising but time will tell. @RRP , how many replacement gaskets have you shipped over the years?
Is KJ listening to their customers and trying to improve their products?
Shame on them.lol

It's a free country. Kamado Joe can make whatever it wants. BGE can make whatever it wants. People are free to purchase whatever they want.

But for me, those innovations don't mean much. You are free to see it differently 

Very insightful, thank you.

sigh...

For me, these are innovations at the edge, not the core. Personally, I don't have issues lifting the lid, removing ash, dealing with the firebox, or maintaining temperature. Maybe the KJ learning curve is less steep for new owners because of these innovations. If so, I wish them much success. But for the way I cook, none of these things will help me make better food. Other people may cook differently and find these things to be immensely helpful. That's all I'm getting at. I am sure we could all cook good food on either one. 

If you're KJ, this strategy makes sense. You have to find a way to differentiate yourself against the gold standard. You are competing against the 800 pound gorilla in the market. No matter what you think of BGE and their pace of innovation, I would ALWAYS expect KJ to be adding features faster. 

It's not unlike the iPhone/Android debate. Especially early on, Android had to differentiate on product specs (it's waterproof! it takes 4K video!) to compete against the iPhone, which evolved more slowly.
  

bclarksicle said:

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Photo Egg said:

bclarksicle said:

Those innovations seem like solutions in search of a problem. 

You made a great point calling them solutions. Many of the changes KJ made are solutions. They DO fix problems. They are not only problems common to BGE but all ceramic cookers. Cracked firebox and firerings have always been a problem. Granted, they are warrantee covered but still a pain for many people who do not live close to their dealer or have dealers that are not very supportive to help with replacement parts. 
The newer BGE gaskets are better than their past versions but I would still say its not very good. The new KJ gasket looks promising but time will tell. @RRP , how many replacement gaskets have you shipped over the years?
Is KJ listening to their customers and trying to improve their products?
Shame on them.lol

It's a free country. Kamado Joe can make whatever it wants. BGE can make whatever it wants. People are free to purchase whatever they want.

But for me, those innovations don't mean much. You are free to see it differently 

Big of ya letting everyone have there own opinion. 

thetrim said:

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Hans61 said:

https://youtu.be/iyjl-Jm_Pnw

Owner creator of kj interview he says more improvements coming in 2018 tragerizing the kamado...

Edit. Might have Ave been a different clip where he said that 

Wow!  The guy acts like he deserves a medal because he wants to hang out with customers...   

Wow! I'm betting that only one out of a thousand people could watch that clip and come to the conclusion you did.

There we go, Freddy!    

Say what you will, but Bobby is a nice guy.  He's quick to make a phone call, always responsive and takes good care of people.    I have no idea why so much hatred for kj!   It's almost like the crips and bloods around here.  

ryantt said:

Say what you will, but Bobby is a nice guy.  He's quick to make a phone call, always responsive and takes good care of people.    I have no idea why so much hatred for kj!   It's almost like the crips and bloods around here.  

He looks a little light in the loafers. J/K
But the trigger word out of that bit was "ENGAGED".

BGE has never been engaged.  Hell, I don't think any of the stuffed shirt chronies who man the Big Green Egg Corporate Table at HQ, even use one.  They should all hold a mandatory meeting, and watch that vid.

I applaud KJ.
And feel for the BGE dealers, third party vendors, that will have a harder and harder sell of a hard sell, as Big Red crushes onward and upward.

At a fest, I will support Big Green 100%, but if anyone asks about ceramic going forward, Big Red is a packaged deal no nonsense no-brainer.

So I really really like the new gasket, but I think trying to put it on an older kamado or any egg would give you bad results. The new gasket is super springy (at least initially) and I would assume that is why the new KJs have a latch to compress the gaskets and allow the lid to stay tightly closed.

tenpenny_05 said:

So I really really like the new gasket, but I think trying to put it on an older kamado or any egg would give you bad results. The new gasket is super springy (at least initially) and I would assume that is why the new KJs have a latch to compress the gaskets and allow the lid to stay tightly closed.

I agree that a retrofit may not be the best plan. But the older versions, I believe, have enough dome weight to flatten the gasket. The newer version with the air lift would not with out the latch.

I agree, CI down there, is not the greatest.
My ceramic grate, and CI grate, look similar to that, buried somewhere in a landfill.

Why all mine don the High Que.

DoubleEgger said:

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RRP said:

RRP said:

Two things have really surprised me. First that the "on the clock buffalo" let this thread survive 30 minutes or at least didn't even sink it! He has been far more lenient than shown on far lesser threads mentioning competition or even minor after market products! Secondly that the KJ owner was so adament about 2017 improvements being good but wait to see what we add for 2018! I mean if I were even considering buying a KJ I'd probably wait 7 more months! Or if I had to buy now and the dealer didn't have the new and improved 2017 model in stock then rest assured he better be giving me a deep discount on the 2016 or older models he hasn't moved yet! 

Not stirring the pot, BUT I still wonder if other than to Darian if my opinion/observation might see at least twilight tonight let alone the light of day tomorrow! 

I do agree with the statement about the year models. That's going to stiff some of the low volume dealers. It seems like they want to move to a big box sales model. 

The new 2017 models are priced a few hundred bucks higher than the previous versions so some folks might be glad to still get the older cheaper models. I know a couple of folks that didn't care about the new features and bought their KJ's a month ago and were glad to still find an older version.

The new fireboxes are compatible with old and new and folks that need to warranty replace their older style firebox will receive the newer version anyway as the replacement.

Focker said:

So did Mr. Loafer go rogue from BGE or another ceramic grill company to form KJ?  

Seems like these folks have been around this scene with the design flaws they are quickly addressing.

Huh? LOL! Lets don't forget that "George" who told Ed Fisher to go shove it years and years ago and took Ed's designs and even the green color to go form the Primo company! Before you doubt me - Primos were originally BGE before switching to black!