We bought this (affiliated links are used in this article) Char-Griller AKORN Kamado Charcoal Grill and Smoker six years ago on Amazon along with the cover. We love this grill! It cooks great, is very durable, is easy to use, and was an excellent price at about $300! It costs a lot less than competitors and is still a great quality grill and smoker.
We learned a few things about this specific charcoal grill and how to maintain it. The best piece of advice for keeping this grill working great is to take the bottom piece, the ash pan, off whenever it is not in use. Store this piece upside down on top of the cast iron grate. If it is left attached all the time, water will pool in the ash pan even with a cover, and it will rust out much quicker (speaking from experience). Plus, if this part is wet or has any water in it, the grill will be very difficult to heat up! Also, this part has to be taken off to empty out the ashes, so it’s easy to just store it on top of the grate after cleaning it out. The bottom part was the first part to get rusty, and it’s why after six years we need to replace this grill. All the other parts are in okay, usable condition, but the bottom part has rusted to the point that pieces have come off affecting the usability of this grill.
Another piece of advice is to get a better cover. The Char-Griller grill cover doesn’t keep water out and doesn’t provide adequate protection from the elements. (Please keep in mind that we kept this grill outside on our deck all year in New England). We got this cover for about half the price of the Char-Griller grill cover and it’s a heavy-duty, waterproof cover that works better. It provides more protection for the grill and we’re hoping it last even longer.
A must have accessory is a Heat Deflector Stone. You have to have a deflector to turn your grill into a smoker and oven for baking. It provides a heat-directing barrier between your food and the flames, retains the heat, allowing it to circulate around the food with airflow, creates a convection cooking effect, prevents charring and burning, enhances the taste and tenderness of your food.
Here it is after six years of service:
We loved this grill so much, we had to get another one to replace it! We recently bought a new Char-Griller AKORN Kamado Charcoal Grill and Smoker and hope to get another 6+ years out of it! Our favorite feature are the 20 inch Cooking Diameter, Triple-Walled Steel Insulated Design that retains heat well, cast iron grate with removable center, removable warming rack included, foldable side shelves, and ease of use of this durable grill.
Please let me know if you have any question about this awesome grill!
