SmokeWare Stainless Steel Vented Chimney Cap Review
The 10 Second Review:
This high grade stainless steel vented chimney cap by SmokeWare won't rust, break, or fall off. It provides superior vent control compared to the original equipment and doesn't need to be re-adjusted after opening the lid. The smokestack also prevents rain from entering your egg or kamado; allowing you to cook in even the worst weather.
Put simply, this is one of the first and most important upgrades for the Big Green Egg. Even better news is that it also fits the Primo brand kamado grill.
Full Review
One of the only complaints about the stock BGE grill is the chimney vent. The cast iron daisy wheel that comes from the manufacturer tends to be temperamental and move around when the lid is opened. In addition it allowed rain to enter the top of the egg which prevented use in foul weather as well as forcing you to remember to close it after use.
The SmokeWare Stainless Steel Vented Chimney Cap solves all of these problems. It is such a superior vent that it begs the question why the folks over at Big Green Egg haven’t taken notice and adopted the design.
First things first, installing the chimney on the Egg is a breeze, just remove the old cap and use the included High-Temperature Silicon Tab and Nomex felt to secure the new one to your egg. This product will also fit on some models of Primo Kamados as well, but your must specify your grill so the manufacturer includes the proper gasket.
Having an all weather grill is something that is important to me. I don’t let something as trivial as rain or snow to stop me from smoking delicious meats year round. This was probably one of the only design flaws of the BGE series of BBQs. The cast iron daisy wheel and porcelain cap allowed rain to enter the top and put out the grill. Imagine setting up an all night smoke only to awake in the morning to discover it rained and put out your fire? Tragic, right? Well, not anymore. The SmokeWare Cap is designed to allow venting while protecting from the elements. Brilliant.
Being high quality stainless steel you can be sure that it will not rust or break for many many years. I personally also think it is a good looking contrast to the green. It is super easy to clean and is even dishwasher friendly, although I have never had to do anything but wipe it down. The construction and design of the cap is top notch and consists of two pieces that fit snugly together allowing you to fully remove the top cap to run the egg at full blast.
Since the vent holds it position when you open and close the lid it is for more convenient for setting your temperature for long smokes. The original vent had a horrible tendency to slid and move every time I opened and closed the lid. Now, I am not condoning excessive lid opening, but it was a huge pain having to reset the daisy wheel every time I wanted to take a peak.
This accessory really is an ‘upgrade’ that should have been included in the first place. Fortunately Smoke Ware made this aftermarket chimney that solves the problem.