Char-Griller E6714 Akorn Jr Kamado Kooker Grill Review
The 10 Second Review:
All the awesomeness of a full-sized kamado grill in a smaller, easy to move package in an incredibly affordable price!
The Akorn Jr Kooker features insulated triple wall steel, dual dampers and heat guage which deliver an professional quality grilling experience.
The small size makes it perfect to be built into a table or for balconies/smaller porches. At around 40lbs it can even be easily moved around without much fuss!
Full Review
Having cooked on dozens of full sized kamado grills I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to get used to using the smaller Akorn Jr grill…It ended up being the grill I use the most these days.
Akorn Jr’s 14 Inches of Awesome…
OK, that sounded weird. It felt weird typing it…Maybe I should have just led with: “sometimes great things come in small packages”. That certainly is the case with the Char-Griller E6714 Akorn Jr Kamado Kooker Grill. At only 25 inches tall and weighing in at around 40lbs with a 14 inch diameter (153 square inch) cooking surface, this is grill packs a lot of features into a small package.
While the Char-Griller Akorn Jr is small, it isn’t nearly the smallest kamado grill on the market (the big green egg mini is only 10 inches!). However, with a 14″ cooking surface, the Akorn Jr Kamado Kooker is perfectly suited for couples and small families. The compact size, handles and built-in legs makes it a great grill to take tailgating or camping or a great fit for balconies and smaller porches. It can even be built into a table to make a beautiful outdoor kitchen.
Solid steel kamado grill design
While the vast majority of kamado style grills are made of ceramic, char-griller decided to use multiple walls of insulated, high grade steel. Don’t be put off by the metal. The result of the insulated triple-wall system on the Akorn Kooker is a more durable and lighter kamado grill. This is a huge deal if you have ever dropped a ceramic grill (hint: it’s bad). On the inside the steel is porcelain coated and on the outside it is beautifully powder coated with a high gloss finish that makes wiping the grill down a breeze. The hinge for the top is heavy duty and is more than capable of holding the Akorn Jr’s top, while the included legs are sturdy and fasten securely.
The Akorn Jr has the same high quality grates that Char-Griller is known for!
The removable cast iron grate offer 153 square inches of grill space with a convenient center grate hole that can be removed to add more coal without having to remove all your food. I really like how the grate fits into the keyed ledge of the grill, it keeps the grate from spinning or moving around while cleaning.
Once seasoned, the cast iron grates are curable and easy to clean; but more importantly they heat up evenly so that you get perfect grill marks every time.
Double damper system gives Jr complete temperature control
The E6714 Akorn Jr features a double damper system consisting of a slide vent at the bottom and a round damper on top. Paired with the nd insulated triple wall construction and this little kamado grill can easily hold temperatures between 200 and 700 degrees Fahrenheit which makes it possible to use your grill as a smoker as well. No matter if you are searing a steak or smoking a pork shoulder, you will be amazed at how consistent the temperature stays. Another added perk is that it uses hardly any coal!
The bottom damper also is removable to double as an ash pan. This makes removing the ash simple, even while the grill is in use.
Final thoughts about the Char-Griller E6714 Akorn Jr Kamado Kooker Grill
The Akorn Jr kamado grill has quickly become my go to grill for most nights. Sure, it is a bit small for when we have company over, but for typical, weekday grilling it is my first choice. I love how quick it heats up and how little coal it uses.
For the price (around $150 as of this writing), you will be hard pressed to find ANY kamado style grill, let alone one of this quality.
With a cover and kept relatively clean, I can easily see this grill lasting over 5 years without a problem. This puts the Char-Griller Akorn Jr as one of the most cost efficient grills period; let alone a kamado. I really think they knocked it out of the park with this grill and it is going to quickly become one of their more popular models!