Char-Griller Akorn Kamado Kooker Charcoal Barbecue Grill and Smoker Review
The 10 Second Review:
The Positive:
While not as indestructible and polished as the Big Green Egg, the Char-Griller Kooker is still a very well built and solid kamado style grill that performs just as well as the Green Eggs for a fraction of the price. Plus they have different colors!
The Cons:
The reduced cost of the grill means that some of the minor construction is not as beautiful as a Big Green Egg and the big green egg community (snobs) will snub you for not having a true Green Egg.
Full Review
“While there will always be people with brand loyalty in every type of product market I don’t think I have ever seen a group of people so obsessed with a product as the self-proclaimed “Egg Heads”. The followers of the Big Green Egg grill would rather microwave a brisket than grill on something other than a green egg.” -Anonymous BBQ Competition Judge
Ok, maybe that’s taking it a bit far; but you get the point. People will always tell you that you need to pay the big bucks for the “top brand”, however I often find that it is more of a vanity issue than actual assessment of functionality and economic reasoning. As such is the case with the Char-Grill Akorn.
The first thing to be said about the Char-Griller Kamado is the cost! With a price tag that is 70% less than the same size Big Green Egg it is hard NOT to notice this grill. For some people this sets off alarms of a cheap quality knock off; but in this case that couldn’t be father from the truth.
The construction of the Akorn BBQ and Smoker is of very high quality and rivals that of other top of the line kamados. You can expect many years of use from this grill with just a little maintenance.
From a cooking perspective the Akorn performs just as well as a Big Green Egg and maintains all of the same features.
All in all, the Char-Griller Akorn Kamado Kooker Charcoal Barbecue Grill and Smoker is a fantastic grill and in my opinion is the most bang for your buck. If you can get over being looked down upon by people who own a ‘real’ Big Green Egg, then you can save enough money to buy a side of beef to put on your new Char-Griller!