We bought a Ceramic Kamado grill/smoker. Wish I would have done this 30 years ago because I would still have the same grill 30 years later and wouldn't have gone through about 8-10 cheap charcoal grills. (Usually the $50 Brinkman water smoker grills) which last about 2-3 years and I just put them on their side and smash flat and throw them away. The Kamado is absolutely outstanding. You can adjust the temp from about 220 up to over 800 and everything in between. Can keep it at 220 for at least 12 straight hours without having to touch it. It is very stingy on charcoal use because it is nicely insulated with the little over 1" thick ceramic. Meat stays nice and juicy. is a perfect dry smoker, and water smoker. can turn it into a nice oven with a good Lava/Pizza stone. Has accessories to turn it into a outstanding Wok All in all it is the perfect BBQ/Smoker/Grill that should last a lifetime, and I mean a LIFE time even if you buy it in your 20s use it several times a month until you are in your 90s. If well taken care of it should be the only grill you ever have to buy. As for starting the charcoal. Using a "Weed Torch" connected to a small propane tank I can start this grill in about 30 seconds. Have it to 220 degrees for smoking in under 2 minutes. At about 350 degrees for basic grilling like chicken in about 4 minutes, and up to over 500 degrees for high temp searing of steaks in under about 6-7 minutes. With the vents on bottom and top wide open it acts as a blow torch inside and gets very hot fast. Using a weed torch for about 30 seconds or so lights the charcoal fast and uses no contaminates like lighter fluid so the coals are ready immediately just as soon as they reach desired temp. I have gone out to my Kamado, started it, go back to kitchen to get steaks, come back 6-7 minutes later and its ready to cook, throw on the steaks about 3-6 minutes per side depending on thickness and I am done in well under 30 minutes even if I need to clean out old charcoal and add a full batch of new. A full load of charcoal should last 3-4 grillings for steaks, or at least 12 hours if you are slow smoking a Boston Butt. The Kamado is really just about the same speed of use as a gas grill when using a weed torch. I bit more hassle just because of the use/cleaning out of charcoal but for the flavor difference it is well worth it. Gas grills just do not compare. Other charcoal grills do not really compare to a good Kamado. The one we got was from Costco, called a "Vision Grill" and only cost $540. Every bit as good, in fact in some ways actually better than the Big Green Egg and cost about 50% less. This is what it looks like. and this is weed torch

In my opinion, in some cases you are paying more to cover the extensive advertising for the brand. In others you are paying more for the style and look of the fixtures and matching other fixtures in the bathroom. In still other cases you are paying for engineering to design the complicated mechanism that provides a powerful flush. And in some cases you are paying for the quality control which some cheaper manufacturers seem to offload onto the consumers. As with many things, paying more doesn't guarantee a better functioning product. There are some cheaper models that work well, and some that provide endless problems. But the same can be said for more expensive models. There are sites that review the functioning of specific brands and models, which are useful in guiding your decisions.

For me, solid content isn't the only thing to consider. For example, I have a heck of a time getting Aura to look good on the wall in critical lighting situations. I can't eliminate the lapping marks from the roller completely. With Regal, it's easier. Now, the difference in coverage and durability between Regal and Aura isn't much as far as I can tell, so I pretty much use Regal all the time, unless I have a customer that insists on it or wants the matte finish. Regal Matte is a terrible product, so I will use the Aura Matte in those situations. Point is, Aura may be more expensive because what is used to make that paint is higher quantity of expensive ingredients, but so what? Sometimes we need the paint to actually look good too.

"Paint grade" can mean: maple not suitable for stain, MDF, poplar, could mean alder though not usually from a large mfg. Factory appiled paint usually has a catalyzed top coat. This will be tougher than most of what you can get locally. The down side to that though is if it chips it is more difficult to touch up or to repaint. Site painted are less durable and will eventually need repainting. But are easier to repaint. The best are done by a professional. Price difference can be all over the map. IMO, at least in these parts the biggest difference in price has to do with construction. And I don't mean drawer glides, dovetails or plywood thickness. The biggest price (and quality) difference is in frame construction. Pocket hole frames will be the least expensive and account for more than half of all cabinet sales. Again around here that is the most common with local "custom" makers. Next up the scale is a doweled face frame (sometimes loose tenons or biscuits) and finally the best and most expensive will be true mortise and tenon. In mfg brands that will be in higher end and true custom mfg's You will also find variations in the material used for the sides of the case. Particle, ply, varied thickness of ply, and source/quality of ply. (Chinese, mexican, canadian domestic, NAUF, and a myriad of grades) All of those contribute to price difference as does mark up. So you decide how you want to deal with paint. Talk with a few makers/dealers, find someone you like and trust that can make your budget. Most (not all) mid price and up options out there are "good" nowadays.