Anyone here buy/try the The Jr. Akorn Kamado Kooker Charcoal grill?
9 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (8)
Related Discussions
Anyone Using Charcoal?
Comments (75)In the following, I'll give you some message regarding the potential of charcoal in the field of energy harvesting. The same message has been posted in my own blog. (If you like, please visit my blog at the following URL.) "Possibility of Energy Harvesting using Charcoal" I read a recent online article relating to energy harvesting that reports some findings of electricity produced by a tree, i.e., a potential difference between the tree and the ground. Specifically, it is reported that University of Washington (Seattle) researchers recently demonstrated a nanoscale "boost converter" that integrates the ultra-low-voltage potentials generated by trees. Tradition from old times in Japan credits that the potential (it is called âpositive life forceâ) gathers in a mass of charcoal chips or powder and is good for health of a human as well as the environment in the vicinity. According to the findings of âinjured potential in earthâ by Mr. Satsuki Narasaki (1899-1974), a Japanese physicist, the potential can increase in earth when injuring the earth by digging a pit and then charcoal powder of high purity (pure Japanese cedar based charcoal powder) fully fills in the pit and it is covered with earth. Such findings have felt into oblivion for most as a phony, but the minority has experienced to date for themselves the presence of this strange phenomenon. A large number of tests according to Narasaki findings has been studied and reported before. For instance, one electrode stuck into earth (about 2 inch in depth) and another into earth in more depth (about 10 inch in depth), in any case, both electrodes in earth are placed above the pit (a square about 60 inch on a side) filled with charcoal powder (about 240 pounds), compacted with water over powder and then covered with earth. The potential difference between them was measured at about 120 mV initially. Two months later, it shows 242 mV when measured again. Further, it is reported that the potential difference was measured continuously between those levels even after that. From other point of view, it is known that the charcoal made from woods contributes both the fertile ground and the CO2 fixation in earth (âcarbon negativeâ). Therefore, I think one electrode in the tree and another in earth above the pit being filled with charcoal powder may be a good idea to circulate the green-tech energy system and to change the trees to the credit, i.e., âcarbon negativeâ for a debt, i.e., âcarbon emissionsâ, and then a mini-power plant as well as a power collection system when they connect with each other. Nothing venture, nothing win. Have a try! Here, I recommend using charcoal powder produced by my friend in Nanmoku-village at Gunma-pref. (near northwest of Tokyo) in Japan for your experiments. High quality charcoal powder is a specialty of this village. Incidentally, do you consider harvesting the power (electricity) from vibrations of a tree by wind in windy locations? If a gyroscopic power generator such as âSTABILITY ANALYSIS OF GYROSCOPIC POWER GENERATORâ published in âProceedings of PowerMEMS 2008+ microEMS 2008, Sendai, Japan, November 9-12, (2008)â can be downsized by the latest micromechatronics and a large number of mini-gyroscopic power generators can be installed in the tree (and in more vibrant branches), I anticipate more feasibility of energy harvesting like the production of electricity from wave-motion energy off the coast (Study of Kobe University). Electricity can be used for a sensor network of self-diagnosis of trees, into each of which trees a sensor for self-diagnosis is installed and operated by electricity self-generated, and it can be utilized for the study of thigmomorphogenesis and mechanoperception in trees (see, http://www.plantbiology.msu.edu/faculty/faculty-research/frank-w-telewski/ Prof. Frank W. Telewski, Department of Plant Biology, Michigan State University, is an expert in this field). The goal of this study is summarized in âEcosystem Adaptabilityâ (see http://gema.biology.tohoku.ac.jp/01gcoe_e.html , study of Tohoku University). In any case, no more bulky and expensive wind turbines (it is reported that the wind turbine may cause symptoms to a human in the vicinity, i.e., hypersensitivity due to the swish sound at low frequency from its vane)! ⦠it may be a laymanâs way of thinking....See MoreOutdoor Grills - DCS vs. American Outdoor Grill
Comments (21)I have cooked on all three and the TEK IR is the only gas grill that cooks as well as charcoal. It's advantages over charcoal are that it is quick to set up, easy to clean up and does an excellent job of creating the charcoal taste. As many here know, the flavor is created by the smoke from the fat striking the hot surface be it charcoal or something else. The higher the IR energy (from gas or charcoal) and the less the flame, the more smoke generated rather than being turned into additional flame. The TEK creates a great deal of smoke because the IR glass sits between the flame and the dripping grease. On older style IR burners there is still an open flame to ignite the grease drippings reducing the amount of smoke to add flavor. With charcoal, once the embers are glowing red, it is emitting a lot of IR and much less to no flame and hence produces a lot of smoke and flavor. I have owned the FireMagic and I would not purchase another. The burners are cast SS but they still do rust over time and the flavor grills wear out too. They are very hard to clean and the heat was not anywhere near as good as the advertisements. If you are the type that never clean a grill and don't mind a gritty looking grill it may not matter. I am the type that wants it to look clean and inviting each time and the self cleaning feature along with the dishwasher removal panels makes the TEK a breeze to clean and keep looking nice. For me that was worth a lot. The more conventional grills like the Firemagic, even with their ceramic infrared burner are not even a close match....See Morekamado vs big green egg
Comments (17)I kept my trusty Weber for about a year when I bough mine, and it quickly became a charcoal storage unit. Things that the egg-shaped cookers do "better" than a kettle or gas grill, are, in my biased opinion, and in no particular order: * High temperature sear -- I can easily get the coals to a yellow-orange temperature. It is hot enough that the stainless-steel grill "self cleans" and I get a beautifully marked and seared steak. * Capacity -- I can easily get a 25# turkey *and* four full slabs of ribs into mine (equivalent of a 22 1/2" Weber grill size) * Temperature control -- with the top and bottom dampers, I can much more easily control fire temperature than I ever could on a charcoal kettle. I can be at 700 deg (dome) temperature and shut it down to a 400 deg "dwell" in a minute or two -- basically puts the fire out and cooks using the heat stored in the dome (this also means that unused charcoal is not consumed) -- see warning below * Cook pizza -- Real pizza. 700 deg isn't at all hard to obtain and maintain. * No cover needed -- It's pool tile. Hose it off with the pressure sprayer from time to time. Disadvantages -- its harder to have a "hot" side and a "cold" side. It is clearly cooler around the edges when using it as a grill and I generally deal with it that way. WARNING -- Get yourself a good set of mitts and a ideally a fire-resistant apron, and always, always look away when opening any charcoal-fired cooker of any sort that has been "shut down" in this manner. The high temperatures that remain can "vaporize" all kinds of combustibles, that basically burst into flame when the oxygen rushes in when you open the top. Think turning on the gas in the oven and then tossing in a match. It has never happened to me, but I'd hate to find out that I lost the roll of the dice. Here is a link that might be useful: Cooker Flashback...See MoreLate Night Wonders
Comments (36)Boy, I haven't made Char Siu Bao in a long time, Jessy. Now you've got me thinking about them. Chinese Steamed Bread Dough 2 t yeast 1 1/2 c warm water 1 T sugar 2 t baking powder 3 1/2 c flour Dissolve the yeast in the warm water, & stir in the sugar until it's dissolved. Leave it to proof for about 10 or 15 minutes. Stir in the flour and keep stirring until the dough holds together & pulls away from the bowl...if you need a bit more water, that's fine. Knead the dough well for about 10 minutes, dusting with flour as necessary. When it's nicely elastic, cover it with a damp cloth or saran wrap and let it rise for about an hour and a half, until it's doubled. Punch down & let it rise again. Dissolve the baking powder in enough water to make a sort of slurry...about the same amount water as powder, I'd guess. Knead the slurry into the dough for a few minutes. Now your dough is ready to make whatever kind of steamed bun you like, filled or not. I like to make flower rolls out of it. Flower Rolls Roll out the dough into a rectangle, about 1/4 inch thin if you have the patience but at least 1/2 inch thin. Brush the dough well with sesame oil (buy a good quality, 100% sesame oil, not a blend)...you'll probably use about 4 Tablespoons, and sprinkle with about 1/2 t salt. Sometimes I also sprinkle finely chopped green onions on the dough as well. Roll up the dough, jelly roll fashion, cut it into 2 inch pieces. Place a piece on the work surface so that the rolled ends are facing out...sort of on it's side. Now take a chopstick and press down across the roll, almost as though you were going to cut it in half, but don't quite go that far. What you want is 2 ovals joined at their middles. Pick up the roll on either side of the ovals, and, pinching a bit, pull the ends underneath so that the ovals "blossom", and pinch the ends together. This is as clear as I can describe the process...I remember that the first few times I made these, I ended up with rolls that looked nothing like the picture, before I finally figured it out...it doesn't matter, they taste the same even if they don't look right. Let the rolls sit for a while and recuperate while you boil the water & set up your steamer...10 or 12 minutes. Steam the rolls for 20 minutes (no peeking!) Leftovers can be refreshed in the steamer in 4 or 5 minutes if you start with the water boiling rapidly. Now, about the steamer... Chinese markets have wonderful bamboo steamers that are quite inexpensive. There are large ones made to fit over a wok, or small ones that fit over a pot. They're stackable, so you can steam as much or as little as you like. Alternately, many Chinese cooks simply put an inch or two of water in a big pot, and use a plate on a wire stand (also available at Chinese stores) that holds the plate above the water. In a pinch, camping, I used a plate on a tin can that I'd removed both ends of. Any steamer set up will do, really. If you're not able to steam the rolls all at once, cover the rest with saran wrap or a damp towel and put them in the fridge, taking the next batch out about 5 minutes before the batch in the steamer is done so they can go back to room temp. You can also make all kinds of meat or veggie filled buns with this dough. Roll the dough between your hands to form a long "rope" and cut it into pieces large enough to roll into about 5 inch circles. The edges should be a bit thinner than the center. Put your filling in the center, and sort of pleat & pinch the filling together at the top. Whether the point goes up or down in the steamer is purely to your taste. Traditional pork bao are smoothly round, so the point goes down. Some cooks have the point up because it is decorative. It all tastes the same. It would probably be a good idea to practice with one, steam it, and then check to see if the ratio of bread to filling is to your liking before doing the rest. Oh, about the sesame oil. Make sure it is Chinese or Japanese. Indian people use a sesame oil that is quite different, and not suitable for this recipe. Also, refrigerate the unused portion as it turns rancid at room temp quite quickly. It is a wonderful oil to quickly saute vegetables or add into Asian marinades or dressings, but has a fairly low burning point, so don't heat it to smoking stage....See More- 9 years ago
- 9 years agolast modified: 9 years ago
Thanks, Lindsey. I am in New England, Zone 5a. I appreciate your suggestion. I'll check out sales. Even on Clist used BGEs go for about 600 to $800 which is over our budget.Ihave been watching people on YouTube making Kamado pizzas. Some good ones, some hacks. The dough makes the pizza, pretty much. And of course the cooking technique and ingredients. We make slow-rise artisan crust. I've got it down so that I don't get the kitchen & counters messy. We let it slow rise for ~ 3 days in fridge, periodically stretching/folding. We like using Thai anise basil. Fresh ingredients, trying to keep the sodium and saturated fats low.
Here are some of the pizzas I bake in an electric oven (Temp ~550 deg F. In the summer heat, baking pizza in the house heats the kitchen up July & August.
I've found ways to ensure a crisp bottom.
i just watched a YouTube of a cluey cook with a modular wood-fired brick oven. The ovens are made in Chicago. Something tells me that I won't be affording one any time soon. Maybe I should take masonry workshop. One day at a Home Depot I spotted a couple of quasi Latin looking fellas stocking up on bags of cement. I asked what project they were doing. They were setting about making a masonry oven for one of their back yards. They had made others & told me it was pretty simple (for THEM!). They were Brazilian and evidently like to cook outdoors in masonry ovens.
I wish I'd thought to get their phone numbers. But, still, likely $$.
- 9 years ago
Related Stories
KITCHEN DESIGNSoapstone Counters: A Love Story
Love means accepting — maybe even celebrating — imperfections. See if soapstone’s assets and imperfections will work for you
Full Story
KITCHEN DESIGNWhy a Designer Kept Her Kitchen Walls
Closed kitchens help hide messes (and smells) and create a zone for ‘me time.’ Do you like your kitchen open or closed?
Full Story
GREAT HOME PROJECTSHow to Get a Pizza Oven for the Patio
New project for a new year: Light a fire under plans for an outdoor oven and claim the best pizza in town
Full Story
INSIDE HOUZZA New Houzz Survey Reveals What You Really Want in Your Kitchen
Discover what Houzzers are planning for their new kitchens and which features are falling off the design radar
Full Story
COLORPick-a-Paint Help: How to Create a Whole-House Color Palette
Don't be daunted. With these strategies, building a cohesive palette for your entire home is less difficult than it seems
Full StorySponsored
Elmer J Fudd