We have a 40- 45 year old green egg. I like it, Our handle is broken which is difficult to work with.

I have been reading about the full size Acorn kamado and I have been impressed with the number of positive reviews. I think the Jr has about the same. I think it is a good sale price. If I could get close to that price for the larger one I would definitely get it.

We have a Big Green Egg and love it. You can make awesome pizza in it! If the reviews of the Jr. Akorn Kamado Kooker Charcoal grill are good, then go for it!

Thanks, everyone. The price at Amazon and Walmart = $109.??

i spent a lot of time reading reviews for the Akorn Kamado Jr..Lots of reviews and most buyers were happy with it.

I was thinking, since I already have a propane grill, that I might enjoy using the small Kamado-like (not ceramic, but enameled steel) grill for two things:

1. Baking artisan pizzas outside, especially in hot weather when we need to run the AC inside.

2. Smoking small things like Salmon fillets, turkey breast, fish, vegetables or chicken. We try not to eat fatty red meats like beef, brisket, steak, ribs ;-(

However:

I looked at reviews. Lots of people love it, and it is very affordable, BUT

1. It is not well-machined or assembled.
2. It does conserve charcoal and can get very hot - good for pizzas and searing.
3. Supposed to be a "smoker" too but you have to buy a $40 ceramic stone and even then, many argue that the heat source is too close to what you want to (slow) smoke.
4. Customer support doesn't look so good.

*** Meanwhile, there is someone On CL giving away a free nice offset smoker. I don't want to/cannot eat a lot of smoked beef, pork and fatty chicken. But I do enjoy some amount of turkey, chicken and fish. older ad, so may be gone.

Supposedly ONLINE there are How-Tos on how to tinker with and improve one of those Brinkmann like (red one in cellar) cold water smokers. (We have an unused one, see below.)

We could keep the $110 red ceramic like cooker I just got for pizzas outdoors, especially on hot days.

-- I already have a Char-Griller mini barrel charcoal grill. I mostly use this as a small fire pit, but sometimes cook over the coals.

-- I also have a Webber Baby Q gas grill. Easy to use.

-- In the garage I have an unused, Brinkmann style water smoker. Never used. Was going to sell or give away, but it's heavy gauge steel and I've heard that there are ways to tinker with them. Otherwise, the are leaky and run through fuel and in cold (New England) weather, you cannot really count on them to smoke anything for very long. They just cannot get and stay hot.

-- Currently we make an artisan pizza ~ every 10 days and bake it in a kitchen oven for 7-8 minutes at 550 deg. F which gives good results.

-- Someone gave me a couple of 20" long Jenn-air electric rotisserie units, but we don't yet have any stove or grill that the can work with. Maybe we can jury rig some way to sop port them and keep them covered?

Anyone here use the Weber 18" or 22" kettle grill with either the smokerette set up or the rotisserie unfit? I'm wondering what rotisserie baking offers? Guess that's pretty much got to be fatty/critter skin as well?

I love cooking, love eating, like cooking outside, and love good gadgets. Problem I sleeping these gadgets clean, storing them.

I appreciate your ideas and feedback.

Here is some info on the Akorn Kamado Jr.

https://www.amazon.com/Char-Griller-Akorn-Kamado-Kooker-Charcoal/dp/B00EBWBFQQ/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

I have no idea where you live or what "outdoor" stores you have in your area. I also realize that we are barely into Summer, but... there are several locations around here of a store named California Backyard and there is one location of store called Emigh's Outdoor Living. Both of them, as well as others, sell The Big Green Egg (in all of the sizes). And, these stores have fantastic sales around Labor Day each year. If you have anything like these stores in your area, check them out, and ask if they have sales at the end of the season. If they do, and if you can get by this season without one, maybe you could get a Big Green Egg on sale at the end of the season.

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 $$.

Thanks for your comment, Elmer. Yes, I agree with your second paragraph to a large extent. Experience, persistence, an a resourceful outlook can go a long way. I cook a variety of foods. I mentioned some of what I'd see as uses /"needs" above. I improvise a lot a d experience helps me work around certain equipment and logistical shortfalls. (I've found that an extra red cedar shingle makes a suitable plank for grilling/smoke grilling salmon. It can also serve as a pizza peel.

I've been cooking (self taught) Chinese and Southeast Asian dishes for decades now and have gotten a good feel for certain dishes. I wouldn't mind setting up a back yard flat grill for cooking some of the dishes. When I fry basil leaves, the splatter isn't very polite toy kitchen -- even with a powerful exhaust fan and spatter screen. I just played again tonight and spatter, but it was delicious.