BBQ Gear I Use and Recommend

The Kamado Joe Owner's Handbook

The Kamado Joe Owner's Handbook covers the things I wish someone had explained when I started cooking on ceramic grills. It covers setup, temperature control, maintenance, troubleshooting and the techniques I use to get consistent results from a Kamado Joe.

The Texas Backyard Kitchen

The Texas Backyard Kitchen goes beyond the main course. It includes complete meals built around barbecue, grilling and everyday cooking so you're not figuring out sides and desserts while the brisket rests.

Kamado Joe Classic II

The Kamado Joe is still my go-to ceramic grill. I use it for everything from brisket, ribs and pork shoulder to steaks, burgers, rotisserie cooking and high-temperature searing.

What makes a ceramic cooker so useful is its range. I can hold a low smoking temperature for hours or configure the same grill for much higher direct-heat cooking.

If you're new to Kamado Joe, I recommend learning the grill before buying every accessory available for it. The standard cooker can do an enormous amount on its own.

Kamado Joe Joetisserie

The Joetisserie turns the Kamado Joe into a charcoal-fired rotisserie. I use it when I want the even browning and self-basting effect you get from continuously rotating food over the fire.

It also opens the door to accessories such as rotisserie baskets, which I use for foods that would be difficult to mount directly on the spit.

Kamado Joe Grill Cover

I use the factory Kamado Joe cover on my Classic Joe II. It fits well, protects the grill and cart from weather and debris, and includes covered ventilation openings that allow some airflow underneath the cover.

There are a couple of things worth knowing before buying one, particularly if your grill sits in full sun or you use a SmokeWare chimney cap. I cover both in my full review.

Kamado Joe Karbon Steel Griddle

A full griddle changes what you can cook on a Kamado Joe. I use a flat cooking surface for Smashburgers, breakfast foods, fajitas and other cooks where I want full contact with a hot steel surface instead of an open cooking grate.

The Karbon Steel Griddle gives you considerably more cooking area than a half-moon griddle when the entire cook calls for a flat top.

Kamado Joe Half-Moon Cast-Iron Grates

I use cast-iron grates when I specifically want the heat retention and searing characteristics of cast iron. The half-moon format works with the Divide & Conquer system, so you can combine cast iron with another cooking surface or setup.

The standard stainless-steel grates are more versatile for everyday cooking. Cast iron is an accessory I use when the cook benefits from it rather than something I consider mandatory.

Kamado Joe Half-Moon Griddle Plate

The half-moon griddle is one of my favorite ways to cook Smashburgers on a Kamado Joe. It gives the meat direct contact with a hot cast-iron surface while still allowing you to configure the other half of the grill differently. 

If you don't need a full-size griddle, this is a very flexible addition to the Divide & Conquer system.

Kick Ash Basket & Kick Ash Can

I've used the Kick Ash Basket and Kick Ash Can together in my Classic Joe II. The basket makes it easy to lift and shake ash away from the remaining lump charcoal, while the can catches the ash underneath.

I also prefer the wider openings in the Kick Ash Basket to the factory Kamado Joe charcoal basket because they improve airflow without noticeably increasing charcoal consumption.

SmokeWare Chimney Cap

I replaced the factory Kontrol Tower on my Classic Joe II with a SmokeWare chimney cap. It gives me excellent control at low smoking temperatures and avoids some of the coating and adjustment problems that can develop with the factory cap.

It isn't automatically an upgrade every Kamado Joe owner needs. If your Kontrol Tower is working properly, I would keep using it. The SmokeWare becomes much more attractive when the factory cap is damaged, difficult to adjust or its coating has begun to fail.

Napoleon 57013 Rotisserie Basket

The Napoleon 57013 is a relatively inexpensive rotisserie basket that works with the Kamado Joe Joetisserie. I've used it as a lower-cost alternative to more expensive rotisserie baskets.

If you're considering one, read the full review first because fit, capacity and the type of food you're planning to cook matter more than the price alone.

Fredericksburg Cast Iron Burger Press

Four pounds of heavy-duty, pre-seasoned cast iron that is ideal for making smash burgers. The raised handle helps provide leverage and lots of knuckle clearance. This was my favorite burger press in my video and review. 

FireBoard 2 Drive

The FireBoard 2 Drive is the temperature controller I still use after years of briskets, pork shoulders, ribs and other long cooks.

It monitors both food and pit temperatures and, when paired with a fan, automatically controls airflow to maintain the pit temperature. That makes it particularly useful for overnight cooks and other situations where I don't want to spend hours making small vent adjustments.

Other FireBoard Models

FireBoard 2: The standard model for cooks who want FireBoard monitoring without the integrated Drive fan-control capability.

FireBoard Pro: The thermocouple-based option for applications that benefit from higher-temperature probes.

I would choose among them based on what you need rather than assuming the most expensive version is automatically the right one.

ThermoWorks Circle IR Thermometer

An infrared thermometer measures surface temperature rather than the internal temperature of food. I use mine for things such as griddles, cast iron, waffle irons, woks and other cooking surfaces where knowing the actual surface temperature is more useful than relying on the grill's dome thermometer.

Thermapen One

The Thermapen ONE is the instant-read thermometer I use when I want a fast, accurate internal temperature reading. I use it for steaks, chicken, burgers and other foods where I need to check temperature in several places rather than leave a probe in the meat throughout the cook.

Zwilling Pro 8-Inch Chef's Knife

This is the general-purpose knife of the group. I use a chef's knife for everyday chopping, slicing and prep work where a specialized barbecue knife isn't necessary.

Zwilling Pro 4-Inch Paring Knife

A small paring knife is useful when a full-size chef's knife is simply too large for the job. I use one for detail work and smaller ingredients.

Zwilling Pro 5.5-Inch Boning Knife

A boning knife gives you more control when working around meat, fat and connective tissue. For barbecue prep, that makes it useful when precision matters more than the length of the blade.

Dalstrong 12-Inch Slicing Knife

A long slicing knife is especially useful for brisket and other large roasts because the blade lets you make long, clean slices instead of sawing back and forth with a shorter knife.

Smithey 10-Inch Cast-Iron Skillet

A good cast-iron skillet works just as well on a Kamado Joe as it does in the kitchen. I use cast iron when I want strong heat retention for searing, browning and other high-temperature cooking.

Serrated Rib Membrane Removal Tool

Removing the membrane from the back of ribs can be frustrating, particularly when it tears or is difficult to grip. This small serrated tool is designed to get underneath the membrane and give you something more secure to hold onto while pulling it away.

Leather Welding Gloves

Leather welding gloves are inexpensive and useful around charcoal, hot grates and other situations where I want hand and forearm protection from radiant heat.

Pellet Smoke Tube

A pellet smoke tube gives you an additional way to generate smoke without depending entirely on the grill's primary fuel. It's a specialized tool rather than something I use for every cook.

The Beef Tallow I Buy

Beef tallow is rendered beef fat. I use it for cooking steaks and smash burgers and for adding beef fat back to brisket during the wrapping stage.

You can buy good beef tallow ready to use, which is convenient when you don't have enough clean beef-fat trimmings available.

Make Your Own

If you're already trimming a whole packer brisket, you may have everything you need to make your own.

Instead of throwing away the firm pieces of fat, I slowly render them, filter the liquid fat and refrigerate the finished tallow.

Read: How to Make Beef Tallow from Brisket Trimmings