Kamado Joe grills comparison Which Kamado Joe should you get?

Feb 15, 2022

In this article we review the range of Kamado Joe grills, so you can choose the best one for your individual needs.

With so much variation in an already saturated market, shopping for the perfect BBQ grill can be more than overwhelming.

That's why at Yorkshire Fire, Kamado Joe stockists, we are here to bring you all the grilling information you could ever need with exclusive deals you can not find anywhere else! We have some of the best value packages in the UK and our customer service and aftercare are second to none! For Yorkshire based customers we can deliver, set up and remove all packaging within 30 minutes of delivery. In this post, we'll be looking at all of Kamado Joe grills, side by side, to help you find your best match. With exclusive offers and bundles when you buy through Yorkshire Fire, there's no better reason to buy and start entertaining the masses! Keep reading and make sure to keep up with all our social media pages, and youtube videos.

Let's meet the family

In this article, we're going to be cross-examining all of Kamado Joe's grills. So let me introduce you! First off, the baby of the family The Joe Jr. Next is The Kamado Joe Classic II. Following that, we have the upgraded big sister Kamado Joe Classic III. Then finally the big daddy, Kamado Big Joe.

The first thing to note when looking for the perfect grill is; "what do you want to use it for?". It is not a trick question. The number of people you're planning to entertain, the frequency of which you plan to be using your grill and what it is you plan to cook will all affect your grill making decisions.

Joe Jr vs the rest of the family

Unsurprisingly Joe Jr is the smallest of the Kamado Joe grills. Its lightweight and portable frame make this a great companion for grilling on the go. With the classic Kamado features, this little grill is small but mighty. Perfect for individual cooking or bringing with you to go camping. Weighing only 31 Kg and boasts a 377 square-centimetre cooking surface—ample space for a full beer can chicken with vegetables. The thick-walled ceramic body locks in heat, moisture and flavour, and the heat deflector plate allows cooks to experiment with indirect heat for more flexible cooking.

Its extra features include:

Premium ceramic grill with cast iron stand
Cooking surface: 34cm diameter / 377 sq. cm
Heat range: 107°C – 400°C
Stainless steel cooking grate
Wire mesh fibreglass gasket
Patented slide-out ash drawer
Built-in thermometer
Ceramic heat deflector
Includes: grill gripper and ash tool
All the Yorkshire Fire Exclusives

Compared to the rest of the Kamado Joe grills, especially the Big Joe, size is the biggest difference here. Joe Jr has a lot of similar features to the Classic II but in a compressed package. Joe Jr compared to the Classic III, again, has a comparable size difference. It also doesn't have as large of a cooking area and doesn't have the same air weight hood features. However, if it's convenience you are after, the Joe Jr is a perfect travel companion for grilling on the move, for a select few and to dip your toe into the BBQ-ing world.

Kamado Joe Classic II

The Kamado Joe Classic II is the next step up from the Joe Jr. More space for cooking, less portable for moving. The Classic II is the most popular ceramic charcoal grill, perfect for typical backyard grilling and smoking and any new ceramic griller. This ceramic bbq grill set a new high standard for craftsmanship with built-in features for hassle-free cooking and an adjustable 18-inch cooking surface with the 2-tier Divide & Conquer® Flexible Cooking System. Innovation comes standard with each kamado ceramic grill from Kamado Joe.

The Classic II offers a flex cooking system. Two levels of cooking space to indulge in. With two pieces of heat deflectors, you can choose to have 0, 50 or 100% direct heat on your cooking. It features 2-inch wheels to allow you to move your grill. With marine grade plastic side shelves, you can hold your cooking utensils or additional cooking ingredients.

The original Kamado Joe is a family favourite. It is bigger than Joe Jr and a lot smaller than Big Joe. For our comparison between the Classic II and Classic III check out our post prior to this.

The Classic III

Classic II has had a major upgrade. Kamado Joe's Classic III grill takes all the best parts of the Joe Jr, Classic II and Big Joe and wraps it up into one convenient, top of range, cooking experience.

Being the most similar to the Classic II. The Classic III is one of the most advanced charcoal grills on sale, you’ll be the envy of all your friends when you entertain on this bbq.

With the innovative SloRoller technology to harness the power of cyclonic airflow and control heat and smoke, while still giving you that divine taste and texture you only get with a real charcoal bbq, the classic III Kamado Joe is one of the best on the market.

Plus, with the brilliant Divide and Conquer cooking system giving you double the space and the ability to cook different food at different temperatures altogether, the Kamado Joe really is your new best friend.

Classic II and Classic III have a lot of similarities.

The temperature gauge, handle and cap are identical. As with the grill base, firebox and interior. Both grills use a stainless steel cooking surface and have an ash cleanout system. Both come with a lifetime warranty on their gaskets and more importantly, both grills feature Kamado Joe's newest technology with the airlift hinge. Pretty much, on the base of it, both grills have the same bones. So what makes them individual?

Differences between Classic II and Classic III

In short, the Classic III is an upgrade on the Classic II. There are plenty of features that are the same, or similar, but the Classic III also includes some vast improvements. But are they worth it? Let's have a look at some of the biggest differences between these two grills.

The Classic II offers a flex cooking system. Two levels of cooking space to indulge in. With two pieces of heat deflectors, you can choose to have 0, 50 or 100% direct heat on your cooking. The Classic III with its slo-roller technology, developed at Harvard, allows you to cook on one level higher than the Classic II, perfect for smoking and giving you the much-needed distance between your meat and the sauces. This is probably the most significant upgrade in the Classic III from the Classic II.
The second difference is seen in the side shelves. The Classic II offers marine grade plastic side shelves whereas the Classic III uses aluminium, which lasts just that bit longer. This is perfect for placing your hot grill grate or other hot products. With aluminium shelving, you don't have to worry about melting your shelves, which is very likely with the Classic II.
The Classic III, rather than a cast iron base like the Classic II, features a kick-ash basket with a divider. This allows you the option of a half basket or full basket of coal whilst cooking.
The stand that the grill sits on features even more storage space for all your cooking tools, and has 3inch wheels, rather than the Classic II's 2-inch wheels, which makes all the difference when cooking on uneven surfaces.

Classic III and Big Joe

If you love the Classic III and just want more then the Big Joe is the one for you!

Designed for entertaining a crowd of your best mates, the Big Joe come with all the features of the Classic III including the revolutionary SloRoller, the three-tier Divide and Conquer and a flexible cooking system to cook different food at different temperatures simultaneously.

But, true to its name, the Big Joe is just bigger all around. With a 24-inch cooking surface on all levels, you can even cook 16 chickens at once if you’re all about the meat.

With this Kamado Joe, all you need to do is fire it up and let the Big Joe do what he does best - leaving you to entertain and have fun.

Bigger Joe is always better?

It's easier to see the Kamado Joe line split in 2. On one side you have the slightly more user-friendly, older and reliable mechanisms of the Joe Jr and the Classic II.

Both make great grilling companions, especially for those looking for quick and easy.

On the flip side, you have the more innovative features of the Big Joe and Classic III. Made for entertaining and cooking for the masses. New shiny features such as the slo-roller technology and airlift hinges.

If you are cooking for the masses and want all the bells and whistles then look no further than Big Joe. If you're on the move and want good things in small packages the Joe Jr will be your best friend. For those happy in the middle and the best of both worlds, we recommend the Classic III, although if you're happier with a smaller price tag then the Classic II is the one for you. All Kamado Joes bought through Yorkshire Fire come with exclusive bundles and deals.

Check out our website for more details. https://shop.yorkshirefire.com/

For any further questions or queries, you can find all contact information on or website. Or head to our YouTube channel, Yorkshire Fire, for cooking demonstrations and all you need to know about Kamado Joes.