Kamado BBQs

A kamado is the egg-shaped ceramic cooker that holds heat extraordinarily well. The thermal mass of the ceramic walls means a kamado can run for 12 hours on a single charcoal load, low-and-slow for brisket or screaming hot for steak. The original Big Green Egg started this category, and there are now £200 entry-level kamados from cheaper brands. The compromise is weight: a 21-inch ceramic kamado weighs 100kg+ and isn't moving once installed. Cherry Lane Garden Centres, Choice Furniture Superstore and Robert Dyas between them cover £12-£2,013. Look for a stainless steel cooking grate, an air-vent at the top and bottom (you control temperature by airflow), and a heat deflector for indirect cooking. Kamado cooking has a learning curve. The first three or four cooks are about getting comfortable with the airflow rather than the food itself.