2023-10-25 15:11:38
Sous vide steak, asparagus, pancakes, grilled fried onions and mushrooms, roast chicken, smoked chicken wings, grilled salmon, reverse seared tomahawk steak, hot smoked salmon, cold smoked salmon, leg of lamb, chicken shish taouk on the rotisserie, pizzas, blue cheese steak, ribs, smoked brisket, roast pork, smoked bacon, homemade naan bread, langoustines and shrimp: here is a non-exhaustive list of dishes that I have roasted, smoked and grilled over the past few months with the Konnected Joe. I even cooked and smoked a lasagna (and it was delicious, with all due respect to those I’m sure to offend).
Of all the barbecues I have tested in recent years, this is the most versatile and without a doubt my favorite.
Which is not to say that it doesn’t have its faults. Its intelligent functions, for example, lack polish, and it is not for everyone. Because even though the Konnected Joe is automatic, it requires more effort than a propane barbecue or an electric smoker.
But my dear, these efforts are rewarded.
3,000-year-old technology comes to the 21st century
The Konnected Joe is a kamado type oven, a type of ceramic egg that allows you to retain heat and cook food in three ways: with the direct heat of the fire, with the heat that radiates from the ceramic walls and with the hot air circulating thanks to the rounded shape of the barbecue.
Although it has evolved quite a bit over time, it is a type of grill that existed 3000 years ago in China, and which has gained popularity in recent years thanks to brands like Kamado Joe and Big Green Egg.
What do you get when you combine 3000 year old technology with modern technologies? Succulent ribs. Photo: Maxime Johnson
In other Kamado Joe models, those without technology, you have to light charcoal in the bottom of the barbecue, then adjust the air inlet at the bottom of the device and the air outlet at the top to control temperature. This is a procedure that requires some learning, because you really have to control the fire so that it doesn’t burn too hot or go out. It’s also strangely satisfying, like when you finally manage to start a fire while camping after igniting three boxes of matches and a large Saturday newspaper.
The heating element in the bowl of the Konnected Joe greatly simplifies lighting the barbecue. Photo: Maxime Johnson
The Konnected Joe simplifies this process. First of all, a heating element in the bottom of the oven allows you to light the charcoal with just the press of a button. Then the barbecue has an air inlet with a fan on the back and then a smart interface on the front. By measuring the temperature of the grill, it is able to adjust the fan to control the intensity of the fire.
In theory, you only have to fill the barbecue with charcoal, turn a dial to indicate that you want to reach a temperature of 225F, and press the ignition button, wait a few minutes and place a beef brisket inside to cook a delicious brisket.
A few words about the barbecue itself
You don’t need to plug in the Konnected Joe to use it. In fact, even if all the electronic components failed, this would still be an excellent charcoal barbecue, whose characteristics are halfway between those of the Kamado Joe Classic Joe II and Classic Joe III.
The cooking space is quite large, 250 square inches, but still a little smaller than with a kettle-shaped charcoal grill (like the Weber Kettle).
The Konnected Joe is above all a high-end Kamado Joe. Photo: Maxime Johnson
Its legs with its storage space at the bottom are solid, its wheels are large, the two small removable aluminum shelves on the side are practical. The kamado lid also has a high-end mechanism that holds it in place in the air automatically (which is really handy).
The grill also comes with most of Kamado Joe’s essential main accessories. The Konnected Joe notably includes a grill system that can be used at two levels (one half-grid closer to the embers and the other further away, for example), two ceramic half-moons to protect food from the fire and cook properly. In an indirect way, a tool to stir the ashes, a small shovel to collect them automatically and a support to use other accessories, such as a cast iron pan.
The Konnected Joe is simple to assemble, but be careful not to drop its heavy parts. Photo: Maxime Johnson
Assembling the grill (which comes on a pallet) is a fairly simple process. It took me less time than with the Weber Genesis SX-335, For example. I did, however, need help from a neighbor to get the unit up on the patio, since it weighs a little over 200 pounds and I’m not Big Antonio. Some stores offer assembly for $60, which I highly recommend. It’s not a lot to pay for not having a Joel Edmundson back.
Probably the best bacon I’ve eaten to date. Photo: Maxime Johnson
For a reason I’ll explain later, I primarily used the Konnected Joe in manual mode. And even that way, it’s a superb grill, one that’s charcoal efficient and keeps the temperature much more consistent than a propane grill or kettle-style charcoal grill. It allowed me to make memorable meals, like a smoked tomahawk steak cooked at 225F for over an hour, then seared just above the embers at 750F for a few seconds.
Note that to smoke, you must add large pieces of wood to your charcoal. These are easily found anywhere you can buy barbecues, but you can also just use your ax if you have logs at home.
A popular but imperfect connected technology
I really liked the connected aspect of the Konnected Joe, without really falling in love with it. I found that the automatic ignition is really practical (and much faster than with a fire starter) and I appreciated the fact that it is compatible with a wide temperature range (from 225 F to 750 F , much hotter than what can be achieved with other connected barbecues, such as the Traeger Ironwood).
The Konnected Joe interface allows you to choose the temperature of the barbecue, turn it on, insert probes to monitor the cooking of food, view a cooking graph and choose the accessory used during cooking. Photo: Maxime Johnson
The smart system’s ability to keep a constant temperature is also impressive most of the time. Sometimes it can stay on for hours without varying a single degree. Even my indoor oven doesn’t do that much.
Even though the Konnected Joe is much simpler than a manual Kamado Joe, we can’t really say that it is as easy to use as an electric smoker.
The Konnected Joe can cook indirectly and smoke a tomahawk steak like this at a low temperature for a period of time, then sear it over high heat closer to the coals when the target internal temperature is reached. Here I grabbed a little too long on one side. Photo: Maxime Johnson
Side vegetables demonstrate the versatility of Konnected Joe. Photo: Maxime Johnson.
First, although automatic fire control is generally accurate, it is also sometimes imperfect. You will be able to keep a constant temperature for hours, but if you have pieces of wood to create smoke, they may cause the temperature of the barbecue to increase in an unexpected way. The same goes for the rotisserie (an accessory which I will talk about below): the fat which flows from the meat and which flames on the embers can also thwart the vigilance of the system.
And if the temperature rises too high, the Konnected Joe is not able to reduce it quickly without your help.
The Konnected Joe mobile application in “French” is currently lacking in polish. Photo: Maxime Johnson
The mobile app is minimal, with a few recipes, functionality to adjust the temperature once cooking has started (you can’t start the whole thing with your phone, for security reasons) and to track the temperature food if you plug a probe into the Konnected Joe. The geekiest will, however, regret that it is not possible to export the cooking graphs or save them.
Overall, the app is disappointing. Comparing it to smart thermometer apps, like Meater, there’s definitely still a lot of work to do for Kamado Joe.
Unfortunately, I also found the Wi-Fi connectivity finicky. Maybe the system integrates poorly with a mesh Wi-Fi network like mine, but it often loses connection even though the network strength is good.
Good repairability, with downsides
I had some issues with the tech side of the Konnected Joe when I first set up the grill last May. Finding the source of the problem took a long time, and I had to change three different parts before fixing the problem. This is why I mostly used the grill in manual mode.
The fact that I had a technical glitch is not worrying in itself. This is something that happens when you test a first generation product before anyone else. But the adventure still allowed me to learn a little more about the repairability of the barbecue and Kamado Joe products in general.
The rear module of the Konnected Joe. Photo: Maxime Johnson
First, the positive: customer service is responsive, and all parts of the Konnected Joe can be changed easily. Also, if the electronic components of your barbecue were to fail in 10 years and replacement parts were impossible to find, you could still use it in manual mode.
Unfortunately, it seems that several parts break often, including the ceramic baffles to protect against heat and the gasket. If the option is offered for purchase, take out an extended warranty. Also, customer service may be good, but Kamado Joe’s Canadian presence is minimal. Certain parts also sometimes seem to be out of stock for long periods of time.
Various accessories
Kamado Joe stands out from its competitor Big Green Egg by the quantity of accessories offered.
I particularly liked the JoeTisserie ($359), a rotisserie with a powerful motor, which I probably use for half of my cooking. It’s expensive, yes, but the quality is definitely worth it.
The JoeTisserie rotisserie is a must-have purchase for any Kamado Joe. Photo: Maxime Johnson
I also tried a half-moon cast iron griddle ($89), which is quite practical for smashburgers or naan breads, for example. If you have two grills, however, I find that a propane barbecue is better than a kamado for plancha type cooking.
Among those that I liked less, note that the protective cover seemed to me to be of poor quality: it protects the barbecue, but it discolors in a few weeks.
Some accessories also seemed too expensive to me. The cast iron sear grill, an essential in my opinion if you want to sear steaks at a very high temperature, costs, for example, $129. I found a generic one of just as good quality for $50.
Kamado Joe’s reversible cast iron half-moon makes smashburgers, but the company also offers a full-size carbon steel griddle. Photo: Maxime Johnson
I was also interested in a basket for the JoeTisserie, handy for rotating chicken wings in their own fat to create fried and smoked chicken wings, or for cooking Ricardo’s chicken en toadine that everyone seems to buy around me.
The Kamado basket seems well designed and of excellent quality, but at $259, I preferred to opt for a simpler Napoleon basket, but sold for $84. I’m not going to make chicken wings every week, after all (although…).
Some accessories also seem superfluous to me. At $329, the Kamado Joe DoJoe Pizza is, for example, as expensive as some dedicated pizza ovens.
Who needs a $329 accessory to make pizza, when all you need is $6 plumbing connectors and an old pizza pan? Photo: Maxime Johnson
It is also possible to cook excellent pizzas in a Kamado Joe simply using two ceramic plates and raising the second on top of the first (or on the heat deflectors of the Konnected Joe).
The maneuver prevents the fire from heating directly under the pizza pan (which would burn the crust), while improving the cooking of the cheese since the temperature is higher at the top of the dome than at the height of the grills. The result is delicious, and it only cost me $6 for four small pieces of copper plumbing purchased at the hardware store.
In summary
The Konnected Joe is priced at $2,399 in Canada. Photo: Maxime Johnson
Despite its few flaws, the Konnected Joe is a versatile barbecue that will allow you to cook just about anything to perfection. If I had only one barbecue to have for the rest of my life, it would be this one.
At $2,399, the Konnected Joe is, however, an expensive purchase, as are other kamado-type barbecues, in fact. To save a little, however, you can abandon the technology and opt for the Classic II, which is sold for $1,687.
WE love
A smoker and grill of exceptional quality. The heating element makes lighting much easier. There are accessories for all tastes. The different parts of the barbecue are easy to change, which ensures good repairability.
We like less
The price is high. The Wi-Fi connection is temperamental. The mobile application could be improved. Customer service is in the United States.
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