Best Kamado Grills of 2026
Ceramic and steel egg shaped cookers that grill, smoke and bake on one load of charcoal.
A kamado grills, smokes and bakes, and its thick walls sip charcoal on long cooks.
It rewards patience. Once you learn the vents, it holds a low heat for hours without fuss.
Our kamado grill reviews check the hinge and the gasket before anything else. Those are the parts that wear first.
We tested 15 kamado grills for this guide. Most of them do well on how hot and how evenly they cook. Where most fall short is value for money, so that is where the picks below stand apart.
Our picks
- Best overall
Kamado Joe Classic II The Kontrol Tower holds its air setting through a lid opening, which the $999.99 entry Classic does not offer. $1,499 at Amazon - Best kamado grill for the money
Char-Griller AKORN Jr. Kamado Charcoal Grill At $199.99 it costs half the $399.99 full-size AKORN, and that gap pays for the stone, charcoal and a cover. $199.99 at Amazon - Best kamado grill for beginners
Broil King Keg Kamado Charcoal Leads the kamado field on handling: 140.4 lb rolling on four locking castors, with shelves that lift off by hand. $1,259.02 at Amazon - Best kamado grill for pizza
Kamado Joe Big Joe II Kamado Joe publishes 225°F to 750°F in one body, and the Kontrol Tower holds its air setting through every dome lift. $2,056.44 at Amazon
Prices are what the retailer charged when we last checked. More on each pick below.
Best kamado grill overallKamado Joe Classic II
The Classic II is the same ceramic grill with a much better lid. That lid is also what your hands are on all evening. At $1,499.99 that is a hard sell, and at the street price it stops being one. Register it the day the pallet turns up.
Good to know: At $1,499.99 the extra $500 over the entry Classic buys a hinge and a vent, with nothing new on the grate.
Best kamado grill for the moneyChar-Griller AKORN Jr. Kamado Charcoal Grill
This is a hot grill first and a smoker second, because the firebox sets the order. Treat it as a kamado sized for one fire, not one weekend. Then it is a great deal. For long, unattended smokes, the $399.99 full-size AKORN is the better buy.
Why it won this award: At $199.99 it costs half the $399.99 full-size AKORN, and that gap pays for the stone, charcoal and a cover.
Good to know: A painted steel kamado lives or dies by its finish, and the 5-year warranty covers burn and rust-through while excluding surface rust.
Best kamado grill for beginnersBroil King Keg Kamado Charcoal
The Keg puts its ceramic where the fire is, not where your hands are. That is why it cooks like a kamado and rolls like a cart. Buy it for the fire control and the mobility. Ignore the hybrid pictures until that module has a price.
Why it won this award: Leads the kamado field on handling: 140.4 lb rolling on four locking castors, with shelves that lift off by hand.
Good to know: Around $1,256 buys the cooker, then the diffuser kit, pellet module and rotisserie are each a separate purchase.
Best kamado grill for pizzaKamado Joe Big Joe II
Portability was never what this cart delivered. What it delivers is a grill that stands up on its own. It gains 16.5 inches of height and two places to set a tray.
Why it won this award: Kamado Joe publishes 225°F to 750°F in one body, and the Kontrol Tower holds its air setting through every dome lift.
Good to know: Around $1,935 is well under list, but the $229.99 charcoal basket and a cover are both still to come.
Questions people ask
What is the best kamado grill?
Our top pick is the Kamado Joe Classic II. The Classic II is the same ceramic grill with a much better lid. That lid is also what your hands are on all evening.
What is the best value kamado grill?
The Char-Griller AKORN Jr. Kamado Charcoal Grill. At $199.99 it costs half the $399.99 full-size AKORN, and that gap pays for the stone, charcoal and a cover.
How much should I spend on a kamado grill?
Most of the kamado grills we tested cost between $1,000 and $2,060. Our top pick costs about $1,499. Across all our scores, paying more buys a little, and much less than the price tag suggests.
Which brand makes the best kamado grills?
Of the brands we tested at least twice here, Weber did best across its 2 models, ahead of Kamado Joe. A single great model matters more than the badge, so judge each kamado grill on its own.
What size kamado grill do I need?
Think about the biggest thing you will cook, like a brisket or a whole turkey. Most households do well with a medium kamado. A small one suits couples, and a large one suits big gatherings.
Is a kamado grill a smoker?
Yes, and a very good one. The thick walls hold steady low heat for hours on a little charcoal. Add a heat deflector and a few wood chunks, and it smokes beautifully. It also grills hot and bakes pizza.
Can you use a kamado grill in the rain or winter?
Yes. The thick ceramic holds heat well, so cold weather affects it less than thin steel. Keep it covered between cooks so the charcoal stays dry. Heat it up slowly on very cold days to protect the ceramic.
Why does a kamado get so hot so fast?
Open vents pull in lots of air, and the heavy shell traps the heat. Open the lid slowly at high heat, because a rush of air can cause a flare. Once it overshoots, a kamado takes a long time to cool.
How we picked
Every pick comes from our own testing, scored the same way across six things that matter to an owner. The overall pick is the highest Avid Griller Score. For the money and for beginners go to the top Value and Ease of Use scores, and for pizza to the top Heat Performance score, since a pizza needs a kamado held hot for a long time. How we score.
Looking for something else? See all our best grill guides.