Kamado Joe Classic II vs Classic III
Classic II or Classic III: the same 18 inch ceramic and 225 to 750 F range. The III adds the SloRoller insert, a third tier and metal shelves for $700.
We pick the Kamado Joe Classic II
The Classic II is the better buy for most people. It cooks on the same 18 inch ceramic with the same 250 sq in of grate and the same 225 to 750 F range, with the Air Lift hinge and Kontrol Tower already fitted. The Classic III adds the SloRoller smoke insert, a third cooking tier, aluminum side shelves and a charcoal basket, for $2,199.99 against $1,499.99 at list. That insert is the only change that reaches the food, and only on long, low cooks. If those are most of what you cook, the III earns it. If not, the II makes the same dinner for $700 less.
What actually differs
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The SloRoller insert
Kamado Joe sells the insert for long, low smoking, but publishes no figure for what it does. Judge it by how much low and slow you actually cook.
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53 more pounds to move
The Classic III weighs 280.6 lbs against 227.7 lbs, and its three tiers mean more pieces to lift and stage. That is why our ease of use score is 8.8 on the III and 9.5 on the II.
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Shelves and a basket
Aluminum shelves replace the Classic II's plastic ones, and a stainless basket sieves reusable charcoal from the ash. Nice to have, but neither changes the cooking.
How they score, category by category
The Kamado Joe Classic II scores higher in 2 categories, the Classic III in one. 3 are level.
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Heat Performance
Counts for 25% of the scoreKamado Joe Classic II 9.3Classic III 9.4Level: within a tenth of each other.
Why the Kamado Joe Classic II scores 9.3One sealed ceramic chamber covers 225 to 750 degrees, though a single round fire never gives two independent zones.
Why the Classic III scores 9.4The Series II's 225 to 750 degree ceramic band, plus a SlōRoller smoke insert that grill lacks. Still one fire, never two zones.
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Long-term Reliability
Counts for 20% of the scoreKamado Joe Classic II 8.7Classic III 8.7Level: within a tenth of each other.
Why the Kamado Joe Classic II scores 8.7Ceramic carries a lifetime warranty and metal five years, but the gasket that ages first gets only two.
Why the Classic III scores 8.7The registered warranty runs for life on ceramic, yet the two parts that wear soonest, gasket and dome gauge, carry just a two-year term.
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Build Quality
Counts for 18% of the scoreKamado Joe Classic II 9.2Classic III 9.3 Better by 0.1Why the Classic III scores 9.3Finished aluminum shelves where the Series II fits HDPE, a powder coated steel cart, cast aluminum vent, and stainless grates, latch and basket.
Why the Kamado Joe Classic II scores 9.2
Cast aluminum vent, stainless grates and latch, 227.7 lbs of ceramic. The folding shelves are HDPE plastic.
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Ease of Use
Counts for 15% of the scoreKamado Joe Classic II 9.5 Better by 0.7Classic III 8.8Why the Kamado Joe Classic II scores 9.5The Kontrol Tower holds its air setting through a lid opening, which the $999.99 entry Classic does not offer.
Why the Classic III scores 8.8
Kontrol Tower and Air Lift make the lid easy, yet 280.6 lbs and three tiers of inserts mean more to lift and stage.
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Value
Counts for 12% of the scoreKamado Joe Classic II 7.5 Better by 0.9Classic III 6.6Why the Kamado Joe Classic II scores 7.5At $1,499.99 the extra $500 over the entry Classic buys a hinge and a vent, with nothing new on the grate.
Why the Classic III scores 6.6
At $2,199.99 it costs $700 over the Series II for an identical fire, and Amazon was asking the same money in October 2026.
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Maintenance
Counts for 10% of the scoreKamado Joe Classic II 9.0Classic III 9.1Level: within a tenth of each other.
Why the Kamado Joe Classic II scores 9.0A patented ash drawer and an included ash tool turn the worst charcoal chore into a pull and empty.
Why the Classic III scores 9.1A stainless basket sieves reusable charcoal from the ash, on top of the inherited ash drawer. Gasket wear is the one recurring job.
See all six scores in one table
| Category | Kamado Joe Classic II | Classic III |
|---|---|---|
| Heat Performance (25%) | 9.3 | 9.4 |
| Long-term Reliability (20%) | 8.7 | 8.7 |
| Build Quality (18%) | 9.2 | 9.3 Better |
| Ease of Use (15%) | 9.5 Better | 8.8 |
| Value (12%) | 7.5 Better | 6.6 |
| Maintenance (10%) | 9.0 | 9.1 |
| Avid Griller Score | 8.9 | 8.8 |
Both reviews are scored on the same six weighted categories, on the same 0 to 10 scale, and each reason is the one that review gave. A category is marked better only where the two differ by a tenth or more. How we score →
Where the spec sheets differ
Quoted from each maker's own specifications, as each review records them. Figures the two products publish identically are left out, so only the differences are listed.
Which one is for you
You grill and smoke a bit of everything and want Kamado Joe's best lid and vent for $1,499.99.
Check price →Long smokes are the point of owning a kamado for you, and the insert is worth $700.
Check price →More head-to-heads
Every score and figure on this page comes from our own reviews of these two products, linked above. We have not tested them side by side in one place; the comparison is between two full reviews, each built from the maker's published specifications and documentation. Prices move, and the ones quoted are the ones each review checked on its own date.