Customer reviews from kamadojoe.com
KAMADO JOE - Konnected Joe Charcoal Grill - Red
Average customer rating
4.8
(155 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 155 reviews
5 Stars
137
4 Stars
11
3 Stars
3
2 Stars
2
1 Star
2
95%of customers recommend this product.
(
139 out of
146)
Customer Reviews for KAMADO JOE - Konnected Joe Charcoal Grill - Red
Customer Rating
5
Hands Free BBQ
on August 22, 2024
Posted by: matt23
from Durango, CO
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] Wasn't sure how this would work, charcoal bbq with my phone? But it turns out it is pretty awesome. My scenario is the following I want cook a rack of ribs during the week, but I have to work, so in comes the Konnected Joe, I get the grill ready and prep the ribs, set my temp, put the ribs on, monitor in the app, go back to work, Wait till dinner time, impress family with amazing ribs! And it is as simple as that. Plus you can use it as a regular Kamado Joe Classic, if you want to be more hands on. Overall a good product, no issues so far.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting kamadojoe.com
Customer Rating
5
Thoughts after a year of heavy use
on July 4, 2024
Posted by: Nashville Grillin'
from Nashville
I've had this grill for over a year now and have hundreds of cooks on it. Everything from low and slow smoking to direct fire grilling, griddle cooks, Joetisserie cooks, pizza and pretty much every type of cook I could throw at it.
I wanted to do a year review because the early adopter reviews are outdated. So anyone reading these reviews should consider that this is a tech product. That means it has received updates over the past year that have improved performance, added new features, fixed bugs, fine tuned temp algorithms, improved wifi connection stability, etc.........previous reviews before the last firmware update in May 2024 are not reviews of how the current Konnected Joe performs. Although it still performed well back then........but it performs much better now.
KJ has added session graphs to the app, which is very useful for looking up past cooks. Actually, the grill didn't even have a graph feature when I first got mine, so that is one improvement.
As mentioned, they have also improved temp stability and wifi stability. It will hold a steady temp as low as 150°f and up.
The wifi range can be fairly short by todays standards but it's long enough for most patio and deck placement. If not, it's as easy as just adding an outdoor wifi extender or an indoor extender closest to the grill. Mine is probably 30' from my router through 3 basement interior walls and a cinder block exterior wall. It took 2 or 3 tries to do the initial connection but after that it has found and connected to my router on its own every time and has not dropped the signal that I could tell. That said, KJ also added a WiFi signal strength indicator on the grill display to aid in the placement of your grill for strongest possible signal or in determining if you need a wifi extender. This was a great improvement IMO.
They also made some subtle UI changes to the app which has made it more polished and refined. I like it. It's very simple to use and everything is clear and concise compared to 2 popular add on controller apps that I also own and use for my regular KJ2 and KJ3.
The build quality is great. I have not had any problems with my production model hardware components.
I have mine plugged into a weather resistant outdoor outlet in a weatherproof covered box and have not had any issues with tripping a breaker. GFCI outlets are very sensitive and can occasionally nuisance trip when the heating element is warming up, so I just avoid that altogether with my WR outlets.
Clean up is simple with the included ash clean out system. I just use a 4" brush to sweep the ash down through the remaining charcoal and grate, into the pan below. Empty the pan and I'm good to fire it up.
I love the convenience of being able to prep the grill the night before, get home from work, push the AFS ignitor button and set my temperature before even walking into the house. After 10-20 minutes my grill is preheated and ready for food. Just long enough for me to gather my prepped food and grill tools.
I also love that I don't have to install and remove the controller like I do with my 2 addon controllers for my other KJs. I loathe having to unpack those, untangle the wires, plug everything in and install the adapter and fan each time....... remove it all again afterwards.
The different cook "modes" work great as well.
I use the griddle mode and normal cook mode the most but use Joetisserie mode when using that accessory.
I don't have a classic size DoJoe so I can't comment on that mode, other than to say that I use it when wok cooking and it works great.
I use the large KJ Karbon Wok with the X rack and a vortex accessory to focus the heat to the bottom of the wok. I then engage DoJoe mode so that it will stoke the fire at 100% fan speed with dome open. This gets a hot focused fire for true wok cooking. I then cycle the power off once I'm cooking and open the bottom draft door to keep the fire going but not as intense.
I wanted to do a year review because the early adopter reviews are outdated. So anyone reading these reviews should consider that this is a tech product. That means it has received updates over the past year that have improved performance, added new features, fixed bugs, fine tuned temp algorithms, improved wifi connection stability, etc.........previous reviews before the last firmware update in May 2024 are not reviews of how the current Konnected Joe performs. Although it still performed well back then........but it performs much better now.
KJ has added session graphs to the app, which is very useful for looking up past cooks. Actually, the grill didn't even have a graph feature when I first got mine, so that is one improvement.
As mentioned, they have also improved temp stability and wifi stability. It will hold a steady temp as low as 150°f and up.
The wifi range can be fairly short by todays standards but it's long enough for most patio and deck placement. If not, it's as easy as just adding an outdoor wifi extender or an indoor extender closest to the grill. Mine is probably 30' from my router through 3 basement interior walls and a cinder block exterior wall. It took 2 or 3 tries to do the initial connection but after that it has found and connected to my router on its own every time and has not dropped the signal that I could tell. That said, KJ also added a WiFi signal strength indicator on the grill display to aid in the placement of your grill for strongest possible signal or in determining if you need a wifi extender. This was a great improvement IMO.
They also made some subtle UI changes to the app which has made it more polished and refined. I like it. It's very simple to use and everything is clear and concise compared to 2 popular add on controller apps that I also own and use for my regular KJ2 and KJ3.
The build quality is great. I have not had any problems with my production model hardware components.
I have mine plugged into a weather resistant outdoor outlet in a weatherproof covered box and have not had any issues with tripping a breaker. GFCI outlets are very sensitive and can occasionally nuisance trip when the heating element is warming up, so I just avoid that altogether with my WR outlets.
Clean up is simple with the included ash clean out system. I just use a 4" brush to sweep the ash down through the remaining charcoal and grate, into the pan below. Empty the pan and I'm good to fire it up.
I love the convenience of being able to prep the grill the night before, get home from work, push the AFS ignitor button and set my temperature before even walking into the house. After 10-20 minutes my grill is preheated and ready for food. Just long enough for me to gather my prepped food and grill tools.
I also love that I don't have to install and remove the controller like I do with my 2 addon controllers for my other KJs. I loathe having to unpack those, untangle the wires, plug everything in and install the adapter and fan each time....... remove it all again afterwards.
The different cook "modes" work great as well.
I use the griddle mode and normal cook mode the most but use Joetisserie mode when using that accessory.
I don't have a classic size DoJoe so I can't comment on that mode, other than to say that I use it when wok cooking and it works great.
I use the large KJ Karbon Wok with the X rack and a vortex accessory to focus the heat to the bottom of the wok. I then engage DoJoe mode so that it will stoke the fire at 100% fan speed with dome open. This gets a hot focused fire for true wok cooking. I then cycle the power off once I'm cooking and open the bottom draft door to keep the fire going but not as intense.
For durability, my gaskets are still good after well over a year. Controller is still great and the grill is mostly uncovered but under a sun shade. So it gets wet but not like being hosed down.
Other than a few app wish list items that aren't deal breakers, I do wish the KJ charcoal basket worked with the AFS heating element.......but again, thats not a deal breaker.
Overall, this grill has spoiled me. I have a Big Joe 2, Classic 3, Jr. and Pellet Joe. This one gets used 90% of the time. It just works that good and is that convenient.
Other than a few app wish list items that aren't deal breakers, I do wish the KJ charcoal basket worked with the AFS heating element.......but again, thats not a deal breaker.
Overall, this grill has spoiled me. I have a Big Joe 2, Classic 3, Jr. and Pellet Joe. This one gets used 90% of the time. It just works that good and is that convenient.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting kamadojoe.com
Customer Rating
5
As simple as gas, but way better.
on June 4, 2024
Posted by: ChrisW5
from Devon UK
Simply one of the most amazing things I've ever bought. I've had gas BBQs for many years, as charcoal ones were just too much hassle. When the last one rusted away, I fancied a Kamado, but was put off by the fact that all the ones available in the UK are charcoal fired.
However, after much research I decided to go for the Konnected Joe, and it's just amazing. Emptying the ash and refilling the charcoal takes a coupe of minutes, then it's just a case of dialling in the temperature and pressing the ignite button. It reaches temperature very quickly, usually less than 30 minutes, and after that it just maintains whatever temperature is set, whether it be a 6 hour slow cook, or a 5 minute grill.
The results are stunning, particularly on the slow cooks, with the most amazing flavour and moistness.
The WiFi and the app work perfectly as well.
It's going to cost me more to run than gas, but well worth it.
However, after much research I decided to go for the Konnected Joe, and it's just amazing. Emptying the ash and refilling the charcoal takes a coupe of minutes, then it's just a case of dialling in the temperature and pressing the ignite button. It reaches temperature very quickly, usually less than 30 minutes, and after that it just maintains whatever temperature is set, whether it be a 6 hour slow cook, or a 5 minute grill.
The results are stunning, particularly on the slow cooks, with the most amazing flavour and moistness.
The WiFi and the app work perfectly as well.
It's going to cost me more to run than gas, but well worth it.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting kamadojoe.com
Posted by: Micheal A
from SC
Verified Purchase:Yes
Great build quality and holds heat for long cooks. Unfortunately Konnected Joe will not connect to the WiFi and app on phone rendering one of the best and most convenient features useless.
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Response from kamadojoe.comBy Customer Support, May 29, 2024
Thank you for taking the time to review our product. We are sorry to hear that you are experiencing this issue. We did locate your claim and see a representative is assisting you .We have forwarded this information to your claim.
Written by a customer while visiting kamadojoe.com
Posted by: Bayron
from Florida
Verified Purchase:Yes
I love it, the only improvement I can blatantly see a need for is a way to kill the fire faster, a cool down button in the app, and if the fan could some how start to remove air and preserve lump. I'm not sure just an idea this is the only part that leaves me feeling without control of the grill
No, I would not recommend this to a friend.
Written by a customer while visiting kamadojoe.com
Customer Rating
4
I absolutely love it!
on April 19, 2024
Posted by: ChristianHT
from South Carolina
I was hesitant on picking up the connected Joe however now that I have it, I absolutely love it! Food comes out amazing keeps a steady temperature easy to use for first-time Kamado user! Its the perfect grill for me!
Written by a customer while visiting kamadojoe.com
Customer Rating
5
Game changer
on April 2, 2024
Posted by: Kelley B
I’ve had mine for about four months. The only ‘con’ is it pulls current so you can’t run a long extension cord. The WiFi can be flaky but rarely and even when it is, just go to the grill to check/change.
The pros?? This thing is amazing. Follow the instructions and take the guesswork out of getting to/holding a temperature. I realize some may feel this is somehow cheating but the freedom this gives me to do other things and be confident in the grill is priceless.
Cooked a 6 lb prime rib for Easter. 15 min at 500 degrees. Then reset the temp to 325 degrees. Never opened the lid. When the temp probe in the roast got to 125 degrees it was done. And it was perfect.
Additionally it is very easy on charcoal and I have been using it a lot. From larger groups to grilling salmon for myself.
The ease of use is wonderful.
Written by a customer while visiting kamadojoe.com
Customer Rating
5
Easy Street
on March 12, 2024
Posted by: BarberQ
from Marietta GA
[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] if you want the ease of pain with the flavor of charcoal, this is a great option. I always tell people if they are hesitant switching from gas to charcoal something like this is the way to go
I would recommend this to a friend!
Written by a customer while visiting kamadojoe.com