Don’t you love the fact that you can find a channel like this, from a regular BBQ guy like the rest of us, who has only 2.8K subs, but is as informative and concise as the best “professional” channels? This is what makes YT so good. Lots of great channels from guys with now axe to grind, just a regular guy bbq’ing and reporting. THANKS, BYSM! Great video.

You presented this whole video so well. I always appreciate folks who can put things into words for the simple man, LOL. I got a lot from this and am considering which to purchase myself. Thanks!

This probably one of the best videos I have seen on here. Wonderful information. Well worded. Excellent explanations of how and why. Open and honest critique of both. Keep it up!

I have the original Weber Summit Charcoal Which is now called the Weber Summit Kamado. The truth is the older model bought a better grade cart and a superior double hinged deflector plate that was also double insulated and Super hefty at that. It has been my favorite Charcoal Combo Grill I have ever had. I would not give it up for a Ceramic Joe or any other Ceramic Kamado. So much easier to bring temps down. So much easier to maintain temps, Don't have to worry about adjusting lid or it falling off, i can move the whole cart around myself without any fear of hitting a bump and tipping over. I don't have to worry about cracks or issues with the Ceramic on my Weber Summit Grill because it is not Ceramic 🤗 Great video. Thanks for sharing.

What an excellent review, thank you! I have been researching charcoal grills for weeks now and this was very informative.

This is an excellent tutorial. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

Great video, very helpful and informative, nice work. Thanks

I bought a WSK based on lots of things, one of those being how positive you were about it. Turns out it is a dream grill and exactly what I was looking for - thanks man 👍

Great honest review, thank you Sir.

Really cool, clear and balanced review. Congrats.

Brilliant review! Subscribed. This gentleman knows his stuff. :-) Thank you!

This was one really well done video. U r hitting a really good stride with these videos. Well thought out and interesting observations. I do like my meats to be smoke forward. Maybe that’s why I love my KJ so much.

Awesome detailed video as others have mentioned. I am now a subscriber and truly wish I had found your channel before I relocated from the Bay Area 2+ years ago. Keep up the great content and happy smoking!

Appreciate you putting in time to make this content!

This is exactly the video I needed! I am trying to decide between these 2 BBQs. This has helped me make my decision. After 20yrs of cooking on gas I made the plunge to a South African Braai last year, and caught the bug cooking on wood (no more gas for me). Now I want to be able to indirect cook and smoke. I have subscribed and look forward to checking out your other videos. Thanks a mill from Ireland.

What a great video. And i think thats a fair comparison. Thank you it was ja pleasure to look. Greets from Germany

Thank you for the honest information. Greatings from Serbia. 🇷🇸

Such an honest and informative review. Thanks from the UK 🇬🇧

Love your videos. I'm looking into the Summit Kamado sometime this year. Would be interested if you did a tutorial video on how to use the Summit in regards to its features and cooking scenarios (configurations for a fast sear vs a slow smoke, adjusting grill height, recommended accessories, etc.)

Thanks so much for this as I’m in the market for a kamado bbq. This was very informative in helping decide between a KJ or a Weber. Leaning towards a Weber as it will work for my situation best.

Great video. Thank you

I place my wood atop the lump on my WSK. The way the WSK burns fuel, you won’t get the wood to smoke when the wood is on the bottom of your fuel. Love the WSK as it’s incredibly versatile for a smoker, griller and indirect/direct cooker. Best grill I’ve ever owned and used in 30+ years.

This was great! Thanks!

Excellent video!

very helpful video thank you sir

The skin on both looks great. Both units are winners. Great video. 👍🏾

I was going between KJ and WS. I am inclining more towards Weber now. Thank you for the very helpful review 🙏

I've had a 22" weber performer with the gas igniter for >15 years now. Absolutely love it and prefer it over a chimney.

Great video! Thank you! I just found your channel (thank you YT algorithm) and am now subscribed!

Great comparison! I've been cooking on a Kamado Joe for a few years and I suspect you didn't warm up the Kamado Joe for long enough. Using Smoking Dad BBQ's start up procedure, my KJ holds temps really nicely and it generally has a pretty clean smoke profile. If the fire is burning a bit dirty and when you rush the startup, it's common to get the overpowering flavor and it is not pleasant for sure.

Good video. That WSK is my fav. I'm glad they made a NO gas and more sealed version. However, I do wish Weber would have included that original hinged deflector. I don't "need" it now, BUT, I sure missed it a lot in my first season while trying to learn the grill. (needed to add fuel & wood a lot my first 20-40 cooks). Also, that's kind of what made the weber different.

Great video sir! I have an oklahoma joes longhorn combo that I bought from an old person a couple years ago in a good deal, its been great so far. I have been thinking buying a pellet smoker just for commodity but in the other hand I like to manual control my temperature and use charcoal, lump and sometimes when I have been out of lump I put some pellets and it worked fin in my offset

This is about as good of a review as I've seen and you've certainly answered my question.

I just bought the WSK, I am very impressed.

Awesome video!

Ótimo video para quem tem dúvida decidir qual comprar.

I owned a BGE for 20 years and now own the the Weber Summit Charcoal at home and a Akorn at a vacation home. I have noticed the Weber has much has less smoke flavor the other 2. I believe the reason is on the Weber you set the bottom to smoke and adjust the top vent to control the temp. On the Akorn it is the opposite, the top vent is barely open and control temp with the bottom vent. I also use a knock off slow and sear on the Akorn which maybe the difference.

Love the video thank you! Have you done a brisket yet and if so, what's the longest a cook will go on the summit?

I still remember when you got one of the duff Summits with wobbly legs. We never saw them in the U.K. and mine was delayed whilst they redesigned it. I love it. Good video BTW.

i agree with you😊

Great job, excellent review, and just what I needed to convince me. Looking to graduate from Reqtek Pellet Grill to the WSK (after this review, sold me.) To the OG's, can i expect to see a marked difference in smoke/meat taste from a pellet to the WSK? I've really loved my first year of smoking, so excited to bring on the charcoal.

Hey im from the bay too. Go Niners! Love your vids. Thanks for the info.

on all Kamada grills, temp is very easy to control....you need to monitor for the first 5-10 min and when you see it approaching the required set temp, start closing down the vents starting with the bottom....remember ceramic does hold temp, so start early.....then small adjustments from the top vent.....I have seen the Kamado Joe hold 250F for 5 or more hours with NO adjustments....you can also control smoke by not putting in 4 or 5 chunks....just use 1-3......and understand that certain woods give off more smoke.....lastly, you my want to try placing wood in the bottom if the grill instead of on top of the coals....nice video

Thank you for your helpful video. If the meat will be added to other ingredients I would vote for more smoke.

Great video with clear explanations that Frenchman manages to understand! 😂

from Syria, Appreciate your simple direct presentation sir. may Allah bless you

Interesting comparison. Thanks for sharing this. You're a cool guy ... wish you were my neighbor!

Great video. Btw you a new gasket. You might have a air leak causing the temp to raise

I like both pits, but kamato big Joe is almost twice the price nowadays. Great Video Kenyatta I havnt had anything off either pit. I have 22 kettle and use the slow n sear and I like the smoke profile that comes off of it, I like the fact that the summit and kamato joe work well in cold weather and can conduct long cooks with ease, I feel with kettle you need to sweep ash to maintain temp that's hard for over night cooks. The comparison cook was great.

Great video. When you’re looking at doing a Kamado cook, how do you decide what to use? It’s a good problem to have.

Thank you for the comparison I’ve been wanting a Kamado Joe for such a long time I live in Seattle it gets cold. I’m worried that it might break in the winter. Do you have a any information on that? Also, I was actually thinking the Weber would be a good fit because of its light weight. Thank you for being so informative. I do like the idea that the Weber is not as smoky. Thanks again great job

Great video, still like my summit so far

I just commented, but had a thought on the smoke difference. The Joe is ceramic and thus slightly porous. The Webber is steel and is not porous. I wonder if the porosity of the Joe holds in some moisture when it sits, and that moisture is converted to steam during the cook? You might not have been seeing as much smoke as it appeared to be.some of that could have been the off gassing of moisture from the ceramic chamber? Could be wrong, but I thought it was worth putting out there. Then again, the porosity could hold in oils from previous cooks, and when it burns away, could contribute to the difference in taste and smoke flavor?

Great video but really only talked about smoke profile. Wondering though on the overall hen profile? Meaning, it looked like the Komodo hen was a little over cooked/charred whereas the WSK looked overall better color and not as overcooked. Would you say the Komodo was slightly overcooked?

Great video! The only problem with the Weber is its size. We need a 26" or 28" Summit Kamado.

great review - and in the end, suppose the best conclusion you can reach with this cook-off. in the end you need to reach a result that has great taste and nice optics. The way you reach that is the touch of the cook and its cooker; having said this the Weber is a great instrument, though captilizing on the popularity of a kamado style cooker (and do mean style, because in my view the material is irrelevant for the style cooking), but as is the Kamado Joe. Now monetary wize i'd say its a hell of a lot of money for the both - i'd say when start bbq-ing buy a cheaper weber to learn how a bbq works and than build your own (off-set or UDS) to learn how smoke and fire works. (i made my kamado of some ceramic flower pots and a UDS with scrap metal; and I cook on a fire table with open fire and ceramic cloches) and how fun it is to do so....; then, when having enough money, you buy a kamado (would choose for the BGE, Weber or PRIMO though... it is not whithout reason the KJ smokes differently.....) and lay back and do your meat, being the expert you allready have become through experience....; Thanks for your reviews, will be following them;

The big joe iii cost more than twice as much as the weber summit here in europe, and although it comes with more accessories it difficult to justify the price difference. I also preffer the black color of the webber and the relative light weight. Thank you for your video, it made my decision to go with the weber easier.

I wonder what the difference would be for a metal Kamado, would be. I'm thinking the Acorn vs the WSK.

I am not in the game yet. Hopefully soon. Just wondering . . . What reasonably priced / good performance Chunk Charcoal . . . Do most BBQ'rs prefer? . . . I hear a lot of people say Royal?

I have had both. Movers broke my Kamado Joe Big Joe after having it for five years. I have had the Weber Kamado for 2 years. I prefer the Weber Kamado. Neither were bad, they both cook great. The Kamado Joe was 3 times the weight and I occasionally need to move my kamado off of my deck and my wife and I can easily move the Weber Kamado but not the Kamado Joe.

SUMMIT, has my vote

Great review I own both cookers. I find the kamado big Joe head and shoulders better than the weber summit charcoal. I agree it takes the KBJ longer to come up to temperature, but it holds temperature on long cooks (brisket, pork belly, ribs) better than the Summit Charcoal and the KBJ uses far less fuel. I use Big Block or B&B Texas Competition lump. Lastly the clean up of the Summit Charcoal is a real chore in comparison to the KBJ. IMO, the Summit is better and more capable than the weber 26 with slow n sear but not as good as the KBJ

Will the Jotisserie or Dojo fit on the Weber?

Have you tried the double indirect method on the kamado? Curious if it really does help smoking on the kamado

I myself like the summit kamado, if I want heavier smoke flavor I would use my offset! I am purifying my grills to all USA made and I may be purchasing a primo ceramic made in the USA!!!

Having owned a KJ3 Classic for 4 years, and lusting after the Weber Kamado, I do have a couple of comments/observations about your comparison. First, I was disappointed that you didn't use the two grills with their stock equipment. You said that the KJ didn't have a deflector plate? Geez, how old is that thing? I use the Slow Roller and the Divide and Conquer system - always. It comes stock with the Classic 3 and would think that you should have set up both cookers up with the standard equipment, heat deflectors, etc. I have NEVER used my KJ the way you did and wouildn't consider it. Second, I would NEVER use that much smoking wood in the KJ for poultry. I use a chunk of wood about the size of my thumb for chicken as with the KJ, a little goes a long way with poultry. I think the added smoke you saw from the KJ was the result of more air flow needed to maintain the same temps, ceramic vs. Weber Kamado's insulated metal. So, more air in the KJ, more smoke flow, more smoke flavor. Air flow is key to good BBQ. I use the slow roller on all cooks except pizza. The Weber Kamado just uses a heat deflector plate, right? Take a look at James' Smoking Dad BBQ channel. He knows more about Kamados than anyone I have found. He developed several hacks that I use on every KJ cook. Things like putting smoking wood chunks in the ash tray, double indirect air flow, preheating the grill, and using the Smokeware water/drip pan. All of this adds up to really great tasting BBQ. The HUGE advantage of the KJ is the Divide and Conquer and Slow Roller accessories that come with the KJ3 Classic and Big Joe. I'd love to see you do a comparison of the 3 series Big Joe or Classic against the Weber Kamado. If I were to be stranded on a desert island, I'd take a KJ3 Big Joe with me. The Classic is too small to roast those wild pigs whole. In fact, I find the KJ Classic is too small for almost everything. Now for the lusting part. I really dislike the lack of portability with the KJ due to its weight. I had a Char Griler Akorn before the KJ. I loved that I could move it around the patio and garage and even between the patio and garage. Not so with the KJ. It was assembled on the patio and will die there. Hence the desire to have a Kamado type cooker but one that doesn't weigh 250 lbs. Good quality video. I put you on my play list to see what else you have.

This should be interesting!

Love that you're flying the 49ers colors.

Regarding the difference in smoke: Did you place the wood in similar positions? What did the combustion patterns look like? Maybe have a look at the remaining smoke wood? I’m wondering if the tendency of the Joe to burn front-to-back, as opposed to Summit’s radial air intake, influenced how much pecan combusted? Another variable is how oily the grills were. Combusting oil gives off smoke. For example, if your previous cook on the Summit was high heat, it would be ‘cleaner’ on the inside.

His gasket needs replaced on the K Joe grill. You can see early in the video that the gasket is in bad shape. That's why the temp is rising - air leakage

If you had to pick only one between the 2, which Kamado woukd you choose? KJ or WS?

This is a great video and glad you took the time to make this as not many folks have both! Here are my takeaways from the video and personal experience with a Kamado Big Joe. 1. What's mentioned as a benefit to Weber, is actually a detractor for me. I prefer ceramic because it takes longer to reach temp AND longer to lose temp. Sure it takes a little time to learn "Kamado" but once had, its a breeze! 2. You used way too much wood for a small chicken. Yup- that’s gonna be upfront in yo face smoke and not balanced. This is also a benefit however. It does not take as much wood to get good smoke on a Kamodo. But its about experience learning the right amount/type of wood for what you are going after in your cook. 3. Material. No way in heck am I paying over $2K for a metal “Kamado” In fact, Kamados are traditionally ceramic. Hard to really call it a Kamado and not be ceramic. Interesting Weber changed the name of this to Kamado. Doing so in my opinion does not make it any more competitive to an actual Kamado (KJ, Egg, Pit Boss, ect.) Edit: Price is down now...still too much for what it is personally. I respect the Kettle though! That's well priced metal!

Does the Do joe from kamado joe works in Weber Summit?

What are the chances that details of the cook/differences in the specific coal/wood setup between the two cookers led to the difference in smoke flavor this time? Do you think it’s something like that or is it often the case that the Joe comes out smokier, across cooks, in you experience?

I want the Kamado Joe, but I have any boys and don’t think my girls would be much help moving a 300lb grill.

I would have expected the Weber to produce more smoke because I assumed it was maybe a bit less insulated and would burn more inefficient, resulting in more smoke flavor.

Go niners and giants and Kamado Joe

The KJ uses less air so may maybe that’s why it was smoking more. Anyway, loved the video.

Go 49ers