Before we get started, in the interest of full disclosure we thought we would explain how we got this cooker. Kamado Joe contacted us and offered us a cooker at no charge. All they asked was that we evaluate the cooker and give them our feedback, which we did. Doing a product review for our web page was, as always, our decision. To the conspiracy theorists we can only say that we already have 4 ceramic cookers; we don't need or really want any more, so we don't think we can be bought with the offer of a free cooker. But the chance to evaluate another brand of cooker? That we jumped at. -- TNW

Introduction
There have been quite a number of brands of kamado-style cookers showing up on the market. While most people know quite a bit about the older names such as Big Green Egg, Primo, and Grill Dome, not a lot seems to be known about some of the newer brands. However, one of these newer brands keeps popping up on our radar and we keep hearing good things about them: Kamado Joe. It was in March of 2009 that Kamado Joe introduced their new Kamado grill at the Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Expo in Reno, Nevada. Now, just over two years later we have come into possession of a Kamado Joe classic cooker. We ran it through its paces and have produced this product review.

Features and Points of Interest
The Kamado Joe classic cooker looks a lot like other brands of kamado-style charcoal cookers. No surprise there. Here is a list of features from the Kamado Joe website and product brochure:

• Colors: Black, Red
• Dimensions 46.5” wide by 48” high by 28” deep (118.1 cm by 121.9 cm by 71.1 cm)
• Cooking Surface 18" Diameter, 256 square inches (650 square centimeters), w/Grill Expander 407 square inches (1,034 square centimeters)
• Net Weight 188 pounds (85 kilograms)
• Heat Range 225°F – 750°F (82°C – 399°C)
• Base/Lid High Fire Heat-Resistant Ceramics
• Glaze Heat-Resistant Ceramic Coating
• Top Vent Powder Coated Cast Iron
• Cooking Grate 304 Grade Stainless Steel
• Fire Box/Fire Ring High Fire Heat-Resistant Ceramics
• Fire Grate Powder Coated Cast Iron
• Handle & Side Shelves Finished Natural Bamboo (Teak Finish on Black Grills)
• Bands/Hinge Powder Coated Galvanized Steel or Stainless Steel
• Draft Door 304 Grade Stainless Steel
• Cart Powder Coated Cast Iron

• Spring-assist hinge mechanism
• Grill gripper and bamboo-handle ash tool included
• Large face 150-900°F dome thermometer
• Two locking casters on the cart
• Top vent has gasket between vent and cooker for tighter seal
• Optional grid expander available
• Optional heat deflector available
• Optional pizza stone available
• Several other optional accessories available
• Limited life time warranty on ceramic parts to the original owner, 5 years on all metal parts except cast iron parts, 1 year on cast iron parts, and 30 days on thermometer and gaskets.

Assembly
You may receive your cooker alreadly assembled by your dealer, or you may receive it in a box, unassembled. If so, you will find it very easy and quick to assemble your grill. Kamado Joe has put a lot of thought into the packaging of the cooker and making the assembly easy for you. Here is a slide show that shows how easy it really is:

It literally takes only a few minutes to assemble the cooker. You need one other person to help you lift it onto the cart, and only a 6mm allen wrench and 14mm open end wrench to tighten the bands. That's it! Kamado Joe has a collection of videos on YouTube including "Assembling Your Kamado Joe Grill" that you can view for a detailed look at the entire process.

Here are some photos of how the cooker was delivered and its packaging:

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