Review – Kamado Joe Charcoal Basket


Is the Kamado Joe Charcoal Basket worth it? This is an expensive accessory compared given its limited intended functionality. I think it’s well worth it, especially if you have a Joetisserie. In short, if you’re into longer cooks I the basket makes a noticeable difference to airflow. Its benefits in terms of cleaning are overrated though.

Let’s look at the construction of the charcoal basket and the advantages and disadvantages I’ve found when using in on the Kamado Joe. The basket itself can be found here, it only seems to have been available in the UK for a short time.

Construction 

The basket is very well made from heavy gauge stainless steel. I was very impressed with the build quality and materials. The base uses 10mm bars, with 8mm in the divider and 5mm around the basket sides. You can feel the weight and construction quality in both parts. 

The charcoal basket has four hooks to connect to the bottom of the Kamado Joe Divide and Conquer rack. I can’t really understand the logic here, as I’ve never wanted to remove the coals and the top rack. 

The basket is 38cm in diameter and 12.5cm tall. It fits well within the Kamado Joe firebox. 

Advantages 

The main benefit of the charcoal basket is increased airflow. This is great for longer cooks where you want to keep air circulating around the coals as they turn to ash. The basket replaces the cast iron grate in the bottom of the Kamado Joe, but can also rest on top of it. Air should then circulate better and ash will fall directly into the bottom tray. 

The divider allows you to replicate a kettle two zone setup, holding the coals to one side. This is really useful with the Joetisserie when you want to use a more indirect heat. 

One of the major reported selling points of the basket is ease of cleaning after cooking.  I didn’t find any major benefits in cleaning or filling the barbecue with the basket in place. In theory it’s a little easier to remove  smaller coals that aren’t fully burnt to clean before another cook. Shaking the basket does remove most of the really small pieces. 

Disadvantages 

The hooks look a little intense like you’ll be lifting the rack and hot coals out when you want to refuel. When the rack sits in the Kamado the hooks don’t fully engage, so a twist to the right will allow you to remove the rack on its own. This can be a little fiddly and sometimes doesn’t work. 

It’s worth also considering that the deflector plates don’t fit as well with the basket. They sit on the hooks, and can now a little in the middle. I’ve not found this to be an issue, and it doesn’t stop a drip tray sitting on them. 

You can use the basket with or without the cast iron grate. With the grate fitted I noticed a level of increased airflow but some issues with ash build up. I have noticed for long cooks that the gap between the basket and the bottom grate can fill with fine ash. Without the larger coals directly around this it can choke the fire a little, and at a low heat cause the barbecue to go out if you’re not careful. 

A final word of wanting, be careful when removing the basket to clear ash or after a cook. It’s possible to nor lift the basket straight up, especially with thick gloves and knock the ring that retains the clay firebox in. I found out this the hard way. 

Overall I really like the Charcoal Basket. Replacing the cast iron grate really improves airflow, and is good for longer cooks. When paired with the Joetisserie you can get much improved two zone cooking. 



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