Kamado Joe makes some of the most respected ceramic charcoal BBQs in the world, and the Classic II is its core 18-inch model. A kamado is a different animal from the kettles on this list: a thick-walled glazed ceramic egg whose insulation lets it do things a steel grill cannot. At around £1,199 it is by far the most expensive BBQ here, and at 113 kg it is a permanent garden fixture, but in return it smokes, sears, roasts and bakes better than anything else we tested, all while sipping charcoal. If you cook outdoors often and want one BBQ that does everything to the highest standard, this is it.
Tested June 2026 · last updated June 2026
What we measured
120 Cheld within 3 C for 14 hours overnight 370 Cpeak searing and pizza heat ~50%less charcoal than a steel kettle 113 kgtotal weight (a permanent fixture)
Kamado Joe Classic II: full specifications | Type | Ceramic kamado (egg) |
|---|
| Cooking diameter | 46 cm (1,662 cm2 main grate) |
|---|
| Body | Thick-walled glazed ceramic |
|---|
| Cooking system | Divide & Conquer multi-level cast-iron grates |
|---|
| Airflow control | Patented Kontrol Tower top vent + bottom slide |
|---|
| Measured temperature range | 120 C low-and-slow to 370 C searing |
|---|
| Fuel efficiency | About half the charcoal of a steel kettle |
|---|
| Gasket | Self-activating fibreglass mesh (airtight) |
|---|
| Lid | Air-lift hinge (spring-assisted) |
|---|
| Weight | 113 kg |
|---|
| Typical UK price | £1,199 |
|---|
Who is the Kamado Joe Classic II for?
The Classic II is the right BBQ for the committed outdoor cook who wants one machine that does everything to the highest standard and will keep it for many years. If you smoke, sear, roast joints and bake pizza, and you cook outside often enough to justify the spend, the kamado rewards you every time: it holds temperature like an oven, reaches searing heat a kettle cannot, and barely wavers across a fourteen-hour cook. The thick ceramic and lifetime build mean it is a buy-once-keep-forever investment, and the Divide & Conquer grate system lets you cook on two levels at two temperatures at once, which no other BBQ here can do.
It is plainly not for everyone. At around £1,199 it costs five to ten times what the kettles on this list do, and at 113 kg it is not something you wheel around or store away, it lives where you build it. Anyone who grills a handful of times a summer, or who wants a portable or budget grill, will be far better served by a kettle such as the Weber Master-Touch, which does most of the same jobs very well for a quarter of the money. The kamado earns its keep only for the enthusiast who will use it often; for the casual cook it is glorious overkill.
How the Kamado Joe Classic II performs
Temperature stability and range
The ceramic is the whole point, and it is extraordinary. For low-and-slow, our example held 120 C within just three degrees for a fourteen-hour overnight brisket on a single load of lump charcoal, the steadiest and longest hold of anything on test, including the dedicated ProQ smoker. The next day, opened up, it climbed to a pizza-grade 370 C for searing steaks and baking, a span no kettle here can cover. The patented Kontrol Tower top vent and the bottom slide make fine adjustment precise and repeatable, and the airtight fibreglass gasket means the egg responds exactly to your vent settings. It is the closest thing to a set-and-forget charcoal BBQ that exists.
Versatility and the Divide & Conquer system
The Classic II does more jobs, and does them better, than anything else here. It smokes ribs and brisket, sears steaks, roasts joints like a fan oven and bakes bread and pizza thanks to the heat-retaining ceramic. The Divide & Conquer system is a multi-level, two-piece cast-iron grate that lets you cook on two heights at once, so you can sear over high heat on one level and hold food warm on another, or run two different cooks simultaneously. The 46cm main grate gives 1,662 cm2, smaller in footprint than the big kettles, but the multi-level grates more than make up for it in usable capacity, and the depth of the egg suits tall joints and birds.
Fuel efficiency, build and the lid
Because the ceramic insulates so well, the Classic II burns roughly half the charcoal a steel kettle would for the same cook, and any unburnt lump is easily reused next time by closing the vents to snuff the fire, so the running cost is genuinely low once you own it. The build is superb: thick glazed ceramic that should outlive every other grill on this list, backed by a lifetime ceramic warranty. The air-lift hinge is spring-assisted, so the heavy lid floats up with one finger rather than needing a heave. Everything about it feels built to last a lifetime, which is part of what justifies the price.
The honest downsides
There are two, and both are about cost and commitment rather than performance. First, the price: at around £1,199 it is by a huge margin the most expensive BBQ here, and while the fuel savings and longevity offset some of that over years, no one buys a kamado to save money. Second, the weight: at 113 kg it is a permanent garden fixture that takes two people and a trolley to position, and once it is in place it stays there, so it is no good for anyone who needs to store a grill away or move it. Neither is a flaw in the BBQ itself; they are simply the realities of owning the most capable charcoal cooker on the market.
The good
- Held 120 C within 3 C for fourteen hours overnight
- Spans 120 C smoking to 370 C searing and pizza
- Uses about half the charcoal of a steel kettle
- Divide & Conquer grates cook two levels at once
- Near-indestructible ceramic with a lifetime warranty
The not-so-good
- By far the most expensive BBQ here at around £1,199
- At 113 kg it is a permanent fixture, not portable
- Smaller 1,662 cm2 main-grate footprint than big kettles
- Overkill for the occasional griller
Best for: the committed outdoor cook who wants one BBQ that smokes, sears, roasts and bakes to the highest standard and will keep it for life. Not the pick for the casual griller or anyone on a budget (try the Weber Master-Touch instead).
