Char-Griller AKORN Jr

Is the Char-Griller AKORN Jr worth buying?

The Char-Griller AKORN Jr is worth buying at £169.99 if you feed two to four people and want kamado-style cooking without the weight of a clay shell. It gives 155 sq in, which is 1,000 cm², of grid on one rack, reaches anywhere from 200°F to 700°F, and weighs 16.2 kg, so one person can carry it to the car. It comes with a 2-year manufacturer warranty, and 5,093 buyers rate it 4.6.

It is the wrong buy for a household that regularly cooks for ten, and the wrong buy for anyone set on ceramic. The grid is a single level, so there is no half-moon two-zone setup to sear on one side and smoke on the other, and the steel body cools faster than clay once the dome is open. Both of those are the trade you accept for paying a third of what a ceramic 18-inch kamado costs.

What does 155 sq in of cooking area actually mean?

The figure that defines this grill is 155 sq in, which converts to 1,000 cm², and the price against that area is where it wins. Divide £169.99 by 1,000 cm² and you get £17.00 per 100 cm², the cheapest grilling surface of any kamado here. The nearest ceramic on this measure, the £1,316.34 Kamado Joe Classic II, works out at £127.68 per 100 cm² for 1,031 cm², so the AKORN Jr delivers 31 cm² less grid for £1,146.35 less money.

In practice 1,000 cm² covers a meal for four without stacking, which is what the grid is sized for. The 12,000 BTU fire under it is enough to take the dome from a low smoke to a hard sear, and the triple-walled body holds temperature on a single basket of lumpwood rather than needing constant top-ups. What you do not get is a second rack, so a large brisket and a tray of sides have to share the same level.

How big is the Char-Griller AKORN Jr and how do you live with it?

It measures 52.1 cm deep, 51.1 cm wide and 66 cm high on its base, so it fits a small patio, a balcony corner or the back of an estate car. At 16.2 kg it is the lightest kamado-style grill on this page, and the heat-resistant side handles are there for exactly that reason. The frame mixes alloy steel with cast iron and the finish is powder coated, which keeps rust off the base over a wet winter.

Assembly is required, and the grill arrives with its user manual as the only extra in the box. That means budgeting for a cover if it stays outside, plus a chimney starter and lumpwood, none of which come with it. Once built, the maintenance is simple: the ash collects in the base, the cast-iron grate takes a brush, and the 2-year manufacturer warranty covers the unit itself.

Where does the Char-Griller AKORN Jr fall short?

One rack means one cooking level, and that is the real limitation. There is no upper grid for a beer-can chicken over a joint of pork, and no way to run a cool zone above a hot one, so timing has to be managed by moving food rather than by moving racks. If two-zone cooking matters more than price, the Kamado Joe Classic I gives 1,613 cm² across two racks.

The steel shell also gives back heat faster than ceramic each time the lid comes up. That is the price of 16.2 kg rather than 34 kg or more, and it shows on long smokes where a clay body would barely notice the opening. There are also no side shelves or cart here, so you need a table beside it for trays, sauces and a resting board.

How does the Char-Griller AKORN Jr compare with the Kamado Joe Joe Jr and the Kamado Bono Minimo?

Against the Kamado Joe Joe Jr at £339.99, the AKORN Jr saves £170 and actually carries 42 cm² more grid, 1,000 cm² against 958 cm². The Joe Jr answers back with a ceramic shell, a cast-iron stand, a 304 stainless grate and a heat deflector in the box, plus the strongest owner rating here above 100 reviews at 4.8 from 764. Buy the Joe Jr if you want clay and a deflector for slow cooking, and the AKORN Jr if you want the area and the saving.

Against the Kamado Bono Minimo at £399, the AKORN Jr is £229.01 cheaper but gives up 257 cm² of grid, since the Minimo carries 1,257 cm² and comes with a heat deflector and a cover. The Minimo weighs 46 kg, so it stays where it is put, while the AKORN Jr travels. Choose the Minimo for a fixed garden spot and indirect cooks, and the AKORN Jr for a grill that moves between patio and campsite.