Kamado Bono 21 inch Green

Is the Kamado Bono 21 inch Green worth buying?

Yes, the Kamado Bono 21 inch Green earns its £849 if you cook for a crowd: 2,261.95 cm² of grid across two racks, a lifetime warranty on the ceramics, and 20 owners rating it 4.9. Buy it for a garden that seats ten or twelve at a sitting, and pass if two of you grill on a weeknight.

The green shell with bamboo side shelves is part of what the money buys, and the ceramic runs through the frame as well as the dome. It arrives as a kit, then stands free on wheels once it is built.

For a smaller household the £399 Kamado Bono Minimo covers five people on 1,257 cm² and costs £450 less, which leaves a lot of lumpwood in the budget.

How much cooking area does the Kamado Bono 21 inch Green give you?

You get 2,261.95 cm² of cooking area, the largest grid here, spread over two racks. At £849 that works out at £37.53 per 100 cm², against £127.68 per 100 cm² for the Kamado Joe Classic II, so the area per pound is a little over a third of the dearest 18-inch egg.

The dual-zone layout is what the area is actually for: coals banked under one half for steaks, an empty half for a slow bake, both under the same lid. A deep 21-inch shell holds enough for up to 12 people at once, which is where 2,262 cm² earns its keep over a 1,257 cm² Minimo.

What comes with the Kamado Bono 21 inch Green and how big is it?

The box holds the 21-inch ceramic grill, a rack, a tray and two bamboo side tables, along with the cast iron charcoal grate and a ceramic chicken rack. Assembly is required, and once built the grill stands 56 cm wide, 56 cm deep and 80 cm tall, with the body itself 53 cm deep, 55 cm wide and 46 cm high.

It weighs 50 kg, so the wheels carry that weight from the patio to the shed and back. The two side tables put sauces and trays at working height, and the second rack lets a smoke run on the top level while something sears underneath.

Where does the Kamado Bono 21 inch Green fall short?

Fifty kilograms is the first hurdle: two people to lift it, even with wheels, and a final spot chosen before assembly rather than after. The review base is the second, because 20 buyers have rated it so far, against 5,093 behind the £169.99 Char-Griller AKORN Jr.

A 2,262 cm² grid also wants a full basket of charcoal every time it is lit, so a quick weeknight supper burns fuel a 13-inch egg would not. Add 53 cm of depth and clearance for the lid to swing, and a narrow balcony corner is out.

How does the Kamado Bono 21 inch Green compare with the alternatives?

Against the 23-inch Kamado Bono Grande at £949, this grill wins on area: 2,262 cm² against 1,860 cm², which is 402 cm² more for £100 less. The Grande answers with 100 kg of mass and the larger 23-inch footprint, which suits a buyer who wants the bigger badge and never moves the grill.

Against the £764.15 Kamado Joe Classic I, the Green costs £84.85 more and gives 649 cm² more grid, plus a second rack and lifetime cover on the ceramics. Four to six people are better served by the Classic I with its cart and ash drawer, while ten or twelve are better served here.