Review Kamado Joe Konnected Joe

Over the years, there have been numerous options for controlling and monitoring your Kamado barbecue from the comfort of your couch. After Kamado Joe introduced a smart controller (iKamand) for its ceramic grills in 2018, they released the first digitally controlled kamado in 2023: the Konnected Joe. At first glance, the Konnected Joe looks like any other ceramic grill in Kamado Joe's model range. However, what first stands out is that the bottom half is black, while the top has remained the same in the recognizable finish.

Display

The display (or Kontrol Board) also distinguishes the Konnected Joe from the rest of the models. In addition to three connectors for food probes, it has the on/off button and a temperature button. Here you can see temperature graphs, select a cooking mode and receive notifications. The grill also gives advice on how to adjust the air slide based on your chosen temperature. Buttons on the left side allow you to set timers, reconnect to WiFi, and adjust the display to show grilling or food temperatures.

Recognizable features

The Konnected Joe retains many of the features that make Kamado Joe's ceramic grills so great. The Kontrol Tower (top vent), Air Lift hinge and sturdy base are the familiar features we know from the Classic 2 and Classic 3. Inside, the 2-level Divide & Conquer allows you to cook food at different temperatures by adjusting the levels of the grates. You can also set one side for direct grilling while using a deflector plate on the other side for indirect grilling. Most of the Konnected Joe's accessories are hemispherical, making the Konnected Joe just as versatile as a regular Kamado Joe. The folding side shelves are modest in size, but large enough to hold a plate, tray or small cutting board.

Accessories

Kamado Joe's newest grill is compatible with all accessories for the Classic models except the charcoal basket. There are plenty of accessories here, ranging from half-moon reversible griddle to the JoeTisserie or pizza oven (DoJoe) to expand the Konnected Joe's capabilities. However, you don't have to buy anything extra to get started with the Konnected Joe right away. The grill comes with the complete Divide & Conquer grid system and ceramic deflector plates .

Automatic Fire Starter (AFS)

Just below the three connectors for food probes is a dedicated button for the Automatic Fire Starter (AFS). Although the WiFi connectivity gets a lot of attention on the Konnected Joe, the AFS is the real centerpiece. It's basically a heating element at the bottom of the firebox where you place your charcoal and wood chips.

When you turn it on, it spins for 15 minutes to light your charcoal. I have used this every time I have cooked with the Konnected Joe, even when using the grill in manual mode without the automatic temperature control. All times the Automatic Fire Starter worked quickly and consistently.

Kamado Joe App

In addition to built-in WiFi, another essential aspect of smart grilling is a mobile app. The Kamado Joe App allows you to adjust the time and temperature without having to stand directly in front of the grill. During my tests, changes were usually quick, although there were a few times when I had to enter the desired temperature twice to get it to stick.

Those temperature graphs from the built-in display are also available here, along with the ability to view recipes and track the temperature of food probes. However, where Kamado Joe currently lags behind the competition is its library of recipes and how they are presented.

Comparison of recipes

There are currently more than 150 recipes available in the Kamado Joe app, categorized by categories and cooking method. By comparison, the Traeger app currently has more than 1,000 recipes. The Kamado Joe app is also missing some popular recipes at the time of writing, such as pulled pork, but the company said it is constantly adding new recipes. It also said it is working on adding recipe videos and step-by-step guidance in the app. These are two more features that both Traeger and Weber offer in their apps that can come in very handy if you are trying a new recipe or are a novice barbecue chef. Still, the app does a great job with the basic functions for operating the grill.

User Experience

Another area where the Kamado Joe app could offer guidance is in starting up the Konnected Joe. While there are some tips listed with recipes, there are no tips on how much charcoal to add initially. This is a lesson I had to learn as I went along, as the Konnected Joe constantly exceeded the set temperature during low & slow sessions. After watching some Youtube videos, I determined that I was using too much charcoal. Putting less charcoal in the barbecue solved the problem immediately.

None of this means that the grill is difficult to use. The Konnected Joe performs excellently in that area. Since this is primarily a Kamado Joe with some smart cooking features added, performance is comparable to models without WiFi. You experience the great taste of charcoal, and the tenderness and juiciness of your dishes are guaranteed, as you would expect from a kamado barbecue.

During the testing period, I both slow cooked at low temperature and direct grilled at high temperature. While cooking, I made many steaks, a Boston Butt (pulled pork), spareribs and burgers. Each time I was impressed with the excellent cooking and flavor, especially during the longer sessions for the pulled pork and spareribs. Plus, the Konnected Joe gives you a little more room to experiment with different woods when you add wood chips to the charcoal.

Another aspect to consider (and this applies to ceramic grills in general) is the long cooling period. Because of the properties of the materials, these grills retain heat much more efficiently than a kettle or gas grill. This is great while cooking, but it also means you have to wait longer periods of time before the grill has cooled down enough to put the cover back on. As an example, I finished cooking ribs around 5 p.m. at a temperature of 150 degrees (a cooking time of five hours). When I closed the grill for the night around 11 p.m., the grill was still too hot to cover. At high temperatures, cooling required even more time, and in most cases I had to leave the grill uncovered until the next day.

Cleaning

Something the Konnected Joe surpasses many barbecues in is the ease of cleaning. Simply use the included ash tool to scrape residue through the holes in the bottom of the firebox, leaving larger pieces of used charcoal for the next cookout. An ash tray inside the bottom vent hole slides out for easy removal. If there's a lot of ash, you may need to use the ash tool to scrape that hole clean, but you wouldn't have to grab the ash vacuum as you would with a pellet grill or gas grill. Of course, the accessories may need a thorough scrubbing after use, but that can easily be done with some warm water a suds.

Conclusion

With a price tag of €2,299, the Konnected Joe sits between the Classic 2 and Classic 3, making it slightly more affordable than the Classic 3, which offers the same cooking space but without the WiFi connectivity and AFS igniter. A similarly sized Big Green Egg costs as much as €300 more, excluding any accessories. The Konnected Joe is very competitively priced in this regard, considering the features offered. A ceramic grill equipped with all the conveniences has never been cheap, but the Konnected Joe combines the versatility of a ceramic cooker with the advantages of charcoal and performs excellently. If the brand is able to expand and refine its accompanying app, this grill will offer a complete package for lovers of working with a kamado, but who want the convenience like users of a pellet grill or gas barbecue. In short, as far as I'm concerned, the Konnected Joe is well worth the investment.