Lighting the Kamado Joe Grill for High Heat Cooks

Here's a quick demo of how easy it is to get the Kamado Joe Big Joe (and Classic Joe by the same procedure) very hot in a hurry. Next time your neighbor tells you how much faster it is to use a gasser, just nod and enjoy the fact that you have a Kamado Joe :)

#kamadojoe #bigjoe #firethatmuthaup

I used the stock fire grate, Kamado Joe Big Block Charcoal, and had the ash pan installed for this test. Bottom and top vents fully open (top vent fully spun out to the side)

5 minutes - 360°F

10 minutes - 280°F (see video explanation for why this happens)

15 minutes - 520°F

20 minutes - 630°F

I repeated this test using the Kick Ash Basket instead of the stock fire grate and a propane torch to light the grill. I used the propane torch for 45 seconds on 3 different spots in the charcoal to get it lit before closing the lid. The nubmers for that test are:

5 minutes - 250°F

10 minutes - 400°F

15 minutes - 550°F

20 minutes - 630°F

The stock configuration and the Kick Ash Bakset configuration seem to work fairly closely in terms of how fast the grill gets hot.

Stay tuned for a future video to show you how to get your joe stabilized at low and slow temperatures more quickly...