Kamado BBQ Guide: How a Ceramic Egg BBQ Works and What Size to Buy
Kamado BBQs: one ceramic egg to smoke, roast, bake and sear
A kamado is a charcoal BBQ with thick ceramic walls that hold the heat. Two vents set the temperature, from a gentle smoke to a searing heat. Here is how it works, and which size to buy.
The short answer
Buy a kamado if you want one BBQ that can smoke low and slow, roast a joint, bake a pizza and sear a steak. Choose the size by how many people you cook for.
- 83°Cat the low end, for slow cooking and smoking on a Boss Grill Egg3
- 399°Cat the top end on a Kamado Joe Classic Joe, for searing3
- 20 to 40minutes after lighting for the temperature to settle1
The picture above shows why it works: air comes in at the bottom vent, passes over the coals and leaves through the top, while the ceramic walls hold the heat. The scale beside it marks the slow-cook, roasting and searing ranges.
How a kamado works
Ceramic holds the heat
The thick ceramic body keeps the heat in, so a kamado cooks for longer on less charcoal than a standard charcoal grill.2 It also means the temperature drops slowly, so it is much easier to raise the heat a little than to bring it back down. Go up gently.1
Two vents set the temperature
Air comes in through the bottom vent and leaves through the top. Open both for more heat, close them for less. Set the bottom vent first, then fine-tune with the top. When you are about 10°C below your target, start closing the top vent and give it a minute or two between changes.1
Kamado sizes compared
| Kamado | Size | Good to know | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Boss Grill Egg XS | 15 inch | Compact, 38kg, pizza stone included | £189 |
| Boss Grill The Egg | 18 inch | 12 inch pizza stone, bamboo side shelves | £379 |
| Boss Grill Egg XL | 22 inch | Two half-moon pizza stones, stainless steel trolley | £549 |
| Boss Grill King Egg | 27 inch | 60 cm cooking grid | £749 |
| Kamado Joe Classic Joe | 46 cm cooking surface | Lifetime warranty on the ceramic parts | From £749 |
| Kamado Joe Big Joe | 61 cm cooking surface | Slide-out ash drawer, the largest Kamado Joe here | From £1,175 |
The Boss Grill Eggs recommend two people to lift the ceramic body into place when you build them.3
Our kamados
Browse all our charcoal and kamado BBQs, or start with these.
Boss Grill The Egg XS, 15 inch kamado
£189
A compact 15 inch ceramic kamado for smoking, grilling, roasting, baking and searing, with a built-in thermometer, a 26 cm pizza stone and a heavy-duty cover.3 A small, easy way to start.
Boss Grill The Egg XL, 22 inch kamado
£549
A 22 inch ceramic kamado on a stainless steel trolley, with bamboo shelves, two half-moon pizza stones, an ash tray and a heavy-duty cover.3
Kamado Joe Classic Joe, Series I
£749
Runs from 107°C to 399°C, with the two-tier Divide & Conquer cooking system, a slide-out ash drawer, a built-in thermometer and a rolling cart with locking wheels. Lifetime warranty on the ceramic parts.3
Kamado Joe Konnected Joe, digital kamado
£1,699.15
Lights itself with an automatic fire starter, and a fan holds the temperature you choose, from 107°C to 370°C. Set and check it from the Kamado Joe app.3
Kamado Joe also makes the Classic Joe Series II for £1,019 and the Classic Joe Series III for £1,849.3
Lighting it and choosing charcoal
Use hardwood lump charcoal and fill it up to the fire ring. For high heat, put the big pieces at the bottom and fill the gaps with smaller ones.1 Light it with fire starters such as Kamado Joe fire starters3 rather than lighter fluid, which can taint the food, damage the grill and is a fire risk.1
Leave the dome open for about 10 minutes after lighting, then close it and let the temperature settle for 20 to 40 minutes before cooking. Leftover charcoal can go again next time: stir off the loose ash, empty the ash drawer and top it up.1
Kamado questions
Open a question to read the answer. Ready to choose? See all our BBQs for sale.
What is a kamado BBQ?
A kamado is an egg-shaped ceramic charcoal BBQ. The thick ceramic holds its heat, so you can smoke, roast, bake and grill on the same BBQ, and it uses less charcoal over a long cook.
How do you control the temperature on a kamado?
Air comes in through the bottom vent and leaves through the top vent. Open both for more heat and close them to bring it down. Set the bottom vent first, then fine-tune with the top vent.
How long does a kamado take to heat up?
Leave the dome open for about 10 minutes after lighting so the fire gets air. Then allow 20 to 40 minutes for the temperature to settle before you start cooking.
What charcoal should I use in a kamado?
Use hardwood lump charcoal and fill it up to the fire ring. Skip lighter fluid, which can taint the food and damage the grill. Leftover charcoal can be used again: stir off the loose ash and top it up.
What size kamado should I buy?
The bigger the grill, the more you can cook at once. Our kamados run from the 15 inch Egg XS and the 18 inch Egg, through the 22 inch Egg XL and the Kamado Joe Classic Joe with its 46 cm cooking surface, up to the 27 inch King Egg with a 60 cm grid and the Big Joe with a 61 cm cooking surface.
Sources
- Kamado Joe, The fundamentals of fire and kamado grilling, accessed October 2026.
- Kamado Joe, Kamado grill vs traditional charcoal grill, accessed October 2026.
- Outdoor Living, product pages for the Egg XS, The Egg, Egg XL, King Egg, Classic Joe Series I, Series II, Series III, Big Joe Series I, Konnected Joe and fire starters, accessed October 2026.
Paul Margerison
Managing Director & Founder, Outdoor Living
A kamado rewards a bit of patience. Learn the two vents, go up in temperature gently, and it will cook almost anything you put on it.