Ok. I realize these grills have been commented on a lot, but I have a
pretty focused question. Because I only have about $500 or so to
spend, I'm considering the Grilldome large extra tall stainless steel
model OR the Kamado No. 5 textured. Both have an 18-inch grill and
seem to be made well.

I'd be grateful to hear comments from those who have owned either or
both of these units for a while. How has your grill held up over time?
Do you enjoy cooking on it? Is an 18-inch grill sufficient for large
items like chickens or turkeys?

Please feel free to add any other points. Thanks very much.

Ken Sternberg wrote:

Ok. I realize these grills have been commented on a lot, but I have a
pretty focused question. Because I only have about $500 or so to
spend, I'm considering the Grilldome large extra tall stainless steel
model OR the Kamado No. 5 textured. Both have an 18-inch grill and
seem to be made well.

I'd be grateful to hear comments from those who have owned either or
both of these units for a while. How has your grill held up over time?
Do you enjoy cooking on it? Is an 18-inch grill sufficient for large
items like chickens or turkeys?

Please feel free to add any other points. Thanks very much.

An 18 inch would be fine for a couple of chickens or a small turkey.
With $500 you can get both a Weber 22" kettle and a WSM. The $$$ left
over, you can invite us over to be taste testers. I can bring beer too :-)

Happy Q'en,
BBQ

Ken Sternberg wrote:
Ok. I realize these grills have been commented on a lot, but I have a
pretty focused question. Because I only have about $500 or so to
spend, I'm considering the Grilldome large extra tall stainless steel
model OR the Kamado No. 5 textured. Both have an 18-inch grill and
seem to be made well.

I'd be grateful to hear comments from those who have owned either or
both of these units for a while. How has your grill held up over time?
Do you enjoy cooking on it? Is an 18-inch grill sufficient for large
items like chickens or turkeys?

Please feel free to add any other points. Thanks very much.

K 5. Period.
I've cooked a 12 pound turkey on my K5, could have been much larger (pictures on
request). A 12 pounder will actually fit in a K3.
With the Kamado, you can get 3 cooking levels.
Kamado has a lifetime warrantee, I haven't needed to use it.
Kamado has a waiting period...you order, then they build it.
Grilldome *might* be available locally, immediately.

BOB

"Ken Sternberg" wrote in message
om...
Ok. I realize these grills have been commented on a lot, but I have a
pretty focused question. Because I only have about $500 or so to
spend, I'm considering the Grilldome large extra tall stainless steel
model OR the Kamado No. 5 textured. Both have an 18-inch grill and
seem to be made well.

I'd be grateful to hear comments from those who have owned either or
both of these units for a while. How has your grill held up over time?
Do you enjoy cooking on it? Is an 18-inch grill sufficient for large
items like chickens or turkeys?

Please feel free to add any other points. Thanks very much
..
I've got the 18 1/2 "GD. dont really know about the K except EVERYBODY
complains about coustomer service. I bought my GD from an individual for 50
bucks so I may be biased , but I wouldn't trade mine fer nuthin'.
Jack

"bbq" wrote in message
news:YCypc.56513$xw3.3386818@attbi_s04...


Ken Sternberg wrote:

Ok. I realize these grills have been commented on a lot, but I have a
pretty focused question. Because I only have about $500 or so to
spend, I'm considering the Grilldome large extra tall stainless steel
model OR the Kamado No. 5 textured. Both have an 18-inch grill and
seem to be made well.

I'd be grateful to hear comments from those who have owned either or
both of these units for a while. How has your grill held up over time?
Do you enjoy cooking on it? Is an 18-inch grill sufficient for large
items like chickens or turkeys?

Please feel free to add any other points. Thanks very much.

An 18 inch would be fine for a couple of chickens or a small turkey.
With $500 you can get both a Weber 22" kettle and a WSM. The $$$ left
over, you can invite us over to be taste testers. I can bring beer too
:-)

Happy Q'en,
BBQ
I got the upper rack for the bge an can cook more than you might get on a
wsm. in that 18 inch cooker. there may be a bit of difference in a ceramic
cooker and a wsm to boot.
Jack

Jack Sloan wrote:

I've got the 18 1/2 "GD. dont really know about the K except EVERYBODY
complains about coustomer service. I bought my GD from an individual for 50
bucks so I may be biased , but I wouldn't trade mine fer nuthin'.
Jack

I've got a K7, and I can tell you their customer service is lacking. My
sister & her husband decided to buy one on my recommendation, and they
actually were unable to contact anyone in person. That's unacceptable.
But the product is top-notch.

cory wrote:
Jack Sloan wrote:

I've got the 18 1/2 "GD. dont really know about the K except EVERYBODY
complains about coustomer service. I bought my GD from an individual for 50
bucks so I may be biased , but I wouldn't trade mine fer nuthin'.
Jack

I've got a K7, and I can tell you their customer service is lacking. My
sister & her husband decided to buy one on my recommendation, and they
actually were unable to contact anyone in person. That's unacceptable.
But the product is top-notch.

I'll take exception to the "EVERYBODY complains about coustomer service." Maybe
that should read 'everybody who complains, complains about customer service'.

I'm wondering just how often people who are "unable to contact anyone in person"
actually try. I'm presently putting together a large order for the extruded
coconut charcoal, and have been calling at least once a week to update and to
get updates. If I can't get through, I call back. Maybe some people don't
recognize that there are time zone differences?
On the other hand, I've been promised a call back or 2, and this has never
happened. Maybe it's because I didn't expect it to happen and I called back.

BOB

BOB wrote:

K 5. Period.

Well, I don't know about the Grilldome but I have a K5 and will second
Bob's recommendation.

I've cooked a 12 pound turkey on my K5, could have been much larger (pictures on
request).

I did a 16 pounder and there was still lots of room...


Kamado has a lifetime warrantee, I haven't needed to use it.

I've had two small problems (fire box cracked- a common event and the
unit is still usable- and a knob fell off). Both have been offered to
be repaired, I just haven't gotten around to it. (Waiting for the NJ
center to open to save on shipping.)

Kamado has a waiting period...you order, then they build it.

I guess I got lucky. I did a lot of research but somehow MISSED the
fact that Kamado has several "sales" a year. I ordered in between the
summer sale and the Xmas sale in mid-September (2002). I was kinda
****ed when I found out I spent $100-200 more UNTIL I found out about
the long waiting periods on sale purchases. I had my K in about a
month, so I was using my K all winter when the people who waited for a
sale, continued to wait. Situation seems to be different now, tho'...

I've had some slight trouble with contacting them on a follow-up
assessory order but nothing out of the ordinary for Twenty-first Century
American customer service. And the "shipping date" on the order didn't
mean "date shipped" (it was during the longshore strike on the West
Coast- which I didn't understand 'cause I was lead to believe the stuff
was US made...).

At least when you get them, you get THEM and not a machine or a game of
phone scrabble. When I ordered, e-mails were simply ignored, tho', and
they pretty much admitted as much on the phone.

"Ken Sternberg" wrote in message
om...
Ok. I realize these grills have been commented on a lot, but I have a
pretty focused question. Because I only have about $500 or so to
spend, I'm considering the Grilldome large extra tall stainless steel
model OR the Kamado No. 5 textured. Both have an 18-inch grill and
seem to be made well.

I'd be grateful to hear comments from those who have owned either or
both of these units for a while. How has your grill held up over time?
Do you enjoy cooking on it? Is an 18-inch grill sufficient for large
items like chickens or turkeys?

Please feel free to add any other points. Thanks very much.

K is the answer all the way. We were going thru gas grills every 2 or
3yrs tops and have had the best 2 years of bbqing ever since we got our
Kamado. It took 4 mos to get it but was worth every second of wait.
things just taste so GOOOOOOD out of the K. It's easy to operate, and has
a lifetime warrantee on it. Does the Grill Dome have that? Very little
these days does have a lifetime warrantee.
To speak with a live person at Kamado, call about noon Eastern Standard
Time. It worked for me each time I called to add something to our order.
Delivery was as, and when we were told, and at the stated price.

Happy Quing,

" BOB" wrote in message
...
I'll take exception to the "EVERYBODY complains about coustomer service."
Maybe
that should read 'everybody who complains, complains about customer
service'.

ok, I'll buy that.


I'm wondering just how often people who are "unable to contact anyone in
person"
actually try. I'm presently putting together a large order for the
extruded
coconut charcoal, and have been calling at least once a week to update and
to
get updates. If I can't get through, I call back. Maybe some people
don't
recognize that there are time zone differences?
On the other hand, I've been promised a call back or 2, and this has never
happened. Maybe it's because I didn't expect it to happen and I called
back.

BOB

Why should anyone have to "try" to get someone to sell them something?
Jack

BOB wrote:

cory wrote:

Jack Sloan wrote:


I've got the 18 1/2 "GD. dont really know about the K except EVERYBODY
complains about coustomer service. I bought my GD from an individual for 50
bucks so I may be biased , but I wouldn't trade mine fer nuthin'.
Jack

I've got a K7, and I can tell you their customer service is lacking. My
sister & her husband decided to buy one on my recommendation, and they
actually were unable to contact anyone in person. That's unacceptable.
But the product is top-notch.


I'll take exception to the "EVERYBODY complains about coustomer service." Maybe
that should read 'everybody who complains, complains about customer service'.

I'm wondering just how often people who are "unable to contact anyone in person"
actually try. I'm presently putting together a large order for the extruded
coconut charcoal, and have been calling at least once a week to update and to
get updates. If I can't get through, I call back. Maybe some people don't
recognize that there are time zone differences?
On the other hand, I've been promised a call back or 2, and this has never
happened. Maybe it's because I didn't expect it to happen and I called back.

After she told me she couldn't contact them, I tried myself. I called
every day for a week before a person answered the phone. I had some
questions for her about shipping, which she had to inquire further
about. She never called me back.

BOB wrote:

cory wrote:

Jack Sloan wrote:


I've got the 18 1/2 "GD. dont really know about the K except EVERYBODY
complains about coustomer service. I bought my GD from an individual for 50
bucks so I may be biased , but I wouldn't trade mine fer nuthin'.
Jack

I've got a K7, and I can tell you their customer service is lacking. My
sister & her husband decided to buy one on my recommendation, and they
actually were unable to contact anyone in person. That's unacceptable.
But the product is top-notch.


I'll take exception to the "EVERYBODY complains about coustomer service." Maybe
that should read 'everybody who complains, complains about customer service'.

I'm wondering just how often people who are "unable to contact anyone in person"
actually try. I'm presently putting together a large order for the extruded
coconut charcoal, and have been calling at least once a week to update and to
get updates. If I can't get through, I call back. Maybe some people don't
recognize that there are time zone differences?
On the other hand, I've been promised a call back or 2, and this has never
happened. Maybe it's because I didn't expect it to happen and I called back.

That, by the way, is precisely what I would call poor customer service.
If I were putting together a "large order" from Amazon, for example, I
would never have to call back to get status. They contact me at every
point in the process. And what precisely is going on that you have to
call them weekly about a *single* order? You're either very forgiving,
or have a blind spot when it comes to the Kamado company.

Alright. I get that Kamado's customer service could use some
polishing. Other than that, how do folks who have used the Grilldome
and Kamado for a year or two like them?

On Sat, 15 May 2004 21:33:04 -0400, " BOB"
wrote:

Kamado has a lifetime warrantee, I haven't needed to use it.

Keep in mind that exercising that warrantee will most likely require
you to pay shipping both ways, and you'll have the extra-special
pleasure of dealing with Kamado's notorious and all-but-non-existent
customer-service department.

--
Kevin S. Wilson
Tech Writer at a university somewhere in Idaho
"Who put these fingerprints on my imagination?"

On Sun, 16 May 2004 12:52:19 GMT, wrote:

When I ordered, e-mails were simply ignored, tho', and
they pretty much admitted as much on the phone.

They also ignore snail mail, in at least one instance.

--
Kevin S. Wilson
Tech Writer at a university somewhere in Idaho
"Who put these fingerprints on my imagination?"