Grilling is not an art. One might think. And you can see it that way with the still popular disposable and tripod grills, which cause amazing columns of smoke to rise in parks and meadows between May and September. A pile of charcoal, cheap grill lighter, a handful of neck steaks, sausages and vegan grilled food. The grill buffet is ready. Creative is different. Environmentally friendly too.
Gas is now the preferred method of grilling on terraces, balconies and in gardens. High-quality charcoal-fired kettle grills will also be in constant use during the European Football Championships in June and July. Depending on the grill master’s cooking skills and the guests’ culinary desires, flank steaks, asparagus, trout or a few spare ribs may end up on the grill. The premium grill stations are only surpassed by an egg-shaped ceramic grill, the Kamado. The article explains where this heavyweight on three or four legs comes from, how it works and why it is much more than just an outdoor grill.
If you will, the Kamado is one of the oldest grills in the world. More than 3,000 years ago, people in Asia prepared their meals in clay and earth ovens. And that’s exactly what today’s ceramic ovens are modeled on. In the 1950s, US soldiers brought the Japanese tradition with them to America. This is where the kamado later got its special shape and has since been considered by chefs and grilling experts to be an outdoor miracle weapon and an insider tip for everything that can be fried, smoked, grilled or baked.
Apart from the fact that you have to dig deep into your pockets for a good ceramic grill, there is almost nothing wrong with Kamados. First there is the material. Ceramic is not only extremely heat-resistant and dimensionally stable, but also a poor conductor of heat. This has the advantage that a kamado never gets really hot from the outside and can be touched safely. In addition, ceramic stores heat very well and releases it in a measured and even manner. The special egg shape allows the heat inside to circulate optimally. This makes kamados particularly interesting for smoking or braising. A nice side effect: Ceramics are extremely energy efficient. This means you use less charcoal than with a normal kettle grill.
While an ordinary electric stove cannot reach 300 degrees, ceramic grills made from large pieces of charcoal can reach up to 400 degrees Celsius. This just happens to be the optimal temperature for crispy pizza dough.
Another important advantage of the Kamado compared to steel grills: the ceramic removes the moisture from the grilled food very slowly. This means the meat stays juicy for longer. Let’s move on to two small toads that you have to swallow when cooking with a kamado. The ceramic is up to 3.5 centimeters thick, which means that a kamado can quickly weigh 40 kilograms or more. This is something to keep in mind when placing. There are rollable base frames or special trolleys for moving. Even more important: it can easily take an hour for a kamado to reach operating temperature. You should also keep this in mind when planning the barbecue party.
By the way, kamados are fired with ordinary charcoal. Briquettes leave behind too much ash, which over time blocks the air supply. The kamado doesn’t get hot enough. When purchasing fuel, make sure to get high-quality coal with a piece size of around four to twelve centimeters. Used correctly, three kilograms of quality charcoal is enough for a whole day of grilling.
The principle of a kamado is quite simple. It works exactly like a fireplace. Air is sucked in through the opening in the base, which causes the charcoal to glow, is itself heated and rises inside the grill. In addition, the ceramic absorbs heat, which it slowly releases again as needed. The desired temperature can be set precisely using the ventilation flap in the lid. As a rule, a range of 70 to 400 degrees Celsius is possible.
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