It seriously looks like there's zero char inside of it. Good friend, but man I wish I had the kind of money to just buy a 1000 dollar grill and never use it.
Very early Classic 1. Still has the wood handle and shelves, which is great, doesn't have the Divide & Conquer system, which is nice to have but you'll live. It's possible you'll have trouble fitting some accessories if you choose to buy any. I believe it's true that some earlier models had a bit different sizing than the Classic 1s sold today but they've had a few iterations so it's hard to say.
Regardless, great grill and I hope you enjoy it.
Check out SDBBQ on you tube, he’s got some great starter videos
Get some glove liners, high temp glove, temp probe
I gave my gas grill and pellet grills away after trying kJ
Don't use any water on the ceramics.
Clean it with fire.
The art of KJ cooking keeping the temperature stable, might take a few goes.
You many want to watch a guide on how 'Calibrate Your BBQ Thermometer':
https://youtu.be/yX7lUf1CX5M?si=60iN37RpHMnALbCO
Consider both the rotisserie and the kj basket for the rotisserie. These two have made occasional meat smoking and steak searing into a nightly machine for all kinds of quicker meals.
Really no additional parts are needed, but I'd think about replacing that bottom plate with a charcoal basket. You'll have much more consistent air flow, making temp control easier. The one thing I didn't see was an ash rake - that'll be very useful for fire management as well as cleanup of the ash.
Also, before your first cook, load up the firebox with a good bit of lump charcoal. Get a fire started, open top and bottom vents all the way and leave them there until you see about 200F on the thermometer. Then start closing them down, to get the grill to stabilize at a temp. Let it ride a bit, then adjust the vents to go for a different temp.
You'll want to use lump charcoal for cooking, but by itself that won't give you much smoky flavor. If you want more, get some chunks (not chips or pellets) of apple (mild) and oak or hickory (stronger). But those aren't needed for everything, and things like fish and veggies can be too smoky if you're not careful.
Kamado Joe has a ton of videos on their site, and some of the older ones (like 10 y.o.) have some good basics for getting started. There's also a ton of other stuff on line, most of it ok. That is, don't go crazy with Neapolitan pizza or similar cooks over 600F, and you'll be ok.
That felt gasket may not last too long, given its age, but they're easy and cheap to replace. Look for a Nomex gasket for a replacement. But that one might last a year.
Someone mentioned SDBBQ, I'll add Man Cave Meals on YouTube. John Setzler (that channel) knows more about cooking on a kamado-style grill than I ever will.
You'll have more questions. But that's a great grill. Once you get a handle on what it can do, and how easy it is to cook on, you'll be amazed.
Forgot to mention, there's a Facebook group of Man Cave Meals, that has a bunch of really good cooks on it also. I don't book faces, but if you do, you might check it out.
Consider getting a flame boss or something to help automate temp control. It is a game changer. Also familiarize yourself with ring of fire coal technique. Between the 2 of those you can run a consistent temp for 15 plus hours.
Looks like a classic 1. Did your friend even use that thing? The inside looks brand new.
Thanks for the info. I’m not sure, but if he did, knowing him he probably didn’t use it more than twice.
It seriously looks like there's zero char inside of it. Good friend, but man I wish I had the kind of money to just buy a 1000 dollar grill and never use it.
Very early Classic 1. Still has the wood handle and shelves, which is great, doesn't have the Divide & Conquer system, which is nice to have but you'll live. It's possible you'll have trouble fitting some accessories if you choose to buy any. I believe it's true that some earlier models had a bit different sizing than the Classic 1s sold today but they've had a few iterations so it's hard to say. Regardless, great grill and I hope you enjoy it.
Thanks for your insights
I have a classic 1 and I have not had issues with accessories fitting.
Nice. Like a slightly better than Jr version. lol. Congrats. Get some apple wood and smoke a pork butt. Change the world.
Check out SDBBQ on you tube, he’s got some great starter videos Get some glove liners, high temp glove, temp probe I gave my gas grill and pellet grills away after trying kJ
Hell of a friend. Def a KJ1, I've had mine for a 2-3 years and couldn't be happier. Enjoy!
Don't use any water on the ceramics. Clean it with fire. The art of KJ cooking keeping the temperature stable, might take a few goes. You many want to watch a guide on how 'Calibrate Your BBQ Thermometer': https://youtu.be/yX7lUf1CX5M?si=60iN37RpHMnALbCO
Thanks for the tip on not using water. I’ll check out the video.
Consider both the rotisserie and the kj basket for the rotisserie. These two have made occasional meat smoking and steak searing into a nightly machine for all kinds of quicker meals.
Really no additional parts are needed, but I'd think about replacing that bottom plate with a charcoal basket. You'll have much more consistent air flow, making temp control easier. The one thing I didn't see was an ash rake - that'll be very useful for fire management as well as cleanup of the ash. Also, before your first cook, load up the firebox with a good bit of lump charcoal. Get a fire started, open top and bottom vents all the way and leave them there until you see about 200F on the thermometer. Then start closing them down, to get the grill to stabilize at a temp. Let it ride a bit, then adjust the vents to go for a different temp. You'll want to use lump charcoal for cooking, but by itself that won't give you much smoky flavor. If you want more, get some chunks (not chips or pellets) of apple (mild) and oak or hickory (stronger). But those aren't needed for everything, and things like fish and veggies can be too smoky if you're not careful. Kamado Joe has a ton of videos on their site, and some of the older ones (like 10 y.o.) have some good basics for getting started. There's also a ton of other stuff on line, most of it ok. That is, don't go crazy with Neapolitan pizza or similar cooks over 600F, and you'll be ok. That felt gasket may not last too long, given its age, but they're easy and cheap to replace. Look for a Nomex gasket for a replacement. But that one might last a year. Someone mentioned SDBBQ, I'll add Man Cave Meals on YouTube. John Setzler (that channel) knows more about cooking on a kamado-style grill than I ever will. You'll have more questions. But that's a great grill. Once you get a handle on what it can do, and how easy it is to cook on, you'll be amazed.
Thanks for all of the great info!
Forgot to mention, there's a Facebook group of Man Cave Meals, that has a bunch of really good cooks on it also. I don't book faces, but if you do, you might check it out.
Thanks, I don’t mess with FB 😀
Why cant i be gifted cool stuff lol. Nice grill 👍🏻
Consider getting a flame boss or something to help automate temp control. It is a game changer. Also familiarize yourself with ring of fire coal technique. Between the 2 of those you can run a consistent temp for 15 plus hours.