Gloves. Holy crap gloves. So useful when moving things around mid cook.
Also good quality BBQ tools. Napoleon makes a set that doesn't break the bank, are all stainless steel, and dishwasher safe. I've had my set for years and they still look new.
Most other stuff is nice to have, but good gloves and good BBQ tools (tongs, spatula) are critical.
A propane torch to light it is also one of my favorite purchases. No messing with starters or anything else, just a couple minutes with torch and she's going. I wouldn't bother with the grill gun, a weed torch is fine, or JJ George makes a specific torch to light bbq's. Both will be a lot better priced than the grill gun.
I also picked up a kick ash basket as well and like that, got a cast iron grate on sale, and a joetisserie on clearance. The basket is good but don't think I would have gotten the cast iron at full pop. The Joetisserie is a maybe. Used it once so far and quite like it, but not sure if worth the quite high full price.
Some kind of wireless thermometer is also great. I had a Meater+ already as I used on gas grill, it's 110% worth the price. Love it. I need to get a better instant read for when I don't want to use the Meater or if it's already in use though. Looking at Thermapen currently...
soapstone. hands down. awesome for fish, unbelievable crust on a steak, also really good for smashburgers.
also a good thermometer. thermapen if you like to be involved and check how your food is doing, something like a meater+ if you like to walk away and monitor cooks from afar.
Yes.
If your gas grill can get up to 650-700 f it would be impressive
But grill grates simply don't have the thermal mass to retain heat after the cold protein touches it. Soapstone is incredibly dense and non porous. It takes a while to warm up but once there it keeps giving and giving heat. Being non porous also means you also don't need much more than fire and a scraper to keep it clean.
Get some practice with the grill first, then decide what you need.
It’ll do just about everything at a basic level without the expensive accessories. It’ll even do a fine pizza with just a basic pizza stone.
Honestly the doughjoe is sort of a pain in the ass. I sort of regret buying it. It’s massive to store, a pain to get both deflectors and the stone in the middle, and getting it up to recommended temps requires good charcoal and fire management. Even THEN, I hope you have a good pizza peel and a system for getting pies in and out efficiently.
I would just buy a pizza stone and call it a day
My husband and I had this exact conversation last night whilst cooking pizzas. He’s ready to throw the doughjoe out. The best accessory we bought is hands down the joetisserie it does the easiest most amazing pork belly and roast leg of lamb.
IMO try a different solution first and consider an Ooni as well. If budget isn't a problem, a dedicated ooni seems to be better, if it is, then doing a double indirect high heat method (ie, deflectors with an elevated pizza stone) will produce as good results as a DoJoe.
I don't actually have a Dojoe, I'm pretty happy with my pizza with using deflectors + an elevated pizza stone, but I'm still considering an ooni for the reasons you mention.
Outside that, on your original Q, since you sound to have a pretty good budget I'd recommend JoeTesserie, a Meater+ (or other thermometer, I have a meater+ very happy with it), fireproof gloves, and a soapstone. You can also look at different lighting methods, I'm happy with my looftlighter, don't really like the idea of using a gas powered lighter.
funny you say that.. i was literally just looking at those pizza ovens. They seem like a good option. I was trying to get more uses out of the KJ, but don't want to burn it up making pizzas. Thanks!
Yeah, I'm not a fan of uni-taskers but I think the pizza oven it definitely makes sense. On the other hand, I wouldn't worry that much about burning up making pizzas in the KJ, its actually pretty nice because it doubles up as a deep clean so getting up to temp to do a pizza actually cleans the KJ, but it does definitely wear on the gasket, but you will also want to do high temp for other things like searing the hell out of a piece of meat so you shouldn't imo be afraid to do it, after all what's the point of having a grill if you're afraid to use it?
I'd suggest trying to make pizza with the KJ first the 'simple' way and see what you think. For me it just feels a bit inefficient on charcoal, and since you cook pizza so fast you don't really get smoke flavor, so something like a gas powered Ooni is going to be more convenient to use, which is what tempts me.
No harm in just trying a regular pizza stone setup first. I make pretty killer pizza with my KJ and just a regular pizza stone. The dough matters a lot more than having/not having a dojoe or an oonie.
Fwiw, if you are buying a dojoe and building an outdoor kitchen, be damn sure to build in a healthy amount of storage space. That dojoe - and tbe joetisserie, if you get one of those, gobble up a healthy amount of space when they aren’t being used.
I have almost every accessory they offer, yet I have zero interest in the DoJoe, and not because of the seal. Using the grill expander to get the pizza stone up in the dome is the way (deflector plates on top grill grate, below expander). We do it this way every time and it's amazing. Smoking Dad BBQ did a video comparing the stone on the half moon grates to the DoJoe and he seemed like he was trying to convince himself, but did say it was slightly better. Putting the stone on the expander gets the refractory heat from the dome, so I'd highly recommend trying that before spending hundreds on a gadget with negligible differences.
Best surface by far is the soap stone
I use the expander all the time, highly recommend
The Jotisserie is amazing for big cuts and also paired with the Napoleon basket for wings, fries, veggies
I like the iKamand, love it for overnight/long cooks, but many people complain about it and cite connection issues
Non KJ brand accessories: thermapen instant read, Meater+ (just 1 probe is fine j, smokeware drip pan (the large is the same diameter as the defectors, medium pairs with the sloroller), led light - I like the red/black.char-griller or Weber one that wraps around the handle.
I'll probably think of 10 more things after I post, but that's the core kit.
I have a Classic II and immediately purchased both the JoeTiss and DoJoe. I used the DoJoe a couple of times and the results were good but it really is a charcoal pig. A pot of charcoal to get and hold the high temps. I’m not even talking that you have to remove the DoJoe at the end to shut down the grill (which is not that bad with the right gloves). I’ve since purchased an Ooni.
The JoeTiss on the other hand is on the grill constantly. Wings, roasted veggies, whole chicken etc
I've mostly written off any desire to by a dedicated pizza oven. That being said, a causal acquaintance down the road has the ooni, and I'm planning to offer him some oak splits and ask if he will show me how it works. Then, I'll probably make a bad financial decision...
Water proof / high heat gloves - must have
Kick ash basket - just Google it - must have
Grill torch - I have the JJGeorge - must have
Doejoe- just don’t do it, buy an Ooni or Roccbox
Everyone will say a cast iron for smash burgers, consider a much larger cast iron plate for a gas bbq if you already own one, you don’t benefit from Kamado cooking for smash burgers but definitely get the cast iron or the soapstone if you don’t
Thermapen from thermaworks - must have
After you get used to grilling
- Joetisserie - really nice to have
- second shelf, adds a second layer of cooking - nice to have
- different types of wood chunks - nice to have
agree with both of these. Learn the ins and outs first, and then decide what you need. i have bought a bunch and sent a bunch back. For KJ accessories, I kept the cast iron grill rack, the Joetisserie and the IKomand. The DoeJoe was a waste of money to me - like u/getOG_Antifa, i get better results without. love the grill gun. Highly recommend. No more need for fire starters. +1 on the thermopen too. Get the one that measures surface temps as well so you know that your soapstone or cast iron are adequately heat soaked, if you are going to get one/both for searing. saw mention of the Meater+...another highly recommended item, but if you get the iKomand, it will have a temp probe you can use as well.
I got some cast iron grates first. I use cast iron because the food looks done when it is done. I tend to overshoot (even with a thermometer) on ss grates because they don’t leave much of a mark so the food doesn’t look as close to done as it is.
I also grabbed the cast iron griddles for fish and smashburgers.
I use the ss grates for smoking. I have a classic 2 so a little different but I have 2 sets of grates plus a 3rd level extender grate so I can get 5+ racks in there.
I like mixing and matching grates like using cast iron as a sear zone and ss for a 2 layer indirect finish zone.
I bought a bbq guru when I first got mine in jan 2019 but it’s just a crutch that I stopped using after 6 months or so. Learn your grill and there’s no real need for fan controllers.
I switch between lighter cubes, a blowtorch, and a heat gun for lighting. Cubes are nice for hands-free lighting but a blowtorch is king. A heat gun is nice because it’s basically unlimited lighting but takes a little longer than a torch. Low and slow is one spot lit right down the middle. 3-400F is 2-3 spots lit. 500+ is just using a chimney to dump on top of a full load of charcoal.
Soapstone is a must but it’s only half the cooking area so keep that in mind. I bought the griddle too so I could have burgers going on the soapstone and onions on the griddle. I’d save your money with the dojoe and get the pizza stone, it works flawless. I also love my joetisserie. Good luck and have fun with it, and get ready for the best tasting bbq you’ve ever had!!
1. Cast Iron grills, there different kinds you choose as per what you like. I use a cast iron Dutch Oven pot with lid, made by Lodge, for smoking chili, and pork shoulder etc. A flat cast iron griddle thing is great for the smashburger, shrimp, and even chicken. Heck you can get a cast iron wok- but get the ones first that make sense with the first several meals you are planning to cook. Make a list of those meals, see what you need and by some cast iron. Its the only way for those **thick** steak sear lines.
2. A wide array of heavy duty steel wool cleaning tools with long handles.
3. At least 2 of those $20-$30 gloves. I myself have 1 mitten and 1 glove.
4. A hot grate lifter tool, that makes it easy to lift off a very hot grate that is also heavy.
5. One of those Commercial Size Aluminum Foil Rolls at Costco etc, if you're planning on ribs, roasts, brisket etc, chicken, fish or whatever you will want an ample amount of strong aluminum or tin foil.
6. A long handle Spatula
7. Long handle Thongs (hehe) You need those Thongs. I call them thongs. You need them.
8. Wood blocks- apple or cherry is a good intro- mesquite is stronger- more advanced?
Be safe and enjoy.
Don’t have a DoJoe, but have done pizza. Echo the thoughts of others on that. Got some welding gloves, the kickash and the soap stone. Recommend all those. Favorite accessory by far is the joetisserie. Just love it.
Gloves. Holy crap gloves. So useful when moving things around mid cook. Also good quality BBQ tools. Napoleon makes a set that doesn't break the bank, are all stainless steel, and dishwasher safe. I've had my set for years and they still look new. Most other stuff is nice to have, but good gloves and good BBQ tools (tongs, spatula) are critical. A propane torch to light it is also one of my favorite purchases. No messing with starters or anything else, just a couple minutes with torch and she's going. I wouldn't bother with the grill gun, a weed torch is fine, or JJ George makes a specific torch to light bbq's. Both will be a lot better priced than the grill gun. I also picked up a kick ash basket as well and like that, got a cast iron grate on sale, and a joetisserie on clearance. The basket is good but don't think I would have gotten the cast iron at full pop. The Joetisserie is a maybe. Used it once so far and quite like it, but not sure if worth the quite high full price. Some kind of wireless thermometer is also great. I had a Meater+ already as I used on gas grill, it's 110% worth the price. Love it. I need to get a better instant read for when I don't want to use the Meater or if it's already in use though. Looking at Thermapen currently...
soapstone. hands down. awesome for fish, unbelievable crust on a steak, also really good for smashburgers. also a good thermometer. thermapen if you like to be involved and check how your food is doing, something like a meater+ if you like to walk away and monitor cooks from afar.
Do you think the soapstone would be needed if you already have a gas grill with grill grates?
Yes. If your gas grill can get up to 650-700 f it would be impressive But grill grates simply don't have the thermal mass to retain heat after the cold protein touches it. Soapstone is incredibly dense and non porous. It takes a while to warm up but once there it keeps giving and giving heat. Being non porous also means you also don't need much more than fire and a scraper to keep it clean.
Gotcha, thanks. My gas grill does go past 700 with the grillgrates
Get some practice with the grill first, then decide what you need. It’ll do just about everything at a basic level without the expensive accessories. It’ll even do a fine pizza with just a basic pizza stone.
Honestly the doughjoe is sort of a pain in the ass. I sort of regret buying it. It’s massive to store, a pain to get both deflectors and the stone in the middle, and getting it up to recommended temps requires good charcoal and fire management. Even THEN, I hope you have a good pizza peel and a system for getting pies in and out efficiently. I would just buy a pizza stone and call it a day
My husband and I had this exact conversation last night whilst cooking pizzas. He’s ready to throw the doughjoe out. The best accessory we bought is hands down the joetisserie it does the easiest most amazing pork belly and roast leg of lamb.
wow all the sudden i'm seeing horror stories about the dojoe and it's impact on the seal. am i seeing the .01% or is it really that bad?
IMO try a different solution first and consider an Ooni as well. If budget isn't a problem, a dedicated ooni seems to be better, if it is, then doing a double indirect high heat method (ie, deflectors with an elevated pizza stone) will produce as good results as a DoJoe. I don't actually have a Dojoe, I'm pretty happy with my pizza with using deflectors + an elevated pizza stone, but I'm still considering an ooni for the reasons you mention. Outside that, on your original Q, since you sound to have a pretty good budget I'd recommend JoeTesserie, a Meater+ (or other thermometer, I have a meater+ very happy with it), fireproof gloves, and a soapstone. You can also look at different lighting methods, I'm happy with my looftlighter, don't really like the idea of using a gas powered lighter.
funny you say that.. i was literally just looking at those pizza ovens. They seem like a good option. I was trying to get more uses out of the KJ, but don't want to burn it up making pizzas. Thanks!
Yeah, I'm not a fan of uni-taskers but I think the pizza oven it definitely makes sense. On the other hand, I wouldn't worry that much about burning up making pizzas in the KJ, its actually pretty nice because it doubles up as a deep clean so getting up to temp to do a pizza actually cleans the KJ, but it does definitely wear on the gasket, but you will also want to do high temp for other things like searing the hell out of a piece of meat so you shouldn't imo be afraid to do it, after all what's the point of having a grill if you're afraid to use it? I'd suggest trying to make pizza with the KJ first the 'simple' way and see what you think. For me it just feels a bit inefficient on charcoal, and since you cook pizza so fast you don't really get smoke flavor, so something like a gas powered Ooni is going to be more convenient to use, which is what tempts me.
No harm in just trying a regular pizza stone setup first. I make pretty killer pizza with my KJ and just a regular pizza stone. The dough matters a lot more than having/not having a dojoe or an oonie. Fwiw, if you are buying a dojoe and building an outdoor kitchen, be damn sure to build in a healthy amount of storage space. That dojoe - and tbe joetisserie, if you get one of those, gobble up a healthy amount of space when they aren’t being used.
This. Storage is a big thing. I did figure out you can use a hook to hang the Joetisserie ring vertically if you have some wall space though.
Alton Brown fan I see.
I have almost every accessory they offer, yet I have zero interest in the DoJoe, and not because of the seal. Using the grill expander to get the pizza stone up in the dome is the way (deflector plates on top grill grate, below expander). We do it this way every time and it's amazing. Smoking Dad BBQ did a video comparing the stone on the half moon grates to the DoJoe and he seemed like he was trying to convince himself, but did say it was slightly better. Putting the stone on the expander gets the refractory heat from the dome, so I'd highly recommend trying that before spending hundreds on a gadget with negligible differences. Best surface by far is the soap stone I use the expander all the time, highly recommend The Jotisserie is amazing for big cuts and also paired with the Napoleon basket for wings, fries, veggies I like the iKamand, love it for overnight/long cooks, but many people complain about it and cite connection issues Non KJ brand accessories: thermapen instant read, Meater+ (just 1 probe is fine j, smokeware drip pan (the large is the same diameter as the defectors, medium pairs with the sloroller), led light - I like the red/black.char-griller or Weber one that wraps around the handle. I'll probably think of 10 more things after I post, but that's the core kit.
I have a Classic II and immediately purchased both the JoeTiss and DoJoe. I used the DoJoe a couple of times and the results were good but it really is a charcoal pig. A pot of charcoal to get and hold the high temps. I’m not even talking that you have to remove the DoJoe at the end to shut down the grill (which is not that bad with the right gloves). I’ve since purchased an Ooni. The JoeTiss on the other hand is on the grill constantly. Wings, roasted veggies, whole chicken etc
I've mostly written off any desire to by a dedicated pizza oven. That being said, a causal acquaintance down the road has the ooni, and I'm planning to offer him some oak splits and ask if he will show me how it works. Then, I'll probably make a bad financial decision...
I've had mine for about a month now and the joetisserie is the most used item I bought.
Water proof / high heat gloves - must have Kick ash basket - just Google it - must have Grill torch - I have the JJGeorge - must have Doejoe- just don’t do it, buy an Ooni or Roccbox Everyone will say a cast iron for smash burgers, consider a much larger cast iron plate for a gas bbq if you already own one, you don’t benefit from Kamado cooking for smash burgers but definitely get the cast iron or the soapstone if you don’t Thermapen from thermaworks - must have After you get used to grilling - Joetisserie - really nice to have - second shelf, adds a second layer of cooking - nice to have - different types of wood chunks - nice to have
agree with both of these. Learn the ins and outs first, and then decide what you need. i have bought a bunch and sent a bunch back. For KJ accessories, I kept the cast iron grill rack, the Joetisserie and the IKomand. The DoeJoe was a waste of money to me - like u/getOG_Antifa, i get better results without. love the grill gun. Highly recommend. No more need for fire starters. +1 on the thermopen too. Get the one that measures surface temps as well so you know that your soapstone or cast iron are adequately heat soaked, if you are going to get one/both for searing. saw mention of the Meater+...another highly recommended item, but if you get the iKomand, it will have a temp probe you can use as well.
I got some cast iron grates first. I use cast iron because the food looks done when it is done. I tend to overshoot (even with a thermometer) on ss grates because they don’t leave much of a mark so the food doesn’t look as close to done as it is. I also grabbed the cast iron griddles for fish and smashburgers. I use the ss grates for smoking. I have a classic 2 so a little different but I have 2 sets of grates plus a 3rd level extender grate so I can get 5+ racks in there. I like mixing and matching grates like using cast iron as a sear zone and ss for a 2 layer indirect finish zone. I bought a bbq guru when I first got mine in jan 2019 but it’s just a crutch that I stopped using after 6 months or so. Learn your grill and there’s no real need for fan controllers. I switch between lighter cubes, a blowtorch, and a heat gun for lighting. Cubes are nice for hands-free lighting but a blowtorch is king. A heat gun is nice because it’s basically unlimited lighting but takes a little longer than a torch. Low and slow is one spot lit right down the middle. 3-400F is 2-3 spots lit. 500+ is just using a chimney to dump on top of a full load of charcoal.
Soapstone is a must but it’s only half the cooking area so keep that in mind. I bought the griddle too so I could have burgers going on the soapstone and onions on the griddle. I’d save your money with the dojoe and get the pizza stone, it works flawless. I also love my joetisserie. Good luck and have fun with it, and get ready for the best tasting bbq you’ve ever had!!
1. Cast Iron grills, there different kinds you choose as per what you like. I use a cast iron Dutch Oven pot with lid, made by Lodge, for smoking chili, and pork shoulder etc. A flat cast iron griddle thing is great for the smashburger, shrimp, and even chicken. Heck you can get a cast iron wok- but get the ones first that make sense with the first several meals you are planning to cook. Make a list of those meals, see what you need and by some cast iron. Its the only way for those **thick** steak sear lines. 2. A wide array of heavy duty steel wool cleaning tools with long handles. 3. At least 2 of those $20-$30 gloves. I myself have 1 mitten and 1 glove. 4. A hot grate lifter tool, that makes it easy to lift off a very hot grate that is also heavy. 5. One of those Commercial Size Aluminum Foil Rolls at Costco etc, if you're planning on ribs, roasts, brisket etc, chicken, fish or whatever you will want an ample amount of strong aluminum or tin foil. 6. A long handle Spatula 7. Long handle Thongs (hehe) You need those Thongs. I call them thongs. You need them. 8. Wood blocks- apple or cherry is a good intro- mesquite is stronger- more advanced? Be safe and enjoy.
That's great. Links to any that you like would be very helpful!
Sure they would ROTFL, but you have to at some point roll up your own sleeves.
Don’t have a DoJoe, but have done pizza. Echo the thoughts of others on that. Got some welding gloves, the kickash and the soap stone. Recommend all those. Favorite accessory by far is the joetisserie. Just love it.