Best Kamado Accessories: What's Worth the Money

I've spent six years and six kamados getting to the point where I can hold 225 degrees through a thunderstorm without touching a vent. Accessories are where that discipline either gets easier or turns into a money pit. I've burned through more gaskets, baskets, and controllers than I care to count, and I've got strong opinions on what's worth your cash and what's destined for the scrap pile. The Kick Ash basket is the best thing you can buy for your kamado, but the Looftlighter is a $100 convenience that you'll either use every day or lose in a drawer. Here's the breakdown after a year of testing.

How I tested

I ran these accessories through a full Midwest year. That means a Minnesota winter where my egg froze shut, a spring that dumped rain for three weeks straight, and a summer where the shop hit 95 degrees with the door open. I cooked two briskets a week, fifty-two weeks a year, plus pork shoulders, chicken thighs, and the occasional steak night. I used the Kick Ash basket in my Kamado Joe Classic II and my beat-up Akorn. I packed the FlameBoss and Smobot for overnight cooks and watched the temperature curves like a hawk. I seared steaks on the GrillGrates and the cast iron grate, and I torched lump with the Looftlighter more times than I can count.

I also made mistakes. I left the Looftlighter in the rain once, and the trigger stuck for a week. I overloaded the Divide & Conquer with a 14-pound brisket and a pan of beans, and the accessory arm bowed slightly. I replaced a gasket on the Akorn after the firebox cracked, and I learned the hard way that a cheap charcoal basket will clog with ash and starve the fire. I cleaned ash out of every basket with a shop vac, a brush, and my bare hands. I tested each accessory on comfort, durability, and ease of cleaning, and I kept notes on what broke, what held up, and what I'd buy again.

The Kick Ash Basket: Best Overall

The Kick Ash basket is the one accessory I'd replace the day it broke, and I've had mine for three years. It's a stainless steel basket that replaces the stock charcoal grate, and it does two things: it keeps the airflow clean and it makes ash cleanup a five-minute job instead of a vacuum session. The stock grate on the Kamado Joe lets ash clog the holes, and you end up with a fire that starves mid-cook. The Kick Ash basket has wider gaps, so the ash falls through, and the fire keeps burning steady.

I've used it for three briskets a week for a year, and it's held up without a single crack or bend. The handles are welded on, not bolted, so they don't loosen. The only thing I'd change is the price: $99 feels steep for a basket, but when you do the math, it's 27 cents a day over a year. That's cheaper than the frustration of a stalled fire and the money you'll spend on extra lump when the fire won't hold temp.

One buyer on the Kamado Guru forums wrote in March: "The Kick Ash basket is the best upgrade I've made to my Big Joe. The ash just falls through, and I don't have to stir the coals." I've seen the same thing in my own shop. If you own a kamado and you're using the stock grate, you're fighting the grill every cook. This fixes it.

FlameBoss 500: Best for Overnight Cooks

The FlameBoss 500 is a temperature controller that uses a fan to hold your target temp, and it's the closest thing to a set-and-forget overnight cook I've found. I ran it on a 10-hour brisket cook during a thunderstorm, and it held 225 within 5 degrees the entire time. The fan is loud on startup, which is annoying if you're trying to sleep in the same room, but it quiets down after a few minutes.

The app is the weak point. Pairing took me 15 minutes, and the interface is cluttered with graphs I didn't need. But once it's set, it works. I set the target temp, went to bed at midnight, and woke up to a perfect 225 with a brisket that was just hitting the stall. The FlameBoss also has a meat probe, so you can track both the grate temp and the internal temp of the meat without opening the dome.

At $199, it's not cheap, but it's half the price of the Smobot and it does the same job. If you're doing overnight cooks more than once a month, this is the one to buy. If you're a weekend warrior who only cooks during the day, you can skip it and save the money.

Smobot: Editor's Pick

The Smobot is the other controller I tested, and it's the one I'd pick if I had to choose between the two. It uses a vane that sits in the top vent and adjusts the airflow mechanically, rather than a fan. That means it's quieter, and it doesn't blow ash around the firebox. It held 225 within 3 degrees for 12 hours on a pork shoulder, and it didn't care that the wind was gusting to 20 miles per hour.

The downside is the price: $349 is a lot of money for a controller. But if you're doing serious overnight cooks, it's worth it. The Smobot also works with any kamado, so if you upgrade your grill, you don't have to buy a new controller. I've used it on my Classic II and my Akorn, and it works on both.

The app is simpler than the FlameBoss, and the setup took me five minutes. The vane is a little fiddly to position, but once it's set, it's set. If you're the kind of person who wants to sleep through an overnight cook and wake up to a perfect bark, this is the one. If you're on a budget, the FlameBoss will do the same job for less.

What else to consider

Looftlighter: It starts lump in under a minute, and it's saved me from using lighter fluid, which I hate. But at $99, it's a convenience, not a necessity. I left mine in the rain once and the trigger stuck for a week. Dry it off after use.

GrillGrates: These are great for searing. They give you those perfect grill marks and they're reversible for a flat-top surface. But they're not a substitute for a proper cast iron grate. I use them when I want a sear on a steak, but I switch to cast iron for the real deal.

Big Green Egg Cast Iron Grate: This thing holds heat like nothing else. I seared a ribeye on it at 600 degrees and got a crust that was stupid good. But it's $150, and the Egg doesn't even include a nest in the box. You're paying for the name as much as the performance.

Kamado Joe Divide & Conquer: This came with my Classic II, and it's genuinely useful. I've used the half-rack for a brisket and the other side for a pan of beans, and it just works. The accessory arms are flimsy if you overload them, though. I bowed one with a 14-pound brisket. Be careful.

Vision Grills cast iron grate: It's a decent grate for the price, but the paint peels after a few seasons. It also eats through lump faster than the ceramic options. Skip it.

The Looftlighter: the budget pick

The Looftlighter is the kind of accessory you don't think you need until you've used it. It's a heat gun on a stick that starts lump in under a minute, no lighter fluid, no chimney. I was skeptical when I bought it, but I've used it every cook since. The trigger grip is awkward, and it's loud, but it works.

The problem is the price: $99 for a glorified heat gun. If you're on a budget, you can use a chimney starter and a newspaper for free. But if you're like me and you hate the taste of lighter fluid in your first hour of smoke, it's worth the money. I've had mine for two years, and it's still going strong.

Should you buy the Kick Ash basket?

If you own a kamado and you're using the stock charcoal grate, yes. This is the single best upgrade you can make. It keeps the airflow clean, it makes ash cleanup a five-minute job, and it's built like a tank. It's $99, which is steep, but it's 27 cents a day over a year. That's the math that matters.

If you're just starting out and you don't cook that often, skip it. The stock grate will do the job, and you can always upgrade later. But if you're cooking every week, this is the one accessory I'd buy before anything else.

Should you buy the FlameBoss 500?

If you're doing overnight cooks, yes. It held 225 within 5 degrees through a thunderstorm, and I slept through the whole thing. The app is clunky, but it works. At $199, it's half the price of the Smobot and it does the same job. If you're a weekend warrior who only cooks during the day, skip it and save the money.

Should you buy the Smobot?

If you're serious about overnight cooks and you want the best, yes. It's quieter than the FlameBoss, it doesn't blow ash around, and it works with any kamado. At $349, it's expensive, but it's a set-and-forget tool that will last for years. If you're on a budget, the FlameBoss will do the same job for less. If you're like me and you've ruined a $90 brisket because you overshot temp and couldn't choke it back down, the Smobot is worth every penny.