Most people shopping for their first kamado start with a brand question, and that is the wrong place to start. The right question is what you actually cook on a normal Tuesday, because a kamado purchase is really a decision about capacity, ceramic mass, and whether you can move the thing without a second set of hands. A 15-inch ceramic and a 24-inch ceramic are not the same appliance with different price tags. This guide looks at kamado grills and carts together, since a grill you cannot roll out of the garage is a grill that stays in the garage, and a cart that flexes under a heavy ceramic is worse than no cart at all. Six products, one top pick, and the differences that matter when you are lighting charcoal at six in the morning.
Related: How to Stabilize a Kamado at 250 Degrees
Quick answer
The Kamado Joe Big Joe Series I 24-inch Ceramic Charcoal Grill and Smoker with Cart, Side Shelves, Stainless Steel Grates and 450 Cooking Square Inches in Red, Model BJ24Rh is the strongest fit for cooking for a crowd, because the 24-inch ceramic body and 450 square inches of cooking area handle packer briskets and full racks of ribs, and the cart and side shelves are part of the package. Choose the Char-Griller AKORN Jr. Portable Kamado Charcoal Grill and Smoker instead when you need something light enough to carry and small enough to store out of the way.
Kamado grills and carts worth comparing
Two of these are ceramic kamados, two are insulated steel kamado-style cookers, and two are rolling stands for cooks who already own a ceramic. That mix is deliberate. The grill is the expensive decision, but the stand is often the one that determines whether the grill gets used on a weeknight or only on holidays.
Kamado Joe Big Joe Series I 24-inch Ceramic Charcoal Grill and Smoker with Cart, Side Shelves, Stainless Steel Grates and 450 Cooking Square Inches in Red, Model BJ24Rh
A 24-inch ceramic kamado with 450 square inches of cooking area, stainless steel grates, side shelves, and a cart included. The capacity suits packer briskets and full rib racks, and the cart means you are not lifting the ceramic itself to move it.
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London Sunshine 15-inch Ceramic Kamado Charcoal BBQ Grill & Smoker with Locking Casters, Foldable Side Shelves, Stainless Steel Grates, and Tall Stand (Orange)
A 15-inch ceramic kamado on a tall stand with locking casters and foldable side shelves. Stainless steel grates and a smaller footprint suit patios and smaller households, and the casters make repositioning a one-person job.
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Char-Griller 06620 Akorn Kamado Kooker Charcoal Barbecue Grill and Smoker, Red
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Char-Griller's full-size Akorn Kooker in red, a kamado-style charcoal grill and smoker aimed at cooks who want insulated, vent-controlled cooking without paying ceramic money. The insulated steel body is the defining feature here.
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Char-Griller AKORN Jr. Portable Kamado Charcoal Grill and Smoker, Triple-Wall Insulated Steel with Cast Iron Grates and Locking Lid, 155 Sq. In. Cooking Area, Black
The portable end of the lineup: triple-wall insulated steel, cast iron grates, a locking lid, and 155 square inches of cooking area. It is the one here you can pick up and take to a tailgate or a campsite.
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Heavy Duty BBQ Grill Rolling Cart, Rolling Nest, Rolling Outdoor Cart for 18" Large Big Green Egg with Locking Caster for BGE L Smoker Kamado Joe 18" Charcoal Grill Stand Accessories
A heavy duty rolling cart sized for an 18-inch large Big Green Egg, with locking casters. The listing also names the Kamado Joe 18-inch and similar charcoal grills, so it works as a general stand for a mid-size ceramic.
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Green Big Egg Nest, Rolling Cart for Big Green Egg Accessories
A rolling nest for Big Green Egg accessories, finished in the green that matches the classic egg color. A stand-only option for cooks who already own the ceramic and just need to get it off the ground and onto wheels.
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How these products were compared
This guide compares cooking area and footprint, body construction (ceramic versus triple-wall insulated steel), whether a cart or stand is included and how it rolls, grate material, and how the lid, shelves, and vent hardware fit into an ordinary backyard layout. Product names, images, and retailer links are matched by ASIN so that every card points to the product shown. The notes below stay with what the product listings state and with general kamado practice. They are not laboratory measurements, and no two patios are identical.
Do not treat a bigger number as an automatic upgrade. A 450 square inch cooker is the right answer for a family that entertains and the wrong answer for two people who grill chicken thighs twice a week, because a large ceramic takes longer to come up to temperature and burns more charcoal to hold it.
How to choose the right kamado grill or cart
Start with size, because it is the one decision you cannot reverse. A 15-inch kamado such as the London Sunshine is a two-person and small-gathering cooker: enough for a spatchcocked chicken, a couple of steaks, or a pork butt if you plan ahead. The AKORN Jr. sits even smaller at 155 square inches, which is why it is built to be carried rather than parked. The 24-inch Big Joe with its 450 square inches is the other end of the scale, sized for packer briskets, multiple racks, and a full crowd. Most people land in the middle, and most people who buy too small regret it within a season.
Then decide what the body is made of. Ceramic kamados are heavy and hold heat with a stability that steel does not quite match, and they are also the ones that can crack if they are mishandled or left to sit in standing water. Triple-wall insulated steel, which is what both Akorn models use, is lighter, will not shatter, and gets close enough on temperature control that a lot of cooks never miss the ceramic. If your cooking space is a wooden deck that you would rather not load with a few hundred pounds, steel is worth a hard look.
The last question is the stand, and it is the one people skip. Some grills arrive with a cart and side shelves included, as the Big Joe does, and some arrive as a cooker only, which means the stand is a separate purchase. If you already own an 18-inch ceramic, a rolling cart or nest is the cheapest way to make it usable, and locking casters matter more than they sound: you want the grill to stay put when you open a hot lid. For more on holding temperature once the grill is in place, see our guide to stabilizing a kamado at 250 degrees.
Kamado Joe Big Joe Series I
The Big Joe Series I is the largest cooker in this group on stated cooking area, and it is the one that behaves most like a permanent outdoor appliance. The 24-inch ceramic body gives you room to lay out a full packer brisket without folding it, and 450 square inches means sides or a second protein can go on at the same time. Stainless steel grates are a practical choice for a cooker you will scrape and scrub for years. The cart and side shelves being part of the package is the detail that separates it from a bare ceramic, since you get a working surface and a way to move the grill without a furniture dolly.
The trade-off is commitment. A 24-inch ceramic takes up real patio space, needs clearance for a fully open lid, and wants a level surface under the casters. It also rewards planning: heating that much ceramic for two burgers is wasteful, and the heat soak before a long cook is not optional. If your normal cook is a single chicken, this is more grill than the job requires, and the smaller options below will serve you better.
Alternatives to consider
The London Sunshine 15-inch Ceramic Kamado is better suited to smaller households and tighter patios, where the foldable side shelves and locking casters matter more than raw capacity. The Char-Griller 06620 Akorn Kamado Kooker is a stronger fit when you want the full-size kamado cooking style on a steel budget, with an insulated body instead of ceramic.
The Char-Griller AKORN Jr. Portable Kamado, the Heavy Duty BBQ Grill Rolling Cart, and the Green Big Egg Nest cover the rest of the field. The AKORN Jr. is the tailgate and camping answer with its locking lid, cast iron grates, and 155 square inches of cooking area. The two carts serve cooks who already own a ceramic: the heavy duty rolling cart is sized for an 18-inch large Big Green Egg and also lists the Kamado Joe 18-inch and similar grills, while the Green Big Egg Nest is a stand-only rolling option for Big Green Egg owners.
Day-to-day use and maintenance
The single habit that separates a kamado that lasts from one that does not is heat soak. Give the cooker 30 to 45 minutes to stabilize before the meat goes on, and adjust the top and bottom vents in small steps rather than chasing the temperature. Learn the vents before you buy a controller. A controller is genuinely useful for an overnight brisket, but it cannot fix a fire that was built badly or a gasket that has already failed.
Gaskets are the part that fails first on any kamado, ceramic or steel. Keep the sealing surface clean, do not slam the lid, and check the gasket when you notice the grill needing more vent opening than usual to hold the same temperature. On the steel Akorn models, check the lid band and hardware periodically and tighten what has worked loose, because a lid that does not seat evenly leaks air and ruins your vent settings. On ceramic cookers, the firebox is the known wear item, so read the warranty terms for the exact model you are buying and understand what is covered before you need it.
For the carts, lock the casters before you open a hot lid, and do not roll a loaded kamado across uneven pavers or a step. Move the grill empty when you can, keep the cart hardware dry, and touch up any chipped finish before rust gets a foothold. A cover is cheap insurance for any of these, especially the steel-bodied cookers.
Buying checklist
- Measure the patio or deck space and the clearance for a fully open lid before you commit to a size.
- Choose cooking area based on your normal cook, not the biggest cook of the year.
- Confirm whether the exact model includes a cart, stand, and side shelves, since some listings are the cooker only.
- Check the grate material and whether it suits how you actually cook.
- Read the firebox and gasket warranty terms for the specific model.
- Verify the current retailer price, availability, and return terms through the product link.
Final recommendation
Choose the Kamado Joe Big Joe Series I 24-inch Ceramic Charcoal Grill and Smoker with Cart, Side Shelves, Stainless Steel Grates and 450 Cooking Square Inches in Red, Model BJ24Rh when you cook for a crowd, want a working cart and shelves included, and have the space for a 24-inch ceramic. Choose the Char-Griller AKORN Jr. Portable Kamado Charcoal Grill and Smoker when portability and a small storage footprint matter more than capacity, and step up to the full-size Char-Griller 06620 Akorn Kamado Kooker if you want that same insulated steel construction in a cooker that stays put. If you already own an 18-inch ceramic, the Heavy Duty BBQ Grill Rolling Cart or the Green Big Egg Nest is the practical purchase, because a kamado on wheels is a kamado you will actually fire up on a Tuesday.