Char Broil Kamander Vs Char Griller Akorn Kamado

Char-Griller is a company that’s known for creating the most inexpensive grills on the market. They use cheap materials and easily-manufactured designs to make grills accessible to everyone.

Because of the way the grills are produced, they’re sometimes lower quality than others on the market.

Two of the most popular grills the company makes are the Char-Broil Kamander and the Char-Griller Akorn Kamado.

These come with multiple similarities and differences. We’ve reviewed each and compared them so you can pick the best one.

Char Griller Akorn Kamado Vs Char Broil Kamander

#1. Char Broil Kamander

The Kamander charcoal grill doesn’t employ a traditional grill design. Instead, it’s a kamado.

Kamado grills have been used for thousands of years, though they only started to become popular in the West when Big Green Egg brought them into the Western mainstream in the 1970s.

Kamado grills are versatile cookers that can sear, smoke, grill and even bake. They have a high level of insulation to keep the interior heat levels steady and avoid exposure to outside air or moisture.

Traditionally, a kamado grill made with ceramic material would cost more than a thousand dollars. But the Kamander is available at around a third of that price because of the new materials used.

Rather than using thick, heavy ceramic for the construction, the Kamander employs a double wall of steel that’s stuffed with thick, synthetic insulation.

This makes it much easier and cheaper to manufacture than a ceramic grill. Many people say that steel-and-insulation grills perform almost identically to ceramic ones.

Though some other companies have employed better-constructed steel kamado designs, Char Griller makes a strong appearance in the market.

This grill weighs more and is much sturdier than the less expensive Akorn.

You can control the grill’s temperature through the vents. To allow the grill to simmer at a low temperature, close the vents.

For higher temperatures, open them to let air circulate through the charcoal and make it burn hotter.

Many kamado designs are difficult to clean. To remove ash, you have to physically remove the grates and rake it out into a bag.

But the Kamander is designed with a removable ash pan. All you have to do is pull it out by the handle and dump it, and your ash is taken care of in seconds.

Since the pan has a fairly high capacity, you shouldn’t need to empty it midway through a long smoking session.

When you’re raising the grill to its maximum temperature, Kamander can easily reach levels greater than 800 F.

This means that it provides the searing that many people want when cooking steaks, but it can also function as a low-temperature smoker over a long time period.

Kamander’s cart comes with a foldable side shelf made of stainless steel. This construction means it won’t wear down for a long time. It also has integrated tool hooks to hold your utensils.

Moving the grill can be difficult because there are only wheels on two of the legs, and it tends to be rather heavy and unwieldy. At the same time, the lack of locking casters means it’s not as stable as it could be.

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#2. Char Griller Akorn Kamado

The AkornKamado is a less expensive option if you’re looking for a kamado-style grill at an affordable price.

Since it may wear out quickly, this investment works best if you’re just testing out the kamado style or you don’t plan to use the grill very often.

The Akorn has a double steel wall that’s packed with insulation. The grill’s lid and body are made from steel-wrapped insulation that’s about an inch thick.

The exterior has a powder coating to protect against damage, and the inside has a porcelain coating to allow easier cleaning and better heat dispersion.

The damper at the bottom of the grill is a part of the removable ash pan. The pan and lid are secured with metal latches that aren’t very high quality.

If you grill or cook at temperatures higher than 700 F, these latches may degrade or even melt. For this reason, you might not want to use this grill if you plan to sear your food frequently.

Should there be issues, the latches are replaceable.

There’s a thermometer built into the lid, but its readings aren’t very accurate. You’ll be better off installing a more accurate thermometer of your own choosing.

This design is slightly more sturdy than the Kamander because it has a locking caster. It’s also lighter, so moving it around is easier. Also included is a warming rack that can be attached to the holes in the cooking grates.

There’s a red model with wooden side tables available, as well as a black model with metal side tables. Metal tables tend to last longer and be more resistant to heat damage than wood tables.

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Final Thoughts – Char Broil Kamander Vs Char Griller Akorn Kamado

Both kamado-style grills function very well as an inexpensive alternative to more expensive traditional ceramic designs.

The Akorn is the cheaper of the pair. By comparison, the Kamander is built with heavier insulation and greater steadiness.

However, the Akorn is slightly more portable and stable because of its lighter weight and locking caster.

The Akorn contains cheap metal parts that may melt down if used at high temperatures. If you want to sear meat or otherwise use high grilling temperatures, the Kamander is a much better bet.