BobE

Welcome to the Guru! There are a lot of choices and opinions out there when it comes to Kamado grills. I'm a fan of build quality, and simplicity of use so I opted for manual temperature control and don't regret the decision. Dialing in a temperature is pretty easy to do and doesn't take long to master. Best of luck and let us know what you decide.

Sounds like you got a nice gift and you have come to a great site to learn how to use it. I'd suggest you start by roasting a chicken, there are plenty of recopies out there to choose from. Watch some videos on how to start the fire and adjust the vents on your new grill to get to the desired temperature. Next go buy a bag of charcoal, fire your Pit Boss up and enjoy the experience of doing something new. Best of luck on the first cook! P.S. Get a digital thermometer to check the temperature of the meat.

Welcome to the forum! If I lived in a higher crime area and had to secure an expensive outdoor grill the first thing would be to take the wheels off of the stand to make it hard to move. These things are heavy and awkward to pick up. Next I'd deep it covered; out of sight, out of mind. Hope it works out for you

Welcome to the forum Rémy, I'm glad you joined the group!

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on the new Big Joe. I did a high temp burn on my grill when it was new to get rid of any residual oils and such that might be left over from the manufacturing process. As St1brew mentioned, it also gave me an opportunity to play around with the vents to start to get a feel on how to set and hold temperatures. Best of luck with your grill.

Nice pic's, looks like a great cook and the corn bread came out nice too, thanks for sharing! How long did you cook the shank for? I've never tried that particular cut, it looks like there is some charring on the skin which surprised me at the temperature you held, did you use the heat deflectors?

Welcome to the forum Elliot

Welcome to the forum Shelly, nice looking cook. Congratulations on your new Kamado Joe!

Nice looking cook! You've inspired me to put jerk chicken on the menu! Depending on how spicy the jerk, I sometimes cut slashes in the chicken pieces to let the marinade penetrate deeper. Thanks for sharing.

Very nice looking cook. Awesome that you got a whole meal done on your cooker, well done!

Welcome to the forum Anthony. You Tube has some good video's on Kamado Joe temperature control, they can help make the learning curve less steep.

Welcome to the forum Z. I started with a WSM too. It was a great grill but a pain to clean. Post a picture of your tag sale find, someone here is sure to have the answer you're searching for.

Welcome to the Guru and congratulations on your new Big Joe. Hope the first cook is awesome!

Welcome to the forum Chris and congratulations on your new Louisiana Grill! My understanding of electric smokers is that they have a limited temperature range. Cooking spatchcock chicken is a great way to learn how to control the temperature on your new grill. Best of luck and don't be afraid to try a high (600F) temp pizza cook.

Welcome to the forum Brian, it sounds like you will fit right in here. Glad you joined.