JohnnyAppetizer

Measure the id and od of the fire bowl. It will tell if you can use a deflector with a hanging holder, like a woo ring.

Couple of things: Ash Basket. I cooked some ribs at 200-250, spatchcock chicken at 300-350, Pizza at 400-450. Worked well at all temps. On the ribs and chicken I used a tumbleweed fire starter, on the pizza a lit chimney of coal added to the leftover lump in the basket. Ash vac. Today I cleaned out the kamado after the three above cooks. That thing worked great. Better than the rake, counter brush, or dust buster. It got into every nook and cranny. Much smaller. lighter, and easier than the full blown shop vac.

Ash vac, on sale at lidl.

The morning after.. shaken

Please post when you get it set up. Pics r always good.

Ash Basket I got one of these for Christmas... My usual mix, KJ BB with a lit chimney of rubble.... Test Run Hickory chunks, woo ring with lava stone and drip pan..

That's what my daughter thought was in the box when she saw it!

mail order steak....Many years ago I got tired of trying to buy a good steak locally. I ordered filet from a steak company, the boxes were printed to look like a cow, black and white. Can't remember the name, but I am pretty sure they were bought by Omaha. Times are different now, and our groceries have a service meat counter as well as meat in a tray with a diaper. We also have some real butcher shops. I get a box of Omaha filet and usually something else from a friend for Christmas. The filets are fine when thawed, however you like to cook them. Hamburger is also fine. Of course, you can sous vide from frozen, just add an hour. I bought some KC filets on an a special advertised in the WSJ. They were fine, if a little irregular in shape. Bacon wrapped, I prefer plain. The bacon never gets done. Based on that experience, I bought a box of mixed steaks so I could try some other cuts. Very irregular, one T-bone would be thick, the other thin. The whole box was like that. Without labeling , you could not tell a rib eye from a strip. Worse, some were paper thin. Please put all the same size in the box. All one inch thick, or all 1/2 inch thick, whatever. Result, I no longer order from them. I hate a thin steak, almost impossible to cook so the temp and sear is the way I like it. The upshot, for me, mail order steak at this price point is fine when received as a gift, but way to pricy with shipping for me to purchase. As good or better available locally, cheaper, and I pick what I want. Of course, their are plenty of more expensive mail order venders, dry aged, prime and such, available at much higher prices. YMMV.

Fractured fire bowl tales.... I have had the Vision for almost 5 months. No issues. However, while cleaning earlier this week I noticed a hairline crack from the expansion joint to the bottom of the bowl. I am not concerned, knowing the warranty and the frequency of this occurrence. So not posting as a complaint. What I would be interested in is hearing from other owners with fire bowl cracks. Where did it crack, is this the most common spot, or are the cracks occurring everywhere and anywhere?

Papa Murphy's opened near me last spring. I had some coupons and gave them a try. I liked them, maybe just my store. I was baking them per directions, on the carboard in the oven. Then I started using my pizza stone. Ten minutes on the carboard, take it off and slide it onto the stone and finish. When I got the accessories to cook pizza on the Kamado this summer, I started baking them on the kamado. Same method. I even cook the thin crust, it comes out great, crust like a cracker. Better than many thin crusts from the chain pizzeria's. They have $10.00 Tuesday, up to 5 ingredients or some of the specials. You can't beat that. note: the dough is fresh, they sheet it at the store, it's to sticky to remove from the cardboard till you cook it a little (8-10 minutes). Leave it out of the refrigerator for an hour b4 baking. They don't require 600, they bake fine at 400-500.

From the Vision FAQ: Q: Do I have to season the grill by running it at a low temperature on the first use? A: No. Many online resources suggest seasoning Kamado grills for 3-5 hours at low temperatures before using at more extreme temperatures. Since the process for constructing ceramic involves kilning at 2,400+oF, seasoning prior to use is not necessary to improve long-term performance. Many Kamado manufacturers suggest seasoning your grill during the first use to strengthen the gasket adhesive and prevent separation from the ceramic. Vision Grills uses high-quality adhesive for its gaskets, so your Vision Grill is fully operational immediately after assembly. But I still like the video. Possibly the "mix" and the purported heat are overkill?

I just read an article about buyer's remorse. If you buy and have remorse, it is short lived and you move on. If you don't buy, remorse about that decision can last a long, long time. I think the above is sage advice. If you have the ceramic bug, akorn is out. Otherwise, as evidenced by many happy owners here, it is a fine choice . If you know you want the sloroller, It will have to be a KJ, and a higher priced model. I bought the most basic, no bells and whistles Kamado and outfitted it as I liked. Maybe one of the mid level models with an array of cooking levels and heat deflectors is going to meet your needs, maybe you will find those not necessary or inferior in design. Make sure you buy one with a grate diameter that will fit your need. I would say 18-22 inches. Almost any brand will be capable right out of the box. Some may have better fit and finish. Best to choose wisely the first time.

Looks really good. Just curious, was the kabob all done about the same, or were the pieces on the bottom (closer to the fire) more done and the ones at the top (furthest from the fire) more done?

Ok, the rest of the story: Couple months back we went to lunch on southside, (not our usual rabbit path). I noticed a butcher shop had opened in the strip shopping center, and decided to check it out. I saw the Bavette, and inquired, thinking the same thing, looks like flank. The butcher said it was similar, but a different cut. I passed as being in a butcher shop, it was way expensive. So the the challenge came up and a light came on. I did the same thing, looked it up on the interweb. Turns out it is different due to french butchery. During the course of my search, I saw a couple recipes. I went back to butcher and he had not gotten his delivery, but he did have one Bavette left in the case. I came home with one very expensive piece of meat. The butcher recommended getting a good char for texture and taste. I was going for grill marks, but the heat was shooting up from 500 to 600, so I made sure I got a char. Came out really good, and the sauce was good too. Leftovers made a great sandwich. I have grilled many flank, marinated or not. Good taste but pretty chewy, even when cut correctly (cross grain). I cut this one in half, and then cut across the grain. It had some chew, but in a good way. I usually stuff and sear (like the "foolin with flank" entry. But I put it in a dutch oven, cover with tomato sauce and braise in the oven. Known as Braciole, it comes out really tender. I bought a flank at kroger last week (reduced for quick sale) and put it in the freezer. I will cook it like this one and report back.

now this is an interesting post !