ASH BASKETS

[len440]

Thinking about getting a ash basket for my classic II  Any brand recommendations and will there be a problem with them during a high temp pizza cook and a high temp cleaning, i saw one brand that says not to use during high temp cleaning.

[mtoddsolomon]

I have a Kick Ash Basket and I love it. Makes cleanup a breeze and you don't have a ton of the little trash pieces in there after a cook. I struggled for a bit at first on long cooks because I ran out of coal quickly, I then learned the importance of good lump vs bad lump. I switched to KJ lump and Fogo and I haven't had an issues since.

[Polar Bear]

Buy one

IMO theyre the #1 accessory for your Kamado

"high temp cleaning" will depend on how high youre talking and how often youre taking it there.

If you're planning on doing a clean burn to over 800f on a regular basis, you'll have issues with a couple of things, not just your ash basket

If you do a clean burn once or twice a year and reguarly do pizza between 600f and 700f, you'll be fine

[Scott Roberts]

KICK ASH BASKET!

 

Scott

[T_om]

Kick Ash Baskets, like the Slow'n'Sear, get a lot of marketing, er, hype.

 

I got this for my KJ Classic II and it fits perfectly...  https://www.ebay.com/itm/Onlyfire-Stainless-Steel-Charcoal-Ash-Basket-for-Kamado-Kettle-Grill/273413922024?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

 

It cost 37 bucks.

 

A kick Ash basket cost 90 bucks at Amazon.

 

That is a fifty-seven dollar difference for a basket to hold charcoal.  Both stainless, both hold charcoal.

 

The hype apparently works.

Tom

[John Setzler]

If you are obsessed with your stuff not rusting, don't expose stainless steel to temps over 700f.  If you realize that rust on your charcoal basket just doesn't matter, then it isn't a problem

[Bigzamboni]

On 9/17/2019 at 10:51 PM, T_om said:

Kick Ash Baskets, like the Slow'n'Sear, get a lot of marketing, er, hype.

 

I got this for my KJ Classic II and it fits perfectly...  https://www.ebay.com/itm/Onlyfire-Stainless-Steel-Charcoal-Ash-Basket-for-Kamado-Kettle-Grill/273413922024?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649

 

It cost 37 bucks.

 

A kick Ash basket cost 90 bucks at Amazon.

 

That is a fifty-seven dollar difference for a basket to hold charcoal.  Both stainless, both hold charcoal.

 

The hype apparently works.

Tom

Thanks for sharing that item. Added to my eBay watchlist for the next eBay Bucks promo. I personally couldn't justify $90 for the KAB, but $37 is much easier to swallow, especially when I have some eBay gift cards that I got at a discount.

[Burntweenie]

My advise would be to review the $37 basket to make sure it's decent, with that said my motto is buy once, cry once. Just because is less expensive in the beginning doesn't mean is less expensive in the long run.

[John Setzler]

I bought one of the cheap baskets just to see if it was worth the money about a year ago.  it works find but it doens't fit the grill properly.  It's smaller than it needs to be for the KJ classic.  

[T_om]

1 hour ago, Burntweenie said:

My advise would be to review the $37 basket to make sure it's decent...

 

 

Thanks for the wisdom, but I did, and it is.  Have you?

 

Re: John's post... I don't know which "cheap basket" he bought but the one I posted is indeed a tad smaller than the Kick Ash basket.  Which has made absolutely no difference at all as far as I have seen while actually using the thing.  The longest cook I have done on it so far is a brisket at 18 hours and it had a LOT of coals left.  That's good enough for me.

 

But it isn't my money being spent guys... so spend all you like.

 

Tom

 

PS:  Got some ribs going over that basket right now. 

[Andino75]

When you fill the basket for a long cook do you all fill to the top of the basket?

[Burntweenie]

17 hours ago, T_om said:

 

 

Thanks for the wisdom, but I did, and it is.  Have you?

 

I have a Kick Ash Basket.

[Scott Roberts]

12 hours ago, Andino75 said:

When you fill the basket for a long cook do you all fill to the top of the basket?

Yes I do always!

 

Scott

[T_om]

13 hours ago, Andino75 said:

When you fill the basket for a long cook do you all fill to the top of the basket?

 

 

Yep.  And not just for long cooks.  I fill it full every cook.

 

Here is a shot of the 37 buck basket after an 8 hour cook and a 700°F burn-off cleaning cycle after the cook finished.  And this is cheapo Western Premium lump from Wally World.

 

This shot was after I had already taken the basket out, shook out all the ash and small stuff, then put it back in ready for the next cook.  This is how much lump is left.

 

And although the basket could have been considered "full" when I started, I actually could have gotten a lot more in there if really needed... but experience with the basket told me it was unnecessary to have it absolutely topped up for this cook.

 

Tom

[Bigzamboni]

22 hours ago, Burntweenie said:

My advise would be to review the $37 basket to make sure it's decent, with that said my motto is buy once, cry once. Just because is less expensive in the beginning doesn't mean is less expensive in the long run.

 

235 sold on the cheap basket. 10 reviews on ebay. The only negative is from a guy who bought it for a Vision K24 and complains it's too small, but that's his fault, since the description lists K22 but not K24, so obviously it would be small in a 24" kamado. Good enough for me to try it out. Materials wise, I can't imagine the cheaper one is any worse just because it is presumably made in China. KAB is made in India, so not like it has some "superior because Made in USA" aura behind it

.

I have "bought once, cried once" for a number of items and agree that it can be a good philosophy. I have looked at the KAB and my personal opinion was that it was a luxury item whose cost wasn't justified to me. Many others have more disposable income than I do and can justify it. Great for those people.

 

20 hours ago, John Setzler said:

I bought one of the cheap baskets just to see if it was worth the money about a year ago.  it works find but it doens't fit the grill properly.  It's smaller than it needs to be for the KJ classic.  

 

59 minutes ago, T_om said:

 

 

Yep.  And not just for long cooks.  I fill it full every cook.

 

Here is a shot of the 37 buck basket after an 8 hour cook and a 700°F burn-off cleaning cycle after the cook finished.  And this is cheapo Western Premium lump from Wally World.

 

This shot was after I had already taken the basket out, shook out all the ash and small stuff, then put it back in ready for the next cook.  This is how much lump is left.

 

And although the basket could have been considered "full" when I started, I actually could have gotten a lot more in there if really needed... but experience with the basket told me it was unnecessary to have it absolutely topped up for this cook.

 

Tom

 

 

Maybe it's a bit smaller than it could be to fit the maximum amount of charcoal, but as T_om points out, it seems to hold more than enough for most cooks. If there is some rare occasion where the CAB's (Cheap-###-Basket) capacity is too limited when compared to the KAB, I can just not use it and use my hands to pick out the coals after.