Are you looking for a reliable and portable grill? Maybe you need something that is small enough to fit on your apartment balcony but effective enough to still cook for your family. Perhaps you are looking for something you and your teenage sons can easily lift and maneuver around campsites as you take your summer road trip. Or perhaps you don’t know what it is you are looking for, but you are interested in finding out more.
No matter where you fall on the spectrum, there are many options out there when searching for portable or small grills and it’s very easy to get confused. That’s why we have put together this Kamado Joe Jr. grill review to take an in-depth look at all of the specifications and features it has and to help you determine whether it’s a good fit for your needs.
Kamado Joe Jr. Grill Specs
| Barbecue material | Glazed ceramic |
| Grate material | 304 stainless steel |
| Cooking capacity | 148 sq. in. |
| Fuel type | Charcoal |
| Heat range | 225°F – 750°F |
| Dimensions | 19.75″ W x 27″ H x 20.75″ D (with stand) |
| Weight | 68lbs |
| Warranty | Lifetime on ceramics, 5 years on metal parts, 3 years on heat deflector and pizza stone, 1 year on thermometer and gasket |
Let’s look at each of these specs in more detail.
Design
The barbecue material is made with a glazed ceramic and the stand on which your barbecue rest is made of cast iron. Both of these materials are important in the overall benefits of the design.
The thick ceramic walls have better heat retention which somewhat compensates for the heat loss brought about by the stainless steel grates.
Moreover, the ceramic heat deflector provides an ideal temperature zone if you use your grill for smoking.
While the egg shape might seem a little unsteady, that’s where the cast iron stand comes in. The structural Integrity of that design means you can set up your grill anywhere even if you are on uneven sand at the beach or a rocky and unstable forest or mountain area while you camp.
And when you are done, it’s very easy to clean up the remnants of the charcoal so that you can easily transport everything back home. It has an ash door that makes it easy to clean without dumping ash everywhere.
Fuel Type
The Kamado Joe Jr Grill uses charcoal. You can use briquettes or hardwood lump charcoal. The cost is inexpensive, around $2 per hour of cooking you do. What’s more, it is easy to find anywhere you travel or visit, such as a local grocery store, and even safer to carry around. You would be hard pressed to find a family member or friend willing/able to carry a propane tank to the beach or on a camp trip (not to mention, it’s illegal in most states), but charcoal can be easily carried by one or more people (and is legal just about anywhere outdoor grilling is).
Temperatures
The Kamado Joe Jr. has an impressive temperature range. The heat range is between 225 degrees Fahrenheit and 750 degrees Fahrenheit. This high heat is significantly more than you will need for almost all cooking recipes and the low heat is about as low as you will need for most family dishes.
For example:
- You can cook pulled pork at the lowest setting of 225 degrees (and though some argue lower is better, you don’t really have a choice)
- You can grill a whole chicken at around 350 degrees.
- You can cook vegetables between 350 and 425 degrees.
- You cook burgers and steaks around 550 degrees
Tip:
You can tell when your Kamado Joe Jr. grill is at different temperatures by examining the thermometer on the ceramic lid, or you can use the tried and true hand test:
If you can put your hand 3 inches above the grill for only 1-2 seconds before it is too hot, that is high, 450 degrees or more, but if you can put your hand above the grill for 2-3 seconds before it is two hot to be comfortable, it is between 400-450, etc…
Grate Material
Grate material on the Kamado Joe Jr. grill is 304 stainless steel. But what does this mean for you?
Most grill grates are made of either cast iron or stainless steel, or one of those two covered with an enamel coating.
Stainless steel grates are very lightweight which adds to the easy portability of this particular model. You can also more easily move the greats if you need to access anything underneath them. The low weight associated with the stainless steel grills means they heat up very quickly. The downside to quickly heating up is that they’re small, thin size means they don’t retain heat very well.
However, the design of the Kamado Joe Jr is meant to be portable above all else, lightweight and easy to take on the go. The fact that it doesn’t retain heat as well as cast iron means it will cool down faster leaving you able to head home from the tailgate party, move to a new campsite, or pack up your beach party sooner. The last thing you want is for the sun to set or the game to be over but you are still stuck waiting for your grill grates to cool down to the point where it’s safe to bring your grill home.
Even though stainless steel is very corrosion-resistant, with time regular cleaning and heating will degrade the surface material which you can identify when your food starts to stick at times when it shouldn’t. However, this is not an issue you have to worry about early on.
Cast iron grill grates are good for longer heat retention and produce more even cooking temperatures but because they are thicker they take longer to heat up. Cast-iron however is very heavy and requires a lot of maintenance.
Cook Space
The amount of cooking surface area you have available plays a big role in your decision. Being able to cook small meals or a range of quick hot dogs or hamburgers for tailgating events will necessitate a different sized Grill than big parties hosting friends and family on the holidays.
The cooking surface area is the length of the grilling area multiplied by the width. The Kamado Joe Jr. grill has 148.5 square inches of cook space. But is this enough cooking space for your needs?
A good rule of thumb is between 70 square inches and 75 square inches per person.
Below is a chart of the average square inches needed in your cooking surface area, based on how many people you are cooking for at the same time.
| Number of people | Square inches needed |
| 2 | 150 |
| 3 | 215 |
| 4 | 300 |
| 5 | 360 |
| 6 | 430 |
That said, these figures are really based on cooking at the same time, meaning you cook the mean dish and any side dishes at the same time.
But when you are cooking for tailgating events, on a road trip, during a camping weekend, or at a beach party, what you cook on the grill itself may not be the entire meal and more importantly, even if there are a handful of people, chances are you’re going to cook things in rotation so that everyone can have a small piece at different intervals as they continue to socialize and relax rather than sitting upright at a table waiting to be served at the exact same time.
Standard BBQ grills are between 300 and 400 square in while standard gas grills are between 400 and 500 square inches of available cooking space suitable for average families between 4 and 6 people.
The Kamado Joe Jr grill is slightly limited in its size but you can still do a whole meal for a household of up to 6 people or cook an entire pork shoulder or have to cut of meat to be shredded and shared.
Shelves
Some units come with half shells or top shelves that increase the amount of cook space, but the Kamado Joe Jr. is not one of them. You get the single cook space on which to prepare your main meal.
Dimensions and Weight
The dimensions and the weight of the grill are where the Kamado Joe Jr really shine. All in, with the stand, it is 19.75″ W x 27″ H x 20.75″ D and weighs only 68lbs. It has a unique egg shape with a ceramic exterior and the stand comes apart from the main grill so everyone can lend a hand carrying this easily maneuverable grill to any event.
Pros:
- It has the perfect heat range for all your cooking needs between 225 degrees Fahrenheit and 750 degrees Fahrenheit.
- The grill grates are made from stainless steel which makes it very light and easy to move around, has the ability to heat up quickly and give you food sooner, and is very corrosion-resistant at the start.
- The thick ceramic walls have better heat retention which somewhat compensates for the heat loss brought about by the stainless steel grates.
- It has an ash door that makes it easy to clean after you cook with charcoal.
- The ceramic heat deflector provides an ideal temperature zone if you use your grill for smoking.
- It comes with the strong cast iron stand so you can set it up anywhere outdoors in a secure fashion.
- The main grill comes with a lifetime guarantee.
Cons:
- There is only the single cook space for the main meal and no top shelves or half shelves.
- It has a somewhat limited cooking surface area though this is in exchange for its portability.
Who should invest in the Kamado Joe Jr. and who should avoid it
Looking at the specifications in more detail it is easy to see that the Kamado Joe Jr. is the perfect option for anyone who wants that portable size, easily managed weight/size, that has the same functionalities preferred in any grill.
If you are looking for a large gas grill that you can leave as a permanent fixture in your backyard, this isn’t it, but if you want something reliable that will serve you well and make you the king of the grill at any outdoor event, camping trip, or even on the small balcony of your tiny apartment, this is it.
It is a perfect size, coming in at around 2 feet tall, to be placed in a small balcony or porch for those who live in apartments or condominiums. It is an ideal choice for people who need portability for sports season tailgating, or summertime camping. A random beach party unfolding this weekend? Bring the Kamado Joe Jr. and go from chips and dip to a full meal.