Niche deal. Great versatile charcoal grill/smoker. If you're quick you should be able to snag an extra 10% off this price with the bunnings price beat, where it's still advertised for $1399. This should bring it down to $1,169 which is as cheap as they get from what I've seen.
I purchased one on the same deal earlier in the year and absolutely love it. Can do everything from grilling steaks to slow smoking brisket for 12+ hours.
Search "smoking dad bbq" on YouTube for more info.
Never had an issue with heat bead brand lump charcoal.
i have, it used to be good value, i used it if often. now it has gone up by $20
Yeah gone up in price, but I've found it reliable
Firebrand is another ok option if you don't have access to more fringe or regional brand offerings and want to avoid Bunnings :)
But have you tasted the meat cooked on Malley Root lump charcoal? Vs Heat beads, vs Indonesian charcoal?
not to mistake heat beads burquettes with heatbeads lump
True I haven't tried their lump.
then don't call it 'crap' from bunnings .
Its not as cheap as it use to be, but it definitely holds its own against other mainstream brand charcoal thats affordable :)
@M00Cow: yes, though not being in Vic, Malley isnt readily available (its also harder to find in general…its not a fast growing or readily growing/available wood source)
I do mostly slow cooks in my KJ and Gidgee is more a hot/fast charcoal whereas the Heat Bead lump is excellent for low slow cooks with less ash than some of the other alternatives (and decent value which always helps)
Don't assume you are talking to someone who doesn't know what hes talking about ;)
different lump for different purposes (and sometimes even different bbqs… lump that works well in a more open pit might not be as good for a Kamado/kettle depending on how much ash it dumps for example)
But whatever, cook on man. Just save your negs for a more worthwhile cause than bbq talk :)
But whatever, cook on man. Just save your negs for a more worthwhile cause than bbq talk :)
I didn't neg anyone. I wasn't dissing heatbead lump per say, just suggesting people buying a $1k+ bbq ditch the heatbeads (or whatever you want to call the little kero pillows).& Briquettes.and the reconstructed wood pellets, indo swamp wood & other other crap that people buy at Bunnings/supermarket.
I'll try some Heat Bead branded charcoal, i suspect they're red gum.
I'll try some Heat Bead branded charcoal, i suspect they're red gum.
They just label it as "sustainably sourced hardwood"
pretty confident its imported, so unlikely its red gum
Heatbeats lump charcoal is just about the best you can get in places like bunnings.
I use it, and its great.
Dont ever use briquettes, only ever lump coal in a Kamado.BGE.
Ive wanted to try the Malley Root but its so damn expensive and no stores near me stock it.
i think it was great before the huge price increase, now im looking at other options
I've found this to be my go to for price v quality.
https://www.barbequesgalore.com.au/p/pro-smoke-18kg-premium-…
Tried the local gidgee lump charcoal available here in Brisbane and found it much harder to get going and alot more ashy mess on clean up. Wasn't worth it to me for the extra dollars.
@Cheepcheep88: I also use this one. The best lump going around i reckon. The big pieces are good for airflow.
@Cheepcheep88: Was it "Chefs Choice" by any chance mate? One of my local shops in Toowoomba has it for $49 for 10kg and $69 for 19kg. I've been keen to give it a try but will prob give it a miss now. Too expensive and doesn't sound all that fantastic in your experience.
@bataleon: It was "the charcoal man". I've wanted to try the kamado big block but it's unreasonably expensive compared the the one I posted above.
@Cheepcheep88: Beats heatbeads lump handsdown
You only have to look at the heatbeads bag and its twice the size so burns a lot quicker as it isnt as dense
Beware that not all the prosmoke bags contain the same charcoal
Ive wanted to try the Malley Root but its so damn expensive and no stores near me stock it.
It's so good, but hard to get outside Victoria. I'm not sure what the local stuff is in Sydney. Up in Qld it's from Mt Isa (Gidgee), by local err sealer who is Victorian said he can't get Malley Root he's tried, but shipping makes it uneconomical.
In Melbourne I initially used heatbeads & briquettes, then moved into the cheap indo stuff feom the local middle eastern shop, then my local butcher told me about Malley Root & it was what the local charcoal chicken shops used. For anyone in Inner Melbourne, BasFood in Victoria St, Brunswick sold it. The difference is amazing, especially for roasting lamb, chooks, but even cooking steaks
Spot on!!!
Thoses in Vic, this guys has the best charcoal and the best advice too boot:
Oh Yeah, They are awesome, with advice & products. I did try their iron bark & red gum. The former had better flavour & great for steaks as it burns hot, but the red gum has excellent burning time & burnt cleanly (i.e. little ash left over). But I still say Malley Root has the best flavour.
Agreed. Since I moved it's now a 200k round trip, but I still go there once or twice a year to stock up and get some advice.
50/50 mix of their Redgum and Ironbark lump charcoals goes great in my Kamado.
There's a place near them that still stocks Mallee but you paying more and getting less. I keep a bag for special occasion cooks.
100% best thing I ever did was stop buying supermarket/bunnings charcoal.
I visit this bloke once every couple years and stock up on IB and Red Gum.
How about NSW
Is their some intentional grammatical chicanery doing the rounds here?
I prefer the Irish charcoal… O’Malley Root. 🕺🏼
It's a polite euphemism of what they did to the All Blacks.
Item is out stock with BBQ galore. So most likely you with get knocked back
Available to order and in stock in at least one store in Brissy.
I have one of these (higher spec model) happy to answer any questions people have.
After purchasing this one and falling in love I'm now resisting the temptation to upgrade to the classic 3. Won't hold out too long I don't think.
I knew I'd be like this and went straight for the 3.
Absolutely no regrets going all in
The series 3 is not worth the money. It is more than double the price of Classic 1 and you just get air lift hinge, slowroller - taste difference is negligible and the top vent is worse as it's painted aluminium which flakes after a few cooks, Classic 1 is cast iron. They really downgraded the top vent going from cast iron to painted aluminium.
You can buy the Classic 1 + Slow roller and you can keep over a thousand dollars in your pocket. If you have noodle arms and can't lift the classic 1 lid, then you may want the air hinge. You don't lift the lid that often anyways - if you are looking, you aren't cooking
happy to answer any questions people have ?
Would you rather be 12 inches taller or 3 inches longer (yes in that part) ?
Can I split the difference and be 6” taller and 1.5” longer?
no
I like the response above and split the difference. If not, I'm already tall enough so i'l happily take an extra 3'
Girls will come to love my anaconda in due time.
Is that the one that looks like an enormous testacle?
I'm ashamed to admit that I own one and never done brisket with it, only bbq lol
Do yourself a favour and do a Pork Butt. Much less margin for error than a Brisket.
I do one every few weeks, and its always a crowd pleaser.
Pork Roast from Coles - it's incredible. Not too fatty, takes smoke well. The business.
You mean much larger margin for error, right? Pork butt is much more forgiving. And I agree that's it's a great gateway into smoking.
Oh ok. Any recipe that I could try?
Smoking dad bbq on YouTube has everything you need. Highly recommend checking it out.
Things needed
- Kosher or Regular Salt
- Seasoning with no salt added (i use this one and its a great all rounder: https://amazingribs.com/tested-recipes/spice-rubs-and-pastes…)
- Pork Butt
- Instant Read or leave in thermometer.
- Patience
- Taste buds
This is what i do
1. Get yourself a proper pork butt if possible (bone in). I get mine from www.meatemporium.com.au as I'm in Sydney.
Night before cut the fat cap off the top and cover liberally with kosher salt (regular table salt is fine too). Put in the fridge, covered with plastic wrap.
Turn on the Kamado about an hour before the cook starts using indirect cooking. This gives you time to dial in the temperature. On my large Big Green Egg i have the bottom vent 2 fingers width open and the top one almost closed. Usually nets me ~ 225F. Remember, don't open the vents too much. Its much easier to raise the temperature than it is to lower it.
Take butt out of fridge and cover with plenty of seasoning. Dont be shy. Put directly on the BBQ.
Allow for ~1-1.5 hours per half kg when cooking at 107C (225F).
NOTE: This is where Pork butt is great, as its not as sensitive to temperature as Brisket. Ive cooked a pork butt @ 132C (270F) before and its turned out great. Remember the higher the temp the shorter the cook time will be.
At about 150F to 160F you will hit what is called "The Stall". Essentially the meat hits a temperature where the moisture is pushed from the inside to the surface of the meat, stopping it from raising in temperature. You have 2 options here…..
Option 1: Wrap in foil or butchers paper. This will give the meat a moister texture and will essentially steam it. However, the bark you get wont be as crunchy.
Option 2: Leave it alone. This will give you a great bark but the meat will be a little drier.
Once the meat hits about 94C-96C (202F-204F) take it off the BBQ, put in a baking dish (to stop the liquid going everywhere), wrap in a towel and put in an esky to rest. Do this for at least 30 minutes. Ive rested mine for almost 4 hours like this and it was amazing.
Eat and marvel at the amazing food you have made.
I have one. Amazing BBQ. Gidgee is easily available at bunnings as 'dragons breath' but I'm sure most people here won't notice anything much different.
This thing should last me forever but spending this much on a bbq/smoker was hard. Real hard.
Bunnings has it as a special order only for the lower GC.
Will they still price match?
It was exactly the same when I purchased earlier this year. Call or visit your local and ask to speak to the special orders dept. Pretty sure delivery was free too from memory.
Okay worth a shot, cheers
Price used to be $999 on sale. Can't believe how much this has gone up in price
Yeah..the last two years has changed the pricing of practically everything more than the five years before that..I bought one of these in the 2019 bbqgalore sale for 999 and thought I was paying a lot :-D.. Me personally I reckon the jnr is a better buy ..the classic 2 is a great product, very versatile, very well built but heavy as and has more grill space than I have ever used in my time owning it..
I have the Jr and love it! Super quick to start and easy to control the heat.
Yeah and uses less coal as well.. the yanks like things supersized.. I do not regret buying the classic but its a bit too much..I only use it for low and slow though not as a regular standard bbq .. that is way easier in a webber kettle or the likes but I feel for every 5-12 hour cook.. the amount I am cooking, the amount of coal I am burning.. the jnr would have been a better buy..more portable, faster heating time and I have never cooked enough to fill up that whole grill if doing a low and slow fall apart with smoke rings kind of a cook
Mallee root.
Mother in law bought me one of these a few months ago. Best present ever.
What a mother in law!!!
The one and only thing she's ever bought me in 14 years of marriage to my wife. Still not quite sure how it happened but I'm not complaining!
I want this so badly but I would rarely use it…. one day when I have plenty of surplus money… thanks OP
I purchased this having never done any smoking or charcoal bbqing before. After researching alot of options I settled on it for the versatility but also wasn't sure how much I'd use it, which is why I didn't go for one of thr newer, more expensive models. I can honestly say I use it significantly more than expected. Everything from midweek grills to weekend low and slow smoking. It's a great thing that I often recommend to friends and family.
How was the learning curve for low and slow? I did a few cooks and gave up controlling the temperature manually. I now use a Smart Fire device and it's like using a Pellet grill - set and forget.
That was the toughest part, but I'd say I got it nailed after 3 - 4 cooks. I do it manually as I enjoy the process and now get it to sit at 250f on the dot for 8 hours plus. It's all about prep, bringing the temp up to where you need to be slowly and getting the vent settings right. I watched heaps of YouTube at the start to help.
It won't matter much about what charcoal/coal you use if you're going indirect heat FOR SMOKING with a heat diffuser plate in it. Really comes down the wood you use for real smoke flavours. Wanted one of these for smoking as they are super efficient considering the low amount of fuel source you use and great heat control with the ceramic and air intake combo. Im tired of using my kettle in snake method as you'll end up using more fuel than you need especially when i do those 12+ hour briskets. So sad i can't buy one of these yet although it is definitely warranted for after i move and have more space.
but if you're grilling and doing the standard bbq, good charcoal is a must! although ultimately it comes down to your budget too. happy grilling/smoking all!
I would steer clear of matador and jumbuck charcoal. They seem to give off quite a bit of odd smelling smoke and leave behind a lot of creosote compared other brands.
i agree with you there
40 votes and 1100 clicks - maybe not such a niche deal after all!
Ha very true. I was surprised!
still need to fire up the aldi one which was $450 delivered …seems more of a bargain now.
I paid $1620 for Big Joe. Get the Big Joe if possible as the extra grill real estate is worth it. I had the classic and fitting a large full brisket can be difficult.
Agree. Nobody ever regrets getting a larger BBQ.
I bought the Big Joe III when it went on sale in March. It's the best and the extra grill space defiantly worth it!
I have the Dragon one which was on sale for like $350 or something. I know there is an argument for going ceramic in the more expensive ones but it's been a really good bbq. I have a wireless temp gauge which helps a lot, only problem is they don't go above 400. Also, pizzas in these things taste amazing!
The stainless one? They can easily go higher than 400. I've done pizzas at 500-600 in an akorn which is basically the same as the dragon.
Yeah, sorry I meant the thermometer can't go above it :)
Better off buying a Louisiana K24 from Costco. Better BBQs and $950 last time I checked, may have gone up a bit?
Also with gidgee it's now up to $70 for a 20kg bag!! Was $35.
I use Mallee and Gidgee but this season will just be sticking with Mallee.
Better in what respect?
Cost, size, quality etc. if you know BBQs you know.
Not much difference between K24 and BGE.
Kamado Joe actually went out of business last year and Middleby bought them, it's why you now see them in Bunnings etc.
Kamado Joe = China.
BGE = Mexico
Louisiana = USA and Mexico.
I purchased a Classic 3 back in 2020 and use it multiple times a week. It's absolutely fantastic however the build quality is a little disappointing. My (J)Rotisserie motor died after about 1 year of occasional use, the spring in my latch snapped, the paint on the control vent has bubbled / peeled away and the two locking caster wheels have some serious rust. Everything with the exception of wheel casters has been replaced under warranty which you'd expect for a $3k grill. Barbecues Galore customer service is absolutely woeful though, I probably had to escalate 2-3 times over a period of 2-3 months on each case before getting a proper outcome. It's also annoying that they deliver your replacement parts to the OG store you purchased the grill in my case Richmond however I've since moved to Central Vic. If I had my time again I'd probably purchase a Big Green Egg, they seem to be better built however to build one up to the same spec as the KJ Classic 3 you're talking big bucks!
I think this base model represents good value, however I'd strongly recommend upgrading to the metal side tables so you don't burn the plastic ones.
I hear you! Mine came with the wrong ash insert (it was from the 1 or 2 and was significantly smaller…confirmed by the fact that we still had the 1 at the time). It took about 6 months to get a replacement and we essentially had to go direct to KJ in the US to get anyone to help.
Just a note, this is the Classic v1. I had one for many years before swapping it for the Classic 3. It's great, although I don't think I paid anywhere near this price…(nor did I pay anything close to what the 3 currently goes for). I loved it, but the 1 had a fair share of problems you should be aware of.
Anyway, at a around half of the (current) price of the 3, it's still a great unit…but just some things to be aware of.
EDIT: Just looked it up, we paid $2099 for the Classic 3 in Jul 2020 which was 20% off or something at the time. The current price is bonkers.
Sady you cant get the base classic for $900 or in the $700 on a price match sale
The classic 1 is a fair deal
Series 3 is stupid money
Big joe 1 for $2k is a pretty good deal as it has the airlift hinge as well now and if you really wanted the slow roller you can buy it seperate
Buy an akorn jr as well or just as a start , it is literally the best thing ever for charcoal cooking , i wont cook steaks any other way
Can't get the Bunnings 10% price beat (to get the $1,169 price) as of today —- Bunnings have caught on and reduced the price from $1,399 to $1,294 ($5 under BBQ Galore).
Took longer than I expected.
Did anyone managed to get Bunnings to price beat this or the Big Joe, since they are both "Special order" items? I got told by 3 different stores they do not price beat special orders.
I did it in January when I purchased mine for the same price.
Just a thought for those wanting to get a Kamado (or anything from BBQ Galore) and seeing Bunnings have under cut BBQG price on the KJ, you can still get it cheaper at BBQG if you're an RAA (SA) or RACQ (Qld) memeber.
You can buy an egift card for BBQG and get 7% (SA) or 6% (Qld) discount on anything.
Bunnings have put their price back up to $1,399.
So the OP info on the 10% beat from BBQ Galore comes into effect again :)
Only until 6 Aug when BBQG special finishes.
And make sure you buy proper Aussie made lump charcoal, not the crap from bunnings or the heatbeads/briquettes. You're taste buds will thank you. In Vic it's Malley Root, in Qld the stuff from Mt Isa