Char-Griller Akorn 16620

 

Product Name: Char-Griller Akorn 16620
Website: www.chargriller.com
Price: $346.99
Owners: A&G Manufacturing
Verdict: Budget Friendly With Good Performance

 

The affordable Char-Griller Akorn Kamado Kooker is the follow-up to the company’s original King-Griller Kamado Kooker and is a double wall insulated egg style cooker.

Historically Char-Griller ceramic Kamados have been priced well below other ceramic cookers and have performed like it. But with the latest Akorn model it looks like they’ve found a way to keep their costs down which keeps the price down, yet improve performance so much so that some BBQ aficionados are reporting they can’t tell a difference in performance between Kamados costing thousands and the Akorn.

Pros

They’ve replaced the heavy ceramic materials used in traditional ceramic cookers with a steel egg shape frame and added a lightweight porcelain-coated interior. The modern porcelain and 22 gauge steel double walled construction makes for a lighter, more portable egg style cooker without the $1,200 price tag and without sacrificing a great deal of performance and heat retention.

Portability is key to this cooker. Unlike most traditional Kamados which are very heavy the Akorn is light enough to take to the tailgate or the block party.

Like most Kamdos, the Akorn is capable of reaching temperature ranges of 200 degrees to 700 degrees by adjusting the dampers at the top and bottom of the egg.

The more air flow the higher the temperatures. It’s also very fuel efficient capable of holding temperatures for hours on a single load of coal. The bottom damper is part of the Akorn’s removable ash pan which is a nice feature that most Kamados don’t have.

A word to the wise about the dampers we have found reports of poorly constructed dampers so a quality check upon delivery is a must.

The Akorn ships with a 3 leg stand on wheels with two side shelves for prep and a bottom shelf for starage. Pretty unusual for Kamado style grills as stands are usually sold separately and can get quite pricey.

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Description

• 302 square inches of primary cooking area with 165 square inch warming rack
• Cast iron cooking grate
• Top and bottom dial vents
• Fold down metal side shelves
• Steel construction powder coated exterior and porcelain coated interior
• Three leg stand on wheeled cart
• Removable bottom vent section allows easy ash removal
• Available in a variety of colors

Cons

The biggest difference between the Akorn and more expensive true ceramic cookers are in their construction as noted above. While the Akorns steel and porcelain construction will keep costs down it likely won’t last a lifetime like well maintained Kamdos made by Big Green Egg and Primo tend to. They are made in China, unlike the Amercian Made Primo XL.

 

Char-Grill Akorn Kamado Kooker Price

The suggested list price for the Akorn is $599 but we’ve found prices well below that price tag.

 Price $346.99 with Prime 2-Day Shipping

 

Kamado style cooking comes from ancient cooking methods that used large clay ovens for insulation. Kamados of recent years are made of heavy ceramics. Char-Griller has developed this product for Kamado style cooking using innovative technology to make it more durable, convenient, affordable and lighter weight than traditional ceramic Kamados….

Accessories

What makes Kamado style cooking so appealing is the versatility in terms of what you can cook. Low and slow BBQ, hot and fast searing, or pizzas. Even roast as you would in the kitchen oven.

The Akorn has a number of additional optional accessories that make it possible to cook just about anything.

The “Smokin’ Stone”, which fits between the coal and grate to diffuse heat for slow cooks.

PartyQ Akorn Griller Adaptor is a high-tech temperature regulator for the Akorn. Set the temp and the fan regulates it for you.

Also available are pizza stones, woks, drip pans, poultry and roaster racks, cover and a wireless remote thermometer that appears to be the Maverick ET 732.

 

Conclusion

If you’re curious about Kamado style cooking or are on a budget the Akorn is an affordable option which allows you to achieve most of the performance of the more expensive cookers but keep in mind it isn’t going to last forever.

See our favorite Ceramic Cooker!