Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I typically use a Kamado Joe for cooking out 4-5 days a week. Since there are just 2 of us, I decided to give this Akorn Jr. a try. Overall the Jr. is a good kamado - not perfect, but good. Pros: The Jr. is extremely fuel efficient! I am using a fraction of the lump I use in the full-size Kamado (obviously), and am still surprised how little charcoal is consumed during a regular cook. Cast iron grate is a very nice touch. Quick to get to temp; easy to regulate temp. Easy clean-up. Portability, but for me this means moving it 8 ft across my patio. Cons: Fit and finish is a bit lacking. One bolt hole for a leg was quite a bit off and not threaded properly (used a nutsert to solve this). No matter what I do or adjust, the top does not line up perfectly when closed. Note: I did the assembly myself (for reference, I do all my own auto work so I have basic-to-decent mechanical skills). Prior to grilling food, I slowly brought it up to high temp to cook off any remaining manufacturing residue. Ultimately I got it to ~700* and held it there for 30 mins. After bringing it back down and letting it cool, much of the exterior finish changed from vibrant red to a washed out red. I did not buy the stone diffuser. The design is silly: if you use Char-Griller's diffuser, your options are full indirect heat (with diffuser), or full direct (without). In addition, the mounts inside the grill form a triangle, so finding/using anything else is a bit of a challenge. I prefer to cook many foods on indirect, then finish them on direct - the reverse sear. Again, because there are just 2 of us, I like to cook e.g. veggies on indirect, and protein on direct at the same time. I found a flat rock in the yard and chiseled it to fit so I can indirect/direct at the same time. Removing the grate and diffuser to accomplish this would be a pain. The Akorn Jr is a good little kamado for the price. It's much more pleasant and efficient to use than a Webber or other small charcoal grill, and produces consistently good results.