Kamado
Komado Kamado

Komodo Kamado, a maker of high-quality kamado grills, has launched its newest product – a 38-inch refractory grill, smoker, and oven known as the Goldilocks. Komodo Kamado founder Dennis Linkletter says he came up with the product's name because it is not too big and not too small, it is just the right size for just about every grilling, roasting, smoking, or baking project users may think of.

The Goldilocks is Komodo Kamado's second-largest size out of eight, sitting between the 42-inch Serious Big Bad and the 32-inch Big Bad. Linkletter says that the 10-inch gap between the Serious Big Bad and the Big Bad gave him the idea to create a grill at an intermediate size and price point to fit customers' needs.

A kamado is a Japanese-style earthenware cooking vessel introduced to the West in the decades following World War II. Today, a common version of the kamado is a hinged ceramic pot with grates and airflow control ports. Because of this construction, it is often referred to as a ceramic grill. Because the kamado allows better control of airflow, it provides better temperature control and stability than other charcoal grills. The insulation lets you burn less fuel, creating less airflow and less evaporation for more retained moisture and smoke flavor.

While most ceramic grills on the market today are simple glazed ceramic pots less than an inch thick, Komodo Kamado takes it to the next level. Its hot face, or the innermost layer, is 1.25 inches thick and made from high alumina refractory cement, which is used industrially to contain molten metals and glass. Outside of that is another 1 inch of high-performing vermiculite and Aerogel silica insulation that is sprayed with an acrylic insulation jacket that keeps moisture out. This jacket is elastomeric – allowing it to move with the grill as it expands due to the heat. The outermost layer is ⅛-inch thick ceramic tiles in various finishes. Its German Wagner food-grade silicon gasket, coupled with its latch mechanism that uses a cam to create an airtight seal, ensures that air can only pass through the kamado's adjustable air intake and exhaust port, which regulate the temperature of the burning charcoal.

The Goldilocks' design allows for various cooking styles and accessory plates to mount various implements, such as rotisseries, internal thermometers, and smoke generators. It comes standard with three grates, made of durable ⅜ inch 304 stainless steel, that can be used to cook in four different positions, as well as a bi-metal thermometer. The grill's design is easy to clean, and it can hold a large amount of ash before it needs to be emptied.

Linkletter, who has been based in Indonesia for more than 35 years and splits his time between Java and Bali, oversees the manufacture of Komodo Kamado grills in its factory in Surabaya. All sales are factory-direct through the website, benefiting from the e-commerce boom in the 2000s.

"At Komodo Kamado, 'overbuilt and overengineered' is our motto," Linkletter says. "We use only the highest quality materials in our grills for excellent durability and performance, making them the best Kamado grills on the market. While our smaller models are excellent for tabletop cooking and smoking, the large Kamado grills provide the best grilling performance, especially for larger families, gatherings, or commercial use. By adding The Goldilocks to our lineup, we are giving our customers more choices that fit their needs. We've received good initial feedback for this model, and we're now making it available to the public."