YOU ARE HERE >> AmazingRibs » Ratings & Reviews » Komodo Kamado Big Bad 32 Review
The most striking cookers in the world may be Komodo Kamado. Their new gigantic Big Bad 32 incher is stunning to see, touch and use. Weighing in at over a half ton crated with 128 lbs. of 304 stainless steel, it arrives fully assembled, but you’ll need help opening this up and getting it into position.
The first thing you notice is how well built this zaftig sweetheart is. From the serious 304 stainless steel spring assisted hinge assembly for the easy-open lid (shown below), to the fingertip release latch, to the beautifully inlaid tiles. The casters are large enough to roll this beast across bumpy brick pavers. The cooking grates and charcoal basket are thick 3/8″ 304 stainless rods, and the upper grate is hinged so you can add more charcoal without removing the food.
The air inflow damper at the bottom is a rotating dial, and the entire assembly slides out easily if you want to allow max airflow. The upper damper looks like a helmet, and you turn it on a screw to lift it and allow hot air and smoke out. This is fairly precise and it keeps rain out, but it is pretty easy to lose track of how many spins you’ve given it. Airflow can also be managed with a digital controller like a BBQ Guru and it comes with a port designed for them. There is a hole drilled in the dome for a dial thermometer, and a port on the side at grate level for digital probe cables. Although the Tel-Tru bi-metal dial thermometer that comes with it is pretty close to accurate at low temps, it is way off at high temps. This is one of the few cookers I’ve used where the dome thermometer is anywhere close to accurate. As usual we recommend you get a good digital grill thermometer.
One of the most unique features of KK’s Big Bad 32 is the ability to be set up for 2-zone cooking, an essential technique that allows cooking on direct hot heat and indirect moderate heat simultaneously. This enables cooks to slide foods back and forth from cool to hot zones for crisping skin and reverse sear steaks. Komodo Kamado offers a variety of deflectors and multi-level cooking grates to effectively create different temp zones, (see below).
Most Kamado aficionados concede the best way to create different heat zones in round cookers is by moving foods closer to or further from the coal. This is typically accomplished using a variety of accessories that can be costly and awkward to use. Click here to read more about Kamado and Ceramic Grills and Smokers. One useful device that is a match made in heaven for any kamado is the BBQ Dragon, a well-made, battery operated, clip on, variable speed fan that can convert a charcoal bed from quiet gray to rip roaring red hot in a matter of minutes. Very good for switching gears from low and slow to searing hot.
KKs have mounts for rotisseries, can be fitted with side tables, and there is a pizza stone available, too. The 32″ model has three racks, an upper, middle, and lower, and the lower can be positioned right on top of the coals for max heat searing. It can even be fitted with a gas igniter. And if this 32 inch model isn’t big and bad enough for you, KK offers a 42 incher shown below.
The 2″ thick sandwich of two refractory materials is like concrete. One might be concerned that the tiles will need extra maintenance. Apparently they are not held in with a normal grout. The manufacturer claims it is elastomeric so it expands and contracts with heat and it is said to be UV resistant so it does not require any maintenance. If you knock a tile loose, the manufacturer ships the unit with a repair kit.
You can start the coals by simply dumping them in the coal basket and lighting them with a Weber parafin block from below or some bunched up newspaper. Many owners use small torches to fire up in a hurry. Or you can use a chimney, which makes it easy to measure the amount of coal.
Managing temp is relatively easy once you get the hang of it. The manufacturer recommends that you always fill the charcoal basket, even if you are cooking at a low temp, and control the temp with the air vents. It will take a little practice to learn what settings get you where you want to go, especially since the first hour is spent getting those thick walls loaded with heat. When you give ‘er all she’s got, Scotty, she can easily surpass 700°F.
Once you hit a target temp, man, she is rock solid with all that mass holding that heat and radiating it back slowly. Surprisingly, it is very responsive to the slightest increase in oxygen supply, a tweak to the vent openings, top or bottom, and within minutes the temp starts to climb. It is a bit less responsive to shutting down oxygen supply because of all that thermal mass, but it does choke down nicely.
This is a top choice for low and slow smoke roasting and for large cuts of meat, but it is not our first choice for recipes that call for moving from indirect to direct because removing the deflector plate when food is on is a bit of a hassle.
Our posted MSRP is for the standard model with square tiles pictured at the top of this page. Lifetime warranty on everything. The Komodo Kamado website has a lively message board with tips on technique.
Manufacturer:
Komodo Kamado is the brainchild of designer Dennis Linkletter, grandson of TV legend Art Linkletter. Dennis Linkletter has lived and worked in Indonesia for decades where he built a business fabricating teak furniture, flooring and doors. He became interested in kamado cooking and began using his facility to explore making high quality cookers with state of the art design. After years of “capitalizing on the strengths and correcting the flaws” of existing kamados, Linkletter introduced Komodo Kamado.
Meathead tested a Komodo Kamado and found it stunning visually and superb in performance and craftsmanship. All sales are direct.
We used a KK Big Bad 32 in our Science of BBQ & Grilling With Meathead video series presented by Kingsford. Click here to see that video series and check out my Virtual Showroom vid below:
Published On: 4/11/2013 Last Modified: 5/5/2022
All of the products below have been tested and are highly recommended. Click here to read more about our review process.
Many merchants pay us a small referral fee when you click our “buy now” links. This has zero impact on the price you pay but helps support the site.
When you make rubs at home we recommend you add salt first then the herbs and spices because salt penetrates deep and the other stuff remains on the surface. So thick cuts need more salt. We put salt in these bottled rubs because all commercial rubs have salt and consumers expect it. You can still use these as a dry brine, just sprinkle the rub on well in advance to give the salt time to penetrate. For very thick cuts of meat, we recommend adding a bit more salt. Salt appears first in the ingredients list because the law says the order is by weight, not volume, and salt is a heavy rock.
Sprinkle on one tablespoon per pound of meat two hours or more before cooking if you can. Called “dry brining,” the salt gets wet, ionizes, becomes a brine, and slowly penetrates deep, enhancing flavor and juiciness while building a nice crusty “bark” on the surface. Sprinkle some on at the table too!
Are they hot? No! You can always add hot pepper flakes or Chipotle powder (my fave) in advance or at the table. But we left them mild so you can serve them to kids and Aunt Matilda
From TBoneJack, the unofficial Poet Laureate of The Pitmaster Club:
AmazingRibs is where you go,
To get the best advice,
You’ll find out how, to smoke a cow,
And it will turn out nice.
Smokers, gadgets, recipes,
Charcoal, gas, or wood?
The how, the why, and what to try,
When things arn’t going good.
Selection, prep, and cook techniques,
Marinades and such,
Rubs and brines and temps and times,
And how to use the Crutch.
Brisket secrets are revealed,
For moist and tender meat,
The point, the flat, the rendered fat,
The proper mix of heat.
I found out how to smoke spare ribs,
Great bark and taste and worth,
I want some more, I’ll have them for,
My last meal on this Earth.
Memphis Dust did suit them well,
I served them without sauce,
Not 3-2-1, not overdone,
No precious flavor loss.
Jambo, Lang, or Meadow Creek,
It’s hard to make the call,
Almost a crime, so little time,
I’d like to try them all.
I’m not ashamed, I’m not alone,
‘Cause many have this lot,
But I’ll admit, here in the Pit,
My wife said Not! Not! Not!
Weber, Brinkman, PBC,
No need for budget breach,
They cook great food, just ask me dude,
‘Cause I have one of each.
Obsessed I am, I know it’s true,
They call it MCS,
I saw the doc, he was in shock,
He too is in this mess.
Myron Mixon, Johnny Trigg,
Cool Smoke’s Tuffy Stone,
Harry Soo, Chris Lilly too,
And Moe who cooks alone.
They’re all good, I like them fine,
I’m sure they cook good Q,
They’ve earned the right, I see the light,
I’ll give them their fair due,
But I have learned, thru many cooks,
This web site is da bomb,
For what to do, browse over to,
AmazingRibs dot com.
Tired of seeing popup ads?
No need to throw a fit,
Don’t you know, just spend some dough,
And join us in the Pit.
And if you travel, don’t despair,
No further should you look,
The answer’s clear, put down your beer,
And order Meathead’s book.
High quality websites are expensive to run. If you help us, we’ll pay you back bigtime with an ad-free experience and a lot of freebies!
Millions come to AmazingRibs.com every month for high quality tested recipes, tips on technique, science, mythbusting, product reviews, and inspiration. But it is expensive to run a website with more than 2,000 pages and we don’t have a big corporate partner to subsidize us.
Our most important source of sustenance is people who join our Pitmaster Club. But please don’t think of it as a donation. Members get MANY great benefits. We block all third-party ads, we give members free ebooks, magazines, interviews, webinars, more recipes, a monthly sweepstakes with prizes worth up to $2,000, discounts on products, and best of all a community of like-minded cooks free of flame wars. Click below to see all the benefits, take a free 30 day trial, and help keep this site alive.
Post comments and questions below
1) Please try the search box at the top of every page before you ask for help.
2) Try to post your question to the appropriate page.
3) Tell us everything we need to know to help such as the type of cooker and thermometer. Dial thermometers are often off by as much as 50°F so if you are not using a good digital thermometer we probably can’t help you with time and temp questions. Please read this article about thermometers.
4) If you are a member of the Pitmaster Club, your comments login is probably different.
5) Posts with links in them may not appear immediately.
Moderators