Hi, I'm Chef Tony Matassa with BBQGuys.com, in this video we are checking out a very unique
Kamado it's actually the first of it's kind on the market.. this is the Blaze Solid Cast
Aluminium Kamado. Now, when you get something like this, you not only have a great smoker
grill, but you also have an instant family heirloom.
Let’s take a look inside! The heavy duty hexagonal cooking grids have
a 20 inch diameter and are built for endurance of solid 304 stainless steel rods. Both sides
of the grates are hinged, providing easy access for adding charcoal or smoking woods as needed.
The grids are super thick and hex shaped, which gives your food maximum caramelization
and great grill marks every time. The cooking grates weigh in at just under 14.5 pounds.
Now with the cooking grids out of the way, we can take a look at how incredibly thick
the cast aluminum body of the Blaze Kamado is. kamados have usually been made of ceramic
or a refractory material, which cook well, but they certainly lack the same durability
of aluminum. The cast aluminum body of the Blaze Kamado not only provides superior durability,
but aluminium is also excellent at retaining and dispersing heat.
There’s almost no limit to the type of cooking you can do in the Blaze kamado. You can smoke
something like brisket overnight to perfection without having to periodically add charcoal
or deal with constant checking and babysitting. If low and slow isn’t your style, crank
up the heat for a perfect steakhouse sear.... Just look at how juicy these steaks are. If
dessert or baking is more your style, no problem, the shape of the kamado also provides the
perfect convective heat needed for baking, add a little smokiness to your favorite cookie
recipe, or raise the temp a little and fire a pizza for a perfectly wood fired crispy
crust. You will notice the lip of the kamado does
not have a soft gasket like other kamados. The Blaze kamado uses its patent pending,
tongue and groove design to keep smoke, moisture, and heat inside the grill.
This next level under the cooking grids, is the 304 stainless steel middle grate, which
weighs in at just under 12 pounds. This is where you can set in something like a heat
deflector plate or water pan for smoking. This grate can also hold the stainless steel
charcoal basket that comes with the optional Blaze Kamado rotisserie kit. The charcoal
basket makes for the perfect rotisserie cooking environment, your food gets hit with intense
infrared heat as it spins, allowing it to self baste until perfectly roasted.
The next level inside the kamado is the 304 stainless steel bottom grate, which is where
your charcoal and wood chunks will be placed. The charcoal grate weighs in at 9 & ¾ pounds.
It is worth noting that all of the notches the grates rest on are solidly cast into the
body of the grill for ease of use and stability. At the very bottom of the Blaze kamado, there
is a removable stainless steel ash pan, keeping cleanup simple.
For precise temperature control, the top exhaust cap is seamlessly molded into the body of
the Kamado. The damper wheel can be set in various positions for fine tuning your desired
temperature and smokiness level. For larger temperature adjustments the bottom of the
kamado is equipped with a stainless steel draft door that can be tuned using this wheel,
or flip up the latch to open the door wide open for maximum airflow.
Easily monitor the ambient temperature inside the kamado with the hood mounted thermometer,
which is conveniently marked for smoking, bbq roasting, and steakhouse searing.
Other nice features include an all 304 stainless steel spring assisted hinge.. A smooth stainless
steel lid handle, and to the side of the kamado Blaze has included a removable stainless plug
that allows you to run an internal temperature probe to food cooking inside, this opening
is also used for the optional rotisserie kit.
The Blaze Kamado is available as a built in… on a stainless steel cart… and it is also
available with optional stainless steel side shelves that mount securely to the sides of
the kamado.
Now I’ll perform the XRF test on Blaze’s Kamado Grill. The top, middle, and bottom
grids tested to be 304 stainless steel. The Kamado body tested to be aluminium. The hinge,
lid handle, side shelves, ash pan, bottom draft door, and kamado cart all tested to
be 304 stainless steel as well.