While I was at Wal-Mart looking at the Pit Boss Smokers I also spent some time looking at the Akron Kamado smoker from Chargriller. I have to tell you, this was one sweet looking cooker!
The Akorn looks like a ceramic cooker like a Big Green Egg but is actually made of triple walled steel. Apparently the triple wall construction provides insulation similar to what you get with ceramics.
The grill has a cast iron grate (314 square inches) and a removable upper swing grate (133 square inches). The grill comes standard with two side tables.
The grill has a cast iron grate (314 square inches) and a removable upper swing grate (133 square inches). The grill comes standard with two side tables.
You control the airflow with upper and lower vents. Both the top cap vent and the lower slide vent are numerically marked making it easy to reproduce temperature settings. This is a really nice touch.
The grill also comes with a high temperature gasket around the inside of the lid which ought to make the grill pretty tight and greatly increase the ability to control airflow.
The grill also comes with a high temperature gasket around the inside of the lid which ought to make the grill pretty tight and greatly increase the ability to control airflow.
Another nice feature on the Akorn is the ash removal system. There is a detachable lower bowl that is held in place by two clamps. Unlatching the clamps just takes seconds and the ash bowl simply slides right out.
Two concerns that I have about the Akorn are the ability to add charcoal during long cooks and the absence of a heat deflector.
The only way to add more charcoal is to remove the cooking grate and pour more in. I would have too imagine that if you were in the middle of a 14 hour cook with 15 pounds of pork butt that this would be a GIANT pain in the neck!
And speaking of slow smoking pork butts I realized that while the Akorn has three tabs to hold a heat deflector in place that it does not actually come with one.
The only way to add more charcoal is to remove the cooking grate and pour more in. I would have too imagine that if you were in the middle of a 14 hour cook with 15 pounds of pork butt that this would be a GIANT pain in the neck!
And speaking of slow smoking pork butts I realized that while the Akorn has three tabs to hold a heat deflector in place that it does not actually come with one.
I am assuming that there are some after market accessories that you can buy that will work here but still....I wish it came with a heat deflector.
Overall the Akorn looks like one heck of a cooker for the price. I know it wont last as long as a Big Green Egg or a Primo ceramic smoker but at under $300 I just don't care!!
Here is a great forum dedicated to everything about the Akorn if you would like to learn more.
Overall the Akorn looks like one heck of a cooker for the price. I know it wont last as long as a Big Green Egg or a Primo ceramic smoker but at under $300 I just don't care!!
Here is a great forum dedicated to everything about the Akorn if you would like to learn more.