Real owners lean toward the Weber Original Kettle 22: 84% of 37 owners recommend it, vs 75% of 32 for the Kamado Joe Classic II.
Verdicts aggregated from Reddit, enthusiast forums, and YouTube owner comments — affiliate reviews excluded. Sample sizes differ; judge accordingly. How we score
Both the Weber Original Kettle 22 and the Kamado Joe Classic II win owners over as versatile, long-lasting cookers that grill hot and can still smoke. Weber Kettle owners praise how it can cook anything, handles low-and-slow as well as grilling, cleans up easily through the ash catcher, and lasts decades with minimal care; their gripes are difficulty holding low temps for smoking and a cooking area that fills up fast with sides. Kamado Joe owners emphasize tank-like build, excellent heat retention and precise temperature control, fuel efficiency with long cook times, and standout customer service, while flagging a ceramic heat deflector that cracks and is hard to replace, and a premium price. A charcoal fan wanting an affordable, durable do-it-all grill gravitates to the Weber, while a buy-once buyer wanting easier temperature control and heat retention for all-weather cooking gravitates to the Kamado Joe. Neither is simply better; the decision hinges on whether budget versatility or premium heat control and retention matters more.
“We switched about 1.5 years ago to the kamado joe classic ii’s and I can assure you those things are WAY better engineered in almost every way.”— ImNotClever_Sorry on Reddit
“The food in it turns out great.”— @fawzye22 on YouTube
“the heat deflector cracked. On to the shop to buy the replacement. Ordered 6 months ago and still not received. Rumour tells me that the heat deflectors are now discontinued. What? This thing cracks so easily but discontinued? People who wants KJ, think twice.”— dDerDol M. on ProductReview.com.au
“Still cooks like a beast, so you can make a hell of a feed with any of them.”— @ShivaFn on YouTube
“It was a great grill. Worth it at that price today.”— @brianr5665 on YouTube
“2 of my legs were a fraction too long. Had to shorten them so the little knob could click into place. Very frustrating!”— @PinkyFloyd5529 on YouTube
Both the Weber Original Kettle 22 and the Kamado Joe Classic II win owners over as versatile, long-lasting cookers that grill hot and can still smoke. Weber Kettle owners praise how it can cook anything, handles low-and-slow as well as grilling, cleans up easily through the ash catcher, and lasts decades with minimal care; their gripes are difficulty holding low temps for smoking and a cooking area that fills up fast with sides. Kamado Joe owners emphasize tank-like build, excellent heat retention and precise temperature control, fuel efficiency with long cook times, and standout customer service, while flagging a ceramic heat deflector that cracks and is hard to replace, and a premium price. A charcoal fan wanting an affordable, durable do-it-all grill gravitates to the Weber, while a buy-once buyer wanting easier temperature control and heat retention for all-weather cooking gravitates to the Kamado Joe. Neither is simply better; the decision hinges on whether budget versatility or premium heat control and retention matters more.
Owners point the Kamado Joe Classic II at buy-once buyers wanting a cooker that lasts, and both low-and-slow smokers and high-heat grillers.
Owners point the Weber Original Kettle 22 at charcoal fans grilling burgers, steaks, and sausages, and cooks wanting one versatile do-it-all cooker.
The most-cited downside of the Kamado Joe Classic II is ceramic heat deflector cracks easily and replacements are hard to get. For the Weber Original Kettle 22, it's hard to control low temps for smoking.