Garden
We tried out the £1,300 Kamado Joe Classic II barbecue
Kamado barbecues are gaining in popularity because of their versatility when it comes to cooking and their long-lasting ceramic construction. There are still are many days of summer left to enjoy a barbecue, so if you love to experiment with cooking and are passionate about barbecuing, then a kamado grill may have caught your attention. These grills can barbecue, bake, cook pizzas and excel at slow-roasted meats. We’ve tested the Big Green Egg[1] and tried out Aldi’s kamado barbecue[2] and now we’ve taken a look at Kamado Joe’s Classic II.
Read on to see what we thought of the Classic II when we tried it out. If you’re ready to get to the meat of the matter, head over to our Best Buy barbecue reviews[3] to get your perfect grill. Or head straight to the Kamado Joe’s Classic II[4] to check out our impressions of this grill.
How much does it cost?
The Kamado Joe Classic II sells for about GBP1,300.
You might think that’s a preposterous amount of money to spend on a barbecue. However, to put it into perspective its direct competitor, the Big Green Egg Large, costs GBP995 without a base (bases can start at GBP255 and can go up to GBP1,690). Other high-end barbecues can cost even more, such as the Heston Blumenthal Everdure Hub[5] at GBP1,500 (without the cover, which costs another GBP100) or the Weber Genesis II LX S-440 4-burner gas barbecue at GBP2,000.
Although the Kamado Joe Classic II is expensive, it’s made of long-lasting ceramic. If you take care of this grill, it should last a lifetime. In fact, the manufacturer is so certain that its product is long-lasting that the Kamado Joe comes with a lifetime warranty on ceramic parts.
The Classic II also has a lot of features that set it apart from the Kamado Joe Classic, which is their best-selling grill.
We’ve fully tested and reviewed Kamado Joe’s competition; check out the Big Green Egg review[6] to see how well it did when we sent it to the lab.
What special features does the Kamado Joe Classic II have?
- New firebox design
The Kamado Joe Classic II has a completely different firebox construction than its predecessor, the Classic. The Classic has a ceramic ring that makes up the walls of the firebox. There is a small gap in the ring to allow it to expand without breaking when heated, but it’s fragile and we’ve heard reports of it breaking.
Instead of the Classic’s ring, in the Kamado Joe Classic II there are tiles, which slot into one another, capped with a silver ring to hold them together and form the firebox, so it should be less fragile.
- New top vent design
The top vent of the Classic II, along with the vent at the bottom of the grill, makes it easy to control the air flow, and therefore the heat, of the Classic II. Controlling the temperature is the key to successful grilling on a kamado barbecue. so having an easy-to-use air vent is crucial. The vent is clearly marked, and it’s rust and rain-proof.
The other really fantastic feature is the air lift hinge – it holds the weight of the heavy lid so the lid will stay in the position you leave it in.
This makes grilling easier and it prevents the lid from smashing down, which could injure you and damage the ceramic grill. We were really impressed by this grill’s build quality and features, particularly as we had an older version of the Kamado Joe Classic on hand with which to draw our comparisons.
Not sure what features to look out for? Check out our advice guide on barbecue features.[7]
How well does the Kamado Joe Classic II cook?
We tried our hand at traditional barbecue, aided by the excellent tiered cooking system and heat deflectors (pictured above) grilling up chicken pieces, burgers, sausages and corn.
We then added some wood to the charcoal fire and slow smoked a Texas-style beef brisket.
We had our barbecue food expert on hand to give us his thoughts on the Classic II’s cooking ability. Log in now[8] to get our verdict on this grill’s ability to cook both fast and slow.
References
- ^ Big Green Egg (www.which.co.uk)
- ^ Aldi’s kamado barbecue (www.which.co.uk)
- ^ Best Buy barbecue reviews (www.which.co.uk)
- ^ Kamado Joe’s Classic II (www.which.co.uk)
- ^ Heston Blumenthal Everdure Hub (www.which.co.uk)
- ^ Big Green Egg review (www.which.co.uk)
- ^ barbecue features. (www.which.co.uk)
- ^ Log in now (www.which.co.uk)
In the Breeze Banner on The Go, Green – Offer
Green On The Go Banners are a great way to mark your spot at the beach or park. Or show your School Spirit! Add color and movement to your garden. These color banners are light, easy to carry and very portable. Many colors to choose from. Made with light-weight Weather Resistant Polyester. Banners are 57 in. x 27 in. It comes with a 90 in. 4-piece fiberglass pole with metal couplers and a 9 in. heavy duty ground stake.
Home insurance costs rise: will you have to pay more?
The average price of a combined buildings and contents insurance policy has risen by 3.8% to GBP163.03, up from GBP157.13 this time last year. Over the past three months alone, home buildings insurance policies are up 2.3% and the average home contents insurance policy had a smaller bump of 1%, according to the AA. Find out why you could see the cost of your home insurance rise and how to find the best policy.
The cost of home insurance today
Since June last year, the cost of buildings insurance[1] policies has risen 5.9% – more than double the current rate of inflation, which is 2.4%. Policyholders saw their premiums jump from GBP113.12 to GBP119.79, on average, over that period. By contrast, contents insurance[2] policies decreased slightly (by 1.7%), and the average household saw their premium decrease from GBP60.72 to GBP59.69.
This means that the average cost of a combined home insurance policy has gone up by GBP5.90 year on year. The table below shows how much home insurance costs have changed over the past year.
June 2018 June 2017 Change Buildings-only insurance GBP119.79 GBP113.12 + 5.9% Contents-only insurance GBP59.69 GBP60.72 – 1.7% Combined home insurance (buildings and contents) GBP163.03 GBP157.13 + 3.8%Why are home insurance costs rising?
Adverse weather conditions at the start of 2018 caused a spike in home insurance premiums, according to the AA. Claims for property repairs increased following damage caused by sub-zero temperatures during the ‘Beast from the East’, which struck the UK in February and March this year.
Now that temperatures have soared to 30?C and higher in July, some insurers fear a new raft of claims for subsidence[3]. Subsidence occurs when the foundation of your home collapses or sinks, often due to soil shrinking and swelling because of drastic weather changes. It’s one of the most damaging geo-hazards to properties in the UK, and causes around GBP3bn worth of damage every decade.
The Met Office Rainfall and Evapo-transpiration Calculation System (MORECS), which measures soil moisture deficit in the UK, is on a high amber. This suggests that if the hot summer continues, there will be an increased risk of a spike in subsidence claims. Subsidence could be particularly prevalent in areas with clay soil, which shrinks as it dries out.
Does home insurance cover subsidence?
The majority of home insurers do cover damage caused by subsidence, but the level of protection will vary between providers.
Cover will also usually be limited to your main property and won’t include things like patios, garden walls, driveways or swimming pools. While the UK heatwave is set to continue, we’ve already seen the devastating effects of flood damage due to heavy rainfall during storms. Areas in Northern Ireland, for example, experienced a month’s worth of rainfall[4] within a few hours, which caused flooding.
Most buildings insurance policies cover flooding as standard, including damage to the structure of your property. You’ll also need to have contents insurance, which covers the cost of replacing your belongings, if you want to protect your possessions. If you’re in doubt about whether you’re covered for subsidence or flood damage, get in touch with your insurer.
Finding the best home insurance policy
Whether you’re looking for your first home insurance policy or it’s time to renew, these simple tips can help you find the best home insurance[5] deal.
It’s common for people to miscalculate the value of their belongings, either taking out a policy that doesn’t provide adequate protection or paying too much for a level of cover they don’t need. Using a valuation calculator[6] before you start looking for deals can help you get an accurate idea of home much cover you’ll need. The next step is to shop around.
Price comparison sites can help you compare lots of different deals quickly. Don’t just go for the cheapest deal without reading the details, though, as it may not actually cover what you need it to. Finally, read the terms and conditions of potential policies carefully.
And if you’re unsure about anything get in touch with the provider for clarification.
Once you’ve signed on the dotted line, making a home insurance claim[7] for things that are excluded from a policy will be impossible.
To help you find the best insurer, we’ve analysed the standard contents insurance[8] and buildings insurance[9] policies of more than 30 providers, and combined it with feedback from thousands of customers to produce impartial home insurance provider reviews[10].
References
- ^ buildings insurance (www.which.co.uk)
- ^ contents insurance (www.which.co.uk)
- ^ subsidence (www.which.co.uk)
- ^ month’s worth of rainfall (www.bbc.co.uk)
- ^ best home insurance (www.which.co.uk)
- ^ valuation calculator (www.which.co.uk)
- ^ making a home insurance claim (www.which.co.uk)
- ^ contents insurance (www.which.co.uk)
- ^ buildings insurance (www.which.co.uk)
- ^ home insurance provider reviews (www.which.co.uk)