Kamado Joe Classic 2 vs 3: My Candid Take

Kamado Joe Classic 2 vs 3: Grilling in Austin, Texas is not for the faint of heart. If you’ve spent any summer here, you know the drill: mornings that start cool and breezy, afternoons that feel like you’ve stepped into a sauna, and sudden thunderstorms that show up just when you’ve got dinner halfway cooked. Add in those winter cold snaps that seem to come out of nowhere, and you start to see why I take my backyard cooking gear very seriously.

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For me, grilling isn’t just about cooking food it’s about creating an experience. It’s the smell of oak smoke drifting through the yard, the hiss when a steak hits the grates, the quiet satisfaction of slicing into a brisket that’s been smoking for hours. And when you grill in a place like Austin, you quickly learn that not all grills can handle the challenge.

That’s where the Kamado Joe Classic II and Kamado Joe Classic III come into play.

Kamado Joe Classic 2 vs 3: My Candid Take

Is the Kamado Joe Classic Series II Good?

When I finally rolled the Kamado Joe Classic II onto my patio in Austin, I was half-excited, half-nervous. This wasn’t some $150 kettle grill from the big-box store this was a serious investment in my backyard cooking game. I’d read glowing reviews, watched all the YouTube videos, and even borrowed my buddy’s Kamado Joe for a weekend before buying. But now, it was mine.

And after months of using it through everything Texas weather could throw at me blazing 100°F days, cold winter nights, random thunderstorms I can tell you: Yes, the Kamado Joe Classic II is absolutely worth it. But let me give you the real story from someone who’s lived with it.

My First Cook: Low and Slow Ribs

I’m a “jump in the deep end” kind of griller, so my first test wasn’t burgers or hot dogs it was baby back ribs. I lit a load of lump charcoal, adjusted the vents to hold at 250°F, and set up the Divide & Conquer system so one side had indirect heat.

Here’s the thing that immediately blew me away: once I got the temp locked in, it didn’t budge. For six hours, I barely touched the vents. In my old steel charcoal grill, I’d be fiddling every 20 minutes, adding fuel, moving coals, adjusting airflow. On the Classic II, the thick ceramic shell just locked in that heat like a vault.

When I pulled the ribs off, they were smoky, tender, and had that perfect pink smoke ring. My wife who usually says “they’re fine” to my barbecue looked up after the first bite and said, “You’re never cooking ribs any other way again.”

High-Heat Test: Steak Night

Two weeks later, it was time to see if the Classic II could handle the other end of the spectrum high heat searing. I loaded up with lump charcoal, opened the bottom vent and Kontrol Tower top vent all the way, and within 15 minutes the thermometer was pushing past 600°F.

When I dropped those ribeyes on the cast iron grate, the sear was immediate loud, sizzling, and smelling like heaven. Two minutes per side, a quick temp check, and they were done: crusty outside, perfectly pink inside.

And here’s what really stood out: even with the lid open for flipping, the grill bounced back to searing temps almost instantly. My gas grill? Not even close.

Build Quality You Can Feel

One thing you notice when you first use the Classic II is the solid, almost overbuilt feel of everything:

Thick Ceramic Walls – This is the heart of the grill’s performance. It keeps temperatures steady for hours and works in extreme heat or cold.
Air Lift Hinge – The lid is heavy, but the hinge makes it easy to lift with one hand. I didn’t think this mattered until I tried using a kamado without one trust me, your back will thank you.
Kontrol Tower Vent – This isn’t just a fancy cap. It’s precision airflow control that stays put when you adjust it, even if you open and close the lid multiple times.
Divide & Conquer Cooking System – This is a game-changer. Two levels, split grates, and the ability to set up direct and indirect zones at the same time. I’ve cooked chicken on one side and roasted vegetables on the other without them interfering.

Everything feels tight and well-made. The cart is stable, the handles are sturdy, and the finish is thick enough that I’m not worried about rust or fading.

Real-World Weather Performance in Texas

I’ve grilled on the Classic II during scorching August afternoons where the patio felt like a frying pan, and on January nights when the thermometer dipped into the 30s. The performance difference compared to thin steel grills is massive:

Summer Heat: Even on 100°F days, the Classic II holds low smoking temps without overshooting. The ceramic actually seems to help regulate things.
Winter Cold: In freezing weather, it still gets up to searing temps in minutes and holds steady for long smokes without burning through extra fuel.
Rainy Days: The vent design keeps rain out, and the ceramic body is immune to rust. I keep a cover on it when it’s not in use, but I’ve cooked through light showers without a problem.

What I Love About the Classic II

Unmatched Heat Retention – Whether smoking for 8 hours or searing in 10 minutes, it’s rock steady.
Flavor – Lump charcoal + ceramic heat = deep, wood-fired flavor that’s hard to beat.
Versatility – It’s not just a grill. It’s a smoker, pizza oven, roaster, and bread baker all in one.
Ease of Use – I thought kamado cooking would be complicated, but the vent system and heat retention make it almost effortless after a couple of cooks.
Build Quality – Feels like something you’ll pass down, not replace in 3 years.

What Could Be Better

The Price – At full retail, it’s not cheap. But if you grill or smoke regularly, it’s worth every penny.
The Weight – Over 200 pounds means you’re not moving it often. Pick a spot you love before you set it up.
Learning Curve – It took me a few cooks to nail the vent settings. My first brisket was overcooked because I underestimated how well it holds heat.

Cleaning & Maintenance

The slide-out ash drawer is one of those features you don’t realize you need until you have it. Cleanup after each cook takes about 2 minutes. Once or twice a year, I give it a deep clean scraping the inside, brushing the grates, and checking the gasket. That’s it.

Who It’s For

The Kamado Joe Classic II is for:

Year-round grillers who cook in all kinds of weather
People who want one cooker that can grill, smoke, and bake
Backyard cooks who value flavor and consistency over speed
Folks who are willing to spend more upfront for a grill that will last a decade or more

My Bottom Line

The Kamado Joe Classic II is more than a grill it’s a backyard cooking experience that makes you want to try new things. From briskets to pizza to artisan bread, it handles it all without fuss.

If you grill once a month, this might be more than you need. But if you’re serious about cooking outdoors and want a tool that’s as reliable as it is versatile, the Classic II is a smart buy.

Is the Kamado Joe Classic Series III Good?

By the time I got my hands on the Kamado Joe Classic III, I was already in love with the Classic II. So I’ll be honest I didn’t expect to be blown away. I figured the Classic III would just be a slightly upgraded version with a few nice-to-have features.

But after cooking on it for months here in Austin through blazing heat, chilly winter evenings, and more than one “surprise” thunderstorm I can say this: the Classic III isn’t just good, it’s a step forward in both performance and cooking flexibility.

If the Classic II is a reliable workhorse, the Classic III is that same workhorse fitted with racing tires, better suspension, and a more comfortable seat. You can do everything on the Classic II that you can on the III but the III makes some of it easier, and some of it better.

The First Big Difference You Notice: Height & Cooking Space

When you set the Classic II and Classic III side by side, the first thing that jumps out is the taller body of the Classic III. That extra vertical space isn’t just for looks it changes what you can cook.

In the Classic III, I can stack more racks of ribs, smoke bigger cuts like a whole turkey without worrying about clearance, and run a true three-tier cooking system. That means I can have:

Direct heat on the bottom for searing
Indirect heat in the middle for roasting
Low, gentle heat up top for keeping sides warm or slow-smoking fish

It’s like having three grills in one.

The SlōRoller: Science Meets Barbecue

The SlōRoller hyperbolic smoke chamber is the Classic III’s signature feature, and I’ll admit I thought it was marketing fluff at first. The idea is that the insert changes how heat and smoke circulate, making them move in a rolling pattern that covers the food more evenly.

So I tested it. I smoked two pork butts one in the Classic III with the SlōRoller, one in the Classic II without it both using the same charcoal, same wood, same rub.

The difference? Subtle, but noticeable:

The Classic III’s pork butt had slightly more even bark formation.
The smoke flavor was more balanced, without the occasional bitter spots I sometimes get when smoke pools in one area.
The meat cooked a bit more evenly top-to-bottom.

Does that mean the SlōRoller makes the Classic II obsolete? No. You can make incredible barbecue on the Classic II. But the Classic III takes some of the guesswork out of heat and smoke management especially on long cooks.

Cart & Build Upgrades

The Classic III also ships with a heavy-duty aluminum cart instead of the steel cart on the Classic II.

Here’s why I care:

Aluminum won’t rust, which is huge in a humid Texas summer or if you store your grill uncovered.
The design is more open, giving you a handy lower shelf for storage.
The locking wheels are beefier and roll more smoothly across my uneven flagstone patio.

The rest of the build quality is pure Kamado Joe thick ceramic shell, sturdy lid hinge, precise vent system but these cart upgrades make it feel even more premium.

Real-World Performance Tests

Over several months, I cooked everything from steaks to bread on the Classic III. Here’s how it handled in key scenarios:

Low-and-Slow Smoking

Brisket on a cool, 45°F morning held at 250°F for 12 hours straight with almost no vent adjustments. The SlōRoller helped keep the smoke flavor consistent.

High-Heat Searing

Took about 15 minutes to hit 650°F. Steaks came off with that perfect seared crust, just like the Classic II, but the extra cooking levels made it easier to rest meat up high while finishing veggies down low.

Multi-Zone Cooking

This is where the Classic III shines. I ran salmon on the top tier at 275°F while searing asparagus directly over the coals. Both finished perfectly at the same time no shuffling pans around.