Kamado Setup

Key Concepts

• Kamado thermal mass: ceramic walls hold heat and make temp stable but slow to change
• Fuel loading: fill the firebox relative to cook length — more for long cooks, less for short ones
• Startup: light the center, let it establish slowly — do not rush with a full chimney
• Deflector plate: used for indirect cooking to shield meat from direct radiant heat below
• Overshoot: what happens when a kamado runs past target temp and how to prevent it

Put It Into Practice

1. Fill the firebox with lump charcoal for your cook length. Half-full for short cooks; full for long low-and-slow.
2. Add wood chunks to the charcoal before lighting — buried slightly so they ignite progressively during the cook.
3. Light the center of the charcoal pile with a fire starter. Do not use a full chimney. Kamados heat fast and overshoot is easy.
4. Open all vents fully and let the fire establish for 10-15 minutes, then slowly close down toward your target vent position.
5. For low-and-slow at 225–250°F: top vent barely cracked, bottom vent at 10-15% open.
6. Install the deflector plate before adding meat for all indirect cooks.
7. If the pit overshoots: do not close all vents. Close to 10% and wait. Fully closing a hot kamado smothers the fire and causes dirty smoke when you reopen.