Posts by ABCKids

    Likely piece of sad news for some but I went to try and pick up the Akorn Kamado Kooker from Bunnings and they had no new stock.

    Emailed the importers Mayo Hardware and apparently the item is now obsolete in their system and will no longer be purchasable.

    Thought would check back in and give an update.

    I didnt end up buying either of the products, unexpected bill came up and that was a priority so ended up foregoing the want of a bbq.

    Will keep an eye out on the used market and see if anything interesting comes up.

    Okay Akorn initial impressions from Bunnings. Although no stock anywhere. Display model was pretty broken so that likely adds bias.

    - $549 so higher cost but it includes a deflector/pizza stone and a cover

    - Warranty is 5 years which is amazing imo

    - Occupies less space since the entire package appears to be more compact with the over all build but feels more solid compared to dragon

    - Collapsible table but it feels kind of flimsy

    - Top vent seems miles better and doesn’t reset when opening and closing lid.

    The next couple of dot points likely biased due to the display model being broken.

    - The body appears to be warped and the cast iron grates do not sit in properly

    - The warp body might also contribute to the inner charcoal basket to sit weirdly and moves about a lot.”

    - Handle appears to be easy to break


    A lot to think about I guess but looking at the Dragon is slightly edging ahead but the deflector offered for sale is a Ziggy Metal Pizza Pan, which seems inferior and no cover with less warranty.

    Initial thoughts after looking at the Dragon. Will follow up with another post after I see the Akorn.

    - relatively lightweight and can be moved around since it has wheels

    - good it has a bit of side table but not collapsible from what I could tell

    - grill grate hook is handy

    - great price at $419


    - the vent at the vent at the top seems pretty poorly built, upon opening lid the vent shut themselves fully

    - thermometer area on the lid seems pretty loose I even tried tightening it myself

    - 1 year warranty and cover and deflector is a separate purchase

    This thread has moved quickly

    Pretty new to the scene so the knowledge learning is happening very quickly and the associated searches. Always when i think BBQ its Weber and guess thats conditioning haha.


    I've used both, and everything I can do with a kettle I can do with a komado,

    That line alone gives me confidence I should be looking at alternatives like the ones that has been recommended.

    Haha the Pro Smoke Dragon is actually cheaper currently with the BF sale too at $419 compared to the Weber i was looking at.

    Do plenty of research on both style grills otherwise you will end up with more than one grill :Mrgreen:

    Haha yeah i am so new to this and reading up lots on the Akorn right now.

    Seems like seal is a common concern on the Akorn/Dragon and thus making temp management harder. Also concerns on rust etc but i assume that is more a maintenance piece of work after use etc.

    Will report back tmr

    For that sort of coin I'd buy the Dragon BBQ from BBQs Galore (currently on special) or the Akorn from Bunnings.

    Will drop by both places tomorrow to have a look at these?

    Any particular reasons you recommend these over the weber at say ~$500 price points?

    Also whats difference between the Pro Smoke Dragon, the normal Pro Smoke Kamado and say the Akorn one?

    Thanks for that link.

    Like i said, new to this world but can you tell me more about that one, is it good or bad and buying second hand what i should be looking out for?

    Otherwise thinking might just pop down to the local store and grab the master touch at $499 tomorrow.

    Thanks for all the warm welcomes everyone!

    I dont know what my style is yet but here are some of the items that come to mind for me.

    - Searing steaks hard then indirect cooking, or vice versa

    - Racks of ribs or Beef dino ribs

    - Whole chicken, roasted or butterflied and cooked


    I had a look on gumtree in lower north shore (sydney) and dont seem to be able to see any outstanding deals :(