Rival brands of kamado-style barbecues can cost up to around £1,000, but Aldi’s Kamado Egg barbecue is quite a lot cheaper. We took a first look to see how it performed.
Although we don’t usually test Aldi barbecues, as they’re only available for a limited time, we did manage to get our hands on the Aldi Kamado barbecue oven, which is currently on sale on aldi.co.uk. We tried it out at home so we could bring you our first impressions.
Keep scrolling to watch the Aldi Egg video, to find out more about kamado cooking and to see some popular alternative barbecues.
Or, head straight to our first look review of the Aldi Kamado Egg barbecue to see how we found it.
Aldi Kamado Egg barbecue
Aldi is targeting upmarket foodies with this handsome ceramic barbecue. Be warned that if a gas barbecue is equivalent to GCSE-level grilling, then a Kamado Egg is a PhD. It’s aimed at those who are deeply into barbecuing and want to replicate the smoky, rich flavours of the barbecues of the USA’s southern states.
You’ll need to spend time learning how to control the cooking temperature using the air vents, and watching YouTube videos to learn the art of perfectly smoking brisket or cooking pulled pork.
The Aldi model looks similar to rival models that cost a lot more money, such as the Kamado Joe and the Green Egg. When we tried it at home, we were impressed with how well it cooked chicken wings and pork shoulder steaks.
Read our Aldi Kamado Egg barbecue review to see how we got on.
What is a kamado barbecue?
Kamado barbecues are based on Japanese cooking urns that are believed to have originated 3,000 years ago. They are usually made of ceramic and are designed to last a lifetime.
The ceramic body has great insulation properties to hold in the heat. In general, they are great at smoking and roasting, as well as cooking pizzas and also searing meat at high temperatures.
Foodies love them for the superb-tasting food they produce and the versatility of how they can be used. The only downer is the price, although a high-end gas barbecue doesn’t cost much less.
See all of our barbecue reviews to see how the Aldi Kamado egg compares.
Other kamado egg barbecues
Big Green Egg MiniMax BBQ with ConvEGGtor, £780
Big Green Egg claims that the MiniMax BBQ is the ‘unsung hero’ of its popular range, packing lots of power into a small package. It’s certainly one of the more versatile charcoal barbecues we’ve come across, but does that mean it can produce perfectly cooked sausages, burgers and kebabs?
Read our full Big Green Egg MiniMax review.
Kamado Joe Jr, £408
If you love the stylish good looks of Kamado Joe barbecues but want a portable version, the Joe Junior could be just what you need. This red ceramic egg-shaped model is more compact than its siblings and designed for those on the move. But while the barbecue is small, the price certainly isn’t, so you’ll want it to cook brilliantly before splashing out.
Read our full Kamado Joe Jr review.
Kamado Joe Classic II, £1435
You can use the full-size Kamado Joe Classic II to grill, smoke and even bake; making it a great, versatile outdoor oven, but at over £1000 is this grill worth the price?
Read our full Kamado Joe Classic II review.
