Kamado Joe's new ceramic grill has built

Ceramic kamado-style grills have been some of the best grilling gear available for backyard cooks for a long time. However, it takes practice to master lighting them and maintaining proper temperatures. Kamado Joe aims to get rid of those frustrations with its latest smart grill. The Konnected Joe is equipped with a push-button charcoal igniter and a digitally controlled fan system. The former gets the grill going and while the latter keeps the heat level where you need it.

The Konnected Joe is a true kamado grill at its core. The ceramic chamber has trademark Kamado Joe design features like an Air Lift hinge that raises the lid with ease, two-tier cooking inside, side shelves and a slide-out ash drawer for quick cleaning. The 18-inch diameter cooking surface offers 250 square inches of grilling space. The company says this is enough room for 13 burgers, four whole chickens or two pork butts. In the bottom of the cooking chamber, Kamado Joe has added a so-called Automatic Fire Starter that ignites charcoal with a simple button press. The company says this tool can have your grill ready to use in less than 15 minutes.

The smart grilling features center around Kamado Joe's Kontrol System. This setup includes the Kontrol Board digital display, the Kontrol Fan that maintains temperature and the Kontrol Tower vent up top. The entire system is controlled from the Kamado Joe app where you can adjust and monitor grill temps, keep tabs on food temperatures (up to three probes at once) and check in on cook times. Plus, you can do all of this without being near the grill. The Konnected Joe has a temperature range of 200-700 degrees Fahrenheit, so you can expect to do low-and-slow smoking, high-heat searing and everything in between. An Automatic Cook Mode puts step-by-step guidance on the grill's display and a Classic Cook Mode allows you to do everything manually.

The Konnected Joe is $1,699, $300 less than the WiFi-equipped Pellet Joe that debuted in 2020. Pre-orders start today at the company's website, The Home Depot and other retailers. Kamado Joe says the grill will begin shipping in June.