Thursday, February 17, 2011

The Kamado=Expensive! The Food, The Memories, The Parties With Those Who Matter Most=Priceless!



Hello grillers!

Well, where the hell did January go? Man time flies when your having fun, grilling fun that is!  Life has been busy in The Grateful Griller camp as I put the final touches on my direction for the year! Lots of new projects on the go and I'm really looking forward to Spring's arrival but not to get too far ahead of myself the reality is that we still have 7-8 weeks of winter left up here in Canada, ( I hope!) and I'm in no rush for the ski season to end anytime soon and as some if not all of you know by now the kamado cookers work just fine in deep snow or scorching heat.


I get the pleasure of speaking to many different people from all walks of life on a weekly basis about all things kamado and the other day I was riding the chair lift with a man who follows my blog and when he figured out who I was after our introduction we ended up skiing 4-5 runs together and chatting about the kamado cooker itself and how wonderful they really are. He didn't own one as of yet but I could tell he really wanted one and also wanted to dive into this lifestyle and cooking medium head first but one thing was holding him up, PRICE!

I explained that I totally understood his concern and agreed with him that for what the kamado cookers are today comparing apple to apple that is and understanding there are a number of middle people involved in the current business model for the most recognized brands, they are pricey, especially considering that you are really investing in a solid glazed ( in most cases) clay pot to cook and grill inside of, but, and this is a very big BUT, one has to ask the question, how does one put a price tag or value on something that clearly provides such great times for you and your family not to mention the awesome food they produce?


I for one know that all the kamado cookers that I have personally invested in over the years are worth their wait in gold regardless of the fact that I fully understand approximately what the product cost to produce in the first place.  I remember when I first fell head over heels for The Big Green Egg back in 2001, and trust me friends, I could sell them like nobody's business and really got behind the product, it felt good to inspire total strangers on a fabulous way of cooking/grilling but more often than  not and at the end of long day's, I would say to myself, why am I working so hard to sell a product that I really love for so little financial return? This is where the pendulum really took a swing in the other direction for me and I got to thinking about alternative ways of inspiring the masses on the "kamado" cooker itself because truthfully friends, I am fascinated by these earthen vessels, obsessed is a better word and my hope one day is that they can be produced for a much larger audience that can afford them.

Enter The Grateful Griller Party Experience!  Power to the people and let the people have the final say on wether the kamado cooker is worth it or not and I couldn't be happier to be able to utilize various kamado's at my events to share, enlighten, inspire and educate people with what their options really are without a bias twist to the story! That's right, I don't sell and am not endorsed by any one particular kamado company and hence I can basically spell it out for my audience at large what they should think about before investing in one of the many fabulous kamados that exist in our current marketplace and there are certainly a few that rank high in my books and whatever you do, research all of of them, get in touch with me because you'll thank me later!

The brand leaders in the marketplace today and new arrivals on the kamado scene are The Big Green Egg, Primo, GrillDome, Kamado Joe and Saffire! There are also a few smaller companies like Comet, DragonFire and Kamado King that you can get product from both at retail and online! At last years HPBA show in Orlando I came across the Cypress Grill/Kamado and to date haven't cooked on it but at $700 Canadian it too is turning heads and comes fully assembled and is exclusively being sold through "Lowes".  As we get into  2011 it's going to be fun watching a trend in even better materials emerging for kamado cooker's everywhere with "refractory" based materials becoming more popular. To date "Komodo Kamado" from Bali Indonesia reign as the all out leader in both innovation and creativity with what is by far the most stunning piece of outdoor grill equipment I have ever set my eyes on and Dennis Linkletter, ( owner of Komodo Kamado) is leading the charge with his "refractory" based product which  is a combination of art and technology and will surely be getting the attention it deserves in the months and years to come. It should also be pointed out that Komodo Kamado is shipped direct anywhere in the world and the customer care/service you get from this company is stellar, I know this because I have one and the attention to detail from port to port was very impressive to say the least!


So my friends, are kamado cookers expensive? Yes indeed, but to borrow some of Master Cards ad campaign thunder and as this post title suggests, the kamado might be expensive and you might have to sacrifice a few things in your life to be able to invest in one but take it from The Grateful Griller, the food, the friends, the family, the music, the smells and over all grate times with kamado are in a word, PRICELESS!

Until next time, feed your fires and desire to take all your grilling games higher! The next few lines came to me thanks to old skool Dr. Dre! Peace!


Still Grateful To Be The Griller!


Yeah grillers, I'm back, but then again, I never left.
I've been hang'in all this time preach'in the kamado word and doin fine.
Bring'in my fire to decks across this land, that's it people, take my "gto" hand!
Education, inspiration, rhyme'in off specs and cashing cheques.
This kamado thing is like an infectious bee sting! 
Social media and wikipedia fuel my drive as I strive to spread a message loud and clear with no fear!


Dancing to my own beats and perfecting my smokey treats, representing grillers all across the world,
I'm not just a pretty face with crazy ass curls!
Sticky, saucy, icky, thicky, wings drip'in like honey while my fans allow me to make some money!
To party with the people and the rest they say is yet to come and I still have love for these grilling street's, various cuts and all those meats.
Rubs and glazes, sweet phsycodelic phases!


Cool'in on the corner with fire and wine
clients, guest's all feelin fine!
The time is now to seize this day, the kamado cooker is here to stay!
Proportion blown, Grateful Griller, home grown!
GTO ways ain't no trendy phase but a way of being that you will crave!
A life saver with sky high flavors, wrapped so tight, no need to put up a fight.
Forget the labour and focus on the love, it will set you free like a morning dove!


Grateful Griller's the name, I believe I'm ahead of my game!
Wake up in the AM to season my meat,
tonight my friends you are in for a treat!
Sit back, relax, enjoy the show and witness these grilling games morph and grow!
Star, spangled, banner sky makes me feel so freaking high!
Big dipper, mojito sipper, cruise through this night, the vibes have never felt so right!
To grill and chill and fill our hearts with kamado delight as we welcome a tequila sunrise!


G to the G..............














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