Greetings grateful grillers in the house of smoke and fire!!!!!!!
Well, well, well, how time flies when we're all having fun and I notice another ten days at least has passed me by since my last story from the kamado vault and the "gto" lab. My thoughts over the last few weeks have been quite focussed on the Primo product and the incredible cookers they manufacture and have manufactured over the last fifteen years or so. I must confess that I love all my cookers pretty equally and as all of you know I am a devoted purist when it comes to cooking or grilling, smoking or searing with these mystifying and remarkable devices called "kamado's".
What really impresses me about Primo however, is the vision that they had that many years ago to create a unique oval shaped kamado styled cooker that no one had seen or thought of before and that would eventually be the Big Green Egg's main competitor in the marketplace today, although Big Green Egg still maintains a sizable lead in sales, that's not the point at all. My point is that while BGE and others were zigging, Primo zagged, BIG TIME! You see, in my humble opinion folks there's only so much anyone can do with a circular shaped cooker, as fantastic as they are, there are limitations and that's precisely why anyone who's interested in one of these incredible devices should give yours truly a call so we can have what I have coined over the last few years my "facts without the fiction" chat about what you really need in a cooker like this before you spend your good hard earned money.
Let's face it friends, it's easy to walk into a store, any store these days bbq related or otherwise and simply be in that store browsing around wondering what you want to purchase and all of a sudden you are approached by a sales person who has already pre-decided what you need based on inventory on the day or simply because they might only sell one particular product that suits your needs and in most cases theirs, and then all of a sudden you are a moving target about to be sold something. Case and point! When I ventured out bbq shopping almost a decade ago with my wife I really only had a few concrete idea's as to what I wanted in a new bbq from a features and benefits point of view. The last thing I knew I wanted was another gas oriented grill for no other reason than they never really lasted more than three years or so for me, so why waste more money even if it means spending a bit more for the long run.
I also had no idea at the time what a "Big Green Egg" was and would only have ventured a guess that it was a planet somewhere off in the solar system that I was uninformed about! The chap who helped us was very nice, not aggressive, fairly informed about his craft and quite helpful and as we engaged with him I clearly remember being led over to this funny looking device which happened to be a "Big Green Egg"!
This is where things get interesting, and yes this will be the coles notes version of the story! He went though the over view of BGE all the while I was staring at the price and getting some serious looks from my wife who wasn't ready to part with $1500 pre tax of our hard earned money, but I was on a mission, determined to purchase quality and I knew that although I had no idea about this weird looking device that could have doubled as something that Mork from Ork travelled in to get to the show on , I was intrigued on that natural lump charcoal story, flavour, aroma, essence, quality, history etc, etc. What I didn't know, however, was that "Big Green Egg" was not the only "kamado" styled cooker in the world at that time. Nor is it today and if I would have been able to have access to a few other brands that were equivalent in quality and came with the same warranty I would have purchased the Primo XL because it fit my requirements best at that time but the nice chap we were dealing with had only one thing on his mind that fit our needs as "kamado" cookers go and that my friends was the case closed and deal sealed as they say, Big Green Egg it was! For the record, he was only doing his job but imagine if "The Grateful Griller" existed and could have educated us on our options before buying, what then? I know, and I admit that that was a selfish plug but you people get my drift right? Right.
We ended up putting our money down and it was by far one of the best product purchases I have ever made in my life because it not only inspired me to really take my cooking game higher but "The Big Green Egg" motivated me to start my own brand and to really explore, research, study, travel and become totally obsessed and possessed by these incredibly magical devices!
I am also happy to report that I still have that first medium sized BGE on my deck and it still churns out the best of foods all these years later and although it was the wrong size and product for our needs at that time its an extension of our family unit here in Wakefield today and one that I will never part with. So my message as I close this post is this. Keep your eyes open and do your homework before accepting the advice of anyone who might gladly take your money and steer you in one direction and look for the pros who specialize like I do in these uber niche markets because then and only then will you get the entire story, remember, facts without the fiction!
Today there are close to six companies globally that all make fantastic "kamado" styled cookers, all have unique features and benefits and all come with their own fascinating story that yours truly is excited to tell and yes, I have great relationships with all of them and pride myself on that and love cooking on and with all their products. So when the world is zigging, you might just want to zag!
As always and forever more my next few lines have been inspired by Xavier Rudd and altered by The Grateful Griller. If you've never heard of him just go buy his music and let's chill and grill together soon!
Grateful Griller's Tribal Feelings for Kamado
I guess I can say, you are all that I need.
Music and you and the air that I breathe.
I guess I can say, these feelings I have
come up from your hot coals and make me just want to dance.
I guess I can say, I'm so lucky today
to have my family and friends and the vibes that you bring.
The food, the fire, the culinary desire to let alchemy reign true and amaze us every day.
I'm so grateful for so much and want nothing more,
than to share you and your secrets with the world at large.
I love my obsession with you "K".
I love your simplicity, your beauty, your mystery.
I love our low "n" slow rapport.
You've taught me well
to say to hell with the fast paced jungle around us.
To live in the moment now, forever.
Let's keep dancin our kamado dance, its like a non stop trance!
Today, tomorrow, forever.......
Always feed that fire friends!
G
