My soft steel fire box perforated plate is deteriorating. I previously replaced 3-4 years ago. Grill used 3-4 times a month and is covered.
Will expanded stainless last longer or offer a wider hot coal base ? One thing I've noticed is coal bed is red hot for only ceramic opening hole and the 3-4 inches surrounding perimeter to fire box edge is not
This grate sits up about 1/2 inch above bottom so air will flow to outer perimeter in theory.
Thoughts opinions experiences appreciated in advance.
Thanks
by BoysenberryNo5357
7 Comments
Looks good. Could shift poking around
Not sure about your solution, but my parents received an Imperial Kamado as a wedding gift in the mid 60’s. The original grate was long gone by the early 80s. My father cut the handle off a small cast iron pan and drilled a number of holes in the bottom of it for airflow. He used carriage bolts as legs for it. This lasted him until he passed in 2013. It was a pretty slick solution in the days before the internet and worked pretty well. I know it isn’t any help, but your image reminded me of it and thought I would share.
It’ll burn hotter, and respond faster to vents. Stainless will still deteriorate – I suspect the expanded will do so faster because of the overall thickness being relatively thin.
Stainless, with hot lump sitting on top of it (lump is carbon) will get surface rust, and slowly rot – micro layer after micro layer – albeit much more slowly than regular steel.
I’ve got a Komodo Kamado, which has its baskets made of 3/8 and/or 1/4” bars. Even they eventually wore down to the point they started bending. The welds failed before the bars broke through, but the stainless definitely deteriorated.
I’ve got kick ash baskets in my 2 green eggs, and can confirm they’re a huge improvement over the cast iron disc. Your solution is cheap enough – so send it, and replace when you need to. Or get a basket…. The basket makes life So much easier because I can lift it out – still full of the last cooks leftover lump – deal with ash, and set it back in. Can’t do that with only a bottom grate.
3 burns and gone.
Should work just fine. It’s a cheap solution if anything turns unexpected 👍🏻
None of my 3 Kamado Joe’s have grates, they all got ash baskets right from the beginning. My Classic basket showed up before the Kamado itself got delivered.
I did this, only have a Weber round grate I found at HD (think it’s a 10” on BJ). Better support and function and also provides template for trimming exp-metal sheet.
Made the switch in May and use it a few times a week for grilling and smoking. No sign of degradation yet but it will eventually.