Is this much of a difference between these 2 grills? Does the gasket and hinge make for better cooking experience? Id image the gasket and latch combo make for a higher seal when it comes to smoking but I dont know if thats even a problem with the One. Looking for a little insight from you Pros and Joes.
by Fast_Try_1252
7 Comments
The gaskets you can replace with the updated one later if you decide you want it, or when it wears out from normal use. If you aren’t going with the Big Joe, I find the standard hinge on my Classic 1 is plenty, the lid isn’t hard to lift at all, and has no issue holding itself up. 0 leakage around the seal.
I have a Series I and haven’t had a problem with the seal or the weight of the lid. When researching, the only big advantage I saw to the II is the better control tower but I just bought a Smokeware one.
To me, the Series I is about perfect and the II and III is KJ adding gimmicks to get people to pay more.
So I guess if they were the same price I’d go with a II but I wouldn’t personally spend more than $100 extra on it.
I’ve cooked on both. The latch on the series 2 is solely due to the air lift hinge not allowing the weight of the lid to create a seal. With the series 1, the weight of the lid is all you need.
The air lift hinge is personal preference. I have a Big Joe 1 and do not notice the weight of the lid at all (but I’m also 6’4 and 35).
A lot of people will say the daisy wheel is better than the kontrol tower, as the towers get gummed up. The only downside to the daisy wheel is cooking in the rain (and the vent can lose its spot when opening the hood occasionally).
I like the gasket better than the felt solely due to durability, and I feel it gives me a better seal when using the joetisserie. My felt fell apart in less than a year (but I’ve also known people who have felt last for years). Either way, it’s a pretty easy replacement/swap if you eventually wanted to upgrade to a gasket. And no, it doesn’t impact the alignment.
If you can find one of those screaming deals on a series 2 that pop up occasionally, that makes it cheaper than a series 1, go for the series 2. If you’re paying mrsp, I don’t feel the price difference in the series 2 is justified.
I went for series 2 for the air lift hinge as I dont trust myself to not drop the lid after a few beers. Also I ended up paying not much more for the 2 vs a 1 due to a deal.
You cant go wrong with either, though.
I’ve had a series 1 for about 5 years and it’s a workhorse. Just replaced the gasket for the first time a few months back. I like the daisy wheel, personally since I grew up cooking on a Weber kettle so I’m comfortable with it. I went with the series 1 for the price; got it at HD for a great price.
I have a series 1 Big Joe. I am very happy with my choice. I really like the daisy wheel. If you mount it correctly (logo to the side), it doesn’t move when you open the top unless you jerk the top quickly. No matter how hot the grill, I can adjust it with my bare fingers. The Kontrol Tower flakes and gunks up so it has to be cleaned, etc. I thought I’d buy a stainless aftermarket, but after reading about issues (searing heat, gumming up, silicon falling off), there’s no reason.
The hinge is simple and has four big springs. It doesn’t slam down if I release it. I can even open the lid part way. If I need to keep it cracked open, a utensil or chunk of wood works great. It also doesn’t go out of alignment. If/when the bearings fail out of warranty, they are stock parts and I can replace them. I’d rather not deal with air hinge calibration, alignment, and failure issues, especially on something with parts that are hard to source.
The gasket is replaceable. When mine fails, I’ll probably go with mesh unless I get years out of the felt, in which case felt is fine.
I may replace the casters with larger ones, but I don’t move mine much so it’s not urgent. The series 2 has the same stand, anyhow.
The supposed upgrades are an example of differences without substantial benefit that appeal to people who want the “best” they can afford. It’s a gimmick imho.
I bought the Joetisserie with baskets and charcoal basket with the money I saved going with series 1.
Both the 1 and 2 come with steel side tables that rust quickly. The aluminum on the 3 is a real upgrade, but I can add wood easily enough and increase the surface area.
Series II for sure.