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If you are looking for a straightforward, family-friendly grill that will provide good food for you and your family then you are in the right place. Below we will be sharing the ceramic grills offered by Primo and the pros and cons of Primo Kamado grills.
Primo is known for offering high-quality ceramic grills at a friendlier price point than competitors like Big Green Egg and Kamado Joe. There are a few different options to choose from, you will see below all of the positive things these grills offer and why people choose to spend the money on these family-friendly grills.
Primo Brand Overview
The leader of Kamado Grills is Primo Kamado where they have American-made ceramic grills for all people and any family. These grills are known to be helpful, reasonably priced, and make tasty food for the families who purchase them.
When looking for the best kamado grill, you need to look at weight. Yes, the grills are very heavy but that’s what you get when it is made with premium ceramic. So if you are looking for a ceramic grill, you are going to need to stay away from the grills that are not as heavy because that means they are not made as well.
If you are looking for a grill with the highest quality, then shopping at Primo is the answer for you. They produce all of their grills in America and that is something not all grilling companies can say. Not only do they come in all different sizes but they offer a 2 zone cooking system and an oval design which is different from the basic round grill.
Primo Kamado Grill Reviews
Primo 400 Oval XL
The unique oval shape of this grill allows you to bake, grill, roast, or even smoke food all at one time. This is one of the largest-sized grills and is one of the biggest ceramic cookers on the market. If you are a jack of all trades and can cook many things, then this grill would be good for you. This grill weighs 230 pounds and has a width of 28’’ and a height of 27.5’’.
The Primo 400 Oval XL is made in Tucker, Georgia, USA and is made up of premium grade ceramic with a scratch-resistant porcelain glaze.
Not only is this grill extremely unique and versatile but the shape of the grill allows you to make a two-zone cooking experience for you and your family. The Primo Oval is a pretty basic grill but it has many options of accessories to add to it to make sure you can use the grill to the best of your abilities. Since this grill is made with top-notch stainless steel and is made with a solid construction, this will be something that can stay in your family for years to come.
Let’s take some time to talk about the materials and the construction of this grill. The grill has something that they call a daisy wheel. The daisy wheel is a chimney cap that makes it simple to let the smoke flow out of the grill and it also controls the draft of air through the cooker from the lower vent made of stainless steel.
The cast iron chimney cap and the gasket are heavy-duty. This helps protect the lid material that provides superior sealing to help maintain the temperature. The handle on the grill is made of a material that feels like a cool touch when using the handle. There have been some complaints by other users of this product that say that it can get really hot still. Because of this, it is a good idea to get a potholder or even use heat-resistant gloves while you are cooking.
Many people believe the “con” to this grill is how expensive it is. And by the time you add extra accessories like the table or heat trays, the price can even become way higher but the majority of customers believe the money is worth it because of how well the grill works and its lifetime guarantee.
Below we are going to look at some of their features.
- Proudly made in the USA
- They offer the highest sitting lid so you can roast anything from a whole turkey or even a whole chicken
- They have split and reversible cooking grids that provide cooking versatility
- Made with premium-grade ceramic
Not only does this grill provide you with the capacity to make great food but it also comes with a lifetime warranty that is backed by a 20-year guarantee.
Here are some of the specifications of this particular grill:
- Grill weight is 305 pounds
- The cooking area is 400 square inches
- The optional rack system is 280 square inches
- The total cooking area is 680 square inches
- Cooking gird 18.5’’ by 25’’
- Temperature range of 150 degrees to 850+ Fahrenheit
Primo 300 Oval Large
This high-quality grill is one of the best in charcoal-style kamado cooking. It is a little smaller than the XL version but is still capable of doing the cooking that you need. The unique oval shape allows you to cook using direct or indirect heat. Also, unlike a lot of other companies selling grills, they are strictly made in the US and are proud of it. Below are some features that we think you may like
- Offer a high sitting lid that allows you to cook full animals like turkeys or chickens at one time
- It is made of premium grade ceramic
- Reversible cooking grids allows for easy cleaning
- The unique shape of this grill allows you to roast, bake, and grill all at the same time
This grill is a great size for a family with a lot of space to use. The cooking area for this grill already allows 300 square inches. You can get an optional extension rack that will give you an extra 195 square inches for a total of 495 square inches of space.
The great thing about this grill that customers love, is that you can cook food at different temperatures at the same exact time. When talking to most people who grill, you can ask them what it is like to cook steak and vegetables at the same time. The steak can come out perfect but a lot of times the vegetables will come out charred but when you cook with the Primo 300 Oval Large, that is something you don’t have to worry about.
There are a few different ways you can cook with this grill. The first way is the obvious one, grilling. Option two is grilling and roasting and option three is baking, roasting, and smoking.
The benefit of the Primo Oval design is that it holds way more food than the typical round grills. Because of this, you will be able to cook without losing valuable cooking space.
Primo Oval offers two-zone simultaneous direct and indirect cooking. This is a fancy way of saying that you will have two very distinct cooking zones. This gives you more options of cooking more food at the same time. For example, you can grill and bake at the same time. A typical round grill does not give you this option. Since the Primo Oval 300 large has so much to offer, you are able to cook chicken, fish, turkey, pork, pizza, and vegetables and you would be able to cook them evenly and proportionally.
They offer high-quality grills and since they are aware of their good work, they offer a lifetime warranty on this grill.
Primo Large Round
The Primo Large Round takes a more traditional kamado grill shape than the Oval Series – it still allows you to cook food evenly across the 280 square inches of cooking surface. Not only are they firmly made but they are constructed with premium-grade Primo Super Ceramics that are coated and protected by lead-free and scratch-resistant glaze. This allows you to have a good grill that can cook any type of food and also last a long time. Let’s take a look at some of the special features people love most about this grill
- Easy lift and lock hinge system keeps the lid in place
- Made in the USA since 1996
- Made with premium-grade ceramic that allows you superior heat, moisture, and flavor retention
- Cast Aluminum top vent stainless steel door, and included thermometer
This grill is a high-quality ceramic cooker. This grill is two-sided. One side places the cooking surface up high while if you flip it over, the surface drops 2 inches closer to the coal.
These grills can make anything from steak, fish, chicken, turkey, pork, and vegetables. This grill smoke, roasts, bakes, and sears. All Kamados make a wonderful outdoor grill no matter what the weather is like for you and your family. These grills produce juicy and well-cooked meals because the grill needs very little airflow at lower temperatures and the ceramic retains humidity.
It is important to know that gunk can accumulate inside the upper damper after a couple of low and slow cooking sessions. This can be fixed easily though. All you need to do is wipe it off with a paper towel while the grill is still warm. If you do not do this, the residue can drip down to your cooking surface and onto your food.
You also have a lifetime warranty on the Primo Large Round Kamado Grill.
Primo Oval Jr 200
This grill could be better for some families depending on the size you want but no matter the size they still have lids that make it possible to cook large amounts of food at one time. Whether it’s baking or grilling. The Oval Jr allows you to do it all; it just has a little bit less cooking space than the other grills. This grill is a medium sized grill that allows all of the same benefits as the larger grills.
Even though this is the smallest grill they have available, it still can do so much more than a lot of other grills. For example, with this small grill, you can cook up to 15 steaks at once! This grill can still cater to larger parties but because of the size, it is easy to find a place for it when cooking and also when storing it.
This is an all-in-one grill that comes with its very own cradle which makes it easy to be wheeled to the location you would like the grill to be in along with where you would like to store it. This grill is easy to store due to the folding side shelves. The front wheels also have locks on them so when you start cooking, your grill will be safely put on the ground without worries of it moving around.
This is an easy-to-clean grill with reversible stainless steel cooking grates along with one of the highest sitting lids that is even available on the market. It is even very easy to use. By controlling the cast iron top vent, you are able to control the cooking temperature from 65-455 degrees which means that you and your family have an endless amount of cooking opportunities.
Here are some benefits when buying this grill:
- Easily readable thermometer
- 5 position stainless steel lower vent door
- Split and reversible cooking grids
- Made in the USA
- Offers the highest lifting lid on the market which makes it possible to cook things like turkeys and chickens
Some features to this grill include:
- Patented oval design
- FDA approved foldable shelves
- comes with a sturdy steel cradle with lockable wheels.
- Made from premium grade ceramic
- 2323 cm of cooking space
- Cooking grid 13.5’’ by 18.5’’
- Grills 8-15 steaks at once
- Built-in temperature gauge
Once again, these are good quality grills that are made to last a long time and give you good-tasting food at the same time. Because of their confidence in the work that they do, this product has a lifetime warranty.
Primo Accessories & Add-On’s
One of the good things about this company is that they offer many accessories to the very helpful and resourceful grills they already sell. For example, you are able to get ceramic heat deflector plates, countertop tables for a bigger cooking area, steel carts, and an instant-read probe thermometer.
All of these accessories are extremely helpful to the already beneficial grill because it gives you extra space, provides proper temperature checks to make sure the food is cooked well, and plates that help you stay safe and not burn yourself in the process.
Some other things that they offer are an all-electric grill and firelighter, heat deflector racks, cast iron griddles, primo ash tool, and primo pizza stone. These are all extra accessories to make your life easier, more enjoyable, and make your food taste good.
Primo Kamado Pros and Cons
Just like any company, there are going to be benefits and drawbacks to all that you buy, so below we are going to look at the pros and cons of Primo Kamado Grills so you can see what grill or accessories can be best for you.
Pros:
- Made in America
- Lifetime warranty
- The largest lid makes you able to cook all different types of food
- Better price point than competitors
Cons:
- Grills lack some of the bells and whistles compared to competitors
- Grill comes in a pretty basic configuration – upgrades are available but at some extra cost
Kamado grills are one of the most solid all around grill types, and Primo at the end of the day delivers a great product. Not only is Primo one of the only ceramic grill companies to offer a lifetime warranty backed by a 20-year guarantee. With a lot of companies, lifetime warranty depends on territory/province/state, not the company that is offering the warranty. Some territories or provinces believe a lifetime warranty can only be a few years, but with Primo Grills, you can be assured that your grill is under warranty for years to come. This can be a gift you pass down to your children.
Another great pro to using this grill is the high-quality premium-grade ceramics they use. Primo ceramic grills are made of a blend of natural materials to make the highest grade of ceramics possible for moisture retention and superior heat. With quality-controlled production processes and an unmatched firing temperature, because of this, Primos ceramic grills are more efficient than other ceramic grills. They use less fuel, they reach the desired temperature more quickly, and it helps you reduce your cooking time. That means you will be serving dinner early to your family when using this grill.
How Does Primo Stack Up to Kamado Joe and Big Green Egg?
How do Primo Grills compare to Kamado Joe and Big Green Egg?
Kamado Joe is known for having good, quality ceramic cookers. This also has a 2 zone cooking system with a patented slide-out ash drawer that makes things very easy when cleaning up with a Kamado Joe grill.
Kamado Joe grills also come with an airlift hinge which makes lifting and closing the lid very easy. Here are some benefits to using a Kamado Joe grill:
- Patented divide and conquer flexible cooking system with multi-levels and half racks that help maximize cooking space
- Self-activating stainless steel latch with a double thick wire
- Side shelves with a patented slide-out drawer design to keep things clean and organized
- Patented no-rust aluminum and rainproof control tower top vent that keeps airflow precise and consistent.
Kamado Joe is a great brand and a quality cooker – but at the end of the day they are much more expensive than Primo.
When you are comparing your Primo grill to a Big Green Egg, the only really big difference is not only the color but the shape. Even though they are both good grills and offer a lot of the same things, Primo has various additional features that allow you to improve versatility.
Big Green Egg is based in Atlanta and has built up a reputation for quality and customer service. Their ceramic kamado grills have traditional dome-shaped lids and flat bottoms so they can be set down anywhere you would like. This company also offers a lot of different accessories but everything is sold separately. Here are some pros and cons when it comes to the Big Green Egg:
Pros:
- Has an excellent reputation
- Flat and stable bottom
- Quality construction
- Wooden handle that stays cool to the touch no matter what temperature you are cooking with
Cons:
- Accessories are sold separately which can make things expensive when buying add-on’s for your grill
- It takes time to find the right temperature zone at first.
One of the biggest things that Primo has over Big Green Egg is all Primo products are produced in America while Big Green Egg manufacturers in Mexico. Primo also has a lift and lock lid system. That means the lid will stay in place when it is raised for grilling and searing. The lid also sits high enough to cook whole turkeys and chickens vertically so the heat will distribute evenly.
Primo Kamado Grill Review – Final Thoughts
If you are a regular griller then Primo has good grills for you. According to the price and everything the grill has to offer along with high recommendations, most people would be pleased and satisfied with one of these grills.
Primo kamado grills are sustainably made in America and it gives an excellent idea of how good American craftsmanship is. These grills are built to last many years. The ceramics come with a limited lifetime warranty along with a 20-year guarantee. The metal also has a 5-year warranty. For people looking to buy one of these grills and wanting answers to their questions.
The primo website has a user forum where other owners can solve problems and exchange ideas. Not only is the grill made in good condition, but the website offers a place for fellow cooks to exchange ideas!
