Advice for beginners

The Kamado Bono grill consists of:

• the body, which contains two vents, and a thermometer;

• a firebox, a fire ring and an ash grate;

• the cooking system: rack, grate, cross, deflector;

• the larger models have a stand with wheels, side trays and ash cleaning systems.

Dual-Zone Manual

• Only natural charcoal can be used in Kamado Bono grills.

• Firewood, compressed charcoal briquettes or other fuels are not suitable for these grills.

• Dry fire starters, electric fire starters are suitable for igniting the charcoal.

• The use of flammable liquids is prohibited.

• Remaining charcoal after cooking do not need to be removed.

If both vents are closed, the coals will cool down and will be suitable for use for the next cooking session.

• Add some charcoal to the firebox. For very long grilling sessions or very high temperatures, use more coals, for short grilling sessions, less will do.

• The firebox is full of coals when the coals take up about 80% of the firebox.

• Open both vents fully.

• Light the coals with an electric fire starter or by placing an ignited dry fire starter on the coals.

• When the coals start to burn, close the lid of the grill and monitor the temperature so that you can stop the temperature rising in time.

• The temperature of Kamado Bono grills is regulated by means of vents.

• The opening of the bottom vent has the greatest influence on the temperature rise.

• When you see the thermometer reading approaching your target temperature (10-20 degrees remaining), close the bottom vent partially.

• When the target temperature has been reached, also close the top vent partially.

• If you need to raise the temperature during cooking, open both vents wider.

Achieving a high temperature

It is rare, but sometimes necessary to reach extremely high temperatures (over 300 degrees) in the grill, for example when cooking pizzas. In this case, first remove all old charcoal and ash from the grill. Make sure that the air permeability is good: the firebox opening is facing the lower vent, the ash grate is in place and the upper vent opens smoothly. Fill the firebox with new coarse charcoal. Add plenty of coals, up to the fire ring. Light the coals with an electric fire starter or dry fire starters and close the lid of the grill when they are lit.

NOTE! Make sure that both vents are fully open. If you plan to cook pizzas, wait until the grill thermometer reads about 250 degrees and then insert the two-zone cooking system: grates in the upper position, with the deflectors on top, then the metal cross and pizza stone. Close the lid and wait until the target temperature is reached.

If the temperature does not rise

There may be several reasons. The grill or the coals may be saturated with moisture. If the grill has not been used for a while and has been in the open air, it is better not to start with cooking pizzas. If the ceramics are saturated with moisture, it will take time to evaporate the moisture by slowly heating the grill. The coal for use should also be stored in a dry, indoor environment, and the residue at the bottom of the bag, which is mostly small pieces, should not be used. There are also occasional malfunctions of the grill thermometer, where it is really hot inside and the pointer does not move. Checking that the thermometer is working properly is easy: unscrew and remove the thermometer from the grill. Boil water and insert the thermometer probe into the boiling water, if the pointer does not rise to 100 degrees, the thermometer needs to be replaced.

REMINDER: after cooking at very high temperatures, as the grill cools down, the screws of the grill should be tightened periodically (put simply, metal and ceramics “move” so remember to tighten the holding parts of the grill from time to time).

Maintaining a low temperature

If you want to keep the grill at the extremely low temperature of 80-100 degrees that is usually required for hot smoking, you should first pay attention to the charcoal content and calorific value. It is best to use old charcoal left over from a previous grilling session as it will be less hot. The amount of coals in the firebox should be small (they should not reach the holes in the firebox). Once the coals are lit, immediately place the cooking system with the deflectors in the lower position, close the lid of the grill and wait until the grill thermometer reads about 60 degrees, close the vents firmly and wait until the target temperature is reached. If you need to add smoking chunks, briefly remove the entire two-zone cooking system, arrange the chunks on the coals and put everything back together. Avoid opening the lid of the grill when cooking at extremely low temperatures, as additional oxygen will only increase the temperature of the coals.

Temperature accuracy

If you are using a digital meat thermometer that also has a probe to measure the temperature of the grates, you will notice that the temperature of the grates differs from the thermometer on the body of the grill. This does not mean that one of your thermometers is broken. The thermometer on the body is more indicative and is located much higher from the heat source than the grates, so it may read a lower temperature. In addition, when the lid of the grill is opened, the thermometer receives cold air, which changes the reading again. So if you want to know exactly what the temperature is on the grates, use a digital probe thermometer. But for normal cooking, the thermometer on the body is sufficient to know the indicative temperature of the grill. Without removing the lid and using a probe thermometer, you will find that over time the temperatures on the two thermometers practically become even.

Thermometer readings for an unheated grill

Never judge whether a thermometer is working well by what it reads when the grill is not heated. If it is +20 degrees outside, the grill thermometer may read twice as high if it is in the sun, or slightly lower if it is in the shade all the time. Remember that the thermometer is indicating the temperature under the lid of the grill at that moment, not in your backyard, so fire up the grill, grill away and don’t worry.

The Kamado Bono grill should not be fully cleaned before each cooking session, but when it shows heavy grease drippings on the fire ring, deflectors, firebox and when the grill is more sooty than usual.

Full cleaning of the grill:

• Remove the old charcoal and ash from the grill (including behind the firebox, where some ash has accumulated over time), clean the inside of the grill with a wire brush, remove any loose dirt and put the internals (the firebox, the ash grate and the fire ring) back in place.

• Refill the grill with new coals, start the fire and let it heat up to 200 degrees, then put in the two-zone cooking system (with the deflector with the dirty side facing the coals) and let the temperature rise to 280-300 degrees (maximum), maintain this temperature for 20 minutes and close the bottom vent. After another 15-20 min, close the upper vent.

• Once the grill has cooled down, if there is any residual dirt, clean it with a wire brush.

How to clean the grill – VIDEO

• This is a cooking method where the food is cooked over an open fire.

• This is the most common cooking method for beef steaks (up to 5 cm thick), various steaks, hamburger patties, shish kebabs, etc.

• Direct heat is also used for frying scrambled eggs, potato or flour pancakes, paella, etc. in frying pans or griddles.

• The indirect cooking function is best suited for larger cuts of poultry and meat, as they require more time to prepare.

• For this type of cooking, choose thicker cuts of meat (5 cm or more) or cuts with a bone, such as chicken parts, ribs.

• Slow-roasting involves placing a deflector between the food to be cooked and the coals to protect the food from the open flame. The food cooks thanks to the heated air current and the heat retained by the walls and lid of the Kamado BONO grill.

• If you are cooking at up to 140 degrees, place the deflectors in the lower position, if you are cooking at higher temperatures, place the deflectors in the upper position.

The Kamado Bono grill is also a smoker.

Hot smoking:

• For hot smoking, we recommend the use of smoking chunks.

• Start the grill, stop the temperature rise 10-20 degrees before your target temperature (for hot smoking, the temperature ranges from 70 to 120 degrees depending on the dish).

• Place a few smoking chunks on the coals in different places.

• When hot smoking, use a thermometer to measure the internal temperature of the food so that you know when your product has reached the optimum internal temperature.

The Kamado Bono grill is a multifunctional unit. It is also a smoker.

• Ideal conditions for cold smoking are when the temperature outside is positive, not exceeding 8 degrees;

• For cold smoking, a smoking coil is used (the Texas Club coil we recommend is suitable for all Kamado Bono sizes from Minimo to Grande Limited);

• Wood dust is used to fill the spiral (different types of dust, with different intensity of aroma, colouring of the meat and burning time).

• When preparing the grill for cold smoking, remove all charcoal and ash, place the dust-filled spiral in the bottom of the firebox and light it (most conveniently with a tea light).

• During cold smoking, the vents of the grill must be opened very minimally.

• It is recommended to use a deflector to prevent dust from going out by the dripping meat.

• We recommend that the second-level grates be covered with foil to create a condensation canopy over the smoked product (this is particularly important when the outside temperature is low).

• Smoking time:

• For cooked products (meat, poultry, cheese, butter, nuts, etc.) 4-8 hours is sufficient.

• The more moisture in the meat, the longer the smoking time. Salt used in the preparation process helps to remove moisture.

• For many products, a weight loss of up to 30% is perfectly normal.

• If the product is properly prepared, 12-24 hours of smoking is sufficient, but if you are confident in the preparation of the meat (using preservatives, nitrite salts) you can extend the process considerably, resulting in a more pronounced and richer flavour.

Baking stone

• The baking stone is essential for the Kamado Bono grill to bake like an oven, e.g. pizzas, cakes, kugels, muffins, etc.

• The baking stone MUST NOT be greased with anything, and it is important to place pizzas or other baked goods that are placed directly on the stone only after the stone has been heated.

• The baking stone MUST NOT be washed. If it gets wet, there is a very high probability that it will crack the next time it is used. If there is dirt on the stone, it can be gently removed with a dry sponge or wire brush. The next time you bake, place the stone with the dirt on the bottom.

• The baking stone and the deflector are used together and do not replace each other. When baking a pizza, the deflector should be placed on the grates, then the cross and then the baking stone. For pudding, cakes and other baked goods, the deflector should be placed in the upper position on the cross and the cooking stone on the grates.

Food thermometer:

• The instant food thermometer is used for cooking over direct heat, e.g. steaks, burgers, skewers. We recommend the INKBird electronic instant read thermometer, which gives a very accurate and fast temperature reading.

• Probe thermometers are used for cooking on indirect heat and hot smoking. The thermometer probes are inserted into the meat and left in place throughout the process. The temperature is displayed both on the thermometer screen and on the mobile phone app.

• We recommend the INKBird 4-probe smart thermometer.

Cast iron grates and plate:

• The cast iron grates and plate are only used for cooking on direct heat in cases where you want the food to crisp up immediately when placed on the grates.

• The most common uses are steaks, hamburger patties, seafood.

• Pancakes, eggs, small vegetables, etc. can also be cooked on the plate.

Also, every griller should have the following accessories:

• Heat-resistant gloves for hand safety;

• A wire brush – to scrub the grates after each grilling;

• Tongs and spatula for easy turning, placing and removing of grilled food.

If you intend to cook soups, stews or plov in your Kamado Bono grill, buy a kazan or enamelled cast iron pot.

We recommend the ready-to-use, polished Uzbek Namagan Texas Club kazan and/or Grand Feu enamelled cast iron pot.