The Kamado Joe Classic III (ASIN: B082JGXJ63) is a premium 18-inch ceramic kamado grill available on Amazon.ca for $1,999 CAD. With the Divide and Conquer multi-level cooking system, SloRoller smoke chamber, and Air Lift hinge, it represents the pinnacle of charcoal cooking at the consumer level.
5 mentions · 3 threadslast mention Mar 2026
Real comments from Reddit, linked to the original thread. Nothing paraphrased.
Honestly a Classic 1 with two upgrades is good enough. You can get a Classic 1 for $600.00 now and in a few months depending on tariffs it could get as low as $500.00 (Walmart). **Two ... let me repeat that two classic 1s are cheaper than a single Classic 3 and usually about the same price as a one Big Joe 1.** Just think about how you will have two grills with interchangeable parts.
Classic, yes but challenging. Big Joe, I don't see it being possible alone. The big Joe is absolutely massive and even with two people it was difficult
Put mine together last Monday. Did about a 4 hour burn in at 400 degrees, then cooked some Salmon. Turned out good. Had no issues in managing the temperature, guess those years on a Weber Kettle were worth it.
I got the III. I like the stand, and the slo roller for brisket and pulled pork. I bought it since it didn't break the bank for me but by all mean don't think it's necessary. Actually cooking double indirect uses more coals and that bill starts to add up just in case no one mentions it
I started with ribs, what they are good for is holding temperature at whatever you want
Real owner discussion of the Kamado Joe Classic III is genuinely positive on the core cooking experience — reliable temperature control and strong performance holding steady heat for ribs and low-and-slow cooks, with no quality or seal complaints among the mentions found. The recurring pushback is about value, not performance: several owners point out that two Classic I units (with upgrades) can cost about the same as one Classic III, giving you two grills with interchangeable parts instead of one. Fuel costs also add up faster in double-indirect Divide & Conquer setups. A strong buy if you specifically want the Divide & Conquer system and slo-roller in one grill; budget-conscious buyers should seriously compare the two-Classic-I alternative first.
