Control the temperature
The Kontrol Tower and the draft door
The two vents work together: the draft door lets air in, the Kontrol Tower lets it out. From the manual.
- Open the draft door further for more air and more heat.
- Turn the Kontrol Tower to its marks 1 to 4 to set the top opening; swing the cap aside to open it fully.
- Wait 10 to 15 minutes after each change.
- Creep up on the target: ceramic holds heat, so an overshoot is hard to bring down.
- To lower the temperature, close the vents.
More charcoal also means more heat. Kamado Joe gives no table of tower marks against temperature. For the draft door, a 2014 Kamado Joe video (Classic I) starts at about 2.5 cm open for 105 to 135 °C, half open for 160 to 230 °C and fully open above 260 °C.
Temperatures for each kind of cook
The manual's guide (2022 edition):
- Smoking: 105 to 135 °C (225 to 275 °F).
- Roasting: 150 to 230 °C (300 to 450 °F).
- Grilling: 205 to 315 °C (400 to 600 °F).
- Searing: 260 to 400 °C (500 to 750 °F).
- Baking: 150 to 400 °C (300 to 750 °F).
Kamado Joe's videos fill the firebox about 30% for a long low cook, and say "approach a temperature, you don't get to a temperature and then react". Never go above 398 °C (750 °F), the manual's ceiling.