What Size Kamado Do I Need? Measure the Grate, Not the Label

Most people buy the kamado that fits the party they throw once a year. Then they light three kilos of coal for two steaks.

So, what size kamado do you need? Buy for the meal you cook most weeks, not the biggest one you might host. A 39 cm grate (our 18″) feeds four to six. A 47 cm grate (our 21″) feeds six to eight and is the size for families who host. Go to 50 cm or more (our 23″ and up) if you smoke whole briskets or regularly cook for ten or more.

And ignore the number on the label. Brands measure different things, so a “22-inch” from one maker can have the same grate as an “18-inch” from another. The grate diameter, in centimetres, is the only number that tells you what fits.

Below: the size chart, what actually fits on each grate, and how much space you need. If you already know your numbers, you can compare all six sizes side by side.

So, what size kamado do you need? The 30-second answer

Count the people you feed on an ordinary weekend, then pick the row that matches.

• 2–4 people, or a grill for a boat or a picnic: a 30 cm grate. That’s our 15″ Picnic, a table-top kamado.
• 4–6 people: 39 cm. Our 18″ Compact.
• 6–8 people, the family that hosts: 47 cm. Our 21″ Superior.
• 10–12 people, or whole briskets: 50 cm. Our 23″ Dreadnought.
• 12 or more: 55 cm. Our 25″ Emperor.
• Majlis-sized crowds of 20 or more: 59 cm. Our 27″ Enterprise.

Falling between two rows, say nine people? Round up.

One rule settles most arguments: buy one size up only if you cook for a crowd at least once a month. If the big gathering happens twice a year, cook it in two batches and enjoy a grill that heats up fast the other fifty weekends.

Kamado size chart: grate diameter, cooking area and who it feeds

Here are all six kamado sizes we make, measured where it matters. Cooking area is worked out from the grate diameter (πr²), so you can compare it directly with any other grill.

Size	Grate Ø	Cooking area	Feeds	Weight	Footprint (L×W)	Smoker chute
15″ Picnic	30 cm	≈ 710 cm²	2–4	37 kg	50 × 50 cm	—
18″ Compact	39 cm	≈ 1,190 cm²	4–6	65 kg	111 × 66 cm	—
21″ Superior	47 cm	≈ 1,730 cm²	6–8	83.5 kg	122 × 73 cm	—
23″ Dreadnought	50 cm	≈ 1,960 cm²	10–12	91.5 kg	128 × 80 cm	Yes
25″ Emperor	55 cm	≈ 2,380 cm²	12+	120 kg	144 × 88 cm	Yes
27″ Enterprise	59 cm	≈ 2,730 cm²	20+	150 kg	145 × 90 cm	Yes

Kamado size chart. Cooking area is the main grate only; raised racks add more. Footprints are measured with the side tables open; the 15″ is a table-top model with no side tables.

Look at how the area grows. Going from 39 cm to 47 cm adds almost half as much grate again. Going from 47 cm to 50 cm adds about 13%. That’s why the 21″ is such good value: it’s the biggest jump in usable space for the smallest step in weight and price.

Why the inch label lies: comparing kamado sizes across brands

There is no industry standard for what the inch figure on a kamado means. Some brands quote the grate, some the outside of the body, some the dome. So when you shop across brands, translate every grill into grate diameter first.

Grate size	Big Green Egg	Kamado Joe	Kamado Bono	Burnt Carbon
~30–34 cm	MiniMax / Small (~33 cm)	Joe Jr, “13.5-inch” (34 cm)	—	15″ (30 cm)
~46–47 cm	Large (46 cm)	Classic, “18-inch” (46 cm)	Media EVO “22-inch” (46 cm)	21″ (47 cm)
~52–55 cm	—	—	Grande EVO “25-inch” (52 cm)	25″ (55 cm)
~59–61 cm	XL (61 cm)	Big Joe, “24-inch” (61 cm)	—	27″ (59 cm)

Competitor sizes are taken from each maker’s own product pages and were checked on 13 October 2026: Big Green Egg, Kamado Joe and Kamado Bono UAE.

Read across a row and the labels stop making sense: a “22-inch”, an “18-inch” and our 21″ all cook on roughly the same 46–47 cm circle. None of that makes one brand better than another. It just means the inch figure is a model name, and the grate is the measurement.

So if a friend tells you their Big Green Egg Large is perfect for their family, the like-for-like grill is a 46–47 cm grate, whatever the label says.

Small kamados (30–39 cm): for couples, balconies and boats

Small kamados are brilliant at what they’re for: steaks for two, a spatchcocked chicken, a few skewers, cooked fast on very little coal. They heat up quickly, which you will appreciate at 7 pm in August.

Is a mini kamado worth it?

Yes, if you cook for a small household or need to move the grill. Our 15″ Picnic is a table-top kamado for a boat, a picnic or a small terrace, with the same ceramic and airflow as the big ones. The trade-offs are real, though. There’s less room to set up a hot side and a cool side, and “portable” is relative: it weighs 37 kg, so bring someone to help you carry it. Our coal comes in large pieces; on the 15″, break them into smaller fragments so they fit the firebox.

Before you plan balcony barbecues, check your building’s rules. Many towers in Dubai don’t allow open flames on balconies.

Is an 18-inch kamado big enough?

For four to six people, yes. The 18″ Compact has a 39 cm grate, side tables and wheels, and does everything the bigger ones do: zonal cooking, a reverse sear, a whole roast chicken. Where it runs out of room is a full brisket, or regularly feeding more than six. If either of those sounds like you, read the next section.

The family size (47 cm): room for the family and the guests

If you cook for a family and have people over most weekends, this is your size. The 21″ Superior feeds six to eight and is the quintessential family kamado: more than enough space for anything short of the largest brisket or a humongous turkey.

In practice, a 47 cm grate takes:

• two spatchcocked chickens side by side, or
• a dozen shish tawook skewers with vegetables alongside, or
• a lamb shoulder for matfoon on the low-and-slow setup, with room to spare.

It also gives two-zone cooking real room: coals banked on one side for searing, the other side indirect for finishing. That one trick covers most of what you’ll cook, from kebabs to whole fish.

It is light enough at 83.5 kg to roll around a terrace on its wheels, and its footprint with the side tables open (122 × 73 cm) fits most villa gardens and larger terraces.

See the 21″ Superior →

Big kamados (50–59 cm): briskets, gatherings and Friday feasts

Above 50 cm you’re buying capacity for long cooks and big tables. All three of our large sizes come with a smoker chute.

What size kamado for brisket?

A whole packer brisket is long, often 40–50 cm, so you want a grate of 50 cm or more to cook it without trimming it to fit. Our 23″ Dreadnought takes two full briskets and holds 120°C for eighteen hours. That’s what makes the 18-hour brisket work: dome at 125°C, one load of coal, all night. Beef ribs are easier: a rack fits any of our kamados from the 18″ up. A whole packer is where the 21″ starts to feel tight.

Feeding 20 or more: the 27″ Enterprise

The 25″ Emperor fits 24 burgers at once. The 27″ Enterprise takes 28 burgers or 13 whole chickens on a 59 cm grate, which is roughly what a family gathering in a majlis demands. Add a multi-level cooking system and you can run a hot zone and a cool zone on different levels at the same time.

Space, weight and delivery: will it fit your home?

Ceramic is heavy, so plan the spot before you plan the menu.

• Measure the footprint with the side tables open. From 111 × 66 cm for the 18″ to 145 × 90 cm for the 27″.
• Check the route in. The 27″ needs about 90 cm of clear access from the gate to where it will live.
• Wheels and side tables come on every size from the 18″ up. The 15″ is a table-top model with no wheels or side tables.
• Keep clear of walls, overhangs and anything that burns. And check your building or community rules before you settle on a balcony.
• Think about shade. In a UAE summer a spot that gets afternoon shade is a nicer place to cook, and to stand.

You don’t have to lift any of it. We deliver free to all seven emirates on every grill, with assembly arranged. See how delivery works.

Bigger isn’t free: charcoal, heat-up time and price

A bigger kamado has a bigger firebox. To run it at full heat you need more coal, and it takes longer to come up to temperature. For a weeknight steak on a large kamado, you can light a small pile in the centre instead of filling the firebox, but you’re still heating more stone. In summer that matters: on a small grill you light, cook and go back inside sooner.

Price follows size too. Our kamados start from:

Size	From
15″	AED 1,500
18″	AED 2,600
21″	AED 3,300
23″	AED 4,590
25″	AED 5,050
27″	AED 8,435

Starting prices in October 2026. Glaze and finish change the price; see the range for live prices and stock.

The step from the 25″ to the 27″ is the biggest. Unless you regularly cook for 20 or more, the 25″ gives you most of the capacity for considerably less.

Three questions to decide in under a minute

1. How many people do you cook for in an ordinary week? That sets your size. Use the 30-second answer above.
2. Do you smoke whole packer briskets? If yes, go to 50 cm or more. Lamb shoulders and ribs fit from the 18″ up.
3. Where will it live: a balcony, a terrace or a garden? That sets your ceiling. Measure the footprint and the route in.

If your answers point to two different sizes, choose the bigger one only when the reason is something you’ll cook every month.

The right size is the one you’ll light on a Tuesday

What size kamado do you need? The one you’ll actually use. Match the grate to your ordinary week, size up for briskets or big monthly gatherings, and make sure it fits the space and the route to get it there. For a family of four to six that’s the 39 cm 18″; for families who host, the 47 cm 21″; for majlis-sized gatherings, much bigger.

We make kamados in six sizes, so of course we’d like you to buy one. This guide is here to tell you when the smaller, cheaper one is the right call.

Compare all six sizes side by side →

Still torn between two? Send us a photo of your space and we’ll tell you honestly which one fits.

Questions people ask

What size kamado do I need for a family of four?

Our 18″ Compact, with a 39 cm grate, feeds four to six, so it covers a family of four's everyday cooking. If you have guests over most weekends, step up to the 21″ Superior (47 cm), which feeds six to eight and leaves more room for two-zone cooking.

Is an 18-inch kamado big enough?

For four to six people, yes. Our 18″ has a 39 cm grate that handles zonal cooking, a reverse sear and a whole chicken. It gets tight for a full brisket or for feeding more than six. If you host bigger groups often, look at 47 cm or more.

What size kamado for brisket?

A whole packer brisket needs length, so aim for a grate of 50 cm or more. Our 23″ Dreadnought takes two full briskets and holds 120°C for eighteen hours. You can trim a brisket to fit a 47 cm grate, but you will be fighting the edges.

Is a mini kamado worth it?

It is if you cook for a small household of two to four, or need to move it. You get real kamado heat in a table-top body. The trade-off is less room for two-zone cooking, and our 15″ still weighs 37 kg, so portable means two people.

Big Green Egg Large vs XL, which Burnt Carbon size is equivalent?

Big Green Egg lists the Large with a 46 cm grid and the XL with 61 cm. By grate, our 21″ (47 cm) is closest to the Large and our 27″ (59 cm) to the XL. Compare grate diameters, not model names. Sizes checked 13 October 2026.

Kamado Joe Classic or Big Joe, what is the difference in size?

The Classic is an 18-inch (46 cm) grill and the Big Joe a 24-inch (61 cm). Kamado Joe pitches the Classic at two to five people and the Big Joe at large groups. The closest Burnt Carbon equivalents by grate are our 21″ and 27″.

Does a bigger kamado use more charcoal?

Yes. A bigger firebox takes a bigger bed of coal and longer to come up to temperature. For a weeknight steak on a large kamado, light a small pile in the centre instead of filling the box. Ceramic is efficient, but you are still heating more stone.