13.5, 18 or 24 inches — the number that decides everything else
Kamado Joe sells three grills, and the difference that actually matters isn't the generation or the colour — it's the cooking surface. Joe Jr is 13.5 inches across (roughly 148 sq in). Classic Joe is 18 inches (around 254 sq in). Big Joe is 24 inches (around 450 sq in). Everything else — price, weight, how many ribs you can fit flat, whether it fits in a ute — follows from that one number.
Most people get this decision wrong in a specific direction: they buy for the party they hosted once, not the Tuesday-night dinner they'll actually cook a hundred times.
Joe Jr: 13.5 inches, and it's not a toy
The Joe Jr is a real kamado at a smaller scale — same ceramic shell, same airflow control, same ability to hold 110°C for eight hours or crank to 300°C for a sear. What changes is capacity, not capability. It ships on a stand rather than a wheeled cart, and at around 31 kg it's genuinely liftable into a car boot or ute tray.
148 square inches is enough for two spatchcocked chicken halves or a rack of ribs cut in two. It is not enough for a family of four's Sunday roast without careful positioning, and it will never hold a full brisket flat. Buy it as a portable second grill, a camping companion, or a first kamado for one or two people — not as the only grill for a house that regularly feeds a crowd.
Classic Joe: 18 inches, the one most people should actually buy
254 square inches handles a full brisket without folding it, four racks of ribs, or a whole chicken with room for vegetables alongside. It's the size Kamado Joe itself calls the all-rounder, and it's consistently the model both Kamado Joe's own sizing advice and independent reviewers land on as the default pick.
We stock two active versions. Series I is the original vent and hinge configuration. Series II adds the improved hinge and the divide-and-conquer cooking system — split, stacked cooking surfaces that let you run two zones (say, a low-and-slow shoulder on one level, direct heat for vegetables on the other) without one heat source compromising the other. If the price gap between them isn't large in the moment you're buying, Series II's hinge and zone flexibility are worth the difference for most cooks.
Where the Classic runs out of room: back-to-back packer briskets, competition-style multi-protein cooks, or feeding eight-plus people without cutting things in half to make them fit.
Big Joe: 24 inches, for the cook who keeps running out of grate
450 square inches is close to double the Classic's surface. Two full packer briskets side by side. Multiple racks of ribs laid flat instead of standing on end. Two temperature zones with enough room in each that they don't fight each other. This is the size that stops you from turning down a cooking project because there isn't physically room for it.
The trade-offs are real and worth saying plainly: it's heavier, it eats more charcoal per cook, and moving it once it's positioned is a two-person job. We stock Series I (BJ24RH) and Series II (BJ24RHC) — the same Series II hinge and divide-and-conquer upgrade that applies to the Classic applies here too, and at this size the extra zone flexibility earns its keep even more, since you're more likely to be running genuinely different cooks on each level.
The three sizes, side by side
| Joe Jr | Classic Joe | Big Joe | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cooking surface | 13.5" · ~148 sq in | 18" · ~254 sq in | 24" · ~450 sq in |
| Handles comfortably | 1–2 people, or a portable second grill | 4–6 people, a full brisket flat | 8+ people, two briskets or two zones |
| Portable | Yes — stand, not cart, ~31 kg | No — fixed cart setup | No — two-person move, minimum |
| Price from | $699 | $1,699 | $2,017 |
The mistake worth avoiding
Buying too small to save money is the more common error, because the extra capacity of a Classic or Big Joe feels unnecessary right up until the week you're smoking for a family gathering and discover your ribs don't fit flat. But buying too big has its own cost — more charcoal per cook, more ceramic to heat up for a single steak, and a grill that dominates a small patio for no practical benefit if you're cooking for two most nights.
If you're genuinely unsure, the Classic Joe is the safer default. It's the size Kamado Joe designs everything else around, the one with the deepest accessory range, and the one that most Australian backyards and most weekly cooking habits actually need.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Joe Jr big enough for a family of four?
It's tight. You can manage two spatchcocked chicken halves or a rack of ribs cut in half, but you'll feel constrained regularly. It works better as a portable second grill or a first kamado for one to two people than as a family's only grill.
What's the real difference between Series I and Series II?
Series II adds an improved hinge and the divide-and-conquer system — stacked, split cooking surfaces that let you run two temperature zones on one grill without them interfering with each other. Series I has the same ceramic core and heat retention; you're paying for hinge feel and zone flexibility, not fundamental cooking ability.
Should I buy the Classic or save up for the Big Joe?
If you cook for four to six people most weeks, the Classic's 254 square inches covers you without strain. Step up to the Big Joe only if you're routinely hitting the Classic's limits — splitting racks to fit them, or turning down cooking projects because there's no room.
Can the Joe Jr do everything the bigger models can?
Cooking-wise, yes — same ceramic construction, same temperature range from low-and-slow to searing heat. The only thing that changes with size is how much food fits on the grate at once.
Is a bigger kamado harder to use?
Not really — airflow control works the same way at every size. What changes is fuel use (more charcoal to heat more ceramic) and portability (the Big Joe is a two-person lift once it's off the truck).
Do all three sizes take the same accessories?
No — heat deflectors, grates, and soapstones are sized per model, so a Classic Joe accessory won't fit a Big Joe or Joe Jr. Check the model number before buying add-ons.