Kamado grills are cropping up in all the most stylish gardens, including plenty of the displays at this year's Chelsea Flower Show. The LANDMANN Mini Charcoal BBQ Kamado is a certified dupe of more expensive egg-shaped alternatives, meaning that for an RRP of £169.00, you can get the look for a fraction of the price.
But how does it actually perform in outdoor cooking? I put it to the test to see if it can rival the best BBQs out there in terms of quality as well as value - namely to see if it stands up against the original Big Green Egg Minimax BBQ, which our expert reviewer Helen was obsessed with.
The LANDMANN Kamado is pint-sized compared to the original absolutely mammoth Big Green Egg models, with dimensions of 48.5 x 44 x 57 centimetres. Though it's small, it's still marketed as able to be used as a BBQ, slow cooker and smoker. If you're still unsure on the merits of a Kamado grill as opposed to one of the best gas BBQs, you can read our explainer on what a kamado grill is for the lowdown.
LANDMANN GrillChef Mini Kamado BBQ specs
- Fuel type: charcoal
- Materials: ceramic
- Dimensions: 48.5 x 44 x 57 cm
- Cooking area dimensions: 27cm diameter
- Weight: 20.26kg
Who tested this BBQ?
Unboxing, setting up and first impressions
The Landmann Mini Kamado is the perfect size for small households - even its box has a small footprint. Arriving in a compact cardboard box, it was a breeze to set up this BBQ, taking just 25 minutes from start to finish.
In the box, you'll find the egg element of the GrillChef already assembled and wrapped in plastic to ensure its safe journey. On top of that, there's the element for the stand (which you just need to bolt together) and the handle that you need to secure on.
All that's left to do then is to place the ceramic pot inside and the metal grill. Though I wouldn't say that this Kamado is the most portable choice for beach trips or park BBQs, it is a lot lighter (20.26kg) than the smallest Big Green Egg offering the Minimax, which weighs a huge 40kg.
I was incredibly impressed by the look of the GrillChef Mini Kamado once I had it assembled. The main body feels high-quality, alongside the inner parts and finishing touches (the wooden handle and temperature gauge). I liked the stand too, which suited where I wanted to set it up just fine.
If you're hosting a big BBQ or family occasion, however, I've got a feeling that this mini Landmann offering isn't quite going to cut it. The brand does sell an alternative large version, available on Amazon for £699.99, which is still a relative bargain considering the RRP of pricier similarly-sized models.
Cooking on the LANDMANN GrillChef Mini Kamado BBQ
It can be a nightmare sometimes to get a charcoal BBQ going, which is why I went for the easy option of an Instant Light bag, which meant that all I needed to do was chuck in the bag, light the corners and let the rest happen without a fuss. Once the fire was lit I opened both vents on the BBQ (there's one on the top and another on the bottom) in order to promote airflow.
The temperature rose really quickly inside the BBQ. The thermometer reads both Fahrenheit and degrees Celsius and enables you to know how the pre-heating process is going without disrupting what's going on inside.
Once the preheating was done I began cooking with one of the ultimate BBQ foods, beef burgers. I started off with two patties, thinking that the grill could only hold that many. It became clear soon after that I could fit more on (even if they took a little longer to cook), so I squeezed four onto the space.
I closed the lid for five minutes on each side and added cheese right at the end, which took just a couple of minutes to melt. They were cooked fantastically, and the grill was still piping hot for the next test after they were done.
Next, I moved on to cooking halloumi skewers and pesto-filled mushrooms. I overfilled the area at first as I've been used to testing BBQs a little bigger than this.
I decided to re-strategize and cooked the halloumi skewers on their own which took a few minutes. I had to be careful not to let these stick, as the grill was so hot that there was a tendency for them to come away from the bamboo sticks.
Under a careful eye, they came out excellently, and I moved on to the portobello mushrooms. I grilled them without the foil to begin with, and then added pesto, garlic and olive oil, wrapped them up in foil and set them on the BBQ for 10 minutes.
The last thing I cooked was chicken wing skewers. I let these cook for 10 minutes on each side with the lid down before adding a drizzle and seasoning mix and letting that settle for another 5 minutes. I used an infrared thermometer to be doubly sure that the chicken was cooked through for this test.
These were by far the most delicious thing I've ever cooked on a BBQ (and I've tested a fair few at this point), with the smokiness from the Kamado adding so much to the flavour. Even after this quite lengthy cooking process, the Kamado was still smoking hot. That's good news for outdoor dinner parties, or if you're keen to get back to the BBQ for an after-dinner snack - you could even get inventive with a BBQ dessert if you were feeling adventurous.
Cleaning and maintenance
I left the LANDMANN GrillChef Mini Kamado BBQ to cool down overnight, as even when it was time to go to bed there was still some heat coming off of the grill - one thing I've learnt when it comes to how to clean a BBQ is that you need to have patience.
As with all charcoal barbecues, there wasn't too much maintenance to be done with this grill, but the next time it's in use you should rake over the coals so that they fall into the lower part of the Kamado, and you can remove them and start afresh.
How does it compare to similar BBQs?
This is by far the least expensive Kamado we've found or tested at Ideal Home so far, but if you want the real deal, you'll have to shell out up to £795 for the Big Green Egg MiniMax. When our expert reviewer Helen tried it, she said it was 'a great gateway into the world of egg cooking' and she loved the high-quality feel.
If you are looking for a bigger, higher-end egg-shaped BBQ, then the MiniMax is 'big enough to cook joints of meat and get to grips with this style of cooking for 2-4 people', meaning it might be more of a comfortable fit than this LANDMANN option.
The other more budget Kamado-style grill that we've tried is the Tower Kamado Maxi Charcoal BBQ, which comes in at around £400. Our reviewer found it to be a 'great buy for anyone searching for a smart egg-style barbecue to fit in their smaller outdoor space.' It comes with a waterproof cover too. If you're looking for a mid-range mini egg, it's also a great choice.
Should you buy the LANDMANN GrillChef Mini Kamado BBQ?
This BBQ is a total bargain and for the price, I'd recommend anyone looking for a smaller Kamado-style BBQ on a budget to invest. It is pretty small, with 4 burgers max at a time, but if you only have a few people to cater to then it'll suffice. The setup time is minimal and the cooking on this BBQ is great, with the vents making it really versatile for all different types of foods.
If you have a little more to spend, or enough to spend on a Big Green Egg, then you might want to opt for one of those, as you'll get more space and potentially a little more style for your money. But if it's an affordable option you're after, you won't be disappointed with this LANDMANN version.
