Ceramic kamado or steel on these listings
Updated: 23 October 2026
You already want a kamado on the patio. The open question is the shell. On these amazon.co.uk listings, captured on 19 October 2026, the Char-Griller Akorn Jr E6714 is triple-wall alloy steel at 16.2 kg and £169.99, with 4.6 from 5,093 ratings. Ynni’s 23 inch ceramic is 95 kg at £810, with 4.5 from 7. Ceramic kamado or steel is that trade: a heat store you must not drop, or a body one person can move. The [kamado barbecue comparison](/hub/grills-and-barbecues/kamado-barbecue) holds the seven cards. We did not lab-cook.
You already want a kamado on the patio. The open question is the shell.
You already want a kamado on the patio. The open question is the shell. On these amazon.co.uk listings, captured on 19 October 2026, the Char-Griller Akorn Jr E6714 is triple-wall alloy steel at 16.2 kg and £169.99, with 4.6 from 5,093 ratings. Ynni’s 23 inch ceramic is 95 kg at £810, with 4.5 from 7. Ceramic kamado or steel is that trade: a heat store you must not drop, or a body one person can move. The kamado barbecue comparison holds the seven cards. We did not lab-cook.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Shell | Weight | Grate | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Char-Griller Char-Griller Akorn Jr | Triple-wall alloy steel | 16.2 kg, side handles | 155 sq in, about 1,000 cm² | 6.4 | about £169.99 | View offer |
 Ynni Ynni Kamado 23 inch | Ceramic | 95 kg | 1,982 cm², 50 cm grid | 7.1 | about £810 | View offer | |
| Alternative |  Relaxdays Relaxdays 26 cm kamado | Ceramic | 21.3 kg | 530.93 cm², about 26 cm | 4.3 | about £137.90 | View offer |
On this page
What the shell is doing
A kamado here is a lidded charcoal cooker with a bottom intake and a top exhaust. The shell changes how slowly temperature follows a vent, and whether one person can move it off the kerb. The Standard treats triple-insulated steel as lighter than ceramic, with a weaker claim on lifespan and insulation. Smokey Rebel calls the ceramic wall the heat store that delays a vent change, so a 16 kg Junior and a 95 kg egg can share two vents and still feel different. The black Akorn is 16.2 kg. Relaxdays is 21.3 kg. Goods Emporium prints about 75 kg in a bullet and 85 kg in the specification. Ynni is 95 kg, a pallet rather than a carry.
The steel Junior in this comparison
The steel here is two Char-Griller Akorn Jr listings, not a kettle. The black E6714 is alloy steel with triple-walled insulation in the bullet, £169.99, 4.6 from 5,093 ratings. One UK text describes a pork shoulder held low until the vents were shut and fuel remained. Only five of the first 50 texts are marked United Kingdom. A reviewer says it feels thinner than a ceramic egg. Ignore 20 watts and 12,000 BTU on a charcoal listing. The ash E86714 costs £232.40, which is £62.41 more, at 15 kg, with a heat gauge and dual dampers. The area field says 14 square inches against a 14 inch diameter. The review text matches the black Junior.
The ceramic eggs and how they fail
Relaxdays is ceramic and small: £137.90, about 26 cm, 21.3 kg, and 2.6 from 6 ratings. One UK review praises it. The other texts describe ceramic that arrived cracked, including a bowl said to have arrived broken twice. The warranty field is blank. Goods Emporium’s BBQ-KE21 is £589.99, £599.99, and £649.99 by colour, each a 21 inch ceramic with a stand and no star line. A drop can crack the shell, so delivery is kerbside for two or three people. Use 85 kg until the seller confirms the 75 kg bullet, and do not plan the grate from 0.27 m². Ynni’s TQ0C23GR is £810 and 95 kg, with 4.5 from 7 ratings. Bullets name a chip feeder and a trolley, but the included line says thermometer only. The 20 year ceramics line does not say a drop is replaced.
Which shell to buy
Buy the black E6714 if you will carry the cooker, or if you cannot name two people for delivery. Pay for the ash model only when you want the heat gauge. Buy ceramic when you want the heat store and you have help at the door. Relaxdays, at about 26 cm, is the wrong ceramic for a table. Lighter steel is the worse shell if you needed that heat store and can place 75–95 kg, and the better one if the egg would stay on the pallet. Size is next on what size kamado. Checks before you click sit in the kamado buying guide.
Common questions
Will steel hold a low temperature like ceramic?
A UK text on the black Akorn describes a pork cook held low, then vents closed so charcoal remained. Ceramic still has the heavier wall Smokey Rebel treats as a heat store. If the cook depends on that lag, take the 75–95 kg ceramic, and only if someone can move it.
Is the Akorn ceramic?
No. The E6714 field says alloy steel, and the bullet says triple-walled insulation. It weighs 16.2 kg, against about 75–95 kg on the large eggs here. A reviewer says the shell feels thinner than a ceramic egg. The ash E86714 is the same steel family, not ceramic in another colour.
Why do ceramic eggs crack before they are cooked on?
A drop or a bad lift splits thick ceramic on the pallet, before charcoal is lit. Relaxdays reviews describe cracks and a bowl that arrived broken twice. Goods Emporium warns that a drop can crack the shell. Ynni is 95 kg, and a UK review asks for lifting instructions. Photograph a split bowl before you build the stand.
Does a lifetime warranty replace a courier smash?
No sentence here says a courier smash is replaced. Ynni’s 20 year line does not mention a drop. Goods Emporium prints manufacturers standard with no term. Relaxdays leaves warranty blank. The black Junior prints two years. Big Green Egg UK excludes transport and drops, and those terms are not these rows. A cracked arrival is satisfactory quality under section 9. Take photos.
Which shell is easier to move?
The steel Junior. The black E6714 is 16.2 kg with side handles, and the ash listing prints 15 kg. Relaxdays is 21.3 kg, still a one-person carry, with a grate of about 26 cm. Goods Emporium is about 75 kg or 85 kg, for two or three people. Ynni is 95 kg, or 103 kg with cartons. A trolley does not remove the first lift off the pallet.
Do I lose the smoker and the oven if I buy steel?
No. Both shells are sold as a grill and a smoker, and every row uses charcoal under a lid. The shell changes heat storage and weight, not the fuel. You still want a bottom vent and a top vent. A dome gauge reads the lid, not the grate. Deflectors are absent from the included lists on both shells.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources on satisfactory quality, smoke, carbon monoxide and barbecue fire safety, plus buyer notes on kamado size and vent lag. Prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk lines saved on 19 October 2026. These listings are not scored as certified to BS EN 1860-1.
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- GOV.UK — smoke control area enforcement (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- GOV.UK — nuisance smoke (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- NHS — carbon monoxide poisoning (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- London Fire Brigade — BBQ safety (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- BSI — BS EN 1860-1:2024 solid-fuel barbecues (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- Smokey Rebel — kamado guide (retrieved 22.10.2026)
- Love2BBQ — kamado size guide (retrieved 22.10.2026)