Are kamado barbecues worth it? This one perfected seared prawns and a Sunday roast

There's a particular kind of confidence that comes from cooking over real charcoal, and the Barbequick 21" Steel Kamado Charcoal Grill has it in spades. Kamados have had something of a moment over the last few years, prized by serious outdoor cooks for their ability to hold a rock-steady temperature and turn out everything from a perfectly seared steak to a low-and-slow roast, all from the same egg-shaped shell.

If you've been eyeing up a step up from a standard kettle grill, or you've tried Lidl's Kamado and want something more substantial, this is where you'll be looking. The Barbequick sits in a sweet spot of kamado cooking without the price tag (or bulk) of some of the bigger ceramic models, making it a sensible entry point if you want to see what all the fuss is about.

To find out how it performs in real back gardens, we sent one out to one of our trusted testers, Eilis and her husband, Bob, who spent a weekend putting it through its paces. She loved how it transformed her outdoor space into a proper outdoor kitchen. Here's what they found.

Barbequick 21" Steel Kamado Charcoal Grill review

• Dome Size: 21 inches
• Cooking Grate Diameter: 19.25 inches
• Overall Dimensions: 124 cm (H) x 63 cm (W) x 117 cm (D)
• Material: Double-walled steel with a ceramic fibre insulation core (porcelain-enamelled finish)
• Included Accessories: Ceramic heat deflector, folding side tables with utensil hooks
• Design/Base: Sturdy three-leg base with wheels, built-in ash collection container, and adjustable airflow vents
• Cooking Capabilities: Grilling, smoking, roasting, baking, and searing

Unboxing the Barbequick 21" Steel Kamado Charcoal Grill

The Barbequick arrived when Eilis was home alone. As a heavy, kettle barbecue, she wasn't quite sure what to do, but was grateful for a helpful delivery driver who carried the box to her door. This isn't always guaranteed, so it's worth making sure you have a strong team on hand for delivery. Their first impression of the Barbequick 21" Steel Kamado Charcoal Grill was a good one: everything was packed carefully enough that nothing had shifted or scuffed in transit.

Assembly took around 40 minutes, which for a piece of kit this substantial is respectable. Compared to other styles of barbecues, it's lengthy, but when we've tested other Kamado-style grills, they've taken a similar amount of time.

Eilis and Bob found the instructions clear enough that they didn't need to double back on any step, although they did recommend "having a spare pair of hands and your toolkit ready, because assembly is a lot easier when there's more of you.". Their one gripe is that while an Allen key came in the box, a small spanner would have made tightening the nuts considerably less fiddly. A minor niggle in an otherwise smooth build.

Who would the Barbequick 21" Steel Kamado Charcoal Grill suit?

• Anyone upgrading from a basic charcoal kettle who wants more cooking versatility
• Those who want to roast, not just grill; the heat deflector effectively turns this into an outdoor oven
• Cooks who don't mind a slightly longer assembly and a learning curve on temperature control, in exchange for better flavour

Eilis and Bob were clear that the Barbequick 21" Steel Kamado Charcoal Grill isn't a "unbox and cook in five minutes" kind of BBQ, but for anyone willing to put in a little effort up front, it earns its keep. It suits people who see barbecuing as a proper cooking method rather than just a summer novelty, and who like the idea of one grill doing double duty as a roasting oven.

What is the Barbequick 21" Steel Kamado Charcoal Grill like to use?

The proof is always in the cooking with barbecues and it's where the Barbequick really won Eilis and Bob over. They described it as "good-looking and solidly made, with a design that felt built to last rather than flimsy". It made a nice-looking addition to her back patio and they noted "the barbecue feels like it makes more of our outdoor space. I've always enjoyed being in our garden and I love the style of it for relaxing, but having this in place made it more like having an outdoor kitchen too." She puts that down to the versatility offered up by the Barbequick, not just the presence of a barbecue. The real appeal, though, is its versatility: direct heat for classic barbecuing, or the heat deflector for a gentler, oven-like roast.

On the direct heat side, Bob and Eilis barbecued sardines and prawns, both of which cooked evenly and quickly, the sardines came out a little overdone, but by their own admission that was down to timing rather than the grill. The prawns, on the other hand, turned out very well. "We had a feast on the first night of cooking. We were so excited to try different recipes," they add, "and I've carried on experimenting with different al fresco style dinners that suit grilling and smoking - I'm really getting the hang of it."

The bigger test came with a spatchcocked chicken, roasted using the heat deflector. Eilis and Bob were impressed by how quickly and evenly it cooked, coming out tender with a depth of flavour they felt gas BBQs simply can't match. "We love to cook, so being able to get such a juicy, tender chicken was a treat for me. We can see why more impatient, basic barbecuers might be frustrated by this style, but definitely not us . It opens up a whole world of cooking." They roasted potatoes alongside it, proving you can put together a full meal without any real difficulty.

Clean-up was straightforward, which matters more than people think with charcoal grills. The only real adjustment period, Eilis and Bob noted, is getting a feel for temperature control; it's not instant like a gas dial, and takes a bit of practice to read. "What we love about a kamado is that it's not just a barbecue, it's an oven, a smoker and a grill in one. The double walls hold the heat in so beautifully that once it's up to temperature, it barely needs any fuss. Pop the deflector in and you're roasting a chicken as gently as you would in the kitchen; take it out and you've got fierce, direct heat for a proper sear. I've never had a single appliance do so much." Of course, this understanding takes a lot of hands on practice, but Eilis and Bob are confident that they're getting a good grip on it, after over one month of testing.

Should you buy the Barbequick 21" Steel Kamado Charcoal Grill?

Between Eilis and Bob's testing and the design itself, this is a BBQ that rewards a bit of patience. The assembly and temperature control both ask a little more of you than a basic gas grill, but what you get back is real charcoal flavour and genuine cooking versatility, from seared prawns to a full roast dinner with all the trimmings. Eilis and Bob's verdict was overall very positive, and it's easy to see why: this is a grill for people who want to actually get into barbecuing as a craft, not just fire something up for ten minutes on a bank holiday.

How we test barbecues

The Barbequick 21" Steel Kamado Charcoal Grill was reviewed by Eilis and Bob, who are part of our tester network. Here's a little more about why they're the perfect people for the job...