The top controller kamado is the cast iron vent that sits on top of the shell of your Grill Bill. With it you decide how much air flows through your barbecue, and therefore how hot the fire burns. Together with the bottom vent, you fine-tune the temperature to the degree: wide open for searing, almost closed for a long session at a low temperature. Finished in matte black, with the Grill Bill logo cast into the metal.
Why you need a top controller kamado
On a ceramic barbecue, you don't turn a dial to change the temperature. You control it with oxygen: more air means a hotter fire, less air means a calmer fire. The vent at the top is where the hot air and smoke leave your kamado, and that's exactly where you can fine-tune in small steps. If you only adjust the bottom vent, the temperature jumps significantly with every change. With top and bottom together, you keep an eight-hour session steady.
- Solid cast iron, matte black finish, logo cast into the metal
- Fine steps instead of big temperature jumps
- Wide open for searing at high temperatures
- Almost closed for long sessions at low temperatures
- Direct replacement if the original is worn or damaged
- Cast iron keeps running smoothly outdoors, even after years
How to set it
Start with both vents wide open to get the fire going. Once you're around fifty degrees below your target temperature, pull back the bottom vent and use the top for the final corrections. Wait a quarter of an hour after each change before adjusting again: ceramic reacts slowly, and correcting too fast makes you overshoot every time.
Maintenance
Wipe the vent clean now and then so ash and grease buildup don't block the movement. A thin layer of cooking oil on the cast iron keeps it moving smoothly and protects against rust.
Check out the further kamado accessories to expand your setup, a bbq thermometer to track your session, or the rib rack if you mainly run long sessions with ribs.
