Kamado Joe vs Arteflame: Ceramic Kamado or Open Flat Top?

A Kamado Joe and an Arteflame both burn charcoal or wood, but they are built for different kinds of cooking. A Kamado Joe is a ceramic kamado: a thick-walled charcoal grill and smoker with a heavy ceramic dome that closes over the food. An Arteflame is an open fire in a steel bowl, with a thick flat-top cooktop ring around it and a grill grate over the flames. This page compares them honestly: what each one does best, how hot they get, how much they hold, what they cost and what their warranties cover.

Kamado Joe vs Arteflame at a glance

Kamado Joe details and prices are from kamadojoe.com as of September 2026 and may change.

The core difference: a closed ceramic cooker vs. an open fire

A Kamado Joe is built around its lid. The fire burns in a ceramic firebox, the heavy ceramic dome closes over the food, and the top and bottom vents meter the air. With the dome shut, the grill works like an oven: it holds a steady temperature for a long time, keeps moisture and smoke around the food, and can roast, bake or smoke as well as grill. Because the fire is enclosed, wind and cool evenings affect it less than an open fire.

An Arteflame has no hood. Everything cooks in the open, around the fire. The center grate sits right over the flames and reaches about 1,000°F, which is made for searing. The steel cooktop ring around it runs about 450–550°F near the fire and 250–350°F toward the outer edge. You sear a steak, fry eggs, cook vegetables and toast bread at the same time, and you can see everything while it cooks.

So a Kamado Joe is at its best with the lid closed: smoking, roasting and anything low and slow. An Arteflame is at its best with everything out in the open: high heat, many things at once, several cooks around one fire, and a fire pit afterwards.

Smoking and low-and-slow cooking

This is where a kamado shines. Kamado Joe lists a heat range starting at 225°F. The Series III grills include its SlōRoller® insert, which Kamado Joe says is engineered to slow cook at 150–300°F and turns the grill into a smoker. Ribs, brisket and pork shoulder that need hours of steady, smoky heat are what the Kamado Joe is designed for.

An Arteflame is not a smoker. It cooks open, so it is best for searing, grilling and flat-top cooking. Food cooked on and near the center grate does pick up smoke and char from the wood fire, but if low-and-slow barbecue is your main reason for buying a grill, a kamado is the better tool.

Searing and flat-top cooking

A Kamado Joe can run hot: Kamado Joe lists up to 750°F for its Classic Joe and Big Joe grills. Its Divide & Conquer® rack lets you put different surfaces at different heights, so you can sear on one side and cook more gently on the other. For flat-top cooking, Kamado Joe sells a half-moon cast iron reversible griddle and a half-moon soapstone slab, each covering half of the grate. We did not find a full-size flat-top ring on kamadojoe.com.

On an Arteflame the flat top is the main event and comes with the grill. The cooktop ring surrounds the fire, with the grill grate in the center, so eggs, smash burgers, fish, sliced vegetables and fried rice cook on the steel while a steak sears over the flames. Read what a plancha grill is and how to use the heat zones.

Cooking area and cooking for a group

Kamado Joe lists 150 square inches of cooking space for the Joe Jr., 250 for the 18″ Classic Joe and 450 for the 24″ Big Joe. Arteflame's ONE20 has more than 300 square inches of cooking surface, the ONE30 more than 700 and the 40″ models more than 1,250, including the center grate.

The layout matters as much as the numbers. On a kamado, one person usually cooks, and the dome is opened and closed to check the food. An Arteflame is round and open, so family and guests can stand around it and several people can cook at once. When the food is done, add a few logs and it becomes the fire everyone sits around.

Price, materials and warranty

On kamadojoe.com, the Joe Jr. costs $499.99, the Classic Joe I $999.99 and the Classic Joe III standalone $1,999.99. The Big Joe runs from $1,499.99 (Series I) to $3,299.99 (Series III with cart). Kamado Joe's warranty covers key ceramic parts for as long as the original purchaser owns the grill, key metal and cast iron parts for five years, and electronics, heat deflectors and pizza stones for three. You have to register the grill, and buying from an unauthorized dealer voids the warranty.

Arteflame costs $895 for the ONE20, $1,495 for the ONE30, from $1,995 for the 40″ Fire Pit with Cooktop and from $2,495 for the Classic 40″ grill. The cooktop and grate are included. The bowl is Corten steel, which weathers to a protective patina instead of needing paint, and the cooktop is solid carbon steel up to 1/2″ thick with no moving parts. Arteflame grills are made in Phoenix, Arizona, and carry a 3-year limited warranty against manufacturing defects.

Already own a Kamado Joe?

Arteflame does not make a Kamado Joe–specific flat-top kit. It makes two-piece kits for the Big Green Egg, each with a carbon steel griddle ring, a center grill grate and 3″ risers: an 18″ Ø kit for a BGE Large ($189) and a 24″ Ø kit for a BGE XL ($249).

Kamado Joe lists an 18″ cooking surface for the Classic Joe and a 24″ cooking surface for the Big Joe, so the sizes are close. But the kits are designed for the Egg, not for the Kamado Joe's Divide & Conquer rack, so Arteflame cannot promise a fit. If you want to try one, measure the diameter of your grate and the height under the dome first, and ask Arteflame before you order. See all griddle kits for Weber and Big Green Egg.

Which should you buy?

A Kamado Joe is the better fit if:

• You smoke ribs, brisket or pork shoulder and want steady low-and-slow heat for hours.
• You want to roast, bake and grill with the lid closed.
• You cook in wind or cool weather and want the fire enclosed.
• You cook mostly for a family and want a smaller footprint.

An Arteflame is the better fit if:

• You want a large flat top and a sear grate at about 1,000°F on one grill.
• You cook eggs, smash burgers, fish and vegetables alongside a steak, with everything ready at the same time.
• You cook for groups and like several people cooking around the fire.
• You want a fire pit and an outdoor centerpiece as well as a grill.

Still comparing? See all our comparisons, Big Green Egg vs Arteflame, Weber kettle vs Arteflame and how a fire pit with a cooktop works.

Frequently asked questions

Which is better for smoking, a Kamado Joe or an Arteflame?

A Kamado Joe. Its closed ceramic dome holds a steady low temperature for hours, and Kamado Joe lists a heat range starting at 225°F. An Arteflame cooks in the open, so it is best for searing, grilling and flat-top cooking. Food cooked near the wood fire does pick up smoke flavor.

How hot does a Kamado Joe get?

Kamado Joe lists a heat range of 225–750°F for its Joe Jr., Classic Joe and Big Joe grills, and 225–700°F for the 18-inch Konnected Joe.

How hot does an Arteflame get?

The center grate reaches about 1,000°F. The cooktop runs about 450–550°F near the inner edge and 250–350°F toward the outer edge, so you can sear and cook gentler food at the same time.

Does Kamado Joe make a flat-top griddle?

Kamado Joe sells a half-moon cast iron reversible griddle and a half-moon soapstone slab that each cover half of the grate. We did not find a full-size flat-top ring on kamadojoe.com. On an Arteflame, the flat-top ring and center grate come with the grill.

Will an Arteflame flat-top kit fit my Kamado Joe?

Arteflame does not make a Kamado Joe kit. Its Big Green Egg kits are 18 inches (for a BGE Large) and 24 inches (for a BGE XL) in diameter. Kamado Joe lists 18-inch and 24-inch cooking surfaces for the Classic Joe and Big Joe, but the kits are designed for the Egg, so measure your grate and ask Arteflame before ordering.

Do both use charcoal?

Yes. A Kamado Joe burns charcoal, with wood chunks for smoke. An Arteflame burns hardwood or lump charcoal.

Kamado Joe®, Divide & Conquer® and SlōRoller® are trademarks or registered trademarks of Premier Specialty Brands, LLC, doing business as Kamado Joe. Arteflame is not affiliated with Kamado Joe. Big Green Egg® is a registered trademark of Big Green Egg, Inc.