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How Long for Kamado Joe to Cool Down?
It can take more than an hour or two to fully cool down a Kamado Joe. Though properly cooling it down will go a long way toward maximizing its lifespan and performance.
This starts with completely sealing the bottom damper to suffocate the airflow and prevent oxygen from feeding combustion in the burning coals.
All the while the top damper should be opened to let heat out, and the gasket on the lid remains firmly latched.
After 30 minutes or so, the temperature on the dome thermometer should be below 400 degrees.
When it reaches this point, you can move the top damper to the smallest setting to fully starve the oxygen supply.
In another 30 to 60 minutes, the dome of the Kamado Joe should be cool enough to the touch. You can then release the latch on the lid and cover it.
How Do You Cool Down A Kamado Joe After Cooking?
Cooling down a Kamado Joe starts with completely sealing the bottom damper vent to starve the burning embers of fresh air and latching the top lid.
Make sure the upper damper is set to wide open to let as much heat out as possible.
Keep an eye on the thermometer over the next hour. Then move the top damper to the smallest setting once the temperature gauge reads 400-degrees.
This will let any lingering heat out, while still preventing air from getting to any lingering embers at the bottom of the ceramic chamber.
Check your Kamado Joe periodically. When it’s cool to the touch, you can unlatch the gasket on the dome lid, and cover the entire grill with a waterproof cover.
Leaving the lid unlatched during storage will help preserve the integrity of the gasket.
What Is the Fastest Way to Cool a Kamado Joe?
The fastest way to cool down a Kamado Joe starts with using a thoughtful amount of charcoal and suffocating the airflow immediately.
You should never pour water on the charcoal or attempt to scoop the charcoal out of the bottom of the ceramic fire chamber.
Ideally, you want most of the charcoal to be burned away to white embers by the time you are done grilling. Then you can seal the lid, with the top damper open and close the bottom damper to starve the remaining embers of oxygen.
The upper damper will let the heat out
Once the thermometer in the Kamado Joe’s domed lid goes below 400, you can dial down the lid damper to the lowest setting and pop the latch on the gasket.
After it’s cool to the touch, you can pour out the ash collection bin, and cover the Kamado with a waterproof grill cover.
Final Thoughts
The thermal efficiency of a Kamado Joe lets you use less charcoal, which can help speed the suffocation process needed to cool down the Kamado Joe.
By completely closing the lower damper and leaving the upper lid damper open you rob the charcoal of the oxygen needed to support combustion while letting the heat out.
Once the lid thermometer says the interior has cooled to below 400 degrees, you can move the upper damper to the lowest setting and release the latch.
This will help preserve the integrity of the gasket and complete the suffocation process.
If your model has an ash collection bin, you can pull it out and clean it before covering it. Though you should wait a day before removing any charcoal or spent embers from the inner ceramic chamber.
This is a safety step to ensure that there isn’t any residual heat left in the spent coals before disposal.
Robert is a certified Pitmaster, with over a decade of experience in smoking the best meats you’ll ever feast upon. He also has a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Texas at San Antonio. When he’s not researching technical topics, he’s most likely barbecuing in his backyard.