News

# How to Read a Kamado Grill Specification Sheet: The 9 Numbers That Decide Build Quality

**Most kamado spec sheets are written to sell, not to inform. Nine numbers on the sheet are genuinely diagnostic: main body diameter, cooking grid diameter, net weight, gross weight, assembled dimensions, operating height, temperature range, carton dimensions, and container loading quantity. Read those nine first. If any of them is missing, that absence tells you something about the supplier.**

Below is what each number means, why it matters, and how to read it — using a real product, our AU-22, as the worked example.

—

## 1. Main body diameter

**AU-22: 56 cm / 22 inch**

This is the headline size of the grill and the number buyers quote. Two cautions:

- **Body diameter is not cooking area.** It is the width of the ceramic shell. The usable cooking surface is the grid, which is always smaller.
- **Diameter is measured consistently across the industry, so comparisons are valid** — provided the sheet states whether it is the outer body or the internal firebox.

Ask: is this the outer shell diameter, and what is the tolerance?

—

## 2. Cooking grid diameter

**AU-22: 47.8 cm / 18.8 inch**

This is the number that decides how much food you can actually cook. A 22-inch body with an 18.8-inch grid has a meaningfully different usable area from a 22-inch body with a 21-inch grid.

**This is the single most useful number to compare between suppliers.** A sheet that quotes body diameter but omits grid diameter is telling you the manufacturer would rather you did not compare.

—

## 3. Net weight (N.W.)

**AU-22: 76.5 kg**

Net weight is a proxy for ceramic mass. More mass generally means thicker walls and better heat retention — and, at the margin, better thermal stability. Very light units at a given diameter are worth questioning: something has been removed.

It is also the number that feeds your freight calculation. Weight per unit, multiplied by units per container, becomes your shipping weight.

—

## 4. Gross weight (G.W.)

**AU-22: 88 kg**

Gross weight is net weight plus packaging. The gap between the two is your packaging overhead — here, 11.5 kg per unit. That overhead is not waste; it is the cushioning, cartons, and internal support that keep a ceramic body intact across an ocean.

A suspiciously small N.W.–G.W. gap on a ceramic product usually means thin packaging.

—

## 5. Assembled dimensions

**AU-22: 130 × 73 × 122 cm (L × D × H)**

This is the footprint of the assembled unit — cartridge and side shelves included. You need it for:

- Retail floor planning and display space
- Consumer-facing product information (will it fit on my patio?)
- Packaging design review — the carton must accommodate the disassembled unit

—

## 6. Operating height

**AU-22: 91 cm / 35.8 inch**

The height of the cooking surface when the unit is assembled. This is an ergonomics number: too low and the cook is bending; too high and the lid is awkward to manage. For a cart-mounted unit, it also tells you whether the cart has been designed around a real standing height or scaled to save steel.

—

## 7. Temperature range

**AU-22: 50–800 °C**

Two things to check here:

- **The ceiling matters more than the floor.** 800 °C supports high-heat searing and pizza. A unit capped well below that is a different product.
- **The range is a claim about the whole assembly**, not only the ceramic. It implies the gasket, hardware, and thermometer can tolerate that range. Ask which component sets the upper limit.

—

## 8. Carton dimensions

**AU-22: two cartons — Carton A 65 × 63.5 × 77.5 cm; Carton B 55 × 51 × 15 cm**

For an importer, the carton data is often more commercially important than the grill dimensions.

- **Two-carton packing** separates the heavy body from the accessories and hardware, which protects both and makes warehouse handling easier.
- **Carton dimensions determine your warehouse storage plan** and your pallet configuration.
- **They also determine whether LCL shipping is economic.** Our LCL shipments use a wooden case at 91 × 71 × 97 cm.

Ask for carton dimensions before you ask for a quotation. Without them, the quotation is not comparable to anyone else’s.

—

## 9. Container loading quantity

**AU-22: 54 pcs / 20 ft · 108 pcs / 40 ft · 162 pcs / 40 ft HQ**

This is the number that converts unit price into landed cost. It is also the number most often inflated in quotations.

Treat loading figures as a commitment, not an estimate, and ask whether the figure is based on a confirmed loading plan or a calculation on paper. A short-loaded container is a real cost.

—

## The nine numbers as a checklist

| # | Number | AU-22 | What it tells you |
|—|—|—|—|
| 1 | Main body diameter | 56 cm / 22″ | Headline size; not cooking area |
| 2 | Cooking grid diameter | 47.8 cm / 18.8″ | Actual usable cooking surface |
| 3 | Net weight | 76.5 kg | Ceramic mass and likely wall thickness |
| 4 | Gross weight | 88 kg | Packaging overhead, freight weight |
| 5 | Assembled dimensions | 130×73×122 cm | Retail footprint, carton design |
| 6 | Operating height | 91 cm | Ergonomics |
| 7 | Temperature range | 50–800 °C | Cooking capability, component limits |
| 8 | Carton dimensions | 2 cartons, A 65×63.5×77.5 cm; B 55×51×15 cm | Warehousing, LCL economics |
| 9 | Loading quantity | 54 / 108 / 162 | Landed cost per unit |

Also on the AU-22 sheet, and worth reading: materials (ceramic, stainless steel, bamboo), colour options (black, red, green, and custom colours), the measured complaint rate (under 1%), and the certification list.

—

## What is usually missing — and why you should ask

Most spec sheets leave out the numbers that would let you judge durability:

- **Ceramic wall thickness and its tolerance**
- **Gasket material and its heat rating**
- **Hinge load rating**
- **Warranty, broken down by component**
- **Packaging test results**

None of these are cosmetic omissions. A sheet that gives you a temperature range but not a wall thickness tells you the manufacturer is comfortable being compared on features and uncomfortable being compared on construction.

—

## How to use the sheet in a real evaluation

1. **Normalise the comparison.** Put three suppliers side by side and fill in the same nine fields for each.
2. **Flag every blank.** Blanks are not neutral; they are a signal.
3. **Request carton and loading data before pricing.** It is the difference between comparing quotations and comparing guesses.
4. **Ask for the missing five numbers** in writing.
5. **Verify a sample against the sheet.** If the delivered unit does not match the documented grid diameter or weight, you have learned something important early.

Our [product range](https://www.auplexbbq.com/grill/) lists specifications per model, and our [FAQ](https://www.auplexbbq.com/faqs/) covers lead times and export documentation.

—

## Frequently asked questions

**What is the most important number on a kamado spec sheet?**
Cooking grid diameter, because it determines actual usable cooking area. It is also the number most often omitted, which is why it is diagnostic.

**Is a heavier kamado better?**
Generally a heavier unit at the same diameter has more ceramic mass and better heat retention. But weight alone is not quality — you also want consistent weight across units from the same batch, which indicates controlled forming and firing.

**Why do kamado grills ship in two cartons?**
It separates the heavy ceramic body from accessories and hardware, protecting both and making warehouse handling easier. It also lets you pack the unit without forcing the lid to stay closed under load.

**What does the gross weight tell me that net weight does not?**
The difference is your packaging overhead. It tells you how much material is protecting the ceramic — a small gap is usually a thin packaging spec.

**Can I compare body diameter between brands directly?**
Yes, if both sheets define it the same way. Ask whether the figure refers to the outer shell; if a sheet is ambiguous, treat the comparison as unverified.

**What should I do if the spec sheet has missing fields?**
Ask for them in writing before you order samples. If a supplier will not provide carton dimensions, wall thickness, or warranty terms in writing, that reluctance is itself the answer.

**Does the temperature range include the accessories?**
The range describes the cooker. Components such as the gasket, thermometer, and side shelves have their own limits. Ask which component sets the ceiling.

—

## Want the full spec data for a model?

Send us the sizes you are considering and we will provide complete sheets — including carton dimensions, loading quantities, and packaging details — for your freight and landed-cost modelling. Email **vivian@auplexbbq.com** or use our [contact form](https://www.auplexbbq.com/contact-us/).

—

**Author**
Auplex Export Team — Fujian Auplex Kamado Grill Co., Ltd.
Ceramic kamado grill manufacturing since 2010 · Minhou, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
[www.auplexbbq.com](https://www.auplexbbq.com/)