I have a pizza stone for my Gaggenau oven so I don't have either.

I would go for the Kamado or better yet the Big Green Egg.

BBQs are specialized appliances.

I would go to http://www.bbqsource-forums.com/invboard/index.php?act=idx

or other bbq forum for more thorough and numerous advice.

Sherri -- please share your smokey potato salad recipe if if isn't a State secret.

One inexpensive alternative to Kamado and Green Egg. Char-Griller Akorn. About $280 at Home Depot, also sold at Lowes and Walmart. Shell is insulated metal, principle and controls the same. superb at low smoking and hot charcoal grilling, and much lighter than a ceramic. Not as swank but just as functional, with some good user websites for use help and recipes. Have had one for 2 years now, going fine.

Ceramic cookers are not about swankiness but performance. Not only moisture but heat retention. Insulated metal cans don't compare. If they did there would be no market for ceramic cookers.

I agree with Deeageaux. I have a Komodo kamado and it can hold a temp for over 24hrs for smoking things like brisket. Visit the multiple forums to see what is popular and the use cases for different inserts in the cookers.

Good luck!

Went to Costco today. They have a BGE knockoff that is normally $599 but is on sale through 7/10/16 for $399 and comes with Costco's legendary money back warranty.

"Not only moisture but heat retention. Insulated metal cans don't
compare. If they did there would be no market for ceramic cookers."

fyi: http://bbq.about.com/od/charcoalgrills/tp/Top-10-Kamado-Grills.htm

Traditionally Kamado style cookers have been among the most expensive
charcoal grills/smokers on the market. Originally made with a heavy
ceramic shell, these grills seemed fragile (though they are not with
proper care) and priced much high than the typical metal kettle grills.
The Char-Griller Akorn is a kamado style grill. It has all the fuel
efficiency, high temperature cooking abilities, and low and slow
capacity that the much more expensive units do, but at half (or even
less) the price. So what's the catch? While competently built, and more
than capable of keeping up with he competition, this model lacks the
construction quality and long term durability of those pricier other
grills. The question you have to ask is, do you buy a cheaper grill to
get into this style of grill, buy something more basic and far less
money, or go big and buy one of those ceramic grills everyone raves
about.

If you google BGE v. Akorn you'll find this pretty much sums up the hundreds of posts from real users on both sides (Amazon was helpful when first looking due to larger sample size). And in the words of the OP: "We don't BBQ much except for our quarterly family gatherings (approx 25 people) and everybody is a foodie these days." And yes, the Akorn pizza stone works fine or you can use the smoking stone for pizza. Being a foodie doesn't make one any smarter, more frugal or knowledgeable about markets than the next person.