Portable Kitchen Grill?


 

Rusty James

TVWBB Emerald Member

Never heard of this brand before, but I did see this grill on Franklin BBQ once, and I saw it on America's Test Kitchen too, although Test Kitchen picked Weber as their charcoal grill of choice.

Looks like a very sturdy grill, although the design is dated, but I guess that (design) doesn't matter.
 
I saw one of these pop up on facebook marketplace for 40 bucks and didn't have the money at the time. I've never seen that happen since. These are very popular for steak cookoffs. These with a set of Grill Grates and you have the setup of just about everyone doing it. The fire grate is much closer to the food grate compared to a Weber Kettle. They are also very easy to set up indirect. Some people find the rectangular cooking surface makes it easier to load with food while cooking indirect. I wouldn't mind one but they are super expensive compared to a weber kettle. That one in the video is a $450 grill. A basic model is $370. The PK360 is a much more modern design but it's 800 bucks.
 
My friend is a grilling nut like most of us and he has 3 of them on his deck. Swears by them. They appear way sturdier than a Weber kettle
 
I bought mine a couple years ago and love it. I own 10 or 11 grills now, but it’s always in rotation and I wouldn’t sell it because they require so little maintenance and they last so long. Space is limited, and they are expensive, but I wouldn’t trade it for nothing. My son is 8, and I’d like him to have it one day and think of his old man.
 
My maternal grandfather's family is all from the Tyler, Tx area and PK grill started there. The originals for some reason evoke a sense of nostalgia in me for some reason. I must have seen them back in the day. I'd love to find a vintage one, but it's not high on my list of priorities.
 
If you do find a used one, keep in mind that new grates will cost you $65 and a new cart will cost you $130. The new grates will have to be bent slightly to fit a pre-1984 model. Having said that, my BIL rehabbed an old one he found in the dump area at the lake and bought a new one as a spare. He's very happy he did. I cook on it all the time - great grill but I wouldn't trade my Performer for one.
 
I purchased my PK Grill Classic in Graphite about 6 weeks ago. I LOVE IT! I also purchased Grill Grates for it so when I do SCA comps I can get the grill marks the judges like.
 
Such a plain looking box of a grill to garner so much attention and admiration. The first time I saw one, Aaron Franklin grilled a steak in his backyard with it. The grill looked like an antique, which it may have been, and I couldn't understand why I had never seen one before.
 

 

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