PK Grills?

Greg Jones

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Saint Helena Island, SC
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Anyone here have, or have owned, a PK grill? I’ve been considering a PK grill for a long time now, and holiday/membersip discounts make it a very good time to buy. I’d like it primarily for cooking for two here at home, but also possibly taking it on the road for SCA competitions. What are your thoughts?
 
I have also been considering one. A friend of mine that is a self-proclaimed grill aficionado has one and swears by it for his lump charcoal cooking. Not much for input other than acknowledging I'm sort of in the market as well. I'm in the tire kicking phase much like I was a year ago when I bought my 1250 (and then the Blackstone).

Today's not the day for me to check as I received three separate meat shipments which I already had to justify as "modern grocery shopping."
 
I’ve used one a few times at a friend’s house and it worked great. You have a lot of control over how the grill works in terms of direct and indirect heat using the multiple vents available. They require a learning curve but are good grills if a little pricey for what you are getting. Malcom Reed has a few cooks on a PK that show its versatility. If you really want to blow some money they have an Aaron Franklin version that is $$$.
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I’m only interested in the the 360, but if you bite the bullet, please post pictures etc
Will do. My willpower is weak, but I’ve managed to say no to PK for a couple of years now. What I really need is a grill store that lets people come in and rent grills, like a maker space. Then I could play with all the toys without actually buying them!
 
This is a great topic. I also looked at the PKs. The reviews make them seem like they are best in class for their purpose. I’ve also heard they are very “fuel” efficient. My challenge is that cooking over fire is cooking over fire. I have seen pitmasters use an oversized oil drum cut in half and turn out the best food on the planet and people with high end devices that make you want to push your plate off the table. It makes me wonder when I can get off the hamster wheel of buying and just get good at using the tools I have. There seems to always be something out there that is “better” but each time I think I’ve plateaued, I go back to an older cooker and it is amazing how much better they work than when I was less knowledgable. I often have fun with my 40 year old vertical stick burner since it was considered to be the toughest way to cook. Mine is cast iron, stands almost 5 feet tall, weighs about 200lbs, and will out-cook any vertical barrel currently on the market. If/when you buy it, give us a real, objective review please.
 
So, I placed an order for the AF PK Grills model today. I also added the Tru Tell thermometer and a grill cover, total savings with the 4 July savings + my 10% SCA discount was ~$150. I’ll respectfully update when I have a chance to use it, keeping in mind this is not a PK grills forum.
 
So, the PK arrived today, was assembled, did a burn in, and then I cooked strip steaks, corn on the cob, and onion rings for dinner. The results were more than I could have hoped for to be the first cook. I think this will be a keeper. I need to smoke a pork butt for a 4th party and fireworks show. Trying to decide if I feel lucky! :)
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So, the PK arrived today, was assembled, did a burn in, and then I cooked strip steaks, corn on the cob, and onion rings for dinner. The results were more than I could have hoped for to be the first cook. I think this will be a keeper. I need to smoke a pork butt for a 4th party and fireworks show. Trying to decide if I feel lucky! :)
View attachment 16552View attachment 16553
I can see the hopper fire from here!
Congratulations.
 
So. I cooked a meat loaf on the PK tonight inspired by Matt Pitman of Meat Church’s recent YouTube video. Now I made the meatloaf using ingredients the way I normally do, but I followed his trick to form the loaf, freeze it, then smoke it, and it came out wonderful. Smoke temp was 225° using the vents in an offset position, later in the cook I topped the meatloaf with onion rings, put on some Elote, and finished the cook when the IT of the meatloaf reached 165°. As Matt would say, this did not suck!

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pks are quality grills! nice choice. thats a big one and definitely the nicest i have seen. can you still cook on both halves if needed to double your sq inches, lid and normal half? definitely loose some air control but a nice feature some of the older ones had
 
I’m jealous. That PK looks like the King of Briquette City. Does it heat up relatively fast? Also, in one of the pics I think I see coals under the meatloaf. Did it maintain 225 using direct heat? Did you have to flip the ML (sorry, too lazy to search for the video). I am also looking at one but the wife says if I add another “kid” to the family, one is going to be an orphan (don’t know if that means me or a grill, haha). I know this isn’t the forum for non-RT devices. However, I think any accoutrement that accessorizes an RT should count just like a protein. Just my thoughts.
 
pks are quality grills! nice choice. thats a big one and definitely the nicest i have seen. can you still cook on both halves if needed to double your sq inches, lid and normal half? definitely loose some air control but a nice feature some of the older ones had
Yes, the lid has the ribs to support a charcoal grate and a grill grate. What I don’t believe they have released yet is some type of stand to support the inverted lid.
 
The louvers on the legs - grate holders? I'm sure they add stability to the legs - but looks more functional than just that.
They are for holding a 1/2 sheet pan, which I use a lot anyway. The top brackets then become a warmer rack, and the lower rack for whatever. Not everyone uses sheet pans, but I find them to be one of the most useful tools in my kitchen.

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I’m jealous. That PK looks like the King of Briquette City. Does it heat up relatively fast? Also, in one of the pics I think I see coals under the meatloaf. Did it maintain 225 using direct heat? Did you have to flip the ML (sorry, too lazy to search for the video). I am also looking at one but the wife says if I add another “kid” to the family, one is going to be an orphan (don’t know if that means me or a grill, haha). I know this isn’t the forum for non-RT devices. However, I think any accoutrement that accessorizes an RT should count just like a protein. Just my thoughts.
I’d say the heat-up time is longer than what one would see on a Weber just because cast aluminum takes longer to heat than a steel kettle. All the coals were to the right of the drip pan, so it was all indirect heat and it cooked very evenly, with no flipping. My wife says as long as I keep feeding her great (grate) food, she’s OK with my toys!
 

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