Ok...I'm reviving a thread from 2+ years ago. A little bit put off by how hard I caped up for the CharGriller barrel grill. Not that it's bad, and still might be about the best large surface area grill you can get around $100 bucks, but not sure I'd recommend it as much. Would probably lean toward a few extra bucks for the Weber kettle or Chargriller Kamado unless you absolutely need all the surface space.
But that's not why I'm circling back. I remember reading on here I.AM and OHNole recommending something I'd never heard of...the PK Grill. It lodged in my head ever since then, and I always kind of had it in mind and would peruse craigslist from time to time to see if one came up. So a few months ago, I got rid of my Chargiller Kamado in advance of a move...just too worn out to move, too heavy to want to move it when we sold our house, and too heavy if I decided I wanted to move it from the deck to the patio when we moved in.
Was planning on going back to basics with a Weber kettle, when I took one more spin around CL, in case I could find someone giving away a lightly used Weber cheap. And so I come across a guy basically saying "$100 bucks. If you don't know what this is, look it up. If you do, that's all you need to know."
And I did know what it was, thanks to this post. Since they rarely come up, $100 seemed like a decent deal if I ever wanted to try it. I almost backed out when I went to pick it up. It was filled with dirty water, grates rusted, one damper was jammed and another was so loose it fell off. But I went ahead and took a chance. Spent a weekend cleaning and scrubbing it out, replacing the bolts so the dampers worked, and getting it into generally presentable condition.
I'll tell you...this little sucker is a marvel. It's like the ugly mutt that turns out to be the most beloved pet. There's so much wrong with it...steel grates that rust, ashes fall out the bottom dampers, it's ugly, much too small, and sits too low for really comfortable grilling. But I'll be damned if this thing doesn't make the best food I've made in 30 years of grilling, over 6-7 different grill designs. Several times I've almost talked myself into selling it for something bigger and sexier, but I just can't...the food is that freaking good.
It's the best two zone grill I've ever dealt with. You just can't miss with steaks on a reverse sear. Full fire on one side under some GrillGrates (which fit perfectly), no coals or a thin smattering on the indirect side. A few wood chips in while cooking on the indirect. Doesn't matter how thick a steak you're dealing with, cooks perfectly indirectly to your temperature of choice, and then sears beautifully and almost instantly because the flames are so close to the grill. Perfect every time.
I've smoked a pork butt on it and ribs, and it holds temperature better than any grill I've ever used for smoking (but I haven't had a $1000 Kamado which I'm sure is better). Barely had to adjust it at all. I'm not the best at bbq, but the pork butt was as good as I've ever made.
It also snuffs out a fire and cools faster than anything I've had, way faster than you would think given how hot it gets. I use hardly any charcoal between what is retained, and how little you need given how close the flame is to the grates. I add literally a handful lumps every time I grill. And it's ready to cook very quickly.
I'll never get over how small it is...especially set up for two zones. Every meal I make is like a game of Tetris. Part of why maybe the food is so good out of it is because managing the space and timing on the thing given several items requires more planning, attention and engagement than I have ever had to commit. Two steaks is no big deal...a few steaks, some sausage and some vegetables though? It's constant management and shifting trying to get it all done with so little space to work with. Maybe that concentration alone accounts for part of why it's so great every time. And the food being so close to the flames leaves little room to daydream. It's definitely not as relaxing as grilling used to be, LOL...but I also never leave something on a couple minutes too long either.
So, for the guys that turned me onto this grill in this thread in 2016, I salute thee, for some of the best steaks I've ever made, and maybe had, in my life. They weren't lying. The religious following this thing has is for a reason.
