The Original PK Grill Is Now Sold Out(Discontinued?)

[PNWBrandon]

Well folks… just got word from the fine folk over at PK Grills. It’s true the original model is now sold out and likely not to be available again while in this current phase of ownership. With that, all manufacturing is now based overseas for the “New Original”, the 360 and the PKGO. If the original cooker has been on your list I would start looking at marketplace and other places for a deal before they all disappear!

I owe much of my enthusiasm about outdoor cooking to PK. They were my first charcoal cooker, and the first cooker I started to figure out fire management on. I hope they find a way to remain successful and bring manufacturing back to the states.

[STEbbq]

It is an awesome product. I am happy with it but honestly more concerned about Henrik ‘s lack of support on his PK than the China issue. For the price, I expect white glove and over-the-top service. Hopefully, I won’t have any need for it. Ideally, PK understands that the cost savings from working with Chinese
partners should be mostly reinvested in strong customer service.

I recognize there are a wide range of opinions on China involvement. My understanding is that China is really good at building products to your exact specifications and the thickness provided you ask for that exact level of detail. If you don’t specify quality, you are not going to get it, and therein lies the whole cost/quality debate. I do know one poster here bought a Santa Maria grill
from China and found an excellent partner and the outcome was fantastic. So it can be done but requires work.

My build experience with the PK300 being shipped legs that were slightly off was an easy fix but demonstrates the challenges of working with overseas partners. Hopefully, PK will keep making the right investments.

[PNWBrandon]

Very well put STEbbq in my experience manufacturing quality really depends on the understanding manufacturing processes and developing strong relationships with the manufacturer themselves. And man oh man did that Santa Maria grill look sweet!!!

I agree the lack of customer service when purchasing something of that cost is not acceptable.

Still rooting for them!

[TripleB]

It was inevitable once they came out with the PK300 and AF model. I bought my PK Original back in 2014. Upgraded with PKTX and Tailgate stands, stainless steel grates and then bought one of first 100 (#66) PK360's (with the original ironwood shelves). Love PK products. They have been very, very good to me.

Now I have a collector's item!!

[PNWBrandon]

TripleB very cool you have one of the first 360’s. I’m a sucker for that sort of thing! My PK’s have been great to me as well. I almost regret selling my tailgate stand (used to be the PKGO), until they released the recent model PKGO which I use just about more than any cooker.

Collectors item. Exactly what I try to explain to my lovely wife when I’m wanting to add another cooker!

[TripleB]

PNWBrandon - I'm a sucker too. Bought the 70th Anniversary Weber Kettle even though I already owned a kettle. Just had to have the anniversary model. She's so pretty....

[BBQPhil]

I have been involved in the design and building of many consumer hardware products (and wrote a book: From Concept to Consumer), and as much as we tried to build them domestically, most ended up being built in China for several reasons: faster time to market, more companies with experience building high volume products, lower cost, less hassle. Unfortunately there are too few US companies with the skills and even interest to compete. Many of the US companies now outsource their parts and tooling to China. With many companies in China competing with each other, most are willing to make 10-15% profit, while most domestic companies want to make 100% profit on sales, so it’s more than labor cost which is usually less than 20% of the total cost. It is sad, but it’s a fact of life. In recent times, China has become much less friendly to foreigners and I would not go back, so maybe there’s some hope products will return to this country.