I got this quote directly off the web PK web site not to be a contrarian but this is why I was under the impression they were made in the US and was one of the reasons I decided to go with this grill.
HAND-POURED IN THE USA
The high-grade aluminum alloy we use to cast our grill is hand-poured into individual molds. From there we grind and balance the edges and shape the vents to ensure a tight seal on every one which means more consistent cooking for you.
The quote you are referring to is for their classic style grill which supposedly is still made here in the USA. The box my 360 came in said "Designed and engineered in USA, Made in China" I also called PK personally and asked them about this and they confirmed it was made in China. Go to the "PK grill Fanatics" group on Facebook, there is a rather long thread about it now that has been ongoing.
I believe PK needs to be more transparent on their website about where the 360 is made because people like you and I assumed it was made here when it is not. They do not put on their website that it's made in China which I feel is a mistake. There are some people on the FB group I referenced that will not buy one because it's made in China. They want USA built or nothing.
With that being said, even though I would prefer it was made here, I'm not going to get rid of it because it's not. It is a quality grill that does a great job. When comparing it to my classic PK that is made in the USA, I can not find any difference in quality.
I currently have 4 grills 2 gas (Weber spirit 700 and Weber 1000) 2 charcoal (Weber master touch 22 and PK360). I also have a cast iron hibachi and a joule Sous vide. I have multiple probe thermometers , MK4, Smoke, 2 chef alarm, ThermaQ and thermaK and a thermoworks IR with K probe port. for knives I love my Messermeister Olive elite and my TojironDP Gyutou. which I keep razor sharp using my edge-pro. I also have a weather station to keep an eye on good Grilling weather.
Thank you for the update, I agree totally they need to be way more transparent on this issue. I found the made in the USA statement on a page that I thought was for the 360 as it was describing the 360 . I feel deceived and after all that good Customer service before I purchased it from them. that being said it is still a very high quality grill and I would not get rid of it but that kind of nontransparent definitely takes the edge off my good feeling. I do not regret buying it and probably would have bought it either way just wish They were more forthcoming in the description of where it was made.
Last edited by Amajeff99; March 20, 2017, 09:52 AM.
I will say that their customer service is top notch as well. They have taken care of me on an issue I had in the past. Hopefully the China thing will not ruin your enjoyment of this grill because it really is a nice piece of equipment.
I Love using it. more fun each time. I total agree it is a really nice piece of gear I would go so far as to recommend it. just wish they were more transparent about the origin of each style grill they make. That being said I still love it.
Last edited by Amajeff99; March 21, 2017, 11:11 AM.
I should add that after adding hot water to the pan the entire rig was not touched until the coals were gone (which is why the anomaly is unknown). There was still water in the pan at the end. The pk360 doesn't need any gaskets, everything seems to be plenty tight.
I don't know how long a kamado would last without touching it, but this seems sufficient.
Hi Polarbear, where did you get that insert that kept your charcoal separate in its own area?
4" wide strips of .06" stainless hand bent to shape and bolted with stainless hardware for max coal volume under the hinged grate section and to avoid having to stack/bank coal up against the aluminum side of the cooker. The coal bin pk makes is nicer but only about 2" tall.
Standard 1/3 stainless steam table pan for water.
Also standard procedure is to use a sheet of foil on the charcoal grate under the food and water pan to constrain vent/fan airflow to the coals side. Fan in lower left vent. Upper left open slightly, both right vents closed. Was much more long lasting than I expected. <--water lasted the entire run.
I remember my dad had a PK back in the late 70s to early 80s. My oldest half brother said he ended up getting it and marveled at what a good grill it was. Don't know where it is now but I'd like to have it for its sentimental value as well as its functionality.
Same set up as above. 1/3 steam table pan custom charcoal basket, upper left vent cracked a bit and the cyberq and pit viper controlling flow. Here are additional tests.
in all tests except the brisket cook, no coals were added and the system wasn't touched for the duration of the test. It was warm outside so ambient temperature surely helped.
Note: In the first test above kbb briquettes were used. In the tests below it was a lower ash briquette (Stubbs) . Ash blockage can become an issue but since the pit viper is blowing through the lower left vent and the ash piles up under the fire on the right side, there is lots of room for ash to pile before it becomes a problem. (Same as in Weber kettle set up the same way with an SnS)
Without a fan controller, I think ash would clog the intakes much more readily, especially if you are using an intake under the fire. ( though pulling out the meat and resetting isn't really that hard on most setups).
Last edited by Polarbear777; June 20, 2017, 07:14 PM.
Reason: added note.
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