Hi I'm looking for a quality charcoal grill medium sized 24-36 inches. Dual zone. Price range $500 - $2000. I know it's a wide range. I don't want a cheap grill but I don't want to overpay either.
Current grills I have are BGE Large; DCS Gasser; and Queb'd Box on order. The Egg is great just too small.
Prefer front loading or top loading of charcoal.
We grill 4-5 times a week all year round in Massachusetts. Was looking at the Assassin but think it might be too large.
Thanks!
Last edited by Old Glory; November 17, 2018, 01:05 PM.
Hard to beat a Weber Kettle when it comes to charcoal grills. For that price look at the 26 inch ($400) or the Ranch ($1300-1500). I have both and love the Ranch. Dual zone cooking is simple on it, it has a ton of cooking space, and can hold temps like a rock. For every day grilling though I would probably go with the 26. Might be worth taking a look at the Weber Summit too. It is a great combo of a standard kettle and a kamado style cooker and they run about $1500-2000.
I second the Ranch recommendation. Excellent, and so versatile. I fitted mine with an adapter for the PartyQ and it doubles as my larger capacity overnight smoker.
Of that list if portability is key the pk360 is not bad you can even just bring the capsule section and since the intakes are on the sides it can sit on a flat (non-flammable) surface and run just fine.
If you only could own one grill/smoker, the summit charcoal is the winner.
I edited my post to be more clear. I have a BGE so another ceramic is out. The Webber looks cool but seems like a metal BGE. Will check out Hasty Bake.
Hasty Bake or The Good One. Summit is also good, but it is similar to your BGE (only bigger). Really all the better charcoal grills are similar to your BGE, as in they can all do low and slow, hot )but still indirect) and fast, or direct heat and faster. They just go about it differently.
The free side of this site has a ton of reviews. Enough to make your choice difficult.
Read our review of M1 which straddles the territory between a rugged traditional Texas wood burning smoker and an attractive charcoal grill that fits right in on any patio without taking up a lot of space. This 2 in 1 device eliminates the need for a separate grill and dedicated smoker earning our AmazingRibs.com Platinum Medal.
I have the M1 and it’s a great multi-function cooker that can grill, smoke, and be a good stickburner. That being said you can’t beat the Weber 26†for the money and convenience.
100% agree! The 26.75†kettle not only is an incredible bang for the buck, but it just works and has none of the issues that I struggled with when I was cooking on my M1.
Anyone use an M1? That looks well built and can cook with wood.
I have. When we moved into our current home, I had to offload several of my cookers due to a smaller backyard. There was much to like about the M1, but it did not make the cut
Last edited by rwalters; November 18, 2018, 09:09 AM.
Second, when smoking, the reverse flow setup would produce a right/left cooking grate variance of well over 50°, often closer to 100°. That would be ok with me if the cooking area was larger, but when you only have about 500° to begin with, it can create challenges.
But, there was much that I did like about it...lol. #1 was the build quality. It was SOLID!!!! The customer service was also fantastic! It had great airflow when smoking, was very easy to keep at temp, didn’t burn a lot of fuel. And I know there are a good number of very happy owners
I have a BGE, Traeger, Texas Original Pit, Weber gas, WSM and a bunch of different kettles. Recently, I got a PK360 and absolutely love it. Tonight I cooked ribeyes on the PK using Grill Grates and they came out amazing. Additionally, I've cooked burgers, dogs, chicken and flank steak direct, as well as indirect smoking of wings, poppers and ribs. The vent system is really well designed and I was able to dial in at 250 really easily. It's a pricey grill, but I was lucky to find a used one for a really good price. Good luck!
I have. When we moved into our current home, I had to offload several of my cookers due to a smaller backyard. There’s was much to like about the M1, but it did not make the cut
I also struggled with quite a bit of grease seepage from the back side of the cooker where the lid meets the base. For some guys probably not a big deal, for me it annoyed the heck out of me. There were a few cooks that resulted in quite a bit of drippage on my patio.
I’ve had the same issues. You have to use aluminum drip pans or foil and replace often. I purchased 2 of the PK charcoal baskets and they fit nicely in the M1 and help reduce ash and grease dripping down to the lower levels as well as facilitating 2 zone cooking setups.
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