Hi all. To my utter amazement I find myself a 70 year old man. Since my teens I have been either cooking over campfires or grilling with any number of grills that quickly rust out, the manufacturer long gone. The M1 from MGrills caught my eye. 10 ga steel, 304 stainless grates. A tank of a grill at nearly 400 pounds. I looks like a great grill to be used as a smoker and at hotter temps. My things are brisket, pork ribs, and smoked homemade sausage. I can probably afford a $3000 grill but it would be a commitment. The rational side of me says 3 grand can buy many years’ worth of brisket, mail order, from old-time Central Texas smokehouses, where I once called home. Less work, less clean up, less ash to dispose of. Less Central Florida heat and humidity. Also, much less fun. There is just something visceral about cooking meat over flame outdoors. It has a primal appeal, does it not? So, I am undecided if I really want a 400 lb monster, which I need to feed with firewood while squatting down (and if you are a young man, you just wouldn’t understand but, trust me, one day you will ;-)). I will need to ponder this decision for awhile.
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Last edited by ApopkaDave; May 5, 2024, 10:41 AM. -
I'll say welcome, with this being your second post in almost seven years... and I'm reminded of the classic Simon & Garfunkel song "Old Friends": "How terribly strange to be seventy..." (I'll be there in six more years)
Regardless of the other features, for me personally, nothing that requires squatting or bending at the waist would be something I would consider, because I'm definitely old enough to understand! That's a hard No for me. But I am very much in favor of making a serious investment on a quality piece of gear that will last you the rest of your life, that will be money well spent.
And I completely hear you on the utter amazement. Getting to the point where one can talk about memories from fifty years ago does bring one up short sometimes. OK, all the time
Hope you love whatever you end up choosing!
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One good thing about a 400 pound grill as you would not have to anchor it in a hurricane.
Everything I own outdoors, has to be put away when a hurricane is coming!Comment
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Regarding the issue of squatting down--I am 13 years older than you and I can assure you that it only gets worse each year.
If I were you, I would buy a cooker that you could enjoy without the squat. There are a lot of them on the market that are about waist high.Comment
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Dave -
You are pondering good points. I'm 66 and want to get a new dog since my dogs have passed on. I love the Lab (which I use to own), but do I have the energy to give it the attention it needs? Or go with a smaller, less active dog? Decisions, decisions.
Question for you - Do you cook brisket, ribs and smoke sausage a lot? Or is it every now and then? Do you normally cook for a few people or is it just for you and a partner? We don't eat as much as we get older.
If you don't smoke and grill all that much, than I'd look at something like the PK Original and a PBC. A lot less weight, about $2K less and you can grill when you want and smoke when you want. The footprint would be a bit larger.
I own a few smokers and grills. I bought a backyard Jambo about 10 years ago (600 lbs). Great piece of equipment, I can get 5-14 lb turkeys in it. But if I was looking today for a new smoker, I'd pass on the Jambo. I'm getting older and it just does not meet my criteria any longer.
Wish you the best on what you choose.Comment
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Watched this video below, they look good. I can see why you want one. Hasty Bake, make's one similar.
This is the review on it. https://amazingribs.com/grill-and-sm...facturer=10947Comment
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Buy the grill, enjoy it and your time with it... put it in the will
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I’m with ItsAllGoneToTheDogs here!
buy that sucker! YOLO!!!! For years, I’ve looked at MGrills and think they are sweet!Comment
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Shoot I got excited, thought you meant an M1 Garand.Comment
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If you're worried about bending over, what about a ceramic Kamado? The ceramic would hold up to the salty, humid environment of central FL, is insulted for long smokes, and wouldn't require you to bend over.Comment
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If weight and fire box are an issue I’d take a peak at Hasty Bake’s offerings. I cook briskets quite frequently on mine. The M1 is a slick cooker though and wouldn’t mind checking one out one day!Comment
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It depends on how often and for how many people do you usually cook for? And what foods do you usually use the cooker for? After answering those questions i chose the PK360. I too looked at the M1 and all the Hasty Bake models as well but I liked the durability factor the PK brings to the table! I doubt you;d be dissapointed./Comment
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Just do it!
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The M1 sure gets a great review from Max Good. Platinum rating.
You could have a lot of fun with it.
KathrynComment
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Thanks, TripleB. You too offer good points to consider. I cook only every now and then; maybe 10/year, and that is usually ribs plus a couple of briskets each year. I had a PBC for years and it did a good job with ribs, but the lack of meaningful temp control made it not so great for low and slow smoking for brisket and smoked sausage. Also, I make 5-6 pound batches of sausage at a time and the PBC isn’t big enough to handle that in a single batch. You are also spot on about not eating as much as we get older. My wife now eats like a bird, but then again, brisket and sausage both freeze well so I end up stocking my freezer for quick, easy meals.
It is funny you mention the PK Original because my father used to cook on a 1960’s vintage cast aluminum cooker like the PK. It lived outside in the Texas weather and was practically
indestructible.Comment
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