I've been searching over the past 6 months for a table top charcoal grill for primarily high temperature grilling, mostly for steaks. But I also want to be able to do a reverse sear with a grill capable of maintaining both direct and indirect heat with a good vent design to manage the airflow.
I own a Yoder pellet smoker and a BGE, but neither were ideal doing for quickly grilling a couple of highly seared prime steaks. I looked at a wide range of options, from a Smokey Joe to PK grills to a SNS kettle. I was almost ready to buy the PK Original, but when I saw it up close it was disappointing. The castings were somewhat crude and the ash management was an afterthought. And to get it with stainless steel grills, a must for me, brought the price to over $400. The company required buying the plated grill and would not substitute for an additional charge. The 360 model was much more refined, but it needed to be used with a cart and that brought the total to more than $700. I love the look of the Hasty-Bake that Meathead reviewed, primarily for the stainless steel construction, but I didn't need the smoking and baking functions.
That's when I stumbled upon the M Grills M-16 on their website. It's constructed entirely of 304 heavy gauge stainless, has robust stainless steel grates as well as grill gates. It has a very attractive contemporary design and not a piece of plastic anywhere. But it was $1100 and was sold with its own cart. I contacted the company, spoke with the owner, Travis, and learned I could purchase the grill for $850 without the cart. While beyond my original budget, it was just a tad more costly than the PK, and being made in the USA was important to me in these times.
I received it yesterday and was awed after seeing it in person. Yes, I read the specs, but they hardly convey what becomes evident from inspection. Considering its material and constructions, it's built better than anything I've ever seen or owned, and I'm a retired product design engineer. It weighs close to 100 pounds. Fortunately the lid and base come apart into 2-50 pound parts! I think I've found the perfect grill that perfectly matches my needs and that's built like a $5,000 grill at an affordable cost. Will report back after using it for a while.
I own a Yoder pellet smoker and a BGE, but neither were ideal doing for quickly grilling a couple of highly seared prime steaks. I looked at a wide range of options, from a Smokey Joe to PK grills to a SNS kettle. I was almost ready to buy the PK Original, but when I saw it up close it was disappointing. The castings were somewhat crude and the ash management was an afterthought. And to get it with stainless steel grills, a must for me, brought the price to over $400. The company required buying the plated grill and would not substitute for an additional charge. The 360 model was much more refined, but it needed to be used with a cart and that brought the total to more than $700. I love the look of the Hasty-Bake that Meathead reviewed, primarily for the stainless steel construction, but I didn't need the smoking and baking functions.
That's when I stumbled upon the M Grills M-16 on their website. It's constructed entirely of 304 heavy gauge stainless, has robust stainless steel grates as well as grill gates. It has a very attractive contemporary design and not a piece of plastic anywhere. But it was $1100 and was sold with its own cart. I contacted the company, spoke with the owner, Travis, and learned I could purchase the grill for $850 without the cart. While beyond my original budget, it was just a tad more costly than the PK, and being made in the USA was important to me in these times.
I received it yesterday and was awed after seeing it in person. Yes, I read the specs, but they hardly convey what becomes evident from inspection. Considering its material and constructions, it's built better than anything I've ever seen or owned, and I'm a retired product design engineer. It weighs close to 100 pounds. Fortunately the lid and base come apart into 2-50 pound parts! I think I've found the perfect grill that perfectly matches my needs and that's built like a $5,000 grill at an affordable cost. Will report back after using it for a while.
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