I bought my KK back in May 2006 I believe, so it's bang around ten years old. It's been sitting in the same spot, out in the crappy miserable Seattle weather the whole time; taking a beating year after year. Rain, snow, hail, moss, even the occasional tree-hugger... She's cooked many Thanksgiving and Christmas Turkeys and Hams, countless smokes, sears and oodles of pizza.
It just dawned on me that something must be seriously wrong. My tiles are still intact, the damper spins open and closes perfectly, the lid hinge is still meticulously balanced. In fact it looks like and functions like I bought it yesterday. I'm so confused. Shouldn't it have died a horrible MK death by now and look like a sad naked mole rat?
Cheers to @DennisLinkletter for making one of best purchases I've ever made!