Leaderboard

Ohhhh, now i want chicken 😋

Long time 23" Ultimate owner. I've experimented with many approaches to "radiant heat". I wouldn't double the basket splitter. I'm a big fan of the 23" ULTIMATE DOUBLE BOTTOM DRIP PAN. It makes a great heat deflector, and an easy to clean drip pan when lined with foil. (Some people use the drippings for gravy, where the double bottom helps prevent scorching.) I use it as a heat deflector for pizza. Using any ceramic cooker as a pizza oven, one needs to confront the "heat from the bottom" effect. Wood-fired dome pizza ovens don't work this way. The best deflector helps here. Long ago, I'd get several years at a time out of a giant unglazed plant saucer (no lead risk) lined with foil. Again, leave several inches around the outside. The real art to radiant heat is to time the fire's arc. Cook on the return from "low earth orbit" when the fire is waning but the dome remembers.

I've owned a 23" KK for a while now (2012). I've never had an issue with the rotisserie motor not handling the load, but I've never taxed it near its limit either. I generally only use the basket splitter when I'm using the rotisserie. I like the food to rotate in/out of the heat zone. I arrange the basket so that the coals are in the back of the grill. I have on rare occasions used it in a left/right arrangement for a non-rotisserie cook, but in general, if I want indirect cooking, I just use AL foil on the lower grate with the regular basket (no splitter). This allows me to use all of the top grate area; whereas if you use the basket splitter left/right, you've lost half of the cooking surface. This arrangement does come in handy if you're reverse searing just a few steaks. YMMV

As for the second question in regards to durability and longevity all I would add is, why would you. The motor is strong enough and capable of turning a 50lb load, more than enough for a 23 inch span. You'd be hard pressed to reach those limits with food and equipment accessories, adding anything bigger would be overkill and unnecessary IMO. I've had my unit for some time, approx 7 years I believe. It's something you find useful but you don't use it all the time. I didn't like the chore of removing and installing the unit so I ended up leaving it on the KK while covering the unit with a piece of foil and a waterproof cover. The cost today is $67.99 for a 13 watt motor, nothing lasts forever but it's all you need. I have used the basket splitter with a deflector resting on the two bars of the charcoal basket with adequate air flow to maintain a fire. If you were to use foil on the lower grate above the fire you air flow would be even better. I believe that was your question, if not that's how I interpreted it. All I will add to that is, the first set up on the handles has limited airflow so reaching higher temps can be difficult when using in tandem with the basket splitter.

wineman, I believe she is using the 16.