gerard

That's a year older than I reckoned. Good info. Wish he had sold 100 of them that month so we would have lots of feedback but then we wouldn't be so cutting edge right now. Thanks.

Drunk_J, P.I. Good detective work there. Thanks for sharing your findings. What was the oldest unit you got feedback from?

As usual, no one contributes more to bbq'ing... Another spectacular job. I fall in the "only gonna use one cooker at a time but may have a couple of disparate chunks of meat on it category"... but damn, it's appealing. If I'm getting one of these, I better order tonight, cause they'll be getting lots of orders based on this. It's gonna be weird, I foresee IT guys becoming a mandatory addition to cooking teams (okay, probably not) but laptops could become a frequent sighting at competitions. Actually you won't see'em, cause cooking temps will suddenly become hideable, so they'll be hidden in RVs. I unfortunately don't need an adaptor for the kk, but it'll be cool on one of my Primos. As the newest and smallest player in the field, I wonder if they'll even take the time to make adaptor plates for the kk any time soon... esp cause Dennis complicates things by offering two draft doors. Guess that's for Dennis and all you other happy owners to find out. I figure by the time I do get a kk, there will be adaptor plates. Oh well, there are far more Q gifted folks to ponder these matters. You don't need to read my prattling. Once again, awesome work, TNW.

Great info. It's nice to have competitive units to choose among. Sounds like both units offer a lot of bang for the buck. But the decision will still be tough: Simple + a good reputation + beefy fan vs playing with the computer and monitoring more meat. Guess I'm still gonna hafta flip a coin... just like I was choosing among tiled cookers that start with the letter "K" j/k Anyway, REALLY appreciate the help, TNW. You rock (if a 46yo is allowed to say that).

Doh... I meant the.... I meant the Competitor with the Pit Viper fan and the adaptor door for the fan. Sorry. Thanks for the informative reply. I'm looking forward to your complete review of the Stoker.

Absolutely gorgeous This is absolutely gorgeous and would go wonderfully with my light blue house.

The nerve of some people. Tell em to take the review on their honeymoon and call you with any technical issues from the suite, otherwise you'll trash the unit in your review. Not asking for a ranking of the two brands, but do you reckon I would be happy if I asked for either the Stoker or the BG Pit Viper? I understand if you don't answer but I got folks wanting to know what to get me (assuming they pick a temp regulator... other choice is a new phone system for the house... they want to keep me guessing).

Congratulations SuperMighty. I hope to be able to say the same thing in the future. Will this be your first ceramic cooker? If so, you're in for a treat. If not, you'll be able to thrill at the upgrade. Let us know when you get it and how you fare with it.

Waiting patiently, NOT Actually thanks for the very quick reply. Good to know its not gonna be weeks away or some such.

Whatcha reading this forum for? You got work to do... get around to posting your review of the Stoker. I need to know which temp regulator to request for Father's Day.

That makes the steaks I overcooked tonight look pathetic! But that's okay, we also had Easy Mac and a package of Frozen Cream Corn to fall back on. Jealous, aren't you? In my defense... my wife and I put in a full day at work and were exhausted. Besides, we have teenagers, quality of food is not an issue. Glad you can still control a low and slow with cracks in the K. Likewise, I've surprised myself at how well I low and slow with burned off gaskets on my Primos

Re: Thanks for the comprehensive answer. Actually that weight range did not include the top, i.e., that 253-278 range is for the main body and the base and wheels.

Doh, didn't answer you steak searing question. Typically the K is heated up rather hot... I'm happy at 500, others seek as high as 800. Much beyond that, and I think it's purely a matter of bravado though supposedly Ruth Christie's steak house sears at 1600 if I recall correctly. The steak is thrown onto the hot grate for 1 minute, flipped, allowed to sear for another minute and then the vents are shut down so the fire stops blazing. Cooking time thereafter is dependent on thickness of steak and desired level of "doneness." Typically several minutes up to 10 or so minutes. Folks that are really into this buy thick THICK cuts of steaks and like to see lots of pink or red when done. I'm happy with about 1" ribeyes, my 500 degree sear for a total of 2 minutes, and about 6 more minutes of "dwell in the shell."

I don't own one of these (yet) but I'm lusting after one. However, I've done lots of ceramic cooking and have lots of experience on a similar unit so I feel qualified to answer. Though I've cooked lots of hot dogs on ceramic cookers; getting one for hotdogs is a waste. But you'll be tickled over the improvement in your hamburgers and especially steaks. Both come out considerably moister and the latter can be magnificently seared. And starting and managing a fire in one of these is just as easy as a Weber but you'll want to avoid using charcoal lighting fluid. If you follow the usual pattern, you'll buy the cooker and suddenly have a new passion for both grilling and for learning the intricacies of low and slow bbq'ing.

Still seeing if the base can be lightened further for going up stairs: Does the firebox come out (easily... not permenantly like Porkchop's Mexi-K ) If so, is there a substantial weight saving... 20+ lbs or so? Does the stand/wheels come off? I seem to remember seeing this discussed but I couldn't find the post. TIA

Thanks for the comprehensive answer. Hmm... so the biggest chunk to get up the steps at any one time is 253 or 278lbs depending on the model. That's almost manageable.

No it wouldn't... Disc harrow is 22' in diameter (with slots at edges for air flow) and sat on rim of base... didn't work well... still needed ceramic heat deflector below it... otherwise drippings smouldered and spattered on meat above. So no need to use something so big and unwieldy but it was fun to try and I will probably want to use it again... unless you cut me an extraordinary deal on an OTB. BTW... my poor disc harrow got accused by a certain manufacturer as causing massive tile loss (quote: "never seen tile loss before") on the main body and the dome... curious physics in that... especially since it apparently affected K's all across the country. Jeez... and I was trying to behave. I tell ya the scars run deep.

Thanks for the info. Get the non OTB weights as well... got alot of round hardware around here from my old K... don't get me started on my disc harrow heat deflector/drip pan experiment.

Actually I made one just like that and then replaced it The current one reflects my dour and cynical personality. Maybe someday, some ceramic manufacturer* will give me reason to change my outlook on life. j/k Primo - you're okay. And BGE too. And who knows about GD... no dealings with them.

Welcome aboard Roland. Roland happens to be my middle name (Dad was into French mythology, i.e., the Song of Roland... 7th grade classmates turned it into "Roland, Roland, Roland down the river," to the merriment of all. Not. You've had a K since their Sacramento days and mention no problems. Congrats. Glad it's been uneventful for you. Nice to have met you. Hope you hangout here frequently.

Great photo, WTH is it? You need some new gray matter conducting your R&D if that was a serious effort at a new design.

Re: Forgotten feature... I was just going through some old posts learning some things and stumbled upon this: Really? The whole cooker is only 364lbs??? Are you sure? If I recall the Mexi-K's are about 450ish. If that's right, you really need to advertise that fact. That extra 90lbs is a bitch when moving it.

Re: I'm a test case Take the loaner. Tell him you'll be in Chickamauga, GA. for the next month or two. I'll send him the exact address.

Bah, looks like a draw to me. But I'll concede all 3 rounds if you'll tell the story about the strikers and the burned down factory. Glad you're not offended.

Porkchop I'm not saying don't order a cooker and be enthused about it, I'm just saying make Dennis earn praise about durability, customer service and warranty support. It's gonna take a few years and a lot of cookers.