Bunji Posted September 30, 2022 Report Share Posted September 30, 2022 I've finally moved out of an apartment building where I couldn't have a grill and as of this morning I've begun the long wait for a 32 Big Bad, after stalking these forums for a number of years. While I wait, I figure I should iron out exactly which extras I should pick up. I know there will be plenty of other stuff I'll need, but as far as the straight from KK list goes, am I missing any major must haves here? Or perhaps am I overvaluing something which isn't worth it? Almost Certainly Yes Basket Splitter - A lot of my cooks are going to be for just myself and my girlfriend, so this will be really handy for when I'm doing a small cook. Cover - It can get rainy here, gotta protect the KK! As much coal as possible The Probably Yeses Side Tables - I don't have much work space (or furniture in general since i've just moved in) on the patio where the KK will be, so having these will be handy. I would do a cabinet, but the KK will be on a small-ish concrete pad so I wouldn't have room for cabinets next to it Extra Coal Basket - I wouldnt have thought of this, but it seems to be a common and strong recommendation around here. Still not 100% sure that I need this Cold Smoker - I'm dreaming of smoked cheeses, nuts, cured fish, etc. If not for those I would just make a smoke pot The Ones I'm not sure I need Pizza stone - I already have a couple of Baking Steels that I've used in my oven to make pizzas (a 10 inch square, and a 14x20 inch rectangle). If I already have steels, do I need the stone? I don't think I've seen any posts comparing KK pizzas made on the stone vs on steel. I guess this would be good for bread though. Hmm. I'm starting to want to bump this up to the category above Rotisserie - This would be cool to have of course, but I'm not sure how much I'd use it, and I've heard cleaning up roti spits can be a pain. I'd probably just spatchcock poultry when I make it (which will be pretty often since the gf doesn't eat much red meat) Double Bottom Drip Pan - Couldn't I just use foil or disposable trays to catch drippings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5698k Posted September 30, 2022 Report Share Posted September 30, 2022 The only thing I’d hesitate on is the drip pan. Everything else, particularly as much coal as you can handle, will make your life with your new grill better. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffshoaf Posted September 30, 2022 Report Share Posted September 30, 2022 The double bottom drip pan is good if you want to make gravy or sauces from the drippings, at least on my 23", though it might not be needed if you're using the basket splitter and cooking indirect. With my 23", the drippings tend to cook down to a solid chunk in the single bottom pan or foil pan. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Chang Posted October 1, 2022 Report Share Posted October 1, 2022 3 hours ago, Bunji said: I've finally moved out of an apartment building where I couldn't have a grill and as of this morning I've begun the long wait for a 32 Big Bad, after stalking these forums for a number of years. While I wait, I figure I should iron out exactly which extras I should pick up. I know there will be plenty of other stuff I'll need, but as far as the straight from KK list goes, am I missing any major must haves here? Or perhaps am I overvaluing something which isn't worth it? Almost Certainly Yes Basket Splitter - A lot of my cooks are going to be for just myself and my girlfriend, so this will be really handy for when I'm doing a small cook. YES Cover - It can get rainy here, gotta protect the KK! YES As much coal as possible. If you don't break your local fire codes, sure i guess.. The Probably Yeses Side Tables - I don't have much work space (or furniture in general since i've just moved in) on the patio where the KK will be, so having these will be handy. I would do a cabinet, but the KK will be on a small-ish concrete pad so I wouldn't have room for cabinets next to it. Yes, but you will need to remove the tables when using the cover. Extra Coal Basket - I wouldnt have thought of this, but it seems to be a common and strong recommendation around here. Still not 100% sure that I need this. NO for me. Cold Smoker - I'm dreaming of smoked cheeses, nuts, cured fish, etc. If not for those I would just make a smoke pot. OK but I think it's a bit of a nuisance to run. Lots of cords and tubes. The Ones I'm not sure I need Pizza stone - I already have a couple of Baking Steels that I've used in my oven to make pizzas (a 10 inch square, and a 14x20 inch rectangle). If I already have steels, do I need the stone? I don't think I've seen any posts comparing KK pizzas made on the stone vs on steel. I guess this would be good for bread though. Hmm. I'm starting to want to bump this up to the category above. Use your steels first. Rotisserie - This would be cool to have of course, but I'm not sure how much I'd use it, and I've heard cleaning up roti spits can be a pain. I'd probably just spatchcock poultry when I make it (which will be pretty often since the gf doesn't eat much red meat). I would get it. Double Bottom Drip Pan - Couldn't I just use foil or disposable trays to catch drippings? This pan doubles as a cook surface and won't burn drippings as easily. I would add to this a fan assisted controller like Fireboard and guru fan, gloves, tongs, the usual... You need a place to organize all this stuff and to keep spare parts like a tool cabinet with drawers. But figure this part out after you get the grill. Congrats and have fun. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Chang Posted October 1, 2022 Report Share Posted October 1, 2022 1 minute ago, David Chang said: i forgot to mention my comments are in bold in your quote. and when getting side tables, add stainless steel surfaces.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekobo Posted October 2, 2022 Report Share Posted October 2, 2022 Definite “no” to extra basket. It will take up too much space to store and it is not that difficult to shuffle your coal around if you want to insert or remove your basket splitter. I would say everything else on your different lists is essential. The spit rod rotisserie is fine, doesn’t take up too much space and the prongs can be put into the dishwasher. I left out the baking stone when I first ordered my 32 but I found it was needed for making bread and taking advantage of the full space available on the 32 (individual pizza stones gave you less leeway). I don’t tend to use my hot/cold smoker much but it has been really useful when I have wanted to cold smoke bacon for instance. All that said, I see no mention of tile, pebble or colour. Come on, spill the beans! 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cheesehead_Griller Posted October 3, 2022 Report Share Posted October 3, 2022 When I bought my grill I spent way too much time debating between the available accessories. After six months of having my grill, I've determined the following: Basket Splitter Cover Side Tables WITH Stainless Tops (Best Upgrade IMO) I purchased the baking stone, rotisserie cradle & reducer, and the cold smoker when I ordered my grill. Sadly, I have not used the cold smoker or rotisserie yet. I've used the baking stone a few times which was quite nice but not an essential. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bunji Posted October 3, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 3, 2022 (edited) On 10/2/2022 at 4:40 PM, tekobo said: All that said, I see no mention of tile, pebble or colour. Come on, spill the beans! What an oversight on my part! My KK will be square tile in light terra blue! I considered going Cobalt, and was briefly tempted by the gold flake, but the photos I just kept coming back to were the light blue ones. EDIT: First of all, huge thanks to everyone for the input and suggestions so far! I hadn't even been considering the stainless-topped side tables! Those are getting a lot of love though, so I might have to opt for that upgrade over the standard teak, which I do love the look of. @tekobo @David Chang Do you primarily use the roti for chicken, or are you regularly cooking other stuff on it? If the former, are the results significantly better than just cooking the bird spatchcocked? And if the latter, what have been some of your favorites? I've never owned/coocked with a rotisserie, so it might just be my own ignorance that I'm not thinking of much I would use it for. Storage of the second coal basket was definitely something I had in mind, so I think i might skip that and if the single-basket-shuffle becomes too big a pain I can alwasy pick up a second basket down the line @tekobo, do you use a smoke pot instead of the hot/cold smoker when you're doing a hot smoke? I would be picking this up with cold smoking in mind, but with the thought to use it as my primary hot smoking method as well since I have it. Is it too inconvenient to regularly use for this, in your opinion? The baking stone I end up torn on still, since I do have the previously mentioned steels already. Edited October 3, 2022 by Bunji Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C6Bill Posted October 3, 2022 Report Share Posted October 3, 2022 I wish I got the stainless top on my side tables, like you i liked the look so i just went with the standard. As far as a second basket it really isn't much trouble to get the reducer in and out, i wouldn't bother. I have the rotisserie and I use the rotisserie basket and reducers much more often than the spit. It is great for things like Porchetta. And I don't have a cold smoker, i have tried the smoke pot method and i'm fine with just adding wood chunks directly into my lump basket. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C6Bill Posted October 3, 2022 Report Share Posted October 3, 2022 And excellent choice of tiles, the terra blue squares cook way better than any of the other ones 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekobo Posted October 4, 2022 Report Share Posted October 4, 2022 18 hours ago, Bunji said: What an oversight on my part! My KK will be square tile in light terra blue! I considered going Cobalt, and was briefly tempted by the gold flake, but the photos I just kept coming back to were the light blue ones. Hurrah. Colour and TILE choice is very important. Part of your bond with your new friend and a rite of passage. I am thrilled that you have landed on the tile side of the fence. I used to have cobalt blue pebble but migrated to autumn nebula tile and am very happy on the dark side. The good news for you is that you can order accessories when you want and they should be with you within a few days if you are in the US. I wouldn't sweat it. Start using your KK and decide on next steps. I use the roti mainly for chicken but have done a suckling pig and lamb shoulders but those should really be done in the basket rotisserie for security. I generally use the smoke pot but if you want to keep it simple you could go the way @C6Bill recommends or use a foil pouch. The hot/cold smoker is good for specific purposes and, although I don't use it very often, I am pleased that I have it when I do. That said, a simple cold smoking tray that burns powdered wood does work well for the occasional use. Above all, have fun waiting, unboxing and using your KK! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5698k Posted October 4, 2022 Report Share Posted October 4, 2022 I’m a tile guy myself, but any KK is better than anything else. Something to consider with the stainless topped side tables, they get hot in direct sunlight. If you’re in constant shade, or covered, no worries. I use my cold smoker for all temperature cooks, you’ll never likely be over 300° when smoking, likely less. The smoke pot works well, as does wrapping chunks in heavy duty foil..you have options. Congratulations again on your new KK, you’re gonna love it!Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bunji Posted October 4, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 4, 2022 @C6Bill that terra looks amazing, and certainly reinforces my decision to go with the same! @tekobo I hadn't realized that the accessories are typically available from US stock. That certainly eases my worry about getting everything right from the first order. I think @5698k Direct sunlight won't be a problem, the concrete pad the KK will be on is pretty well shaded by some trees in the back yard. I'm thinking, my initial order will likely be cover, basket splitter, stainless side tables, and cold smoker. Then down the line I'll pick up the roti to up my poultry game and potentially the pizza stone to help with bread baking. Thanks for the help everyone! I really couldn't be more excited Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Chang Posted October 5, 2022 Report Share Posted October 5, 2022 @Bunji i’ve roasted more coffee than meats on the roti 😂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekobo Posted October 5, 2022 Report Share Posted October 5, 2022 Hi @Bunji I forgot to respond to your question about spatchcocked chicken. It is great on the KK. Up high on the top grate at high temp gives you really lovely skin browning. It is different to rotissering a whole chicken but does compare well. I made up the bit about accessories being available to order in the US. I just assumed that must be the case. Others will be able to confirm. Here in the UK it is a bigger deal to get an extra accessory shipped and Dennis usually helps defray the cost by including it in someone else's grill shipment so you only have to cover the cost of a UK to UK transfer. The excitement never fades. KKs are just such a delight to look at and cook with. Like a reliable old friend. You won't regret your decision, I promise. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacKenzie Posted October 5, 2022 Report Share Posted October 5, 2022 You are on such an exciting roll, everything will be astonishing when you have it in your yard, even the fact that you ordered tiles. 👍👍 Everyone knows pebbles cook better. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bunji Posted October 5, 2022 Author Report Share Posted October 5, 2022 I guess now I just need to figure out how exactly I’m going to transport the thing to it’s spot in the back patio. The conventional way would be up 3 steps and into the front door, through the inside (going down one step) to the back door, out the back and down one more step to the concrete pad. Or I could roll it around the side of the house (down a bit of a grade) through the side yard gate (after going back up the grade), but would then have to take it up a few wide stairs to reach the pad. The joys of living on a hillside! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C6Bill Posted October 5, 2022 Report Share Posted October 5, 2022 I hired one of these to put mine where needed. The top of the crate is a ramp so it was easy to roll off. You might want to consider building a ramp for the steps 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tony b Posted October 6, 2022 Report Share Posted October 6, 2022 Measure the width of your doors and gates to make sure that it will fit through in the crate - as you have a BB32, if you chose to use a lift of some sort. Otherwise, you will need to uncrate it first. Sheets of 1/2" plywood are typically used to roll the KK around on soil/gravel. Get 2 or 3 sheets so you can "leapfrog" them as you go. It will take at least 2 people to roll it and move the plywood. The key is once you get it rolling, it's easy to keep going, but if you have to stop and start, then it gets harder. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wobster Posted October 9, 2022 Report Share Posted October 9, 2022 (edited) I’m a bit late here (surgery on Monday for the second time in 3 weeks)… but I agree with much that has been said. I essentially bought all the accessories 😳 except the single bottom drip pan (after talking to Dennis and thinking about pan sauces and the ability to use it for indirect grilling (as the “blocker”) it made sense) and I opted for the teak tables rather than the stainless ones. My KK lives on a large covered patio so direct sun exposure is not a big concern and as a woodworker (as well as having some metal fabrication skills and a plasma cutter) I figured I could always add stainless tops but the teak is absolutely beautiful and fits my desires and aesthetic better. Regarding the rotisserie, I initially bought just the rod and “pokers” but as I saw the size of the 32BB in person it became obvious that Turkey’s and Prime Rib would be excellent to do in the baskets so I ordered them. Regarding the stone…honestly I have a full sized pizza/wood fired oven so it was not a necessity but I felt that it would be hood to have for things like cornbread or muffins to go with things already on the grill so I could do them at the same time without heating something else up (if the temp was was appropriate such as with turbo pork butt). Also, in the scheme of things the baking stone is relatively inexpensive snd shipping it with the grill is cheaper (I think) Edited October 9, 2022 by Wobster 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
