orthoman Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 I just got my beautiful terra blue KK yesterday, and it is currently in my garage while my backyard kitchen is being built! I must say, I have spent a few hours in my garage just looking at this thing, and I have to say, I am just astounded. Every detail, from the tile work, the grout work, the welding, the metalwork, the CNC lathed lip, you name it, this thing is without a doubt, one marvel of human engineering. Being a person with OCD myself, it is just always a kick to encounter a product like this that is so obviously the product of an obsessed mind, it just makes me grin at how over-the-top this thing really is! As an example, I have a huge stainless steel tool box in my garage with a built in refrigerator! I am sure Dennis spent sleepness nights thinking about every aspect of this grill, obsessing about more crazy features he could add to it! The walls of this cooker are at least 2 inches thick! The lip fits like a glove when you close it. The tile work is immaculate. Just for fun, I went back to the BBQ store today, and looked again at the BGE. It's like comparing a low-end toyota to a hand-made supercar. The grates that came with this grill are solid steel- the main grill must weigh 30 pounds! The trap door that comes with the KK main and lower grill and allows you to put in charcoal from the top? Nothing like that on a BGE - their main grill is this cheap powder coated thing that will probably rust within a few years. The charcoal basket that comes with the KK? Nothing like it on the BGE. Once you've put charcoal in the BGE, you are done my friend, for better or worse. And good luck separating the charcoal from the dust if you have any unspent fuel left after a cook - hope you enjoy picking out pieces of nasty charcoal by hand, because that would be the only way. With a KK, all you gotta do is lift out the charcoal basket, and then clean out the ash from the bottom. With the BGE, the bottom draft door is this cheap, flimsy thin piece of aluminum that has been fit in there with some silicone - not the CNC lathed door that fits like a glove on the KK. I don't mean to bash the BGE, I am sure it does its job well. But I was trying to justify the expense diff between the two, and it's just so obvious where the money went. Every aspect of the KK has been thought about and rethought and tooled and retooled. Again, just really impressive. I swear this is built like a friggin' brick Kremlin. I lurked on this board for about a month before I bought one, and until you get one in your hands, until you can touch it and work the lid and (hug it?! - haha) there is just no way you can appreciate the build quality fully. I don't know about you guys, If a tornado every comes over my house, I know where I am spending the night! Right now, this is stuck in my garage, until next week and the workers can help me get it back there. Dennis and everyone at KK, thanks a lot. I know I am going to enjoy it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DennisLinkletter Posted April 30, 2009 Report Share Posted April 30, 2009 Thanks Soo much for the Kudos! My workers think I'm mad.. and probably a hundred little details that I obsess over are not seen by many of my customers but that's not the point. When I get feedback like this it gives me the validation to rant and rave some more. I was grinning while reading this and when I finished I had actual goose bumps.. Thank you, it's great to have our efforts appreciated. I'm loving being able to call building these cookers work. I look forward to you cooking on it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheNakedWhiz Posted May 1, 2009 Report Share Posted May 1, 2009 Heck, even my earlier model 22" OTB was stunning in it's quality and all the design improvements over the other brands. I drool when I see the latest models. Dennis, can't you get a shipper to drop one in Raleigh, again? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orthoman Posted May 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2009 The tank I just got done moving the thing to my backyard kitchen area - I was waiting for it to be finished. For the last 2 weeks I was dreading removing the lid and moving it, but my wife and I did it without too much trouble. The lid removal is easy. Just like the pic tutorial said.. I would like to add a few pointers. Make sure that someone strong is supporting the lid while you are loosening the 19mm screw that holds the spring in place, and let them know when you are close to getting that screw disengaged from the spring, because the second that screw is out, that person has the entire weight in their hands - and they need to gently let the lid down or it will BANG! My wife was not expecting the sudden responsibility for 100 pounds of lid, and it hit a little bit, I thought my grill would be cracked, but thank goodness it looks okay. And one other pearl - don't forget to add the lid back in exactly the opposite order! Put the lid on, then add the bolt and the pin! Don't try to add the spring before you add the axle and the pin, or you will be forced to tilt the lid back on the body, and there will be direct pressure between the posterior lid and the posterior body. Put the axle in and the cotter pin first, so the bracket in back is supporting all the weight as you tilt the lid back to reengage the spring. In other words, put everything back in place in exactly the reverse order that you took them apart and everything will be fine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orthoman Posted May 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2009 The tank Moving the unit across my lawn on two plywood boards worked much more easily than I thought it would...I highly recommend it. It was especially easy because we took the lid off first. Two people need to do it though, do not attempt by yourself. The cheap 6 dollar plywood boards at Lowe's worked fine. They are the ones with lots of scrap wood and filler. Same stuff they use on the roof of your house before the put on the shingles, the guy in lumber told me. In my mind, this was much easier than lifting the unit with hand trucks, forearm forklifts, and the like. Just my 2 cents worth. BTW, I am thinking about naming mine "Howitzer". This thing is certainly built like one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Conodo12 Posted May 23, 2009 Report Share Posted May 23, 2009 Where are those pics of the outside kitchen?!?!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
primeats Posted May 24, 2009 Report Share Posted May 24, 2009 I named mine Godzilla, but the ladies at Channel 7 renamed it R2, same tile color scheme Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
orthoman Posted May 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2009 R2 I love the R2 name - it does kinda fit. My builder calls it the dragon, for obvious reasons. Also, dragon fits because all of those tiny tiles remind of me of the small scales present all over a komodo dragon's body. I have had to explain to a few people that Komodo is one of the Indonesian islands, where these grills are built. And as an example of the fluidity of consciousness (mine anyway) did you see the article that scientists now have evidence that death of a Komodo's prey does not come from the bacteria in their mouths as previously assumed - they actually have posion glands! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sanny Posted May 25, 2009 Report Share Posted May 25, 2009 Re: R2 And as an example of the fluidity of consciousness (mine anyway) did you see the article that scientists now have evidence that death of a Komodo's prey does not come from the bacteria in their mouths as previously assumed - they actually have posion glands! Well, the dragons must not like the fact that their secret (or secretions?) are out. They're on the warpath. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scouterpf Posted May 25, 2009 Report Share Posted May 25, 2009 Welcome I know that your family will enjoy your new KK; we named ours "Dragon's Egg". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
