kingfisher kookers

[FlCracker]

Does anyone have one or used one.Mainly interested in the rot.models.Any info will help.

[Smokin Gator]

Chad will chime in soon. He will be able to tell you whatever you need to know.

[Jaberwabee]

Andy from HodeDo will tell you all you need to know, He can also get you in touch with the guys at KCK.com that sell them.

[FlCracker]

I talked to someone KK yesterday,very helpful.would like info from others that have experiance with them.Thanks

[HoDeDo]

Are you looking at something for your house, something on a trailer.... or a commercial?

I've used BT's, Gators, CK's, and a double walled CK. Dave will jump in here as well... but here are some generalities from me:
1. They can hold alot of food. Capacity can be doubled by adding a rack per shelf. We are talking several hundred pounds of meat.
2. If you are looking at contest use.... the gator is the way to go. It has the BB 4 tray rotisserie, and the 1/2K welded into one mean machine.
3. You will want a charcoal basket for the firebox (if you want low maintenance, long cooks)
4. Clean out is fairly easy. I hose it out after contests, Open drain at the end, that pulls out for easy cleaning.... and have never had any grease problems.
5. Water jacket is nice - but I like to let it run dry, to get a nice bark.
6. Kingfishers respond well to a Guru, once the doors are roped.

The CK that we use - has been in service, and abused for no less than 5 years. It holds up to constant use. -

If you want to talk about specific questions feel free to PM me. Who did you talk to at KK? Laney? or did you get Saul or Larry or John. Laney is usually in the office out there, she knows the products well.

I know someone else mentioned Bob already, but if you want to see all the models/pricing go to www.kck.com. If you call Bob, he will talk your ear off about them.

[Jorge]

Originally Posted by HoDeDo

If you call Bob, he will talk your ear off about them.

I can think of worse ways to spend an afternoon

[smknwhlswife]

Originally Posted by HoDeDo

I know someone else mentioned Bob already, but if you want to see all the models/pricing go to www.kck.com. If you call Bob, he will talk your ear off about them.

Also be sure to mention you are Brethren.

[The Pickled Pig]

I have been cooking on a Kingfisher purchased from Bobby for a couple of years now.

It's feature rich and can hold 240+ pounds at one time. We had a grill, propane burners, and warming oven added to it. I really like the rotisserie. It's fairly easy to maintain. I either burn or hose it out after each use. It tows like a champ. And I keep a can of high-temp Rustoleum on hand so there is no rot.

I like the water/steam jacket too. I haven't noticed a difference in the food whether water is or isn't used, but I think it does stabilize the temps.

I don't like that it's not remotely air tight. I can close every vent and stack 100% and a fire will rage on in the firebox. I've even baffled the drain vents and roped the doors (limited success). The longest I can go with my standard fire basket without feeding the unit is about 90 minutes.

I used a DigiQ last weekend for the first time. It works well but because the cooker is so drafty, the DigiQ overshoots the temp everytime and the temps won't come back down until the down side of a fuel cycle. I think I just need another few practice attempts with the DigiQ to get it dialed in.

I also don't like the pull-out tray in the pit. If used correctly (pushed in all the way against the firebox), the heat transfer from the firebox to the pit is very ineffecient. I am thinking about removing the pull-out tray altogether since it currently serves no function except getting in the way.

Overall it's a good cooker and I'm glad to have it. But if I were in the market for a new cooker right now I would take a hard look at a Spicewine or FEC.

Here's some pics of my unit in this thread.

[HoDeDo]

Originally Posted by Jorge

I can think of worse ways to spend an afternoon

As you know, by the end of the evening, sometimes you need an interpretor, to speak Gator-ese.

[HoDeDo]

Originally Posted by The Pickled Pig

I have been cooking on a Kingfisher purchased from Bobby for a couple of years now.

It's feature rich and can hold 240+ pounds at one time. We had a grill, propane burners, and warming oven added to it. I really like the rotisserie. It's fairly easy to maintain. I either burn or hose it out after each use. It tows like a champ. And I keep a can of high-temp Rustoleum on hand so there is no rot.

I like the water/steam jacket too. I haven't noticed a difference in the food whether water is or isn't used, but I think it does stabilize the temps.

That is a good point, on mine the temp stabilized around 215 as long as water was in the jacket.

Originally Posted by The Pickled Pig

I don't like that it's not remotely air tight. I can close every vent and stack 100% and a fire will rage on in the firebox. I've even baffled the drain vents and roped the doors (limited success). The longest I can go with my standard fire basket without feeding the unit is about 90 minutes.

I've talked with Orie and Saul about this... Orie will tell you that this thing was originally designed to cook with logs, and that the air was required to keep temps, and keep air from stagnating in the cooker. Adding charcoal or chunks makes it a different beast. There are a couple of holes in the bottom that serve no purpose - we welded them closed ( after testing by just stuffing them with foil), We were able to load 10-15lbs of charcoal into basket, and using a guru with the 50 CFM Pit Boss fan, get 3 hour burns. I bet the DigiQ will work well!!

Originally Posted by The Pickled Pig

I used a DigiQ last weekend for the first time. It works well but because the cooker is so drafty, the DigiQ overshoots the temp everytime and the temps won't come back down until the down side of a fuel cycle. I think I just need another few practice attempts with the DigiQ to get it dialed in.

I also don't like the pull-out tray in the pit. If used correctly (pushed in all the way against the firebox), the heat transfer from the firebox to the pit is very ineffecient. I am thinking about removing the pull-out tray altogether since it currently serves no function except getting in the way.

Overall it's a good cooker and I'm glad to have it. But if I were in the market for a new cooker right now I would take a hard look at a Spicewine or FEC.

Here's some pics of my unit in this thread.

Paul has one heck of a set up. The way he set the grill up in the front is ingenious, and the gas burner mount is pretty darn slick too.... It is a complete package as it sits.

Hey Paul, we added a stack, and that solved the heat transfer you mention. draws the air our and back

I will say, that I have moved to the FEC for my contest cooks... with two girls in kids ques, and all the other stuff goin on... I really like getting my sleep now.

[The Pickled Pig]

Originally Posted by HoDeDo

I've talked with Orie and Saul about this... Orie will tell you that this thing was originally designed to cook with logs, and that the air was required to keep temps, and keep air from stagnating in the cooker. Adding charcoal or chunks makes it a different beast.

That makes sense. And if I recall, they don't come stock with a fire basket that sits off the floor of the firebox. I can see how it would need the air flow in that configuration. I've never tried a burn out of the elevated fire basket and now I wonder if it might actually work better that way?

Originally Posted by HoDeDo

There are a couple of holes in the bottom that serve no purpose - we welded them closed ( after testing by just stuffing them with foil), We were able to load 10-15lbs of charcoal into basket, and using a guru with the 50 CFM Pit Boss fan, get 3 hour burns. I bet the DigiQ will work well!!

It's sad but I just noticed those holes a few weeks ago. I was going to weld them closed but decided to go with a baffle that I can open and close since I didn't know why they were there in the first place. I thought they may have been drain holes.

Originally Posted by HoDeDo

Hey Paul, we added a stack, and that solved the heat transfer you mention. draws the air our and back

Brilliant idea! I never would have thought of that.

Originally Posted by HoDeDo

I will say, that I have moved to the FEC for my contest cooks... with two girls in kids ques, and all the other stuff goin on... I really like getting my sleep now.

Sleep at a contest?

Thanks for sharing your Kingfisher experience with a novice Andy.

[HoDeDo]

Originally Posted by The Pickled Pig

That makes sense. And if I recall, they don't come stock with a fire basket that sits off the floor of the firebox. I can see how it would need the air flow in that configuration. I've never tried a burn out of the elevated fire basket and now I wonder if it might actually work better that way? It definately works better that way... try it for sure! We welded two pieces of angle iron in the sides, and set the basket on top of it... slides in and out for loading. Then we just made an ash rake... and push the ash out under neath the basket and out the other door. He asked the factory to start making the grates taller - so even the standard ones get alot better air than they did before...



It's sad but I just noticed those holes a few weeks ago. I was going to weld them closed but decided to go with a baffle that I can open and close since I didn't know why they were there in the first place. I thought they may have been drain holes. I think they are drain holes, but I don't think they are really needed. Crank up the tongue jack and no water is going to stay in it anyway...



Brilliant idea! I never would have thought of that. Go check out the Big red one down at bobbys, and our test unit backyard is down there too... We actually turned it into a pellet cooker, last round
You basically start it with the "new" stack wide open... which draws the air around the plate and back to the firebox side... then once it is rolling, you can shut both down to about 1/2 way. or close the "old" one completely.


Sleep at a contest? Ok,ok... sometimes it allows me to drink more, too... but then I get a nice Crown Royal induced sleep

Thanks for sharing your Kingfisher experience with a novice Andy.

No worries there. no secrets here! All the little tweaks, really just turn an all around good cooker, into a great one.