Anyone have a PK(Portable Kitchen) grill? Warped lid...

K

kpigout

Guest
I have an older PK grill that I recently purchased used. The entire pit is made of cast aluminum. I have a little problem with it, and am hoping y'all can help. The top of the pit is warped. I guess maybe a previous owner ran a too hot fire in it or something. It does not fit level to the bottom (kinda rocks from one corner to the other caddy-corner). The opening, or gap, is about 1/4 inch, maybe a little more. I was wondering if anyone here has any ideas or solutions as to how I might be able to straighten it back out? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
i had a PK for about 40 years. Mine was the squarish model. They also made a rounded edge model which both my Dad and FIL had. Both models warp with high heat.

The best I can think of is to build a aluminum foil "gasket" to seal the warp. I don't think there is any way to get it back into shape.

The more bothersome problem is the vents eventually rusting off after a few decades.

I thought it was a really great grill/smoker due to the radiant baking similar to the BGE today.
 
ZILLA said:
Heat it back up and then clamp it down until cool? Maybe?
Click to expand...

Hey there Zilla..You're a mod over here too? Long time no see bud. (We need to remedy that...)

I had thought of that, but I emailed the company that makes them. Got a response back today with a link to a news story in Little Rock. In the video, it shows a guy fixing a warped top by tapping the corner on a flat surface until it lays flat. The story just ran on the news Sunday. Good timing...lol...

Thanks for all the responses guys.

BTW Zilla...how many posts do I need before I can upload my own avatar?
 
kpigout said:
Got a response back today with a link to a news story in Little Rock. In the video, it shows a guy fixing a warped top by tapping the corner on a flat surface until it lays flat. The story just ran on the news Sunday. Good timing...lol...

Thanks for all the responses guys.

BTW Zilla...how many posts do I need before I can upload my own avatar?
Click to expand...

Would you post the link here? My sons now have two of the PKs with warped lids. I am pleasantly surprised that there is a way to fix them.
 
kpigout said:
Sure...here you go, with his instructions for where to watch. It's about 2/3rds through the story:

If you watch this video http://www.katv.com/allaboutarkansas/index.html

You will see Avery tap the casting in the corner. He usually can do this
until the casting levels out.
Click to expand...

Hummm, I saw him do that, but must have been for a very minor fix. Mine has quite a warp and has been in use for 40 years so I imagine is more brittle than a freshly cast one. Nevertheless, I am going to try tapping on it like that and see what happens. It is retired right now.

Thanks for the link.
 
I inquired about the PK grill last winter, there was a free one on craigslist and the guy I got a Kamado from had one for $75 that was in real nice shape, it looks like a nice design. They still make them and have a decent website.
 
They work a bit like a Big Green Egg due to the radiation from the thick cast aluminum lid. You can build a fire in one end, with the bottom vent open and the top closed over that end, and have the meat in the other end with the top vent open and bottom vent on that end closed.

Cooked a ton of very good low and slow that way.
 
swamprb said:
I inquired about the PK grill last winter, there was a free one on craigslist and the guy I got a Kamado from had one for $75 that was in real nice shape, it looks like a nice design. They still make them and have a decent website.
Click to expand...

They are making them again. They stopped for about 20 or 30 years. The guy that now owns the company bought one from a garage sale, liked, it, and bought the rights from the original owners and started making them again.

I found mine for $15. My 9 year old son had cooked in a BBQ contest in Memphis last year on one we borrowed from a friend. It had belonged to his Dad. Cooked great and my son placed 8th. It was his 1st contest. If we had known they were counting "anything but" in the total points, we would have entered that category and probably would have easily won 1st. So this is his grill.
 
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