Done with Pellet Grill - Need Charcoal Recommendation

D

Dubs

Is lookin for wood to cook with.
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My Mac 2-Star which is 7 years old is done. I don't use it that much, the auger got jammed and after taking over an hour to clear the pellet stew that formed - it won't even get to temp. I could never get the taste profile I was looking for anyhow.

I have been using my Kamado Joe Jr for over a year and I can get the sear I want but its not the best for two zone cooking or when we are entertaining as I have to cook a few items at a time and then more as I have space.

I am in the market for a new charcoal grill but it has to be able to be carried up a few flights of stairs and sit on a deck. Thinking of a Weber Charcoal Summit but know there are other grills out there. Any recommendations? Was reading about Hasty Bake and M Grills but not sure as I dont know anyone that uses them. ok - I will listen.....
 
I do not own a Hasty Bake but a friend did. Unless something has changed you have little temp control other than raising or lowering a grate. A Weber Summit might take 2 men and a small boy to get up stairs. How about a 26" Weber Preformer? Big but manageable. Then there are always the One Touch Gold 22" option.


Depends on how much cooking space you need. Good Luck with your decision.
 
A Gateway can be carried up stairs or a Hunsaker rolled up, fairly easily, has two racks for somewhat adjustable levels and food capacity as well as can get to 800 for hot cooks. Other than WSM, I am not sure about multiple level cookers that are fairly easy to get upstairs? The lightest would be a Kettle...but not two tier.
 
Well, with the exception of the Summit, I have owned and cooked extensively on each grill you have listed…

LOVE the MAK 2 Star... hate to see things not work out for you. Doubt it would be hard to resolve issue w/ MAK. But obviously that is entirely up to you :)

LOVE the 26.75” Weber kettles. Lots of real estate and just flat out cooks.

Really like the 22” Weber kettles/Performers not they feel cramped to me more often than not.

Really liked the M Grills M1.

Liked the Kamado Joe’s.

The Hasty Bake was just ok.

If you need to move a charcoal grill up stairs, deck, etc... the kettles will obviously be the easiest.

How many mouths do you feed on a regular basis, what’s the budget, and do you tend to grill more, smoke more, or is it pretty even?
 
4 people on a regular basis. I smoke about 40% and grill about 60%. As for budget - none really. The Mak 2-Star was on the expensive side but never really worked out for me. Been using a backwoods chubby for smoking and a Joe Jr for grilling.
 
Since you already have a kamado and seem to like it except for capacity and 2 zone capability, have you considered a Primo XL? It excels at both, as far as kamados go.
 
A ceramic.Roast,grill,bake,sear,whatever.Not the end all,be all some would have you believe,but a DAMN versatile cooker. pizza,low and slow,regular grilling.The downside,lack of space..
 
Lots of fans of the Mak 2 Star, so I'd sell it to someone who wants one. I have no experience with one so can't comment on how to get a better product. You are too far away from me to make a purchase to try to explore the pellet scene again.


I'd go with the 26" Weber.


Good luck in your search.


Robert
 
I apologize for not reading the entire original post.You are not going to move a ceramic very often.Very heavy.Buy a kettle/ WSM and fuggetaboutit.
 
For what its worth, having moved both several times, I dont think there is much of a weight difference between the Mak and the Primo....assuming you got the Mak up several flights of stairs.
 
Dubs said:
My Mac 2-Star which is 7 years old is done. I don't use it that much, the auger got jammed and after taking over an hour to clear the pellet stew that formed - it won't even get to temp. I could never get the taste profile I was looking for anyhow.

I have been using my Kamado Joe Jr for over a year and I can get the sear I want but its not the best for two zone cooking or when we are entertaining as I have to cook a few items at a time and then more as I have space.

I am in the market for a new charcoal grill but it has to be able to be carried up a few flights of stairs and sit on a deck. Thinking of a Weber Charcoal Summit but know there are other grills out there. Any recommendations? Was reading about Hasty Bake and M Grills but not sure as I dont know anyone that uses them. ok - I will listen.....
Click to expand...

Wow. First time I've ever seen a MAK owner writing that he couldn't get the "taste profile" he was looking for.

But I've often wondered how a MAK, burning the same pellets as any other pellet grill, would somehow produce food with a better smoke or taste profile, than brand X pellet grill burning the same pellets and possibly even pellets out of the same bag.

But to a recommendation, I'd go with a 26in Weber Kettle or 22in WSM and team it up with the Kamado Joe.

When we have guest, I regularly use both my Kamado Joe and my WSM, either set up to grill or smoke.
 
Dubs said:
4 people on a regular basis. I smoke about 40% and grill about 60%. As for budget - none really. The Mak 2-Star was on the expensive side but never really worked out for me. Been using a backwoods chubby for smoking and a Joe Jr for grilling.
Click to expand...



Sounds like you already have your smoking need taken care of w/ your Chubby. Guess it boils down to how many Benjie’s you wanna part with. I have bought charcoal grills that required lots of $$$$ and most recently a 26.75 Weber kettle that required $ (minus 3rd party accessories), and would put my $ grill up against any of the $$$$ cookers I used to have. It’s super simple and it just works. Love it! If you are cooking for 4-6 on a regular basis, a Performer would be another fantastic choice in my opinion.
 
I use a 26" Weber Kettle with the Slow N' Sear XL and it is amazing! One chimney lasts 6-7 hours at 225-235. I went with the Weber because I needed something cheaper to hold me over until I eventually get a Lone Star Grillz smoker. The nice thing about using the weber kettle as a smoker is I can use it for grilling as well. It truly is an all-in-one package.
 
Maybe look at a drum? You can make them pretty cheap from parts at your hardware store, or buy a kit, or buy the whole shebang. There not to difficult to move and do a pretty good job. Barrels/UDS's cook a little hotter and faster tho.
 
It’s pretty tough to beat the Kettle. I’ve owned a few over the years & admittedly I was never a huge fan, always had other cookers that were my main focus so the kettles sat mostly unused. After an unfortunate accident on the deck moving my favorite Akorn around I had no choice but to use a kettle. So I focused on learning the kettle to see what all the fuss was about.

Once I added a Slow N Sear to my Jumbo Joe I was hooked. Adding the Slow N Sear even to such a small grill as a Jumbo Joe allows a true two cook zone which gave me flexibility I never had with a Kamado. I’ve used either a Jumbo Joe or Performer for every cook since April. I’ve mostly grilled but also smoked ribs, butts & most recently boneless short ribs. Now I’m one of the many signing the praises of a kettle. Get one, try it, fall in love, if not you can always sell it & move on.
 
If you really can't stand that Mak, I am not too far from you and will come get that nasty thing out of your sight. :pray::loco:
 
Besides kettles, you could also look at PK grills and the m16 from mgrills.

Both look like steak cooking machines.
 
HUGE difference in flavor produced from pellet grill to pellet grill. I know you're disgusted with the MAK, but have you tried calling MAK's CS? They've been so good to most of us owners, I know they'd bend over backwards to make it right, if you are so inclined. I mean, that's a big investment to give up on.
That said, I have a Primo XL and have had great cooks on it, however it is very, very heavy, but 4 healthy guys could move it. I also have a kettle and have had great 2 zone cooks on it, however it tends to take more tending to.
Good luck with the search.
 
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