Ranked #5 in Best Charcoal Grills
PK Grills PK3004.5
$599The PK Grills PK300 is the premium portable charcoal grill — a cast aluminum capsule with a 4-point precision venting system, 30-inch cook height, and a 20-year warranty on the bowl and lid. AmazingRibs called PK's quest to build a better mousetrap successful, and Girls Can Grill measured 500 F+ direct-zone sears and 275 F sustained indirect-zone smoking on the same fuel load. Cast aluminum conducts heat 4x faster than steel, giving exceptionally even sear marks. The cooking surface is smaller than a kettle (315 sq in vs 363 sq in), so buyers prioritizing capacity should look at the Weber Original Kettle Premium 22-Inch instead; buyers who want a workspace should look at the Weber Performer Deluxe 22-Inch.
Strengths
- — Cast aluminum construction conducts heat 4x faster than steel, giving even sear across the entire 315 sq in cooking surface
- — Precision 4-point venting system supports two-zone direct + indirect cooking on the same load
- — 30-inch cook height is ergonomically taller than the old PK Original and easier on the back
Watch-outs
- — 315 sq in cooking surface is meaningfully smaller than a 22-inch kettle's 363 sq in
- — $599 price tag is high relative to other portables — pays for cast aluminum durability, not raw cooking capacity
- — Ash management uses an interior containment system rather than a slide-out pan — slower to clean than the Akorn or the Weber kettles
