Pellet Fan
All Things Considered => General Discussion--Non food Related => Topic started by: SweatyButcher on October 04, 2018, 01:34:32 PM
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I know this has been brought up a time or two but I know Mak has updated a few things lately.
I only smoke 4-6 times a year, but I grill probably once a week (chicken, burgers, steak). I love the flavor smokers give meat even when they grill, so that's why I lean towards pellets as opposed to a lesser expensive gas grill. That being said, I know Maks have their "Flamezone" which intrigues me a little; if I'm in the mood for a little char or bold grill marks I have that option.
Now the Memphis seems more like a grill and less like a smoker, imo. Temps get higher, maybe retain heat better? Both Mak 2 star and Memphis Advantage are $2700. Through forums seems like most tend to lean towards Mak, but if I'm grilling 95% of the time perhaps the Memphis has the advantage? (see what I did there?) Coming from a Green Mountain which has been meh-okay, computer problem 2 years into it, and now an igniter issue (4 years into it). Unreliable temps (computer says 375, thermopro says 340). Looking to upgrade to something that will last and better consistency.
Thanks!
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Cookshack! PG500, or PG1000 if you want an insulated cabinet. The charbroiler in there is awesome.
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As a biased Memphis owner, I would say Advantage, as I know how well it grills with no additional options, or items to make it do it!
But if you grill that much, I would look at the PG500 too!
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I own older versions of both and I would say Memphis if you intend to grill much more than smoke. Seems like the suggestions for the Cookshack would work for you too depending on the size of grill you need for grilling and smoking.
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I'm a little different than most. I bought a rec tec Bullseye to be a dedicated griller, and use my other pit for the slow cooks.
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Having just acquired a PG500, and seeing that others have mentioned it before me, let me also chime in about its Charbroiler. I tried out another grill for a few months with a non dedicated flame zone (see my signature), and I can tell you this PG500 Charbroiler side is in a league of its own. It is really nice to not have to convert back and forth from grill to smoker, and the change from smoke to grill temps is very fast. While I guess you do give up a bit of "smoker" space, for me it is not a problem because when I really need that space an FEC-100 sits right beside the PG500. I'm also learning to use the 4 zones of the PG500 to my advantage, given 4 different temperatures within the PG500 for any given set temperature (5 if you include the warming drawer)... without making any changes. Not trying to sell another PG500 or justify my own purchase, just passing on my experience.
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Thanks for the replies! I have seen the PG500 mentioned in forums but never given it more than a glance. But I will now, especially under 2 grand!
There's a lot to like about Memphis; Honestly don't think I've heard a single mediocre thing about it from anyone that's had one but it is hard to swallow that price tag. And the 12lb hopper for the advantage, come on! 350-400 temps, going to be filling up every other cook, for something that I feel is geared towards grilling disappointing that it's not bigger.
Got a dealer 7 miles away, looking forward to pushing some of the buttons this weekend.
Thanks again!
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I will preface the material below by saying I would look hard at the PG500 if you are primarily a griller.
Now I know these numbers were for a 2011 Advantage...but that is pretty good efficiency! That is 9-13 hours of grilling depending on temperature used.
Pit at 300°: Ambient temperature 82°, calm, in the shade, 1Lb. of pellets/68 minutes or 0.88/lb per hour.
Pit at 400°: Ambient temperature 77°, calm, in the shade, 1Lb. of pellets/46 minutes or 1.25lbs per hour.
And the 12lb hopper for the advantage, come on! 350-400 temps, going to be filling up every other cook, for something that I feel is geared towards grilling disappointing that it's not bigger.
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Those are some pretty impressive numbers - significantly more efficient than my current burner.
Any stats how long it takes to get from off to 350?
I think the PG500 is a great bang/buck. It does have to pass with the missus and I'm worried the Nascar/commercial aesthetics might wrinkle her nose. But the price, solid reviews, and suggestions from here put it a strong contender. Decisions decisions..
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gtsum - that's crazy hot. I think their specs say 650? Good to know! I think I have ruled out Mak, and if I didn't get so many suggesting PG this might be less complicated. Appreciate all the feedback so far!
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Memphis biast here. An other aspect is maintenance. The Memphis pits are extremely easy to clean and, the fly ash tends to stay under below.
If you could see the pits your interested in cooking and then cleaned, it may help. :2cents:
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Memphis biast here. An other aspect is maintenance. The Memphis ... fly ash tends to stay under below.
If you could see the pits your interested in cooking and then cleaned, it may help. :2cents:
Okay...I own a PG500 and it's the only pellet pit I've cooked on. So, there's that consideration.
1. I get some fly ash in my pit (and I guess on my food) if I don't clean the pellets before putting them in the hopper.
2. The Memphis is the only pit I would consider as a replacement. Look at ZCZ's posts where he sears steaks at 500° to 600° without using a flame zone.
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Somewhat of a trick question, for any pit. If I take 2 handfuls of pellets and put in the combustion chamer of my Daniel Boone or Memphis Pro before I turn it on, they are going to be at 350° in about 7 minutes. Heck, I can even hold the Prime button down for about 2 minutes as I start my Pro and it will be at 350° in about the same time.
So, unaided, about 15 minutes...
Any stats how long it takes to get from off to 350?
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Depending on how you want to define it...The Memphis Line can do some serious Grilling/Searing!
(http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n90/lwnna/Pellethead/001-2.jpg)
(http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n90/lwnna/Pellethead/002-1.jpg)
(http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n90/lwnna/Pellethead/IMG_0002-34.jpg)
(http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n90/lwnna/Pellethead/IMG_0258-1.jpg)
But it is still hard to beat that Charbroiler Technology!
(http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n90/lwnna/Pellethead/IMG_0190.jpg)
(http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n90/lwnna/Pellethead/IMG_0192.jpg)
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This was a sirloin from a couple of nights ago, but wait 'till you see what I pull off tonight!
(https://i.imgur.com/MUI6PBXh.jpg)
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So now it looks like Memphis or PG from Cookshack. That's a difficult choice. That's what made Bentley's performance tests so valuable. But, those days are gone.
It appears that you'll never know unless you buy both and test them.
EDIT: If you live near Omaha you can come over to my patio and test drive a 5-year old PG500.
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All of that meat looks... delicious. And I just had dinner and I still want to eat all of that. Love the contrast of the deep grill marks and juicy pink of the steaks. No doubt Memphis has it's grilling dialed in to perfection. Everything I read gives a feeling like their customer support is also very good. Just hope something like that would give me a decade of good grilling and the occasional smoke!
Wish I lived a little closer to Omaha :) Love their steaks !
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I suspect the Memphis or Cookshack will last you for more than a decade...maybe your lifetime
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Costco had a sale on porterhouses so...to the PG1000!
(https://i.imgur.com/7FsIbACl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/cjs1yPjl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/K3ewPxbl.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/tIFDhR0l.jpg)
(https://i.imgur.com/6egR5Mel.jpg)
These steaks were EXCELLENT! However, I think I will cook them a bit different next time, this being my first time on ones this big. This was done in a traditional grill at 400F, direct heat. I think next time I will try 300 indirect, then sear to finish. With a piece of meat this big/thick the temps need to be a bit lower to avoid the excessive grey border from high heat.
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Loving the steak photography on this thread.
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PG-1000..........
Nuff said!
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Just hope something like that would give me a decade of good grilling and the occasional smoke!
If you buy either one, your grandchildren will be using it.
Wish I lived a little closer to Omaha :) Love their steaks !
Omaha Steaks? I could easily bicycle over to their production site. They seem to have a great reputation but I don't see why. Their meat—
1. Is not USDA graded, but you pay a premium price.
2. Doesn't seem to be any better than Costco or any number of Omaha grocery stores.
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>They seem to have a great reputation but I don't see why.
Good marketing I guess. Most of the online reviews for them are pretty poor. For several years I was sending my parents Omaha Steaks as gifts, but had never tried them myself. Once when visiting them my mom grilled some for dinner. They were no better than supermarket USDA choice, but cost 3x as much. I stopped send them.
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And with maintenance and service your kids lifetime!
I suspect the Memphis or Cookshack will last you for more than a decade...maybe your lifetime
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Someone gave us Omaha steaks as a gift, they were good but I still prefer Costco over pretty much anything else I've tried. Certainly would not pay for Omaha steaks myself.
Like the feedback of my kids being able to grill on a Memphis. Confidence is pretty high with that direction. Now just need to find an hour to go visit the local dealer and push buttons and ask questions.
Steak pictures by the way are superb.
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I love my PG500... but must admit , I dream of a Memphis sometimes. But with my pocket book, a Memphis realistically isn't in the cards.
Grilling in the PG500 is great, probably as good or better than anything else I've grilled on. Only issue at all , is that the space is fairly limited, and it's in a slightly awkward position to work in ( far left ). I can pretty easily grill 6 burgers ( which is about as many as I personally ever really need to cook ). You could probably squeeze 8 in the area, but flipping would become quite challenging. Could easily grill 2 relatively large steaks at once, possibly three medium sized ones, but again, if you go for three, it's going to get a little tricky flipping them. For me, this size grilling area is enough for 99% of my own grilling needs... for the rest of the time, I'll find some other way, like a small gas grill, or whatever.
Funny thing is, as great as grilling is on the PG500, I mostly love it for everything else it can do... Pizza on the upper shelf at 650F or more... smoking at 170F. I just love the grill...
It does probably have more ash flying around then many other pellet grills. It's just the nature of how the direct grilling area and how the heat flow in this grill works, there's not much there to keep the ashes down. This isn't a problem for me, if I was worried about ash, I just wouldn't grill on a wood fired device.
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I get full after about 3, but yeah, burgers from a 500, I could see 6! :pig:
I can pretty easily grill 6 burgers ( which is about as many as I personally ever really need to cook ).
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So did any of you see my photo's in reply# 14 yesterday? They are gone today, photobuck you can....And today, I cant even get my computer to go to the website!
I just looked. They're there.
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Thanks, I see them again too. I could not access photobucket for a whole day, so I guess nothing was working!
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Send a PM to Trooper. He had a MAK and an Advantage but recently sold the MAK.
Z
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Send a PM to Trooper. He had a MAK and an Advantage but recently sold the MAK.
Z
I did not sell the MAK
I disassembled it and put it in the dumpster.
Long story.
Please don't ask
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lol - sorry to hear that Trooper. Sounds like a good story but I will not ask! Sounds like you still have your Memphis?
I think the only reason I would get a Pro or an Elite is the 304 stainless vs the 403. I also like that the Pro has dual convection fans vs the single in the advantage. Don't know if those together are worth the extra dinero but if I'm going to have this for the next 15+ years I'd rather shell out for better heat retention (less pellet consumption). Any thoughts with the grades of steel?
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Any thoughts with the grades of steel?
I have a 2013 430 stainless Pro that sits outside in MN weather 24/7-365 and have not had any issues. Only a small cover that only covers the hood (it is the Memphis cover for the built-in models). FYI - all HOODS for the Pro & Elite are 304 stainless.
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Z
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Any thoughts with the grades of steel?
(https://vppdag.ch.files.1drv.com/y4mDzjAVV2WNdNcC0EsePopB29y8n1WnGHDti3vfldoqu4qf-ah2LeR296lqGw-tDJPQyCofr2I91IG_vzvzd2ETfgw1DQR0qcI2EhfnIE0QoGaf9OmerigxMl_TTGiQAY7HbMqQbqsA9cPyEirbQnR7tSdcbAKE4V91lCMJy8_LhWty3dPvhQlO6Zk_3soV4tSBH0ZGbsxZyFzFpC7Sl3ztA?width=660&height=372&cropmode=none)
My PG500 is the stainless that's thought of as the less desirable—430 as opposed to 304 stainless. It's treated uncommonly badly, sitting for months in rain and snow. It's fine, just dirty.
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Awesome picture Paul. Kind of funny to see pictures of two grills buried in the snow. Appears to be a case of: “Great minds think alike, and so do we.†:) :)
Alan
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(https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4737/38244295654_762dd55bf5_c.jpg)
I have a similar philosophy as you guys too
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There is 3 people I am reporting to the authorities for pit abuse!
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I think they should be reported to the 'authorities" for pit endorsements.
Pit abuse is one way to look at it, but to plagiarize an auto maker.......
These pits are built MAK or Memphis tough.
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LOL @ those pictures. I'm still in my honeymoon phase where I keep my grill in the garage and have panic attacks at the thought of a rain drop touching it. I don't even want my kids looking at it!
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My Traeger and now my Gator sit outside. I'm in the PNW affectionately known as the Pacific NorthWet. Twice I had pellets swell up and had to clean out the auger tube, but there really is no fear of having a pit outside in the elements. If I use my pit often enough, no worries on pellets swelling up and no weather damage.
DK
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There is 3 people I am reporting to the authorities for pit abuse!
My hockey sticks used to get jealous and intentionally let me down if I didn’t play them in their regular sequence. My fear is that PG will too because I have other units that have comfy covers and sometimes jump the rotation.
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Well good to know on steel quality! The pictures in this thread have been phenomenal. Being in Utah on an uncovered back patio nice to know they can handle the snow.
Should be headed down to a dealer next weekend to compare models. Read somewhere that the pro/elites felt a little more solid than advantage. Dunno how true that is, just have to see for myself. Thanks for all the feedback and pictures!
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Here's my favorite PG500 steak grilling picture. My IR gun has told me the grates were above 1040F before ( although I rarely allow my PG500 to get that hot any more, it's unecessary and needlessly hard on the grill )
Not the greatest steak I ever cooked, but I love the photo...
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From someone who never used gloves, or sticks or bats...for that matter a guy that never even touched a football while on the field in 6 years...Other then the obvious reason that one might break...Are all sticks the same for general play? Meaning a player other then the goalie does not need a stick for different game situations?
My hockey sticks used to get jealous and intentionally let me down if I didn’t play them in their regular sequence.
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From someone who never used gloves, or sticks or bats...for that matter a guy that never even touched a football while on the field in 6 years...Other then the obvious reason that one might break...Are all sticks the same for general play? Meaning a player other then the goalie does not need a stick for different game situations?
I apologize, my comment was really just a joke and I don't want to take the flow off of the subject, but—
Yes, players have spare sticks ready as replacements in case of breakage. Most rotate them.
You're right, the goal tender's stick is unique, but the sticks skaters use are the same in general terms. There are some differences based on players' preferences.
- The angle the stick shaft makes with the ice. It's called the lie and affects how far in front of the skates the puck is played. When I played, years ago, players began to round-off their stick's heels eliminating the fixed lie.
- The blade curve (limited by the rules).
- The shaft's flexibility. (Players press the stick on the ice surface, loading a curve into the shaft and then allow it spring forward to add stick-generated power a shot.
- Naturally, the stick length (also limited by the rules).
- Material (aluminum, fiberglass, carbon fiber and the like).
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Thank you!