YOU ARE HERE >> AmazingRibs » Ratings & Reviews » Pitmaker 48″ Grill-Meister! BBQ Grill Review
By: Max Good
Pitmaker 48” Grill-Meister! BBQ Grills are residential versions of Pitmaker’s large capacity competition cabinet smokers with a firebox on the bottom and cooking chamber with shelves on top. They are made with 12 gauge virgin steel and have double walled sides and lower bodies for heat retention and even temperature control. Backyard models are mounted on wheels, but may be ordered on a trailer, or as stainless steel built-ins for installation. The large cook box accommodates two slide out grates with plenty of headroom for whole chickens and big butts. Both models have adjustable height fire baskets that may be raised or lowered via a lever outside the firebox that slides into grooves at six positions for a 12 inch vertical range. Adjustable height is particularly desirable on these big cabinet cookers that might, otherwise, lack searing capability. With fire cranked up right under the bottom grate, you should be able to sizzle steaks and burgers effectively or drop it down to go low and slow.
Grill-Meisters feature sliding dampers that run across the bottom with a slide out ash tray right beneath.
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Manufacturer:
Pitmaker is a Houston area metal fabricator known for manufacturing colorful, large capacity, heavy duty cabinet smokers and rectangular offset pits for competition, tailgating and serious BBQ. We have seen several trailer mounted Pitmaker smoker/grill combo setups and they are very impressive, extremely well designed and built.
They also have two backyard charcoal/wood grills and a tailgater model. These cookers are based on Pitmaker’s large “Vault” cabinet smoker designs with a firebox on the bottom and cook chamber with shelves on top. All are heavy duty steel construction. We haven’t heard much about the residential Pitmaker grills, but their large capacity smokers have an excellent reputation and it’s a good bet they wouldn’t put their name on something lame.
Published On: 2/18/2013 Last Modified: 3/3/2021
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This is the first propane smoker with a thermostat, making this baby foolproof. Set ThermoTemp’s dial from 175° to 350°F and the thermostat inside will adjust the burner just like an indoor kitchen oven. All you need to do is add wood to the tray above the burner to start smokin’.
The Good-One Open Range is dramatically different from a traditional offset smoker. By placing the heat source behind and under the smokebox instead of off to the side, Open Range produces even temperature from left to right, something almost impossible to achieve with a standard barrel shaped offset.
Green Mountain Grills Trek smoker
Green Mountain’s portable Trek Smoker is one mean tailgating and picnic machine. But it’s also gaining popularity with people who want to add a small, set it and forget it pellet smoker to their backyard arsenal. And with their WiFi capabilities you can control and monitor Trek from your smart phone or laptop.
Winner of the National BBQ Association’s product of the year award. This 8.5″ x 11″ magnet contains more that 80 benchmark temperatures for meats (both USDA recommended temps as well as the temps chefs recommend), fats and oils, sugars, sous vide, eggs, collagens, wood combustion, breads, and more. Although it is not certified as all-weather, we have tested it outdoors in Chicago weather and it has not delaminated in three years, but there is minor fading.
The PK-360, with 360 square inches of cooking space, this rust free, cast aluminum charcoal grill is durable and easy to use. Four-way venting means it’s easy to set up for two zone cooking with more control than single vent Kamado grills. It is beautifully designed, completely portable, and much easier to set up for 2-zone cooking than any round kamado.
We always liked Grilla. The small 31.5″ x 29.5″ footprint makes it ideal for use where BBQ space is limited, as on a condo patio.
Click here for our review on this unique smoker
The Broil King Signet 320 is a modestly priced, 3-burner gas grill that packs a lot of value and power under the hood. Broil King’s proprietary, dual-tube burners get hot fast and are able to achieve high, searing temps that rival most comparatively priced gas grills. The quality cast aluminum housing carries a Limited Lifetime Warranty.
From TBoneJack, the unofficial Poet Laureate of The Pitmaster Club:
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I want some more, I’ll have them for,
My last meal on this Earth.
Memphis Dust did suit them well,
I served them without sauce,
Not 3-2-1, not overdone,
No precious flavor loss.
Jambo, Lang, or Meadow Creek,
It’s hard to make the call,
Almost a crime, so little time,
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Weber, Brinkman, PBC,
No need for budget breach,
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They’re all good, I like them fine,
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When you make rubs at home we recommend you add salt first them the herbs and spices because salt penetrates deep and the other stuff remains on the surface. So thick cuts need more salt. We put salt in these bottled rubs because all commercial rubs have salt and consumers expect it. You can still use these as a dry brine, just sprinkle the rub on well in advance to give the salt time to penetrate. For very thick cuts of meat, we recommend adding a bit more salt. Salt appears first in the ingredients list because law says the order is by weight, not volume, and salt is a heavy rock.
Sprinkle on one tablespoon per pound of meat two hours or more before cooking if you can. Called “dry brining,” the salt gets wet, ionizes, becomes a brine, and slowly penetrates deep, enhancing flavor and juiciness while building a nice crusty “bark” on the surface. Sprinkle some on at the table too!
Are they hot? No! You can always add hot pepper flakes or Chipotle powder (my fave) in advance or at the table. But we left them mild so you can serve them to kids and Aunt Matilda
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