After a long stressful week there is no better way to unwind than going to a game with some buddies. What makes this experience even more enjoyable, is setting up camp outside the stadium before game time and engaging in some tailgating festivities. The drinks are flowing, your winning at cornhole, but nothing calms the mind more than pigging out on some delicious grilled food. This can all be made possible with the right grill by your side. That is why you are probably going through Portable Kitchen Grill reviews to figure out if it would be a worthwhile addition for your next tailgating event.

Lucky for you, we at Simply Tailgating strive to provide you with the nuts and bolts of portable grills on the market so you can determine if they meet your tailgating needs and wants. Does this grill fall within that category? Read our eye-opening Portable Kitchen Grill review below to find out!

About Portable Kitchen Grills:

The first Portable Kitchen grill was built in the 1950s by Hilton Meigs, but in the 1970s they went out of business due to a fire. In 1998, Paul James bought the Portable Kitchen name and brought back this iconic grill manufacturer back to life. Today, they manufacture smokers and grills, such as the Portable Kitchen Grill. They can be found online at pkgrill.com. and their headquarters are located in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Portable Kitchen Grill Features:

The Portable Kitchen Grill boasts some unique features that sets it apart from other grills in its class. So, let’s dive in and see what the grill is all about.

• Durable – The unit is made of thick cast aluminum. This gives it a strong body that will last long without rusting.

• Portable – The unit easily detaches from any of it’s available wheeled-stand options making transportation a lot easier.

• Spacious – The 306 square inches of cooking space will allow you to cook enough food at one time, which especially helps when you have a hungry crew. Furthermore, you can grill larger food items, as it comes with 7.5” of lid clearance space.

• 2-Zone cooking – This grill offers direct high heat grilling as well as indirect low and slow heat grilling. Through closing and opening the air vents you will be able to switch between the direct and indirect grilling methods.

Other Key Features to Note:

• Four air vents
• Adjustable dampers on the lid and under the grill
• Nickel-plated steel cooking grate
• Aluminum side shelf
• Charcoal grill and smoker

Portable Kitchen Grill Cleaning & Maintenance:

To get the most out of your Portable Kitchen Grill, you will need to keep it clean and regularly maintain it. Below are some quick tips on how best to care of your grill.

Interior cleaning

Your cooking grate requires regular attention as it is constantly in touch with your food. Before grilling, heat up your grill for about five minutes. This will burn off any remaining food particles stuck on the grate. To prevent the grate from rusting, do not use water to clean it. To give it extra protection, apply a small layer of cooking oil before grilling to prevent food from sticking.

After every grilling session clear out any ash and remove any unburnt coal from your grill. Any ash or coal residue may mix with moisture and form a hard substance that will stick on the bottom of your grill, which will be difficult to remove.

Cleaning the interior of your grill regularly will wear out the grill’s seasoning very fast. Hence, it is advisable to wait until at least three or four grilling sessions before cleaning the interior. When cleaning the inside of your grill give it a quick wipe down with very little or no water.

Exterior cleaning

Keep your grill looking shiny and clean by cleaning the exterior regularly. All you need is grill cleaner, a microfibre cloth and elbow grease.

Portable Kitchen Grill Portability:

As its name suggests, the Portable Kitchen Grill is purposely built to be portable. At first glance, you wouldn’t think this to be so, given its relatively large size and weight (34.75″ H × 36.375″ W × 19.5″ D, 45 pounds). However, it makes up for these shortcomings in size and weight with its design. The Portable Kitchen Grill is attached to a portable cart that allows easy and smooth movement. The wheels are long lasting and durable and can withstand all terrain. These features make this grill one of the best tailgaters in terms of portability.

Portable Kitchen Grill Warranty:

The Portable Kitchen Grill comes with a 10 year warranty that covers the cooking capsule in case of any burnout, rust or breakage. Sorting out warranty issues can be annoying and time consuming. Keep in mind that Amazon.com offers great customer service that allows you to return products quickly and easily.

Portable Kitchen Grill Accessories:

Get more out of your Portable Kitchen Grill with these accessories that can be found on Amazon.com:

• BBQ Thermometer
• Heavy duty charcoal basket
• Waterproof grill cover
• Charcoal grate
• Littlemore cooking grid
• Cookmore cooking grid
• Stainless steel cooking grid

Portable Kitchen Grill Replacement Parts:

Here are some Portable Kitchen Grill replacement parts you may need in case of any damage or premature wear and tear. You can find these replacement parts at great prices on Amazon.com especially when you factor in FREE 2 day shipping for Prime members.

• Sliding vents
• Cooking grid
• Charcoal cooking grate

Portable Kitchen Grill Cost:

The unit goes for around $370 give or take. But you probably will find better prices on Amazon.com, where there are all sorts of deals to take advantage of, such as FREE 1-2 Day shipping if you’re a Prime member.

What Do We Like?

The Portable Kitchen Grill is a classic that outperforms many modern grills. Here is what really impressed us about this grill:

• High portability – This grill allows you to have more fun and travel more as it is easy to transport and move around.

• Spacious – Its large cooking area coupled up with its great lid clearance allows you to host more people and enjoy more food.

• Great heat retention and distribution – The cast aluminum body holds heat and evenly distributes it around the grill. This is useful, especially in cold weather where there is a high probability of heat loss.

• Versatile – This grill offers 2-zone cooking which allows you to choose either of the two different grilling methods. If you prefer high heat or love slow and low heat grilling this grill has you covered.

• Rust resistant – You will never worry about your grill rusting.

• Easy to set up – It will take you about 10 to 20 minutes setting this grill up. It also comes with a simple user manual that is easy to follow.

Portable Kitchen Grill Complaints:

No grill is perfect. Here are some of the flaws we found with the Portable Kitchen Grill:

• The nickel plated steel grate wears out easily – You will need to replace your cooking grate with a charcoal grate that lasts longer. The nickel plated steel grate that comes with this unit doesn’t do well in high temperatures and rusts easily.

• Cleaning ash after grilling can be stressful – This grill doesn’t come with an ashtray hence cleaning ash out of your grill will be a hard task. You can buy a removable aluminum ash pan to help out with this issue.

Other Tailgating Grills to Consider

If this grill isn’t your cup of tea, feel free to check out other Portable Kitchen Grill alternatives that we have reviewed in the past.

• Char-Broil Grill2Go X200 Grill
• Weber Jumbo Joe Grill
• Coleman RoadTrip LXE Grill

Should You Buy The Portable Kitchen Grill?

If you are a charcoal grill enthusiast then the Portable Kitchen Grill is really worth checking out. This grill has a long history as it was first developed over 20 years ago. This history and experience has trickled down over the years and given birth to a high performance and durable grill that sticks true to its roots. It is durable, spacious and highly portable, all features that will undoubtedly enhance your tailgating experience. With little to no flaws, this grill is definitely worth the hype and the price.

What’s Hot

• Durability
• High portability
• Spacious
• Great heat retention and regulation
• Rust resistant
• Versatility
• Easy to set up

What’s Not

• Nickel plated steel cooking grate wears out easily
• Difficulty in cleaning ash out of this grill

Thank you for taking the time to read our review. Feel free to check out this grill’s product page on Amazon.com where you can find FAQs about this grill. Have any comments, thoughts or opinions about this review? Drop them in the comments section below. Your feedback is highly appreciated.

Chris