# Stok Tower



## kjlued (May 11, 2011)

Bean thinking about getting a new grill and getting rid of my $40 charcoal deal that I bought sever years ago, it has been bumped by the the truck, fell over, busted handle, tweaked out etc....

But it still does the job.

However, I just want something a little nicer.

So, I have been shopping around and this new little bright orange tower caught my eye.

The Stok Tower

http://www.stokgrills.com/grills/grill_tower.php

Made and sold exclusively at Home Depot (hence the orange).

Minus all the flashy colors it is very similar in design to the Weber Kettle.

But what I like is the versatility with the insert system.

Also, the build quality seams to be really nice.

Has anyone seen or used one of these in action?

If so, what do you think?

If you have not seen it, go by the HD and check it out.

From appearance, if you are looking at a kettle, this looks to be worth checking out.


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## SmokinAl (May 12, 2011)

I went to H. Depot & didn't see one. All I can say is you just can't beat a Weber!


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## jirodriguez (May 12, 2011)

Never heard of them..... personally I would grab a 22.5" Weber off of craigslist. You can usually get them for under $75, they last forever, and parts are redily available if you ever need one.


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## Bearcarver (May 12, 2011)

X 3 for Weber.

That's strange---Looks like a grill mounted on top of a "chimney" charcoal starter.

Could be good, but we know the Weber is.

My 2 Piasters

Bear


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## kjlued (May 12, 2011)

Originally I thought about getting a kettle grill with a smoke box and that was going to be it.

Then I thought, realistically being a single guy with no kids and although I have been known to throw a few small shindigs, they are just that, small shindigs (usually when MotoGP is on).

So, then I said, maybe just get a Webber Kettle like you guys are saying.

Then I saw this bright shiny orange thing and when I approached it, I was prestty sceptical thinking that all your cash was going for flash.

But I still looked closer

What I saw seams to be really nice build quality.

As nice and maybe nicer then the Webber.

Also seems to be pretty functional.

I appreciate the fact that WebKet is so loved and the quality is proven.

But to say you can't beat it.....well, if we said that all the time, we would still be pulling carts on stone wheels with an ox.

That being said, I don't know if this grill is better or not but would like to find out by somebody that has maybe tried it or at least seen it.

However, if I decide to get it, I may be the first.

Unfortunately I have not had a WebKet so I won't be able to compare and I have no intentions of getting both. lol

I am not in a rush to buy so keep posting and I will let you know what I decide.

I may get something tonight or it may be next month. Just depends on the urge. lol


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## michael ark (May 12, 2011)

It looks like it would have one hell of a hot spot.But the proof is in the puddin .


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## kjlued (May 12, 2011)

michael ark said:


> It looks like it would have one hell of a hot spot.But the proof is in the puddin .




That center piece is for lighting the charcoal and then can either be left in or pulled out with the handle.

What is nice about it, if you cook a pizza, you can leave it in and really get the stone hotter then hell.

However, I do question how long the stone will last with a direct flame under it.

Most do not do well like that.

I think I may know why they were in my Home Depot and not others.

The company is in Anderson SC which is about an hour or less from me.

It seems the HD is going to put a push behind these though and I am sure other will be seeing them soon.

I decided to bite the bullet though and try it.

Bought it today and put it together.

Everything was packed well but the stone still busted in shipping.

Called the HD and they will exchange the stone for me.

Putting together is fairly straight forward but a little frustrating.

However, once it is together, it is solid.

Can't wait to try it out.

Won't be able to compare it to a WebKet though as I have never owned one.

I have used a Webber Kettle Silver (the cheapo) but not the Gold which this would be comparable to that.

One thing this has over the WebKet for sure though is the cast iron grate.


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## Bearcarver (May 13, 2011)

Sounds good!

Keep us posted.

I have bought a lot of stuff at HD-----Never had even a slight problem with returning things there.

Those stones may be pretty brittle---could serve as a warning to be gentle with them---No Frisbee!  
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






Bear


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## tom37 (May 13, 2011)

I almost bought the same thing at HD a month or so back, almost an impulse buy.

I also really liked the looks of it, kinda different, kinda cool looking and looked fantastic for taking it with me to comps.

I'm looking forward to hearing how it preforms.


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## kjlued (May 13, 2011)

Tried it today and I am very pleased.

the versatility and flexability makes this grill a sure fire winner.


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## tom37 (May 13, 2011)

I think the thing that caught my eye the most was the coal catcher. 

Have you used it with the coals still in the can?

My thought was to use some sort of a deflector plate above the coals to prevent the hot hot spot. And use it mostly for crisping chicken and also the snacks like burgers and dogs. Maybe the bacon wrap dogs as well.


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## kjlued (May 14, 2011)

Tom37 said:


> I think the thing that caught my eye the most was the coal catcher.


I am assuming you mean the charcoal lighter?
 

I used it the first time last night and it worked like a charm.

You can leave coals in the lighting can (which I did) or remove the can to allow the to spread out.

Advantage of leaving them in the starter is that you can easily create 2 temperature zones and also for a single guy like me, I can use less charcoal.

Tonight I plan on doing my first pizza on the Que. I make a pretty mean pizza (many of my friends brag on them saying they are the best they have ever had). Just never did one on a Que.

For this the starter can will also stay in and more coals will be used in hopes to achieve temps of closer to 500 degrees. Just a little worried how well the toppings will melt since opening the grill will release all the top heat. However, I did notice yesterday that after removing the lid and replacing it, it took only seconds for the internal temperature to get back to normal.

So we will see.


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## SmokinAl (May 14, 2011)

Sounds like you have a winner!


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## kjlued (May 14, 2011)

So far yes, it is a winner and I highly suggest taking a look at this grill if you are shopping for a new one.


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## kjlued (May 17, 2011)

Ok, here are some long over due pics

Getting home













Don't forget the most important tool for any any project......the beer.

























Lighting can can be reoved with handle to spread chrarcoal out.


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## kjlued (May 17, 2011)

Cooking steak and fries (first day)







After letting it sit on the outer ring for about a half hour and get some good smoke penetration, I flipped it to the center for a couple minutes.







Finished product







More to follow


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## Bearcarver (May 17, 2011)

All looks great!

Fries are nice!!

How well done is that steak, and did it pick up much smoke?

Was that charcoal smoke, or did you throw some wood in.

Sorry for all the questions, but that thing looks interesting.

Bear


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## kjlued (May 17, 2011)

Thanks

That steak was med rare after over a half hour.

Reason being though is I think I left it on the center too long.

I have beed doing the same time since and getting rare.

I have wood chips thrown on the charcoal and yes, it the steak got plenty of really good smoke flavor.

I have also smoked mac-n-chees on there which I must say was incredibly awesome and I did cook pizza on there too.

The pizza was really good but I did burn the bottom. It will take a little figuring out how to make a pie withough burning the bottom.







Heating the stone.







Again, a reminder the most important ingredient to any BBQ is the Beer.



















Like I said, the crust was burnt but the pie was still really good.


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## kjlued (May 17, 2011)

BTW, the first two meals were all charcoal with wood chips.

The Pizza was half charcoal and half hickory wood chunks.

Yesterday I choped up some oak wood chunks and did 100% cook with that and it will probably be what I mostly do from now sinc there is plenty of dried oak on the property (14 acres).

Landlord also said tere is some hickory out here and we can cut it down if I want. :)

But using all wood will save a good bit of money.


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## Bearcarver (May 17, 2011)

You're doing good already with it !

I would imagine it'll take awhile until you get the pizza making right----Make sure you take some notes, so you can pinpoint your way to perfection.

Keep it up!

Bear


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## kjlued (May 17, 2011)

I nailed making and hand tossing pizzas down solid the first time in the oven (I use a Fibrament-d baking stone).

Everyone that has them say they are one of the best pizzas they have ever had.

The grill, I know what I need to achieve which is less heat from the bottom (the stone) and more from the top.

the problem is you are supposed to put the stone on then light the grill (never put a cold stone on a hot grill).

Well, if I do that, the charcoal lighter stays in.

However, I may throw the bbq gloves on next time, grab the stone out, pull the lighting can out and spread the coals out towards the edges more. This will allow more heat to rise around and less direct heat from the bottom.

Eventually I plan on getting another fibrament-d stone for the grill anyways so that may be sooner then later.


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## tom37 (May 17, 2011)

Nice !!!  Very Nice.

I think I am going to have to ask for one of these for my B Day. For me this would be perfect for the occasional snack while cooking on the big smoker.

The pie looks fantastic.


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## justpassingthru (May 17, 2011)

Interesting grill ya got there, from the looks of the grub it looks like you're learning how to use it.

I make pizza on my Weber Genesis and I have learned to raise the stone up off of the grill by setting it on some fire bricks, I also learned from someone, I don't remember who, to cook the dough on the stone first for a few minutes, then take it out, add the toppings on the cooked side and place it back on the stone to cook the bottom and toppings, first couple I made turned out burnt like yours, but cooking one side of the dough first works fine, good pizza.

Gene


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## Bearcarver (May 18, 2011)

kjlued said:


> I nailed making and hand tossing pizzas down solid the first time in the oven (I use a Fibrament-d baking stone).
> 
> Everyone that has them say they are one of the best pizzas they have ever had.
> 
> ...


Just so you know, I didn't mean it will take you awhile to learn how to make a pizza. I meant it might take awhile to get the baking of your pizza right in that new toy----Done to your liking, without any areas burned or not done enough. Sounds like you'll get there soon.

Bear


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## SmokinAl (May 18, 2011)

We cook pizza all the time on the grill with a pizza stone. You just have to keep checking it & when the crust is done the pizza is done. Sometimes only about 5 or 6 minutes.


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## alelover (May 18, 2011)

First pizza I did on the gas grill the top was perfect. The bottom however was turned into carbon. I put a thin steel pizza pan under the pie and put it on the stone and it did much better. I must of had the flame too high. The thermometer said 700.


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## kjlued (May 18, 2011)

Bearcarver said:


> Just so you know, I didn't mean it will take you awhile to learn how to make a pizza. I meant it might take awhile to get the baking of your pizza right in that new toy----Done to your liking, without any areas burned or not done enough. Sounds like you'll get there soon.
> 
> Bear




I knew what you meant, no worries. :)


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## kjlued (May 18, 2011)

SmokinAl said:


> We cook pizza all the time on the grill with a pizza stone. You just have to keep checking it & when the crust is done the pizza is done. Sometimes only about 5 or 6 minutes.




5-6 minutes and the crust would have turned to dust.

I actually left it on an upside down pan threw it in the Q for a few minutes then slid it off.

It was only on the stone for a few minutes.

Second Pizza turned out better because I did the same thing thing but longer on the pan and only about 2 min on the stone.

Still was burnt, just not as bad.

Next time, I will spread the coals out and leave it on an upside down pizza pan even longer.

That dough I am using is just not designed to cook at that super high heat.

However, I do have some really good flour that is so I may try that too.


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## roller (May 18, 2011)

Looks good !


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## kjlued (May 18, 2011)

Tonight southwestern marinated salmon with seasoned rice au gratin.


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## Bearcarver (May 18, 2011)

kjlued said:


> Tonight southwestern marinated salmon with seasoned rice au gratin.




MMMmmmmm........








Bear


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## SmokinAl (May 19, 2011)

kjlued said:


> 5-6 minutes and the crust would have turned to dust.
> 
> I actually left it on an upside down pan threw it in the Q for a few minutes then slid it off.
> 
> ...




Your fire was too hot, so the stone got too hot. The purpose of the stone is to pull the moisture out of the crust. I keep the grill around 400 degrees. I also buy the dough at Walmart. It's where they sell their fresh pizzas you cook at home. A bag costs 88 cents & it will make 2 nice sized pizzas.


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## kjlued (May 19, 2011)

I will try the wallyworld dough (is it made in China like everything else they sell? j/k)

I have been buying Real Ny Pizza Dough ( http://rnypd.com/ ) which is excellent dough but just not really designed for super high heat. 

I agree though, the stone is too hot which is why I need to pull the charcoal can out.

I have a pretty decent understanding of what went wrong, I just need to figure out how to make it work on this Que.

The manufacturers meathod sucks.

I imagine my next Que pizza will be a 100x's better.

Maybe not perfect but still 100x's better


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## nalati (Jun 25, 2011)

Cooking a Pizzas on a grill or a Head of of Romain is cool but how about Pork Ribs, Roast, Brisket a Tri-Tip or a 1 1/2" Rib eye ?    Grill looks a bit flimsy to, I have owned Weber's most of my life, was wanting something better even looked into getting a *Kamado*  but the cost.  Anyway, how does it over all work ?


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## kjlued (Jun 25, 2011)

Don't understand how it "looks" flimsy but I can guaranee you it is not flimsy.

As far as cooking anyything else, I imagine it will do fine.

I am sure if you go to your local Home Depot, they will have a model of it put together for you check out.

Only that ticks me off is they offered it on sale for $99 about a month after I bought it for $60 more. lol


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## tom37 (Jun 25, 2011)

$99........ WOW I haven't seen that yet. 

And the two that I have looked at were very sturdy to say the least. My first impression was that it was robust to say the least.


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## sjcrain (Jun 29, 2011)

I picked up one of these once I saw that the price dropped to $99 in store.  So far I really like it.  Any tips from people that have one?  So far I've just done a steak and some burgers, but I'm interested to see if anyone has managed a decent smoke on one.


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## david maccubbin (Jul 14, 2011)

This is the best charcoal grill I have ever owned. Built more sturdy than the Weber. Easy to adjust the heat for long cooking periods. Stands taller than any other grill (advantage for me at 6'-4" tall). Built in chimney charcoal starter. Hood fits tight. Hood has great built-in thermometer, shows only 10 degrees higher than grate temp. Can grill direct heat or indirect heat. Slight modification to the Smokenator for long and slow wet or dry smoking using a Weber hinged grate available at any target for $18.00. All in all you can't go wrong, was on sale for $99.00 at Home Depot. They seem to have this sale every couple of months. Hope this helps.


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## nolabel7 (Jul 24, 2011)

Stok, they are a new grill.  I worked at the Depot until a couple of days ago, and Stok is awesome.  The propane grill has serious issues so until they fix the burner stay away.  But, the tower is awesome.  The burner is inconsistant and doesn't stay lit if it's windy.  Not to mention it's three hundred bucks.  But the tower on the other hand has nothing but rave reviews.

I will be picking one up soon.  I really like the inserts, not to mention that it's full of cast iron and well built.

Thanks for the pictures, it really sets me in my next grill!


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## rtadeo98 (Aug 12, 2011)

I also have a stok tower grill and I've never owned a Weber, but I can imagine that my Stok works just as well as a Weber since the design is almost exactly the same.  I've smoked ribs and butterflied chicken, I've also done steak and pizza.  I've never had a problem and it works for me very,very well. With a full canister of coals and all holes closed the temp. reads about a constant 250 deg. I did a slab of spare ribs yesterday using a dry rub, mopping sauce and hickory chips and they turned out pretty, pretty good.  So, hooray for Stok Tower Grill... but with all do respect for Weber because it's been around for a long time.


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## tyotrain (Aug 12, 2011)

Looks great.. Nice job


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## tom copp (Sep 16, 2011)

Great Grill. At this pricepoint you NEED to look it over. Enameled cast iron grate w/inserts. Same thickness as the Weber, enameled finish, taller, very strong legs. The charcoal grate is the same size as a Weber 18. The grilling grate is the same as the 22.5 The Stok has more taper in the bottom kettle.

Weber acc's fit. I bought a Weber tool holder and am using a Weber 18" grill as a 2nd grill shelf  (I added legs) 

Weber is KING but Stok is offering a strong choice.


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## mrpinkdon'ttip (Dec 23, 2011)

I've looked at these models in Home Depot several times the last couple months since my Weber 22.5 went back to original owner. Display model was always dented/severely damaged and they always had 10+ boxes of them that weren't moving. Today they were marked down to $49 after being $149. Came home to research, found this thread then raced back and bought the last one (were three 20 minutes before).

Can't wait to assemble and fire it up, but since it is one of my "Christmas" presents, I may have to wait a couple days. Love the cast iron grates, integrated thermometer and insert system. Will keep you posted on the results soon!

$49 - how could I turn that down!


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## venture (Dec 23, 2011)

It is strange looking but seems to be solidly built.  I'm not about to give up my Weber, but I would be interested in your evaluation.

Good luck and good smoking.


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## mymeatsonfire (Jan 11, 2012)

My wifey bought me a Stok Tower charcoal grill for Christmas.  I've always used my gas grill, but haven't touched it since the Stok arrived.  Charcoal is a new cooking experience for me and we've all benefited from the new grill and smoking process. Aside from my first time with the pizza stone when I burnt the crap out of the first pizza, then learned to spread the coals to the outside of the grate.  I feel the for $49.00, I got a grill that's comparable to, or better than, the $149.00 Weber at the same store.  Plus, my wifey got every grill add-on for %75 off.  Home Depot liquidated the Stok line over the 2011 Christmas holiday season and we took advantage of it.


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## BGKYSmoker (Jan 11, 2012)

I had hands on one in Palm Coast Florida the other day at a tool store in the outlet mall. Was on sale as a factory blemish (i couldnt find the blem) for $99

It would not fit in the Miata


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## fisherfrk (Jan 31, 2012)

I would strongly  recommend against purchasing as Stok Tower grill.

Pros:

1. They look cool.

2. They appear to built sturdy.

3. The grill top is very nice, cast iron.

Problems:

1. Lousy customer service, if you need parts the factory has no time for you. 

2. The plastic parts (the handle, the grill insert lifter) are very weak.  I dropped the grill top and the handle exploded (scores of pieces all over the porch).  I lifted the grill with the included grill lifter and the plastic handle broke in my hand. These problems occured at 2 yes 2 uses.

3. enamel paint is very brittle and can not be repaired.

I got mine for $49 and would not buy another.

Save yourself the trouble and buy a 22.5" weber.


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## venture (Jan 31, 2012)

Did I say I wasn't about to give up my Weber?

Good luck and good smoking.


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## mymeatsonfire (Jun 5, 2012)

It's been a few months now with the Stok Tower charcoal grill and I wanted to provide and update for anyone who may find this discussion. First, I like the grill and for $49.00 it was a great introductory grill to charcoal cooking. That said, it's a Chinese made knock-off of the Weber 22.5" kettle with some some nice additional features; particularly the iron grate and removable center grill piece.  The removable center piece is convenient to add more charcoal.  It also stands higher than the Weber kettle, but that has made it very difficult to find a grill cover that fits. I suspect that finding replacement parts for this grill is going to be challenging, if not impossible. I'll buy an American made charcoal grill when the time comes because I've caught the cooking meat over coals fever. BTW, a friend has a Weber kettle and we compared them over beers, so this isn't scientific. The Stok tower grill brought me back to the fun of cooking over briquettes and wood chunk coals.  Thanks to everyone for sharing on this forum, I've learned a bunch from this forum and another Weber grill forum.


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## mymeatsonfire (Jun 8, 2014)

So, it's been a couple years now with my Stok Tower charcoal grill and, despite this being an old discussion, the search engines put this as one of the top results when searching about the Stok Tower charcoal grill.  I wanted to add my experience over the past couple years with the grill.  The Stok Tower charcoal grill has served me well for over two years with both indirect and direct grilling and smoking.  I've also made several modifications to improve upon the original design. First, let me address some of the negativity.

Parts are now available online at Amazon and several other e-tailers and at the brick-n-mortar stores Cabella's and Target.  The orange enamel paint has never chipped on my grill, but then I'm cautious with banging it against something.  The plastic lid handle did have me worried, but again, I'm cautious about handling the lid and feel confident that I could make a replacement handle myself if it did break.  Heck, even Weber sells a replacement handle for their kettle grill.

These are some design issues that I've overcome through modifications:  the wheels, lid sealing, the lower vent, charcoal accessibility, and bi-metal temperature indicator (notice I didn't call it a thermometer).  Because the wheels were individually attached to each rear leg, I created my own axle rod that spans across both legs and now the wheels aren't going anywhere. The lid seals much better when I use some strong metal clamps that I got from Harbor Freight; I just removed the clamps rubber parts.  The lower vent was modified by cutting away with my Dremel Tool about 3/8" of metal where the bottom pan slides on the pins to allow the adjustable vent to fully close.  And for access to add charcoal, I cut off a small portion of the iron grate and wired it together as a make-shift hinge, which allows me to flip up a small part of the grate to enable adding charcoal to the lower portion.  It appears that Weber now sells a hinged top grill grate, so this idea is a popular one.   And one of the best investments was a wireless temperature probe that I use on both my charcoal and gas grills.  Because the "temperature indicators" on both my grills are far from accurate.  This digital thermometer has dual probes, for the grill and meat, and it keeps me from opening the lid.  And the temperature alarms are a great feature to have when low-and-slow cooking.  

Some of my additional grilling gadget purchases have included: some stainless steel Weber charcoal bins for indirect heat.  Initially, I used some modified aluminum pans, but eventually bought the "real deal" when the Weber bins were on sale.  Other items that I bought and have found useful is a Weber chrome multiple tool hanger, some galvanized S-hooks on which I hang the metal clamps, some long heavy duty grilling gloves, and an official Stok Tower cover, and several smoking related items.  The cover has lasted two Michigan Winters, albeit the grill is stored on a covered part of my deck.  Many of the additional grilling  things that I purchased would probably have been purchased if I had bought a Weber kettle, so I don't feel this indicates something is wrong with the Stok grill.

In conclusion, I have found the Stok Tower charcoal grill to be a great value, especially for $49.00 that my wife paid when the product line was liquidated from a big box store.  This is grill has many positive features, with it's taller stand, iron cooking grate, and the circular grill insert with built-in charcoal chimney starter, and  inserts that allow for specialized cooking.  The grill insert design concept is even something that Weber now sells as the Weber 7420 Gourmet BBQ System Sear Grate Set.  I have learned the art of cooking on a charcoal kettle grill and made some useful modifications, which is what many Weber grill owners have done with their grills too.  So, would I buy another Stok Tower charcoal grill, probably, but I'll review the competition too.   Happy grilling on whatever works for you.


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## mymeatsonfire (May 5, 2015)

Here's another update on my Stok Tower grill as someone may find this thread while researching Stok Charcoal Grills.  My Tower grill is still working great and I've learned how to regulate and maintain the temperature.

- I've come to appreciate that the Tower grill sits up higher than most drum grills.

- I use the charcoal starting system every time. When the basket is removed, the briquettes spread across the grate, but I often keep the charcoal basket in place for direct and indirect cooking.

- One addition I made was a bead of high temp silicone on the lid rim, which really helped to seal the lid, especially when I clamp it down.

- The cast iron grate was losing the ceramic coating and rusting, so I added a Weber 22.5" stainless steel wire grate this Spring. I may get another Stok cast iron grate because I have all of the cooking inserts. And the cast iron grill grate heats up evenly, like an iron skillet.

- The charcoal grate was also badly warped, so I added a Weber grate on top of it.  The Weber grate wire is thicker and, when off-set 90 degrees to the original grate, it really helps to keep the charcoal from falling between the wire. So I kept the original grate in the grill for that reason.

- The ash can on this model is pretty flimsy and a "sticking" point with me, literally, it's getting harder to remove as the thin metal has been bent over the years.  I see that the new Stok Drum Grill has a different ash can. 

-  The plastic lid handle can get really hot and I noticed that the newer Stok Drum grill added a heat shield under the handle; something that I may do myself.

- The Stok grill cover is still good, although I keep the grill in a protected area.

So, after a few years with this grill, would I buy another one?  Sure, for $49.00 that I paid when it was being liquidated, but probably not $150.00.  For $150 I'd probably buy a Weber kettle.  Anyway, they don't make the Stok Tower Grill anymore and Stok has replaced it with a Drum Grill model.  Happy grilling!


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