Building a new grill island

[azappraiser]

Hello all... new to this forum, but I've always found useful information from sources such as this.

I'm looking to tear down my old grill island and start over from scratch. I found a superb deal on a Kokomo 4 burner drop-in, with back burner and rotisserie kit. The model # is KO-BAK4BG.

Does anyone have any experience with this manufacturer?

I've seen the unit up close and it appears to be the real deal... commercial grade Stainless Steel (non-magnetic), Infrared back burner, piezo-electric ignition, 750 sq-in cooking surface... very well built.

Opinions???

 

[bigwheel]

Well I got an opinyawn..lol. I like it. Wished I had one..lol. Bet it will work fine. Do it got a good warranty? Have you read some impartial reviews on google and stuff like that? I like to read all those if they have some for it. See if anybody got a used one for sale on ebay or Craigs etc. See Weber and Vermont Castings getting rave reviews on gassers but not sure how they do on Islands. Keep us posted.

 

[Tri Tip]

Welcome! most of us around here dont cook on anything that fancy. That's pretty nice. I know you can go wrong with Weber.

 

[Bob In Fla.]

Sounds interesting, BUT...where are you going to get parts when you need one? You will need a part or two, sooner or later.

BOB

't (that's for you, Tri Tip {I believe...})

 

[azappraiser]

Started demo today

Sounds interesting, BUT...where are you going to get parts when you need one? You will need a part or two, sooner or later.

BOB

't (that's for you, Tri Tip {I believe...})

Well Bob,

To begin with, I'm purchasing the grill directly from the distributor... who also "makes" the islands for those without the know-how, skills, tools and most importantly; time!

Secondly, this particular distributer has been in business for more than 10 years, having survived the economic downturn that drove so many others out of the "grill island" business. Warranty service and parts are available locally. Here's their warranty info:

Warranty: Kokomo Grills have a Lifetime Limited Warranty on Grill housing and hood against defects in manufacturing and workmanship.
10 Year Limited Warranty on Stainless Steel Burners and Grates.
2 Year Limited Warranty on all other Kokomo Grill parts.

Kokomo does sell directly to the public, however, a large percentage of their business is through stores similar to BBQs Galore and such... and mostly on the ritzy side of town.

Finally, the grill itself is a 32" drop-in, with the exact, same dimensions as several of the other grills I was considering. Worst case scenario, I can always drop in a replacement somewhere down the road... although that's highly unlikely.

BUT, thank you for your concern. Demo of the old island has begun. Just in time for the large item trash pickup this coming Friday.

 

[bigwheel]

Wow..I might take two. I did not know they was that good.

 

[azappraiser]

Demo of the old island is done. The new grill & searing burner are unpacked and in the garage, as are all the doors & drawers.

The new plan is on paper and the materials list is going out for bids tomorrow morning. I'd like to have the order in & delivered by next Monday so I can get started.

Fortunately, I'm off work by 9:00am every day, so I have the majority of the day to work on the project. I plan to take pictures along the way, but I think I'm going to hold off on posting them until the whole thing is finished.

I'm so anxious to fire up the new grill... I opted for a 5-burner instead of the 4-burner; they're still on back order for a couple more weeks & I just can't wait that long to grill a fat, juicy steak!!!

 

[bbquzz]

Azappraiser it is not against Forum policy to post pictures as you go, I'm betting many of us would like to watch the progress.

 

[bigwheel]

Here here Sir..would love to see some pics of the new man kitchen. Who knows..some of us might grow up to be rich yups and able to afford something like that..one of these days too? Wold be helpful get a feel for the opulence..lol. Yall break me up.

 

[azappraiser]

Azappraiser it is not against Forum policy to post pictures as you go, I'm betting many of us would like to watch the progress.

Here here Sir..would love to see some pics of the new man kitchen. Who knows..some of us might grow up to be rich yups and able to afford something like that..one of these days too? Wold be helpful get a feel for the opulence..lol. Yall break me up.

I plan to take pictures along the way and will try to post some as I go through the build process. Materials are being delivered tomorrow, so I'll be getting started sooner than expected.

Today is the final cleanup day... prepping the site for the "new" island and organizing the garage for both materials storage and work space. I can't cut the steel in the back yard; too many sharp pieces that the dogs could step on, so I have to build in stages and assemble on-site.

Gonna be a big sucker... it has to be in order to house a 5-burner grill, stand alone searing burner, smoker, charcoal grill, fridge and the bar/eating area. Stay tuned... :grin:

 

[azappraiser]

Island Update

Construction has begun. The grill/searing burner/bar section has been framed. I had to have a friend help me place the grill in it's "hole" for a dry-fit... just to double check the measurements. I must have done something right... the ventilation gaps were all in the right places and were the right size. The bar ended up a little lower than originally planned, but that's an easy fix.

The side supports for the smoker are done as well. No steel to be cut today... I need to clean up & prep the smoker (outside - not the inside) and clean up & remount the charcoal grill. I also need to pick up some heat resistant spray paint from Lowes for the charcoal grill.

I'd like to add a massage to my list of things to do today... my legs and lower back or so sore from squatting & bending over so much.

 

[azappraiser]

Another update

After two weekends of work, I'm about 3/4 of the way done with the basic framing. I wasn't able to get anything else done this past week due to other errands and appointments, but as of right now, nothing is on this week's agenda. Hopefully, I'll get the rest of the framing done this week and start applying the backer board this coming weekend.

Incorporating the smoker and the "old" charcoal grill into the island is proving to be challenging, but I'm up for it. So far, there have only been a few minor changes to the original design. Cleaning the charcoal grill was a chore... thankfully I have a pressure washer.

A word of advice for anyone that decides to tackle a project such as this... self-tapping screws will pierce heavy work gloves... and the fingers they're trying to protect!