Masterbuilt Gravity Series 600 vs PK Grills PK300AF Franklin Edition

Masterbuilt

Masterbuilt Gravity Series 600

~$800

PK Grills

~$800

Quick take: The Masterbuilt Gravity Series 600 offers more cooking space (600 vs 316 sq in).

Spec	Masterbuilt Gravity Series 600	PK Grills PK300AF Franklin Edition
Price	~$800	~$800
Rating	—	—
Type	Charcoal Grill	Charcoal Grill
Cooking Area	600 sq in	316 sq in
Max Temp	700°F	—
Fuel Type	Charcoal	Charcoal
Build Material	Dual-Wall Insulated Steel with Porcelain Interior and Cast Iron Grates	Cast Aluminum
Hopper Capacity	17.6 lb	—
Burners	—	—
WiFi / App	Yes	No
App control	Yes	No
Meat probe	Yes	No
PID controller	No	No
Side burner	No	No
Rotisserie	No	No
Searing	Yes	Yes
Dimensions	52.8 x 30.4 x 49.7 in	22.35 x 14.13 in cooking surface
Weight	—	60 lbs
Warranty	1 year	20 years

✓Gravity feed plus DigitalFan holds a set temperature on real charcoal — the flavour advantage over a pellet grill without the fire management of a bullet
✓225°F to 700°F from one cooker: it low-and-slows and then sears steaks, which no electric or propane cabinet can do
✓17.6 lb hopper is larger than the 560 it replaces and covers a full overnight cook
✓Dual-wall insulation with a porcelain interior is new for this size and meaningfully improves cold-weather stability
✓App control with four-probe tracking at $800 undercuts most WiFi pellet grills of comparable area
✓Reversible cast iron grates give a proper sear surface on one side and a flat surface on the other

✗600 sq in is modest for the money — the 1050 gives 75% more area for $200 more
✗Gravity-fed ash management is messier than a pellet grill's: the ash bucket needs emptying and the chute can bridge with poor-quality lump
✗The fan and controller are mains-powered, so a charcoal cooker that needs an extension cord
✗1-year warranty, and the controller and fan are the components that fail in this design
✗Reaching 700°F burns charcoal fast — sear sessions drain the hopper far quicker than the 15-hour smoking figure implies

✓Cast aluminum does not rust, which is why 1950s PKs are still cooking — this is the only charcoal grill class where that is literally true
✓Four independent vents, two top and two bottom, give finer airflow control than any kettle's single pair
✓20-year warranty, the longest in the catalog outside ceramic kamados
✓The improved lid seal is the concrete change over the PK300 and it is the part that governs low-and-slow stability
✓60 lbs and the capsule lifts off the cart, so it travels in a trunk
✓Rectangular capsule gives a real hot end and cool end, unlike a round kettle where the zones are wedges

✗$800 for 316 sq in is a lot of money per square inch next to a $229 Weber kettle
✗Aluminum conducts heat away fast; it recovers quickly but does not hold heat like ceramic on a long cook
✗No built-in thermometer at grate level — the capsule has a lid port and that is it
✗The Franklin name adds $100 over a PK300 whose cooking capsule is the same