The Myron Mixon Pitmaster Q3 30 barrel pellet grill has been designed by legendary barbecue chef Myron Mixon, who is considered one of the greatest champions of barbecue competitions. That’s not surprising at all considering that he has won the world title four times.
Myron Mixon started his illustrious competitive career in 1996 in Augusta, Georgia where he won several titles during his debut. Since then, he has gone on to win the biggest number of barbecue competitions. He has won 11 national championships, 8 team of the year titles, 30 state championships and 200 grand championships. The grand total for all his trophies exceeds a staggering 1800.
Since this grill carries the name of the greatest in competitive barbecue, you may be wondering if it is worth the hype or not.
Read on to find out more.
Myron Mixon Pitmaster Q30 30 Barrel Pellet Grill
Pros
- Produces unmatched barbecue taste, tenderness and juiciness
- Much cheaper than other high-end pellet grills
- Easy to use
Cons
- Construction quality not the very best
- Water pan is missing
- Warranty is only 1 year
Packaging and Assembly
The packaging itself is quite adequate. It comes packed with enough foam and cardboard to withstand major impacts. There had been complaints by some buyers that the grill arrived with dents. However, the company offers to replace damaged parts immediately. Customer service is polite and cooperative.
Assembly of the grill is not too difficult. The instructions are straightforward and it will take you about half an hour to set up the grill. You basically have to put the frame together and bolt the grill over the structure.
Build Quality
This grill is promoted as one of the least expensive pellet grill models that you will find on the market.
This pellet grill comes with the same array of parts that you would see in other grills like auger, motor, porcelain coated steel grates and other moving parts. However, it is one of the lightest pellet grill models that you will see. Some of the parts feel a bit light and the grill itself has been made to be inexpensive. The barrel portion itself looks quite attractive in the red paint; however, it does not have sealing, porcelain coating or any other design feature for retaining heat.
Such a feature would have been better since it would have improved the efficiency of the device and reduced pellet fuel consumption. But keep in mind that you are getting this grill for a much smaller cost compared to other pellet grills. You can go for better features and improved construction quality, however, you must be ready to pay considerably more.
Temperature Control
An automatic auger mechanism has been installed, along with a fan, to ensure that generous 546 square inch cooking area is uniformly heated. The auger mechanism automatically feeds pellets into the fire pit to ensure a flame of consistent temperature.
You can easily input your desired temperature using the digital LCD panel. There is also an external temperature, which provides quick readings so that you can keep track of the temperature.
The firebox is located at the center of the cooking area to ensure even distribution of heat. This will help you to cook your meals to perfection with greater ease.
Unfortunately, some users state that the fire can go out at a certain temperature range. The fire will keep burning if the temperature is high enough at about 350 degrees Fahrenheit or more. The grill works flawlessly at higher temperature ranges, but it can fizzle out about 220. But this appears to be a rather rare problem that does not show up for many satisfied users.
You might notice some large variations in temperature, which can range from 20 to 40 degrees if you are cooking rather than smoking. It appears that the grill waits until the temperature goes below the thermostat value. Once that happens, the auger feeds some pellets which can raise the temperature considerably. In the smoke mode, however, the temperature variations are much better and are less than 10 degrees.
The hopper is big enough to store up to 15 pounds of wood pellets. The fire generated can go up to 500 degrees Fahrenheit.
Grilling Grates
Porcelain-coated steel grates can be wiped clean easily. The high-quality surface finish of the steel gratings will help to ensure that the cooking area resists large amounts of corrosion for a long time. The pellet grill will be able to provide longer service life to you.
Missing Water Pan
One of the biggest issues is that the water pan is missing. The top grate is designed to fit a loaf pan, which is used to hold water for moisture and humidity. Unfortunately, the grill lacks this, despite the fact that the ‘water pan’ has been Myron’s signature tool ever since his winning debut in 1996. It would definitely have been much more convenient for owners if the grill came pre-fitted with one of these.
There is hardly any mention in the literature anywhere that the water pan is missing, although it is stated in the website that you should get yourself a loaf pan to use this feature. But even if you get a loaf pan, the matter is not that simple. The standard sized loaf pans measuring 8 in x 4 in are not suitable since they do not fit. They are too wide and long to be accommodated.
Even the aluminum one that can be found in hardware and grocery stores do not fit since they are once again too big. The manufacturer should have included the water pan in the first place. If for some reason (cost-cutting for instance), the water pan has not been included, the available space should have been big enough to accommodate standard sized pans available in hardware and grocery stores.
Barbecue Taste, Tenderness, and Juiciness
But once you do get the water pan issue resolved, the results are quite impressive. Using the water pan, you can keep your barbecue tender, moist and delicious. This is to be expected since the water pan is a key strategy that Myron Mixon has leveraged to craft world-class barbecue.
The overall cooking results are very good compared to other smokers since this pellet grill employs the smoking and water pan method, which Myron Mixon has used reliably to win competitions. The meat remains moist, juicy and flavorful. The smoking mode imparts the irresistible authentic barbecue flavor that everyone will love. The smoking feature is quite efficient and it yields consistently good results.
As far as the cooking experience itself is concerned, you must take care of one issue. The hinge design can pose a problem since it has a hinge at the top. As a result, reaching out for anything at the back of the grill is going to be an issue as there is a chance that your hand can get burned. You should wear mitts to keep your hands safe from the hot lid.
Side Trays and Wheels
You can store your necessary tools, ingredients, sauces and seasonings on the ample side trays and the storage rack located at the bottom. All the legs have wheels for easier mobility over short distances. At over a hundred pounds, this pellet grill has considerable weight, but the wheels will help to lessen the difficulty of moving this grill around.
Other Issues
The user manual does not include barbecue recipes. It would have been nice if a few basic recipes were included at the very least. Sample pellets are also not included. You will have to buy your own pellet bag and keep it ready if you want to use the grill right away.
Warranty
The warranty on the Myron Mixon Pitmaster Q3 30 barrel pellet grill is just 1 year. This is considerably shorter than the industry standard 5- year warranty provided by other manufacturers. This is one of the factors that you must consider before purchasing this low-cost grill.
Our Final Thoughts
This grill does not have the high-quality construction that you would expect in other more expensive pellet models – although the appearance and red color theme are quite attractive. In addition, it has a much shorter warranty. Quite surprisingly, it is also missing the water pan, which is the key strategy of world barbecue champion Myron Mixon. These are the factors that you will have to consider before you purchase the Myron Mixon Pitmaster Q3 30 barrel pellet grill.
However, the cooking results are wonderful, which is what you would expect from a grill model designed for the barbecue strategy employed by the world champion of grilling.
There are few pellet grills which can provide the same level of taste, aroma and tenderness as the Myron Mixon Pitmaster Q3 30 barrel pellet grill.
