Powder Coat vs. Stainless

TentHunter

Moderator
Being a potential Memphis or MAK customer I watch this forum closely for issues with the pellet grills. I see Memphis is currently switching to an all stainless steel design for their cookers due to powder coat & rust issues.

I see the MAK 1 Star Generals are using aluminized steel and then have a High Temp Powder coat finish. Please explain a few details on this and how it affects corrosion resistance.

Does cutting openings in the material or cutting the material to size affect its corrosion resistance or does the powder coat make up for that?

Thanks!
 

Big Poppa

Administrator
OK this is tricky. Memphis was unable to find a paint that would hold up. Mak seems to have a fine one. THe one star looks prett nice from a paint standpoint but tent I want you to save your pennies for a two star if at all possible
 

HoDeDo

New member
I dont know any grill that doesnt have some issues with paint eventually. greasy, moist evironment with corossive ash.... then you factor in high heat if you grill and that is an abusive environment. Stainless is the "maintenance free" path. Overtime, all painted grills will need some maintenance.... Powder coat is better for nicks, abrasions, and bumps, but it can bake off, just like paint.
 

MAK DADDY

Moderator
Again I can't speak for Memphis or their powder coat adhesion issues but I do know powder coating as we have used it in our business for many years. Normal high temp powder is only rated for 600 degrees which is why we keep the MAK at 500 degrees Max. Memphis also uses Aluminized steel on the insides of their grills (both stainless and powder coated models) unfinished, so wherever the sheet is cut or pierced you could see corrosion or rust. I'm sure this has caused some concerns with customers but the reality is that material does a great job isolating the corrosion and not delaminating the protective surface. Most Lower cost manufactures use raw steel for internal parts and recommend using oil to keep the rust down...

We at MAK like the dual aesthetics of the stainless and powder coat finish and the corrosion protection of the Aluminized steel is yet another barrier of protection. Customers seem to appreciate the black body where grease and smoke are not so easily visible. We use the 1000 degree powder on the inside to help the direct flame contact with the finish, we would use it on the outside too if it were not dull and ugly :) We were using a ceramic coating on the inside but with the switch to aluminized steel the 1000 degree powder was the better fit for us. Will powder coat last forever, no but with good materials in manufacturing and care by the consumers the grill will last forever. People also need to know the thickness of materials used on these high end grills are far better than the average gasser from the box store creating a longer lasting product regardless of the finish.

All stainless while beautiful in the beginning can be a pain to keep looking nice and pricing is always a factor in manufacturing. Good 304 grade stainless is notorious for following our "ever stable" stock market due to the Nickel content causing huge swings in pricing. While not the customers problem it is still a challenge for manufacturers and retailers alike. Our 3 Star model will be made from all 304 stainless so this will give us at MAK some insight to the good and bad aspects and customer feedback.

Hope this helps :)
Bob
 
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