Americas First and Most Reliable Gas Grill : The MHP WNK
MHP WNK Review
MHP (Modern Home Products) was founded in the 1950's by Walter Kozial as an outdoor gas lighting company under the brand name "Charmglow." Not to be confused with the Charmglow Grills in Home Depot. As the gas lighting business grew, Mr. Kozial looked for additional products to expand his product line and in 1960, the Perfect Host Grill was born. The first design of the grill was a 22 1/2 round grill that resembles the charcoal grill design of its time.
Over the next three years, the grill design was re-engineered as the first rectangular painted steel gas grill. In 1964, the grill hood was manufactured using a cast aluminum hinge hood still used today. The grill still resembles design of the 1960's and for good reason. Why fix something that is not broken?
It may not be pretty but, it cooks better than most grills in the market! Its like stepping back in time when life was simple and so were many products in the market. There was pride in craftsmanship and quality. That same pride and quality exists today in every product manufactured by MHP.
As you can see (in the image below) not much has changed since the late 60's.
Tired of replacing your grill every few years?
Most grill brands sold in the mass market position themselves as throw away grills. There is usually little to no product support beyond what is available in the aftermarket. These thousands of grills end up in our landfills Not to mention what these hazardous waste items are doing to our environment.
What if we told you there is a high quality grill that cooks outstanding and will last you a number of decades?
And that these grills have and will continue to be Manufactured in the USA!
This Grill is the WNK. It is the largest and most popular model in the MHP Classically designed Grill line-up.
Don't just take our word for it! AmazingRibs.com has named the WNK one of the Top 10 Best Value Gas Grills for Five Years in a Row!
The Pros :
- Family Owned and Operated
- Made in the USA
- Cast Aluminum Hood provides great heat retention
- One of the easiest grills to clean and maintain
- Cooks AMAZING!
- Heat up Fast
- Replacement Parts Available
- Great Price (starts at under $1000 for the grill head; mounting options additional)
The Cons :
Not Fancy (some may feel the design is outdated).
With that... is your grill made to be showpiece or it to deliver perfectly even grilled food on a quality appliance?
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You will want to continue reading our review of the WNK
The WNK is a 642 sq in grill that features a thick black painted thick cast aluminum grill head and firebox that will not rust and is practically indestructible. The paint may fade and need a touch up but it is manufactured to last a lifetime.
The WNK offers a variety of cooking techniques : grill, roast, sear, steam and smoke... more versatile than your indoor oven.
These grills are designed to cook with the lid closed, except when quick searing on higher temperatures. Most grilling should be done on low temperatures to seal in natural juices. Add some great smoky flavor by putting your favorite wood chips or chunks in a smoker box. Place the box directly on the briquettes (below cooking grates and above burner) and let the magic take place.
We recommend this grill to be put on one of the variety of Mounting Choices depending on your style or needs.
Options include : aluminum in ground or patio post mount (popular in Natural Gas applications), aluminum open cart or a column base with wheels or a patio deck mount.
The most popular is the column base with wheels (as pictured above).
Features :
The Dual Sided Single Burner is a patented H style that produces 40,000 BTU's. This is actually two sides of a burner connected as one allowing for dual cooking zones. This exclusive patented “H” stainless steel burner provides a uniform flame pattern, intense heat and is warrantied for life!
The grills have 2 options when it comes to the cooking grates. One choice is a stainless steel rod cooking grate. They heat up super hot, grills evenly and leave beautiful sear marks on your food. They are 5/16" thick and will last forever!
The other option is the Sear Magic Cooking Grids. These grids are made of high-performance anodized aluminum that are not only reversible but heat up faster. This dual sided grid features a ribbed and flat surface depending on what you are grilling.
Keep in mind that the first time you use your SearMagic Grids you will need to break them in by turning your grill on high for about 10 minutes. This will burn off any of the oils on the grids from manufacturing.
These grids should be seasoned with oils that have a smoking point of greater than 400 degrees. Examples of these types of oils would be Avocado or Canola. To season the Sear Magic Grids, take a paper towel and coat the raised rails. You do not have to constantly season the grids. If you over do it, you will cause a gross sticky build-up.
This is why we prefer the Stainless Steel Rod Grates. They are easier to clean and maintain (for us lazy low maintenance folks). They also will not warp from a build-up of grease and foods as with the sear magic.
Tip: Never wrap your sear magic grids in aluminum. This will also cause them to warp.
The original WNK grills used to feature a rotary style piezo igniter, which I prefer as it it virtually fail proof. They have updated the ignition to a push button electronic battery operated spark generator.
The heat disbursement system used in the WNK is the beloved ceramic briquettes. In lieu of the popular trays, MHP uses the Rock Grate to lay the briquettes.
These self-cleaning porcelain FlavorMaster briquettes replaced the lava rock (used decades ago) as they will last for years and the best part... they will never rust like metal heat shields. When the drippings falling on the briquettes, they are vaporized and add incredible flavor to your food. If they should turn a charred black, simply turn the briquettes over. The Heavy Duty Rock Grate that the briquettes lay on is manufactured of stainless steel for longer life.
The WNK feature a dual solid brass valve with infinite settings allowing for a wide range of temperatures from high to low.
The WNK remains the best selling model grill for MHP. There is a smaller size model, the JNR. The JNR has 495 sq in of grilling space and has 30,000 BTU's. This is our number one choice for freestanding grills under $1000.
Price averages around $1100 (depending on the mounting option), you can get a super high quality grill that is US Made, with great performance, high heat and low maintenance.
NOTE : As a built-in grill, the WNK would not be our first choice as you have to buy a special insert as well as, we feel there are better options in that category.
Warranty :
LIMITED LIFETIME (Against Rust-Through):
- Hood and Firebox Casting
- Burner
- Stainless & SearMagic Cooking Grids
- Stainless Warming Rack
5-YEAR WARRANTY (Against Rust-Through):
- Stainless Briquette Grates
- Porcelain Briquettes
1-YEAR WARRANTY: All other components
30-DAY WARRANTY ON PAINT
Grills in a commercial, community or multi-tenant application will have a 1-year warranty on all parts
Maintenance on the WNK
What I love about the WNK is it is super easy to clean and maintain. There is essentially 5 grill parts that makes up this unit - Burner, Cooking Grates, Igniter, Briquettes and Rack.
A little maintenance goes a long way. Periodically, you should perform the following steps to keep your WNK in a safe working condition.
- Inspect your burner and venturis - Clean any surface rust off the burner and clear out the surrounding port holes. Clear the venturi tubes to prevent flashbacks. Did you know flashbacks
- Clean the inside of the grill with a putty knife and a shop vac. Over time carbon will build up under the hood and in the firebox. Many times people will think its peeling paint. Do not panic! It is not paint.
- Brush off and turn over your self-cleaning briquettes at least two times per year.
- Replace the AAA battery on your spark generator. You also may want to remove the battery for the season. Battery corrosion is one of the top reasons why the spark generator fails. Just remember to replace it when you start grilling again.
- Clean old debris and build-up on your cooking grids
We have restored hundreds of these grills as our customers do not want to part with their grill.
MHP is also one of the leading manufacturers of aftermarket grill replacement parts. Many of these parts including burners, heat plates and cooking grates are Made in the USA as well.
True Story : I actually own this grill
After bearing witness to countless grills being repaired and serviced as well as, selling thousands of replacement parts, I chose the this model first and foremost for its simplicity. Secondly for the size (I have a family of 4) and lastly I did not want the headache of the new grills of today (nor did I want to constantly maintain my grill). I do not clean or cover my grill! It is unbelievable how indestructible the WNK is. I have the opportunity to own any grill in the market place and I would choose the MHP WNK over and over. I love my grill and would not trade it for any other grill. Fortunately, I will not have to as this grill will probably outlast me.
Additional Assistance
Trust me when I say, you will love the cooking performance of this grill!
For any assistance on purchasing your MHP Grill Contact Us and we would love to help. The BBQ Depot has been an MHP dealer for over 30 years!
