Primo Half Drip Pan Oval Junior

Will this drip pan fit my Primo Oval Junior?

Yes, it is the Junior-size half pan. Primo pans are made to the grill they go in, so the Junior pan will not span a Large or X-Large and a larger pan will not drop into a Junior. Match the size name on the listing to your grill.

Why is it a half pan rather than a full one?

Because covering half the cooking bed is usually what you want. It catches drippings under the food while leaving the rest of the grate open, which is exactly how a two-zone cook is set up: shielded on one side, direct fire on the other.

Where does the drip pan sit in the grill?

Above the fire and below the food, resting on the deflector rack. On the Oval Junior that frame is the Primo Heat Deflector Rack/Drip Pan Rack for Oval Junior, which is a separate listing from the pan itself. Sitting there, the pan intercepts anything that renders out of the food before it can reach the coals underneath.

Can I put liquid in the drip pan?

Yes, and plenty of cooks do. Water, stock, cider or beer in the pan gives off steam through a long cook, which helps keep lean meat from drying out and stops fat baking onto the pan. Top it up if a cook runs long enough to boil it dry.

Do I need a drip pan if I already have heat deflector plates?

Not strictly, but it saves you work. Without a pan, everything that renders out of the food lands on the deflector plates and bakes onto them, so you are scrubbing burnt grease off a hot plate afterwards. The pan takes that instead, and it lifts straight out when the cook is done.