Large or XL Green Egg

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Ozzie Isaac

Knows what a fatty is.
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I have an 18.5" WSM, a 22.5" Kettle, and a two burner gasser. The kettle to me is almost the perfect size, but the Green Egg size range I am looking at is either 18.25" or 24".

With that in mind, do you guys prefer the Large or the XL Green Egg? It seems the large is the most common. Do you guys with the Large wish you had gone larger? Do you guys with the XL wish you had gone smaller?
 
What types of cooks would you be doing on a BGE? Grilling, roasting, low-n-slow... whatcha cooking?

How many people would you be cooking for on a regular basis?

Do you entertain much?
 
I had an XL. Loved it. Sold it. Now have a Vision that's more the size of the L and wish I still had the XL. I will have another XL BGE some day, or a Primo XL.

My view is it's better to have the space and not always need it than to not have the space when you want it.
 
rwalters said:
What types of cooks would you be doing on a BGE? Grilling, roasting, low-n-slow... whatcha cooking?

How many people would you be cooking for on a regular basis?

Do you entertain much?
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Weekly I cook for my family and usually whatever friends the kids have over. So I would say 5+. Monthly I cook for friends and neighbors so 4 adults and 6 kids. My 22.5" kettle is about right.

I like smoking on my WSM, but would be doing steaks, burgers, wings, whole chickens on BGE. I would also like to do ribs without trimming.
 
Ozzie Isaac said:
Weekly I cook for my family and usually whatever friends the kids have over. So I would say 5+. Monthly I cook for friends and neighbors so 4 adults and 6 kids. My 22.5" kettle is about right.

I like smoking on my WSM, but would be doing steaks, burgers, wings, whole chickens on BGE. I would also like to do ribs without trimming.
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Based on your answers, I'd strongly recommend the XL. I have a Kamado Joe Big Joe (same size as XL BGE) and cook on it a lot! I used to have both a KJ Classic (same size as L BGE) and my KJ Big Joe. Sold the Classic, as I much prefer the Big Joe.

Just because the XL kamados are big, does not mean that you can't easily do smaller cooks... you can! I did enjoy my Classic, but often found myself very cramped for room... I got very tired of that. No more :)

Just out of curiosity, have you looked at the KJ Big Joe?
 
rwalters said:
Just out of curiosity, have you looked at the KJ Big Joe?
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I have not looked at the KJ's. Only reason is I have a local BGE dealer who my father has delt with a lot. Really good guy who has a passion for fire and food.
 
You can do everything that you listed on a Large, but if you can afford the XL, I would go for it. Very few people buy a grill or smoker and say "I wish I had bought a smaller one" :-D
 
Primo Oval XL. All my green egg buddies are envious. If you insist on huevos verde buy the biggest you can afford
 
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Love my XL. I would not want a smaller egg. You can grill so much more on the XL and make big pizzas too :grin:. If you can afford the XL get it.
 
Ozzie Isaac said:
I have not looked at the KJ's. Only reason is I have a local BGE dealer who my father has delt with a lot. Really good guy who has a passion for fire and food.
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Buying local from a great guy is hard to argue with! I'd probably do the same thing!! Which way are you currently leaning? Here's the biggest reason that I like the XL size... with regards to smoking, there are 3rd party products that can double or triple the surface area of a large BGE... but thats only for smoking. If smoking is what you are after, then by all means, buy the large and enjoy the heck out of it. However, if you are thinking that you will be using it as a grill as well... 18" is not very much cooking surface. Heck, just take a look at your 18.5" WSM... not much room to spread out, eh? Want to grill with direct/indirect on a large... it's very tough. Just my 2 cents.
 
Get the XL you wont regret it. Wouldn't trade mine for nothing. I do pizzas, steaks at 700 degrees if you want to and can smoke 4 butts, holds moisture like no other. Go for it!
 
If I'm buying an offset or gasser, I might consider something smaller to save fuel, but that is the only reason I can think of to want a smaller pit. In ceramic, get as large as you can afford.

That's what you want us to tell you anyway. :becky:
 
Gore said:
If I'm buying an offset or gasser, I might consider something smaller to save fuel, but that is the only reason I can think of to want a smaller pit. In ceramic, get as large as you can afford.

That's what you want us to tell you anyway. :becky:
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Haha. Yeah sort of. I am really leaning towards the larger one. I love my WSM for smoking, but grilling on it is a pain, thats why I got the Kettle.

I plan to use the BGE for grilling steaks, burgers, and cooking chicken hotter than I can get my WSM. When I do chickens I like to do a couple at a time for left overs. I also butterfly my chickens so they take up a lot of rack space.
 
I would get the xl. I have a large Grill Dome and I like cooking on my kettle 22.5 because of size and indirect and direct setup at the same time.

That said I'm in the process of trying to sell my large Grill Dome to get into a Primo XL. Love the oval shape.
 
When I grill I my kettle (22) it's never really enough room. I'm sure the same is true for flower pots. Grillin is all about heat zones. Bigger grill equals more possible zones.
 
IMnotalwaysHO

I don't have a BGE, but if I was committing the $$$ to it I would go XXL just because I will cook for up to 45 people two or three times a year (beef shoulder clod, pork shoulder, maybe chicken or fatty) and think that space wise, it would be the best for me. I know someone said somewhere else that you need a whole family to lift it, but if you are committing to one you will have a lot of room?
 
I have a Med, Large, and XL BGE. If I could only have one it would probably be the XL. In saying that my Large gets the most amount of use. I have 5 kids and a wife so including myself I have no issues using the Large to cook for seven people.

Good luck with your choice.
 
I have the large and I have had a few scenarios where I wish I had the XL... It isn't a huge problem but I wish I would have bought the XL.
 
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