Considering the Big Green Egg - need advice from my Egghead Brethren!

J

jeffh

Got Wood.
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I graduated from cheap gas grills to charcoal about five years ago. I did a lot of research before I bought my first charcoal grill (Weber OTG), but I gave the Big Green Egg an awful lot of consideration. I just didn't want to shell out the $1500 (cdn) for the BGE.

Anyway, I was hooked! Months after I bought the OTG I picked up a Pit Barrel Cooker. Then I found a Performer online for $100, and I later replaced my cheapo gasser for a Weber Q 3200 (and I've honestly kinda hated the Q ever since I bought it). I also picked up a Smokey Joe on clearance for $25.

By the looks of it, I could have covered most of the cost for the BGE between these five other grills :doh:.

Anyway, While I've enjoyed the Weber(s) and the PBC, I've been considering the BGE for a while and I think I may be ready for the plunge.

Here's my dilemma: while I can afford to purchase the BGE, I also feel I don't need my other 5 grills and that I could sell them to help offset the investment of the BGE.

Eggheads - did you continue to own and use your other grills once you went with the Big Green Egg?
 
Also take a look at the Kamado Joe. Very similar to the BGE, but you get many more accessories included in the price. I'm waiting for a local Costco store to have one at one of their road shows. Was going to buy one in April, but instead had to use the money I saved up for a truck, as my old one was almost dead. Wouldn't you know it, they haven't had one in my area since. Hopefully in August.

I'd keep the PBC, and get rid of the rest. That said, I have a gasser that I'll be keeping.
 
You only need one cooker. One, period.

I've got 12, but YOU only need one. The one you are conflicted about- get it and get the Oval design. Wait. Beer please !!!
 
You can cook just about everything on the Egg and most times much better. I only use my offset smoker for briskets and large quantities of ribs.
 
I got my big joe recently....a kamado much like the egg. Love it! It really could do it all, but what it can't do is travel, be up and running in 15 minutes or less, or cook at two largely different temps at once. I can take the PBC and WGA on trips really easily and have recently to do ribs and burgers at campground. For the fourth the big joe did the brisket, the 22 did burgers, PBC did chicken.....just saying....it was nice to have options! Oh, and tonight was smash burgers on the gasser with grill grates reversed. Options!
 
Apparently charcoal cookers are no longer the way to go. If you don't cook with all wood, you're not cool.
 
Agree on looking into Kamado Joe. I had a Classic Joe and loved it. My only complaint(and reason I upgraded to a large stuck burner) was capacity. I got tired of cutting my racks in half. Look at the Big Joe or one of the Oval ceramics.
 
Hi, I've owned Lots of different Grills & Cookers Charcoal, Gas & Trailers.
I Found The Egg to be High Maintenance. 1. Clay Pieces,Fragile 2 Gasket around the top will need replacing 3 Very Heavy Lid to raise & Place food or Remove food. You'll want to get the Gegg Cooking stone Great for Pizza! I found being a Egg Head Over rated. Also For The same Money I'd Look @ The new Weber Summit Regardless Have fun With whatever you Buy
 
Another vote in favor of Kamado Joe. The price you'll find at a Costco roadshow can't be beat, comes with an awful lot standard that you'd pay extra for with BGE, and the Divide & Conquer system provides a huge amount of flexibility.

That said, I'm viewing my KJ as an interim step on my way to a Komodo Kamado.
 
A ceramic (or metal) kamado of any brand does a great jobs at all kinds of cooking. They may not be the single best cooking instrument you can buy for each cooking method but they do a good to great jobs at all of them.

It's and Oven:

Red Beans & Rice




Osso Buco




BBQ Chicken Pizza




Cheesy Corn Bread




Biscuits


Bread

Thanksgiving Turkey




Apple Pie




Cream Cheese Pie w/ Raspberry Chipotle Topping






It's a Grill:

Yogurt Marinated Chicken Kebabs




Grilled Chicken






Hot Dogs


It Sears:

Tri-Tip




Porterhouse w/ Blue-cheese compound butter




T-Bone w/ Bourbon sauce




And it Smokes:

Ribs




Bacon




Pulled Pork






Pulled Beef


 
estewart said:
Hi, I've owned Lots of different Grills & Cookers Charcoal, Gas & Trailers.
I Found The Egg to be High Maintenance. 1. Clay Pieces,Fragile 2 Gasket around the top will need replacing 3 Very Heavy Lid to raise & Place food or Remove food. You'll want to get the Gegg Cooking stone Great for Pizza! I found being a Egg Head Over rated. Also For The same Money I'd Look @ The new Weber Summit Regardless Have fun With whatever you Buy
Click to expand...

I agree with the above to most of the points. I sold my BGE XL for many reasons. My Meadow Creek Produces much better food at much more work. I did buy the Weber Summit Charcoal. Doing a brisket tonight. I used the BGE for 3 years on the average 5 nights a week. Went through a lot of gaskets. And low and slow wasn't always good. It maybe to efficient. The Weber Summit has a lot to offer and maybe a better route. Unless you are going to absolutely leave it in one place. Cooking a friends Weber next to his eggs..... The Weber has a lot over the egg in my opinion. That's why I sold mine at a loss and bought a Weber.... JMHO
 
My bro-in-law wishes he had a primo rather than his egg because of the metal parts being better on the primo. I would consider that one too!

Like someone else said, you ought to keep the barrel or any one lighter cooker for portability. That is why I made a UDS, because I could travel with it.
 
Another vote for the Kj - I have two, one at home and trailer (Summer). The primo also gets top marks in my view if I was to only have one. Lots of flexibility on the oval.
 
Having both a BGE and a KJ I also vote for a KJ over the BGE. Better than BGE and a better value.

I suggest you also consider the new Weber Summit Charcoal grill. Lots of good reviews on those. If I were in the market for a kamado type cooker right now I think the Weber would be at the top of my list.
 
Like others have said, a kamado can do just about any kind of cooking/smoking/grilling/baking, and do very well at all of them. I have three, and am extremely happy with them.

The lid is heavy, but the spring assisted lift makes it easy for any adult, and most kids. I don't find them fragile at all, they are ruggedly built and will last a lifetime if properly cared for.
 
I have a BGE and a Weber gas grill. I love my BGE. I would have looked at a Primo but they are rare in the Northeast. I use both of them for different reasons. If I'm only grilling a bunch of veggies and a couple of burgers, the convenience of gas can't be beat. With the side burner cooking corn on the cob on a hot night it is great. I've cooked everything from ribs, pork butt, ribeye, tenderloin pizza and even chocolate chip cookies on the BGE. I like the flavor of cooking over the charcoal better than gas and for long low cooks there is no contest.
 
Another Big Joe vote! Had it for 3 years and no gasket changes. Hardware is better than the Egg IMHO. Got a gasser too but rarely se it. 3 racks of ribs on the Big Joe easily with room left for corn, etc. fire it up on weekdays for fish, chicken steaks. 10-15 minutes and it's at 300 no problem. Got a Joe classic for another place cuz I like the BJ so much. Can't go wrong.
 
Ceramic cookers are very versatile.Grill,roast,bake,Pizzaoven temps.They are a great tool.But,they are just a cooker.I have 3 BGEs they all have their place and are very efficient on charcoal consumption.If I want chicken,I fire the Weber WSM.I can cook my chicken at a lower temp and still get crispy skin.You gotta go hot on an egg/ ceramic to crisp it up.Yes,I know you can raise the heat at the end but the Weber smoker produces better chicken,for me.I also am not impressed with the volume of food that can be cooked on a regular sized ceramic cooker.I have cooked 6 whole chickens and 6 butts on 1 LBGE.Not at the same time ,but it took some management.Lots of management! I could have cooked twice that on a 22.5 WSM without all the management.The charcoal I use is cheap so I really do not account for that.The Ceramics use much less lump but that is not an issue for me.Many answers.
 
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