mikegeaney Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 Good morning. Do any forum members own a Big Green Egg grill/smoker/oven? I'm looking for some first hand user experience(s). While I normally use a Weber gas grill for cooking steaks, chicken, etc. I do have a 22.5 Weber kettle with a Smokenator insert. I use that baby to cook things low and slow...pork butts, briskett, and ribs. I have been thinking about stepping up to a BGE. Checked out a few forums and the EggHeads seem to have a cult like devotion. As there is no $ back like Adam's I thought I'd solicit some input as they are a bit spendy. Thanks in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFairbanks Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 (edited) I have one and have had it for a 3 or 4 years. I would be more than happy to answer your questions. I have a buddy that is big time into the BGE as well. Cult like devotion is about right....lol. Edited September 16, 2012 by LFairbanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z71_Denali Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 if your looking for a kamado style grill, check out Primo Grills. they have a patented oval design which allows for a larger surface area and they're made in the Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikegeaney Posted September 16, 2012 Author Share Posted September 16, 2012 I have one and have had it for a 3 or 4 years. I would be more than happy to answer your questions. I have a buddy that is big time into the BGE as well. Cult like devotion is about right....lol. What size do you have? I'm thinking a large would do the trick. Then again I might have to go big as they come. Might be kind of like a TV...never heard anyone say they wish they got a smaller one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFairbanks Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 (edited) What size do you have? I'm thinking a large would do the trick. Then again I might have to go big as they come. Might be kind of like a TV...never heard anyone say they wish they got a smaller one. I have the large. It is the perfect size for me, it is also the most popular size. I initially thought about the X-Large, but the salesman was honest and asked me how often am I going to need the bigger size. Iam glad he did. I have never had a situation where I wished I had the bigger size. I even cooked at a large family picnic about 2 weeks ago and didn't have any issues. Another thing to consider is it is going to use more charcoal. Even though you may not be cooking to it's full capacity. Just something to think about. EGG Sizes | Big Green Egg - The Ultimate Cooking Experience FYI, those steaks in the picture on the BGE where as big as a dinner plate. Edited September 16, 2012 by LFairbanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikegeaney Posted September 16, 2012 Author Share Posted September 16, 2012 Thanks Chris. Nice steaks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFairbanks Posted September 16, 2012 Share Posted September 16, 2012 Thanks Chris. Nice steaks! Your welcome, Mike. Anything else that I can share with you, just ask. I will be happy to answer anything to the best of my knowledge. I thought you had a buddy that had a BGE. Those were probably the best porterhouse steaks I have ever had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LFairbanks Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 Mike. One thing that I would recommend picking up as well is a looftlighter. I have one and it makes starting the BGE (or any charcoal BBQ) easy. Looftlighter Electric Barbecue Starter, Odorless Charcoal Lighter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikegeaney Posted September 17, 2012 Author Share Posted September 17, 2012 Nice. Thanks. Yes, I do have a buddy that has a large BGE but he's one of those "cult like" followers I mentioned. I'm still on the fence...just wanted some advice from others not on a BBQ forum. If I do get one it won't be until December anyway. Thanks for the input. I appreciate it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cygnus Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 I bought a large BGE back in May and have not regretted it one bit. It's one of the best purchases I've made. Food comes out awesome on it. I've done a couple low and slow cooks with ribs and tri-tips that were great and I use it all the time for grilled chicken breasts and pizza. Everything comes out so juicy and tender with it. It also makes the best baked potatoes ever. They come out so amazing on it that I can even describe it. I've actually been thinking about getting a small or medium one just for potatoes. That way I can do my low and slow cooks on the large then fire up the smaller one for potatoes since they cook at a higher temp. Like Chris I thought of getting the XL but the sales guy talked me down. Was probably a really good move. Large is where it's at unless you really need the extra space. You can also get a 2nd rack on it to get more grill area. Keep the meat on the regular grill and veggies or whatever on the raised grill. I'll also 2nd Chris on the Looflighter recommendation. It's a bit pricey, but well worth it. It makes lighting the thing simple. The other thing I'd recommend buying right away is the plate setter. It's for indirect cooking. So you'll want it for any slow cooks like ribs or a brisket. Also if you're going to do pizza (which is awesome brick oven on it) get the BGE pizza stone. There have been lots of issues with other brands cracking on it. The BGE one is really solid and will last. I need to get mine fired up now. My experiment for this week is going to be a low and slow pot roast in my cast iron dutch oven. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Z71_Denali Posted September 17, 2012 Share Posted September 17, 2012 (edited) the BGE sure is popular and well built; however i'm not sure how i feel about this... pulled from BGE's website: The Big Green Egg is the original American designed ceramic cooker. The proprietary ceramic components of the Big Green Egg are manufactured in Mexico at an advanced technology facility that has earned ISO14001:2004 Environmental Certification and ISO9001-1944 Quality Certifications. The Spring-Assisted Bands, Hinge Assembly, External Temperature Gauge and Stainless Steel Cooking Grid are designed and manufactured in the United States of America. The lower fire grate is made in China. To our knowledge, there is no kamado cooker on the market that consists of 100% American made components throughout. and like i said before, the Primo grill is 100% american made in Atlanta, GA. here's a comparison between the two: Big Green Egg Grill vs Primo Kamado Ceramic Grills : BBQ Guys no, i do not own a kamado style grill, yet. in my extensive research in what i should've bought for my first grill, i had the opportunity to use both of these grills at a local dealer. the quality of both were the same. the part i liked most on the BGE was the metal top, and the parts i liked most on the Primo was the oval design and the fact its all made in the USA. the only reason i didn't buy either at the time was due to the fact they were more expensive than my gas grill, and i'm still a novice griller. once i'm ready, a kamado style grill will be what i add to my porch next. that looflighter is SWEET! I might need one of those to zap some tarantulas and scorpions! Edited September 17, 2012 by 2010TexasEdition Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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