New Member checking in..........

heathen

Hello all,

I am new to the forum, and will soon be new to the BGE. 

I have wanted one for YEARS now, and have finally decided I am getting one to compliment my Pellet, Kettle, and Vertical Smoker Grills. 

Now all I have to do is decide what size to get, I was originally thinking of going with the Large, but when I went to the dealer yesterday to see if he had any in-stock he didn't but he had the XL. He is mainly a home heating store that sells Pellet and BGE stuff. He is looking to clear his BBQ inventory to make more room for home heating stuff as right now here in Pa, BBQ stuff isnt the hottest seller this time of year. He told me I could have the XL for $100 more than a Large because he wanted it gone. I only have 3 mouths to feed, so I am not sure if the XL is overkill. I have never came close to using all the space on my 22.5 Kettle. But for the price, it seems kind of foolish to go with the Large one. My other concern other than the grill size, is the weight and having to wheel it in and out of the garage to use it. While I plan to build a table for whatever one I get in the spring, it will have to be used on the nest till that happens. My original plan was a Large and then later get a smaller one for cooking something else since I always seem to be cooking things that take different heat, having two would be better. 

Thanks for any incite, and WOW what a mountain of information that there is on this forum, I will probably spend days here just reading!!!!

~Tommy 

Canugghead

Welcome! for $100 more I'd go for the XL.  I'm guessing many others will chime in and vote for the XL too.  Search the forum and you'll find many discussions on XL vs. Large.  One example, you can pile the lump on one side of XL and cook direct and indirect at the same time.

Wheeling it around is not fun but it's only temporary.  Be careful though, don't push, pull the legs (think gravity).

Skiddymarker

Went through the same logic with a MBGE vs the LBGE, 80% of the cooks are for two of us. I use my 14" smokey Joe more than the kettle and with the gasser still around we have lots of choices for larger crowds. Bought the MBGE rather than a LBGE. Sounds like you have similar choices. 

Lump consumption is talked about on here all the time, there is even a lump reducer sold for the XL. I think it comes down to space and lump usage. If you have the space and don't mind the appetitie of the XL, sounds like a great buy. On the other hand the options for the LBGE are more affordable and there are lots of them around. Can't go wrong with a LBGE. Good luck and Welcome!

NPHuskerFL

Love my LBGE but, in your particularcase, because of availability, for $100 extra I'd say that's pretty fair.

lousubcap

Most "What size" discussions here end up along the lines of "get the largest you can afford".  Using that criteria and given the deal you have in front of you-I would go with the XL.  You may see what accessories he is willing to throw in the deal as well.  And a good tip on the "pulling vs push" when moving the BGE is to use the hinge assembly as the pull point.  Greatly reduces the chance for a top heavy tip.  Regardless of where you land you will definitely enjoy it.

DGarner211

It really depends on what you want it for.  I'll be using mine mostly for general purpose family cooks, maybe 5-10 people at most, but occasionally to cook larger portions.  Everyone I spoke to who owns one said to get the large. If you will be doing mostly larger cooks, I'd get the XL.

I'm an absolute novice, but I just went through the decision-making process on which size to buy.  FWIW, that's how my decision worked out.  We got the large.

tksmoke

Welcome to the BGE madness!  I went through exactly the same choice agony about 3 years ago.  Most of my cooks are for 2 - myself and the GFU.  However, the extra grill area looked very appealing.  You can see that there are lots of options to increase the grill area on the large.  How about making it easy and just getting an XL?  And that is what I did.  Of course, later I also purchased some of the options to increase the grill area of the XL.  This whole thing is crazy!!  You will see lots of folks who have purchased Large BGEs and wish that they had bought the XL.  I can't remember seeing anyone who wished they had bought a smaller egg.  To me lump use is not an issue.  As has been stated before, if you are only going to have one egg, purchase the largest you can afford.

OK - having said that, you will find that as you use the egg, other "needs" will arise.  I was sure I would be satisfied with my XL as an only egg.  But then, I saw the utility of having a smaller egg in addition.  At that time, I purchased a Medium, figuring it would be great for small cooks, and when I needed to have different temperatures at the same time.  And the Medium is perfect - I use it most of the time.  In fact last night I did tri-tip and brussel sprouts on the Medium.  Perfect.  Over the weekend I did several racks of ribs on the XL.  While they could have been done on the Medium, the XL was the right tool for the job.  Unfortunately, BGE came out with the MiniMax, and now I'm struggling with the "need" for an even smaller egg.  Sick!!!

For me, the bottom line is that if you have only one egg, go as large as you can afford.  Sure, I like the utility of the smaller eggs.  But do I need them?  Nope.  I could do any of the cooks I do on the Medium (or MiniMax) on the XL.  The opposite is not true.  For $100, it's an easy choice...

marysvilleegger

Welcome. I got the XL and its just 3 of us. Love it. Like others have said....get the biggest one u can afford.

theyolksonyou

Welcome. Go big or go home. Especially for 100 bucks!

Canugghead

Interesting observation ... in general, XL seems to be more popular on this forum, whereas folks on the original forum like the Large. Go figure!

heathen

Thanks for the incite, I am pretty sure when I go into do the purchase someday next week if the XL us still there that's what I will get just because of the price. I had searched hashed out the L vs XL and had it figured out to get the L and then later get a smaller one. The reason I came for the L was the cooking space I need and the price of accessories.

Then the wrinkle came with the price he told me I could have the XL for. If it's still there for that price, it will be mine.

Canugghead

What are you waiting for, go get it now or put down a deposit 

btw, how much $ if I may ask?

heathen

Waiting for the Christmas Bonus to be put in the account. As soon as it's there I am off to the store.

$900 w/ nest

Jeepster47

Which store did you say?

Canugghead

Jeepster47 said:

Which store did you say?

) ) )

That's a good price, even better if you can get him to throw in the platesetter (that's if he has it).

logchief

Hey @heathen, welcome regardless of what size you get you'll love it.  I was going to get the medium and wife talked me into the large and glad she did.  For the price I'd go with the XL, they wheel around easily on the nest.

Grillmagic

I can only speak from my experience as an owner of an XL cooking for 3 to 5 people 80% of the time, it's that other 20% of the time where the XL shines. I bought the L bracket lump dividers and they work perfect for indirect and direct cooking without having to remove the grid to do both direct and idirect cooks, here's a few pictures from several different cooks on my XL

heathen

Canugghead said:

That's a good price, even better if you can get him to throw in the platesetter (that's if he has it).

Unfortunatly he dont "stock" any accessories expect for the Large. He said he doesnt usually keep any BGE on hand other than the Large. The XL he has someone wanted and never came and got once it was in. 

logchief said:

Hey @heathen, welcome regardless of what size you get you'll love it.  I was going to get the medium and wife talked me into the large and glad she did.  For the price I'd go with the XL, they wheel around easily on the nest.

Thats good to know, I dont have far to wheel it but it was a concern. It will be going in the garage and when its used it will have to go about 15-20 feet straight outside to use it, then back in. 

heathen

Jeepster47 said:

Which store did you say?

I will let you know if I decide to go with the L instead of the XL. Until then lips are sealed.  ) )

AUCE

Go big or go home.
Personally I have an xl and use it for 3 ppl.
ADDED BONUS: I wanted to be sure I could cook for my entire extended family when the zombie apocalypse happens...just sayin
I've also been told it's like your thumb or shoe size...women will take note. .

heathen

Thanks guys, this is something I have always wanted but at the sametime beend leary of spending the money on. I guess there comes a time when you just "have to" do it and not look back.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

If your handle is accurate, you will fit in just fine here. Welcome.

henapple

At $900 you could by it and resell for a profit. Be hard to pass up.

DMW

Welcome, where in PA?

Jeepster47

DMW said:

Welcome, where in PA?

Don't you dare jump ahead of me ... the XL is mine ... just as soon as he tells me the store!!!!!!

Jeepster47

Canugghead said:

That's a good price, even better if you can get him to throw in the platesetter (that's if he has it).

If he won't throw in the plate setter for that price, then pass it up until you've had a chance to look at the Woo and a stone at CGS.  For an XL, the Woo and a stone is about 2/3 the cost of the plate setter and it's more versatile.  Decide before the 27th of this month and the shipping is discounted.

bluebird66

Welcome and that's a great price.Better get it before someone else does.

jcaspary

Welcome aboard. Had a L first and wished I had gotten the XL first. You will never regret buying it too big. The same can't be said for going too small.

heathen

Jeepster47 said:

Canugghead said:

That's a good price, even better if you can get him to throw in the platesetter (that's if he has it).

If he won't throw in the plate setter for that price, then pass it up until you've had a chance to look at the Woo and a stone at CGS.  For an XL, the Woo and a stone is about 2/3 the cost of the plate setter and it's more versatile.  Decide before the 27th of this month and the shipping is discounted.

Will do, not sure he has any accories on hand for the XL, said he mainly stocks Large stuff. 

heathen

DMW said:

Welcome, where in PA?

Transplanted to Harrisburg from South Philly

heathen

Well the check came today and there wasnt enough time to get to the bank so that means no BGE under my tree this year.....lol

However if I dont get cold feet about getting it, I will more than likely go in on Friday and see if he still has that XL.