Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | Youtube | Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.
Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch
10 mins until I cook?
Wanabe
Posts: 355
I am a BGE admirer. I have been looking at the EGG on and off for years. I have been a charcoal griller for years but as of lately I’m tired of the long startup time. From the time I decide to grill until the food hit the heat it takes me about 45 min.
Is the startup time advertised in the BGE brochure realistic? If it only takes 10 min to be ready to cook, count me in.
Is the startup time advertised in the BGE brochure realistic? If it only takes 10 min to be ready to cook, count me in.
Comments
-
Depends on what temp you want, but in general, yes, it's true. Just a beginner myself, but I'm truly amazed at how quick she's up and running.
-
It depends on a few things. First, how much charcoal you have in there. a full load will get to soaring nuclear temps in no time. second, what are you cooking. If you want to just do a quick hot and sear grill for a steak, for example, you’ll be good to go in about 10 minutes (again, assuming you have a decent amount of lump in there). if you’re doing some low-n-slow ribs, pulled pork, brisket, etc., then you’re gonna need about 30-45 mintues to fully stabilize the temperature before dropping in the meat…even though here you’re only looking to get to a temp of about 250-275. you really want to ensure that the fire is spreading adequately to the lump, and that the egg itself is nicely warmed so that it can retain the heat throughout the cook.
Trust me, it’ll get things going in about the same time (and maybe even less) than you’d need to properly heat up a gas grill. I’ve used gassers before, and while it’s just a coulple of clicks to turn it on, you still need to heat it up before throwing the meat on there…at least 10-15 mintues if you want to get some decent char on the food. And the Egg blows other charcoal grills out of the water. -
The BGE is the only consumer product I have ever known of where all the advertised advantages are true.
However, it will pay off to spend a few minutes making sure the temp is stabilized before putting on your meat. I usually wait about 20min after lighting. -
For a simple burger or hot dog cook, yeah, you can get up and running in 10 minutes. I count on 20 minutes for most cooks, longer for a steak sear or a pizza. If it's maximum convenience you're after, go for a gas grill.
Paul -
depending on how you start you egg, you can be ready in ten minutes.
i'd say fifteen is the time i probably allow for. what we usually do though is light it, go inside to prep the food and enjoy another adult beverage, then head outside and go to it, adding the food on.
if it's a lot of new lighter-weight lump, it can light (and get to temp) quickly, but you'll usually let it settle down (stop throwing ignition smoke) anyway.
it's not a push-to-start (like gas), but even gassers are supposed to go for ten minutes before you add the fooded egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante -
10 minutes, 20 minutes heck even 30 - 45 minutes will be worth the wait. If your in a hurry already and do not even have an Egg yet, you might want to to reconsider. What comes off of the Egg and time spent preparing/cooking is what BBQ'n is all about.
If your looking for quick, easy, turn and burn type outdoor cooker, get a gasser.
If your looking to enjoy the ENTIRE process of barbecueing, get yourself an Egg.
Patience is a virtue -
It also depends on what you use to light the lump. I use an electric starter and I'm almost always going in 20 minutes for a typical cook. OTOH, if you use a MAPP torch, you'll be grilling in 10 or less.
-
The egg has to be relatively clear of ash. It also depends how you light it and in how many places. You can also inject air into the bottom vent by means of a fan or hair dryer.
SteveSteve
Caledon, ON
-
If you are using fresh lump, and are cooking at a low temperature, it will take a bit more than 10 minutes to get a "clean" fire, with just a little blue smoke coming out. If going to a higher temperature, the extra heat will more quickly drive off the volatile chemicals left in the fresh lump. 10 minutes is pretty common if you want to cook in the 350 - 450 range.
If you are re-using lump from a previous cook, its fine to start as soon as up to temp.
I've found that if I let the Egg sit out in the rain for several days, uncovered, it takes longer to come up to heat. Likewise, sometimes it seems that the lump is a little soggy (I have it in an unheated garage) and doesn't burn as well.
I too looked at the Egg for a couple of years. After my first cook, I was ready to kick myself for not buying earlier. -
Hi
As mentioned if 10 minutes from lite to start is the deciding factor, buy a gasser. If you are interested in the experience, the fun and great food, then slow down and enjoy the BGE. I have friends who won't use a charcoal grill of any type because they say they don't have time. I don't eat at there house.
Good luck, slow down and relax
Doug -
i delayed purchase of an egg for many years because "i don't have the time to wait for charcoal' still kickin myself for all that lost time.
lump is not like briquettes.
egg food is worth the wait.
i have a large and a mini , waiting on the chimnea , was ordered a month ago. and i will get a third egg either this fall or next.
bill -
Like the other stated in their posts to you--it really all depends on what you're cooking. Even with the MAPP gas torch lighting the lump charcoal, the cooker has to get up to temp. Then there are the other factors, such as whether or not your cooker has been rained on, or if the lump is old/moist, how much ash you have in the bottom of the firebox, etc.
If you've been patient for the old charcoal grills, you can expect a much higher performance from the BGE cookers than what you've used in the past. What was really nice that took me by surprise when I first started using them was how little fuel the cookers used. It sure was not nice to have to keep the chimney starter on standby to fire up more charcoal to feed the grill.
Who is your local BGE dealer? The ones here in the Austin area have demo eggs at their places which they use to show potential buyers what the BGE can do. Plus, you may even be lucky enough to be there when they're cooking something for customers to sample.
Best of luck on your decision, this place is an excellent resource for finding answers to all questions BGE-related, and then some.
Oh yeah, like the others, I wish that I would have bought mine earlier...:) -
Interesting comments above.
The only comment I really disagree wth if telling you to get a gasser, if you want a great eats. Gas grills are for the folks that just don't know better.
10 minutes is not an unreasonable expectation once you know where your vent settings should be set.
If your biggest concern is getting the egg going quickly there is a very simple solution. You can get your egg up to temp and most of the time completly stabilized at most any temp in less than 3 minutes. I have had the egg going at 380° stabilized in less than 20 seconds.
Pick up a weed burner that operates on propane.
There are many ways to light an egg. Getting the egg up to temp will depend on how you load the egg with lump. For me new or old lump really is not a factor.
In the winter when it is cold, as low as -20°, I use the weed burner - it is just too cold to sit out in the cold.
In warmer weather I will use many of the other lighting options other than the weed burner.
There are:
. Starter cubes - I use 2
. Oil & napkin - I use 2 - my favorite (when it isn't cold). Stike at times will put up some pictures of what he does. Good reference. This is probably the least expensive method.
. Propane - I rather use Mapp which is a hotter flame.
. MAPP gas - Good method. Sparky much of the time, hard on shirts unless one likes small burn holes. For me it takes about 15 to 20 seconds and I light in 3 spots, so about a minute of flame. This is very popular with forum members.
The above methods seem to get the egg up to temp in about the same amount of time.
. Alcohol - This has come up on the forum in the last little while. The concept shounded pretty good. So Far I haven't had much success with this method. I am going to do some more testing but at this point it doesn't look good.
And of course the weed burner if you want speed - looks and sounds cool too
Don't let the start time of the egg dissuade your dicission to get an egg. -
It's all in the preparation. You don't go to McDonald's for good food, you go to a restaurant and order and wait. With me, clean egg, fresh lump, electric start... going in 20 mins. I sit outside with a beer and anticipate the cook ;-)
-
I have had my Egg since last October, and though I have only posted a few times until recently, I can say that if you light it with starter cubes, it can take about 10-15 min to really get going depending on what you want to cook. A MAPP torch is what some of the big guys use (me very soon) and they can get the Egg going probably less time than 15 min. It's a worthy investment from the friends I know who use them. Nice thing about the Egg is you don't need lighter fluid EVER! Lump coal burns hotter, with less ash than bricketts. You cannot go wrong with an Egg....the best food that will rival most expensive restaurants. You will quickly become a favorite at your workplace with the food you cook. Hope I helped you feel better about your decision about a possible purchase of an Egg. The guys here will help you cook anything you can think of and lots you may not ! Take care ! :cheer:
-
What an awesome, thorough response! I hope when I grow up to be an Eggspert, I can help someone like you just did ! I want to go buy an Egg right now and I already have one....haven't been this excited since the last showing of Rocky IV ! Awesome post ! :ohmy: :cheer:
Categories
- All Categories
- 182.7K EggHead Forum
- 15.7K Forum List
- 459 EGGtoberfest
- 1.9K Forum Feedback
- 10.3K Off Topic
- 2.2K EGG Table Forum
- 1 Rules & Disclaimer
- 9K Cookbook
- 12 Valentines Day
- 91 Holiday Recipes
- 223 Appetizers
- 516 Baking
- 2.4K Beef
- 88 Desserts
- 163 Lamb
- 2.4K Pork
- 1.5K Poultry
- 30 Salads and Dressings
- 320 Sauces, Rubs, Marinades
- 543 Seafood
- 175 Sides
- 121 Soups, Stews, Chilis
- 35 Vegetarian
- 100 Vegetables
- 312 Health
- 292 Weight Loss Forum