Small Egg a Good Compliment?

Iowa State Egger

I have owned a large egg for about two months and absolutely love it. I have read that the small egg is a good compliment to the large egg many times throughout this forum. It is obvious that the small egg takes less lump when cooking small meals, but what other reasons are there to owning both?

I am ready to pull the trigger on the small egg, but I still need to do some "convincing" to the wife, so any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

RRP

Of all my eggs I use my small 65% of the time. It's versatile, miserly on lump, and can do most anything. I strongly support the small and large combo!

Hitch

I am dangerously close to gettin a small as well. My Large is overworked. I cook 5 nights a week now, and constantly wish I had more space for additional items that need to cook at a different temp.

Bacchus

I bought a small recently to compliment my large.
To me the biggest advantage is the ability to do up something quick like chicken, brats, or burgers while something is already going low/slow on the Large.
Another advantage is having two different temps going at once for multiple dishes, sides, etc.
Also, the small burns less lump so it comes in handy for those mid week smaller meals.
Plus it is small enough to put in the back seat of your car with a seatbelt for transportation.
FWIW, the small cooks differently than the large. The lower vent is quite small and I have it open fully for every cook, there is no adjustment down there in my opinion. There are other differences I can't quite put my finger on yet as I am still getting used to it.
If I could go back a few weeks and face the decision to get a second egg again, I might get a medium, but I don't regret it.

Hitch

How heavy is a Small? Would love to know some other differences that you are referring to as far as how it cooks different.

Bacchus

Temp control is different. Again, I am not speaking as an eggspert on it, maybe someone who is more proficient with the small can chime in here. The overall adjustability is quicker or more touchy..... I guess that could be good, bad, or neither depending on your preference. It seems easier to drop in temp if you get it a little hot, maybe since there is less ceramic holding the heat? I have not been able to fully stabilize the temp on the small for any significant period of time, so I am a little reluctant to try a low/slow. Probably it is just going to take a bit of practice for me to get used to it, but with the large I found it to be incredibly easy.

Iowa State Egger

I think you made a good point about doing different dishes. My wife is pregnant and needless to say very sensitive to foods. I has planning on doing a steak tonight, but she wants a cheese pizza on the egg. If I had two eggs the problem would be solved!

I also ran into this last weekend for my son's birthday. I was doing a butt on the egg for the adults, but unfortunately I had to fire up the gas grill to do hamburgers and hotdogs for the kids.

Jersey Doug

We bought a Large to complement the Small we started with. The Small remains our main cooker with the Large being used for occasional bigger cooks (like two spatchcock chickens) or when we want two temperatures (like when I baked potatoes on the Large and seared skirt steaks on the Small). Tonight's pizza will be cooked on the Small, as usual.

Rolling Egg

Iowa,
I too want a small egg. I also would like to cook hamburger or something quick to eat while im setting around , smelling the large, eagerly waiting for 14 to 18 hours. As far as the pizza and steak go, I think that one is easy. Prep it for your 500 degree or whatever pizza and after you get the pizza done get that stone and platesetter off. Take the daisy off and get the temp up to 600 or so and sear them steaks. Everyones happy! Just got through with our second pregnancy by the way, and hopefully the last. Love my kids and wouldnt have it any other way but man its a handfull from day 1. Heres you something funny. My wife would get sick at the sight or smell of mayo while she was pregnant. Funniest thing ive ever heard. I believe I could have chased her around the house with a spoonfull! :woohoo:

Iowa State Egger

Great idea about the steak/pizza combo.

I got my BGE for father's day, and my wife is currently about 10 weeks pregnant. Unfortunately she can't take the smell of any meat that comes off the BGE... but we you and I both know it wouldn't matter what I cooked it on. I think I am going to chase her around the house with a piece of lump in my hand!

Bacchus

J.D., do you use a stone for pizza on your small?

RRP

Weight wise it is 65 pounds, but I strongly suggest you also purchase or make a cast iron grate for that small. It's wonderful for sear marks and IMHO it cooks better by being hotter in direct contact with your meat.
An added benefit of the combo is when I do a T-Rex and I want to nail it perfectly and in a precise completion time like for guests I fire up both eggs - the small for the 700+ sear and then the large for the 400° cook.

Buckethead

I own a large and small. I do have my favorite and they both start and burn different. And if I hear any of you tell the story about saving lump I'll scream. When you have a large and a small you own $1000 of charcoal burning investments. Lump is $5.27 a bag at WalMart. If you can't afford the charcoal I'm sure you can't afford the second Egg.
Sorry I have been carrying that around and needed to say it.... Feel better now.
Doug

Bacchus

breathe....

usc1321

Okay, so the best advise I can give is get the small to go with the large!. I Have a large a small combo, and my brother was so impressed he went with the large, med combo ( he just has to show me up I guess :laugh: ) It allows you to do so many more things. We cook alot of our veggies and breads on the small and use the large for the meats. It allows for smoking meat and cooking fresh veggies or bread with no smoke. You can also cook multiple items at different temps to finish at the same time. Of course another great thing is if you are cooking for just yourself why fire up the big boy. Go ahead and pull the trigger you will not be sorry. My wife was hesitant as well when I showed up with a second egg. Boy did her story change once we started using both. Plus she is the one who does most of the cooking on the small. I run the large. Kinda of a family event :laugh:

ILL--EGGER

I recently bought a small to go with my large and have loved it. I would recommend getting some of these http://www.gratemates.com/ to go indirect with the small. Here is a pic of the gratemates in action:

The Ohio State Buckeye BBQ Guy

I've got the large and small BGE. Normally I use the large BGE but the small comes in handy for side items like veggies or brats. The best use for the small BGE is definitely camping. We usually camp with friends and family - they were definitely jealous when we showed up with the small for a week long camping trip. There is nothing like camping and smelling that bbq for hours on end!!!

Put my wife on notice that an XL BGE may show up in the near future. Is it possible to own too many BGEs?!!!

usc1321

I definately don't think it is possible to have too many eggs. I always want more

BENTE

i like my small but i love my large!!!!! if i were to do it all over again i would still buy the small for the portability... however as a cooker my next egg will be another large

BENTE

good..... sorry great point :laugh: