Why Egg?

Unknown · April 2005

Hopefully this is not a dumb question, BUT.. Can someone give me a good reason to spend the money for a BGE? I currently have 2 Weber’s for grilling and I also use a big side box smoker. All Charcoal of course - No Gas![p]I make my own rubs & sauces so I am not a novice to the grill / smoker world.[p]Seriously, how can I justify the cost? How can the BGE cook that much better? Serious reply’s only. Thanks. Rick

Unknown · April 2005

Rick Hagan,
I am not the Egg guru here, but I can tell you that owning an Egg is an adventure. First of all, it can do so many things. I too have had grilling experiences for a long time. I have a huge wood fired open pitt with a stainless dome. This grill can do two whole hogs at one time. I made my own gasser which worked very well. It is now rusting. I have had several cheap weekend grills.They are in a dump somewhere. I have done bar b q's for 4 people and as many as 150. So I have some background of cooking.
The Egg uses lump charcoal which is very efficient. Compared to briques, it is much cheaper and it doesn't have trash in it like briques. The Egg has a life time warrantee. It can do a low and slow cook with one load of lump for over 30 hours. Or, it can sear a steak at 700 degrees in short order. It is fun to play with learning new technics. I guess that is enough said. One more thing is this forum is very helpful to those that do not understand the Egg. [p] Chef Jerry
Irmo, South Carolina

BlueSmoke · April 2005

Rick Hagan,
Sounds like you have both experience and good equipment. What a ceramic cooker can do is "everything in between", from low and slow at the 225 degree level, to searing above 750 degrees. I do both, as well as turn out casseroles, bake bread and pizza, and do anything else that comes to hand. It does all this without the babysitting you're probably used to.[p]The only thing I can say is find a Egg and taste the food that comes off. That's all it took to get me to sell my sidebox steel cooker.[p]Ken

Unknown · April 2005

I'm thinking about buying one myself. I understand that they are a bit of an investment. What are typical price ranges for BGE's?

BobinFla · April 2005

Rick Hagan,[p]Visit an Eggfest. Or find an egg owner and ask for a sample.[p]Anything you can cook in your oven can be done ceramically. Then you add on the BBQing, grilling, smoking, etc.[p]BOB

Citizen Q · April 2005

Hi Rick,[p]The short & simple answer is "It is just that good".[p]Long answer is: these Eggs are the most versatile cookers out there, you can smoke at temps below 200 and sear much higher than 700. The ceramic construction holds heat and moisture like nothing else. Foil is not neccesary for moisture retention in your Q. Roasted meats are more succulent than any you've ever cooked. Baked goods come right out of your very own brick oven. 2" thick steaks seared to a perfect medium rare in 3 minutes. You have absolute control of how much smoke you put on your food, whether it's brisket or scallops, the Egg is just that good.[p]Stick around, read this board for a while, scan through the archives when you get a chance. This forum is loaded with good folks who will go out of their way to make sure you get all the info you need before you leap in, and also make sure that you get the most you can out of your purchase. There are a couple of Eggfests coming up in Maryland and Texas, if you can make your way to one of these, you'll see hundreds of good reasons to Egg.[p]Cheers,
C~Q

StumpBaby · April 2005

Citizen Q,[p]
You figure out if you got dumb rocks or smart rocks yet ?[p]StumpBaby

Citizen Q · April 2005

Newman,
Follow the link to find a local dealer. Prices will vary from dealer to dealer so expand your search to as wide an area as you are comfortable with and compare. An average for a fully equipped large in my area is about $600.[p]Cheers,
C~Q
[ul][li]Find a local dealer[/ul]

Unknown · April 2005

Stumpy,
I know a couple of guys what're dumber than a box o rocks, but if rocks can be smart, then I guess they prolly ain't that dumb after all.[p]I think I'll take me a ride over to the 7-11 three towns over and have the clerk hand me one of them smart rock testin magazines from behind the counter and see just how long it takes my rocks to get off.[p]Cheers Man,
C~Q

Lawn Ranger · April 2005

Rick Hagan,[p]A little over 2 years ago I would not have known what a BGE was had one walked up and bit me (easy Stump). However, I was very fortunate to purchase one along with with our home from it's previous owners. I didn't know what I was buying at the time, but for $200 and, in a redwood cart, I thought "what the heck". It had been used twice by someone who was obviously more interested in other things.[p]I'll be 55 this year and have cooked/grilled/smoked for most of my life.....mostly on wood...never on gas unless absolutely forced to do so. While I'll be honest in saying that it could have easily been another brand of ceramic cooker and I might have been equally hooked, I will say that I have NEVER found as quality a product or a group of like-minded folks as are the Eggers found on this Forum.[p]The product is exceptional, the service...possibly equaled, but never surpassed, .... and the people,...well, I've already mentioned them.[p]In short, the BGE has changed my life dramatically. I cook on the thing 3 or 4 times a week....and it's an experience every time, and, I've met more great friends than I will ever be blessed to meet in a lifetime on this Forum. I've also been pushed, pulled, tugged and otherwise coerced into an Egg related endeavor by several of my new-found friends. For that I thank them from the bottom of my heart. [p]You don't know me from Adam, but you can believe what I say. It will change your life.[p]Mike (Lawn Ranger)

Unknown · April 2005

Citizen Q,[p]Thanks for the link...[p]

CampCook · April 2005

Rick Hagan,
I've been all over this Q thing. Electric smokers, gas smokers, offset smokers and about every stainless gass rig Costco sold. Then I discovered the egg about 18 monts ago. Since then I have given away the smokers and saved one gasser I have only used once (as a warming oven). I now own 3 BGE's (large, small and Mini) They get used two to four times per week. As someone said, every cook is an adventure,-- for three reasons.
1) everything off the egg (baked, smoked or grilled) is great. I truely have never had a failure. So the adventure is "how good will it be this time?"
2)The people on this forum have so much good advice there is always something new to learn and perfect.
3) The egg represents a very precise environment which allows for excellent contol of variables. Therefore, you can experiment with precision by controlling variables one at a time. The learning is progressive and exact. More over, the EXTERNAL environment is largely discounted. That is to say, you can cook substantially the same way on an afternoon in a Phoenix summer or a New York Winter. Try that on a weber.[p]Some may regard this forum as a cult. If so, there is a reason -- we love these things.[p]Regards
Dave

Pit Boss (formerly Cagmag) · April 2005

Rick Hagan,[p]There's an extra dimension w/ the Egg. And, it's hard to explain without experiencing it first-hand. The comparison is like apples and oranges. I know this sounds like BS, but it the honest-to-goodness-truth.[p]Personally, I don't like chicken in general. However, Spatchcock chicken on the Egg is a beef-lovers dream. The moisture retention is incredible.[p]The analogy I've used in the past is as follows:
1. The Egg's efficincy is much higher at retaining heat than any metal smoker/grill. To prove this, just feel the outside of an egg smoking at 250 degrees compared to a metal smoker. The Egg will be MUCH cooler to the touch. This is because it is giving up less heat to the cooler outdoor ambient temperature versus the metal one.[p]2. Charcoal + Air = Fire/Smoke = Temperature Control
Since Eggs are more thermally efficient, they require a less volume of air to maintain the same temperature of a metal smoker. This in turn reduces the amount of dry air exposed to your meat. Think of a hair dryer. Compare the difference between a low fan setting and a high setting. The higher setting will dry your hair out a lot faster.[p]Same priciple applies to Egging....at least in my opinion.[p]Get one, you won't be sorry!

StumpBaby · April 2005

Pit Boss (formerly Cagmag),[p]OK..I think I got that..get an egg..because if you stand next to a metal smoker..you hair will dry too fast.[p]Ya..that makes sense to me..[p]StumpBaby[p]

Pit Boss (formerly Cagmag) · April 2005

StumpBaby,[p]Since you called me out, I really don't know anything about hair dryers.....I don't have any hair left.

clausenk · April 2005

Oh man Mike, you're bringing tears to my eyes. Over dinner tonight I told my wife about your bluebells; beautiful, and my new desktop at work. [p]Clausen

Seattle Todd · April 2005

Rick Hagan,[p]Here's my personal breakdown on why I would make the leap in your situation.[p]#1 All in one. What you smoke on your smoker you can do in your Egg and what you grill on your Webers you can grill on your Egg as well with better results in both cases.
#2 Smoking. You'll have more moisture retension. I've used mops, not used them and the end product doesn't differ from what I can tell. You'll also have less maintaining to do. When I do a longer cook I spend an hour getting the temp to speed, have a couple cold ones while I'm doing so, and once the temp is stable I throw on the food and don't worry for many hours.
#3 Grilling. A ceramic will grill at much hotter temperatures than a Weber kettle will hit. A Weber might get very hot with the lid off but the Egg can get to ~1000 degrees with the top down where you keep in the moisture, and more importantly get an accurate temperature read from the thermometer.[p]All in all one of the best cooking investments I've ever made.[p]Todd

Unknown · April 2005

Pit Boss (formerly Cagmag),[p]you must have had some flashback from your BGE !?? or never use a gas flame of any sort to light your post dinner cigar!! (don't ask).[p]

Unknown · April 2005

Seattle Todd,
I've owned both and done side by side comparisons and the taste results were identical.
An egg is much easier to keep clean but I had a harder time keeping the egg going all night. The fire used to die out in the middle of the night. I've never had a weber bullit go out on me in the night.
I loaded up my weber fire ring a few weeks ago half full with lump and measured 1260 deg f at the grate. Once the cooking grate is glowing orange (850 to 900 deg) I slap the steaks on.
I had to sell my Big Green egg because I got low on money a few years ago. I wish I still had it. I could use it on the back deck and not worry about burning the place down. I don't trust my webers on a wood deck. I used to grill two or three times a week with the egg because it was right outside the door. Now I use a weber in my fireplace. But it's not as much fun as the egg was.
db

Smokin Bob · April 2005

Rick Hagan,[p]I don't even make a list any more...[p]You just need to find someone that has one and experience it just once and you'll have answered your own question!

tach18k · April 2005

Rick Hagan, Well my weber sits next to the next to my trash cans, my offset smoker collects rust and weeds, my gasser holds my Egg tools to keep them out of the weather. My egg cooks about 3 times a week. Does that answer your question

Why Egg?

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