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Potential Egger Here

clweedclweed Posts: 70
edited 12:33PM in EggHead Forum
Hi everyone,[p]I'm in the market for a new Grill/Smoker, Was considering a gas grill from Home depot(Ducane) or the Jenniair from Lowes. I currently use a New Braunsfel smoker for ribs and brisket.
I'm looking for something that I can start, throw the meat on and forget about for a few hours without worrying about the fire going out of flaring up.[p]I'm almost to the purchasing point but I need a little push ;)[p]1. how well does the egg maintain the temp.?
2. Can you use real wood chips such as mesquite along with the charcoal?[p]Pros and cons of the Egg would be appreciated.[p]
Thanks,
Lee

Comments

  • BordelloBordello Posts: 5,926
    clweed,
    Maintains temp really well and a very small learning curve.
    You can use chip or chunks with the lump charcoal. Here is a link to buying an egg from last year to help ya. I'm short on time or would have given more input. I have 4 eggs now and many others here have more then one.[p]Cheers,
    New Bob
    [ul][li]Link[/ul]
  • MasterMasonMasterMason Posts: 243
    clweed,
    Buy it, you will not be disapointed. I got mine a week ago, and already I can see that it was a great purchase.[p]From hitting it with the torch to 750 degrees was about 15 mins or so. For low and slows, it has held the temp for 10 hours with less than 2 degrees of flux. [p]You can't go wrong.
  • tn slagamatertn slagamater Posts: 623
    clweed, I have bought 7 eggs for self and my children.... THE best expenditure of money I have ever made, although I had my doubts before I started using one.... worth EVERY penny.

  • clweedclweed Posts: 70
    New Bob,[p]Thanks for link, that answered a lot of my questions
  • RRPRRP Posts: 21,808
    clweed,
    Trust us - you'll never look back! As has been pointed out there are many of us who have mutiple BGEs - it gets in your blood! As a priceless benefit is this friendly board with an unbelievable wealth of knowledge. We jokingly call it a cult - but once on board you'll understand!
    L, M, S, &  Mini
    And oh yes...also a 17" BlackStone gas fired griddle! 
    Ron
    Dunlap, IL
    Re- gasketing AMERICA one yard at a time!
  • Car Wash MikeCar Wash Mike Posts: 11,244
    RRP,
    You mean the cult thing was a joke? I had the wife sign papers not discuss recipes.
    When you coming back to Missouri?[p]Mike
  • RRPRRP Posts: 21,808
    Car Wash Mike,
    don't go blowing my cover like that, man! If you imply that just the opposite of something is true that confuses the people. Now off the record are we all set for the third night past the full moon, by the oak tree on Delta Hill at the usual time?
    L, M, S, &  Mini
    And oh yes...also a 17" BlackStone gas fired griddle! 
    Ron
    Dunlap, IL
    Re- gasketing AMERICA one yard at a time!
  • Bama Hosta ManBama Hosta Man Posts: 14
    clweed,[p]You are at the same point I was 2 months ago. I also used a New Braunsfel smoker and had just taken a delivery of a cord of Hickory and 1/2 cord of Cherry. I had used it for several years and swore by it. I also had a Holland that I was pleased with. My wife and I had considered a BGE when we bought the Holland but I thought we would use the gas more.[p]We were shopping for patio furniture and spotted the BGE. The salesperson gave us the sales pitch and we left. On the way home we both agreed that the Holland left us unsatisfied with steaks and burgers but we liked it for chicken. The NB turns out great ribs and butts but it requires constant attention. I rarely sleep when I do an all night cook with it. Consequently neither does my wife.[p]I researched the BGE here on the forum and checked with a few dealers and ended up back at the original store. I purchased a large(included grill, daisy wheel and ash tool) plus I added the plate setter and pizza stone. Within 2 weeks I had my table built, purchased the cast iron grate, had fire bricks for elevated cooking and a new collection of rubs and wood chips.[p]We average cooking on it at least 5 times a week. At least one of these is an all nighter. The BGE is great at holding temp. I recently added a Guru to automatically control the temp. Its convenient but not an absolute necessity. Its amazing at how well you can regulate and hold temps with the damper and daisy wheel. I normally add wood chunks to the lump and have used the following: cherry, apple, pecan, maple, mesquite, Jack Daniels and hickory.[p]My wife has already started talking about a second one. I suggest that you read through the archives and check out some of the BGE specific recipes. The T-REX method for steaks is incredible. I have not ordered a steak out since I purchased the egg.[p]Good luck with your decision
  • Car Wash MikeCar Wash Mike Posts: 11,244
    RRP,
    So we will meet at Knob Noster State Park. I won't reveal the time. LOL[p]Mike
  • RRPRRP Posts: 21,808
    Car Wash Mike, LMAOAROTF
    I haven't thought of that place in at least 40 years!!! As underage college students at CMSU we used to go there with cases of beer and proceed to get sh*tfaced" in the wonderful outdoors until the USAF MPs started patrolling and reporting anything to authories! Thanks for the flash back! Ahhh, good old Knobnoster Park - the starting point of many a young student's hangover!!!
    L, M, S, &  Mini
    And oh yes...also a 17" BlackStone gas fired griddle! 
    Ron
    Dunlap, IL
    Re- gasketing AMERICA one yard at a time!
  • clweedclweed Posts: 70
    Bama_Hosta_Man,[p]I think I might be eating some eggcellent ribs and pulled pork this weekend :)

  • Lawn RangerLawn Ranger Posts: 5,466
    clweed,
    I did it by total accident (long story)....absolutely the best thing that ever happened in my culinary life![p]I recommend it.[p]Mike
  • grillnut at Norcross Ace Hardwaregrillnut at Norcross Ace Hardware Posts: 19
    clweed,
    My wife is getting me a large BGE for our 10th anniversary
    this weekend. Two years ago I thought I had the ultimate grill when I got a $1,000 Weber Summit with a dedicated burner smoker box. I can cook a 20 lb ham all night at 250
    degrees with no worries or crisp the bottom of my skinless
    salmon at 650 degrees, turn the burners on low and cook the
    center to perfection. I work for a hardware store chain that is Weber's 2nd largest independent dealer in the Southeast.
    Why than, am I picking up a Big Green Egg tomorrow?
    Two months ago, I was fortunate enough to go to a hearth,
    bbq, and patio show in Atlanta. They had all sorts of gas
    and charcoal grills, kamado grills, and smokers too.
    They were priced from $100 to over $7,000 with pop up tv's
    in their cabinets. Best of all, they were cooking outside on many of them, so I did "a little" sampling.
    Two outdid my Weber: the Big Green Egg and TEC. The juiciest pork chops I had ever eaten came off the BGE and
    the juiciest chicken breast I had ever had came off of a
    $1,500 TEC infrared gas grill. The egg won for me because
    pork chops had what I can only describe as "that extra flavor" over and beyond a simple pork chop. The skinless
    chicken breasts, while more moist than any other breast I
    remember, didn't seem to have any of "that extra flavor",
    though. I decided that day to start throwing out hints to
    my wife. She laughed at first (who can blame her?) but she
    came around easily as she saw how much I was in to it.[p]Our company (Workbench Ace Hardware) has since become a fledgling Egg dealer. One of our employees bought one a
    few weeks ago and brought in some simple bratwurst that he cooked on it. Amaaazing!! Yes I am a convert.[p]If you happen to live in the North Atlanta area, give us
    a shot at selling you an egg.
    At any rate, I look forward to cooking on mine.
    Go ahead, take the plunge![p]Grillnut at Norcross Ace Hardware
    770-448-3390

  • badbrucebadbruce Posts: 353
    Morning clweed,
    I had a New Braunsfel drum style with offset firebox that I used for almost 5 years, I not so lovingly refer to as 'The Rust Bucket'
    Due to the thin wall steel construction and warped lid, I believe due to high temps,it was difficult to maintain temp without constant attention. Doing a 20 hour low & slow pork butt was a real pain in the butt.
    I gave the rust bucket to my son, it's now his problem.
    I now own 2 large eggs. ABSOLUTELY the best grilling desion I've ever made was buying egg #1.
    Take the plunge, you won't be sorry.
    bruce

  • Unknown
    clwee[p]had a ducane for years. Liked the rotisserie. other burners always rusted out and not enough heat to sear steaks
  • Chef ArnoldiChef Arnoldi Posts: 974
    clweed, it makes the best tasting food, but if you keep buying these rusing stainless steel burners at $40 a pop, you'd eventually get fed up & say "it's time to buy the REAL thing" and finally end up buying the BGE.
    Don't waste your money on these metal gassers - CERAMIC is the FUTURE (now)

  • WooDoggiesWooDoggies Posts: 2,390
    clweed,[p]For a backyard cooker, I think you'll find the egg will do everything you need it to do.
    After a few cooks, the temp control will become innate, predictable and very, very easy to maintain for hours on end.
    I know because I'm lazy and the egg is the easiest charcoal cooker I've ever used.
    Nice thing too... you can brush up against the ceramic surface with bare skin and never get a third degree burn.... heat transfers much more slowly through ceramic than metal which means it holds heat longer which means you use less fuel which means less air flow which means less moisture wicking out of your cooker which means less of a chance of dried meat which means happier tastebuds and a more efficient use of your time which is perfect for a lazy cooker like me.[p]John


  • SmokeySmokey Posts: 2,468
    WooDoggies,[p]Can you please elaborate on what that all means!![p]Smokey
  • WooDoggiesWooDoggies Posts: 2,390
    SmokeyEnjoys.jpg
    <p />Smokey,[p]Sorry, I have no idea what I'm talking about.... perhaps we can figure it out over a cigar and a bloody mary.... say in a couple weeks time near the Potomac?[p]John

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