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Size Recommendation - Outfitting my Cave

jhsimpson
jhsimpson Posts: 1
edited September 2011 in EggHead Forum
Looking for comments or feedback on what size dimension of BGE I should consider.  Single household and probably would only be cooking/grilling/smoking for no more than 4 adults.  Checked with my local dealer who gave me the grid diameters (15 / 18 / 24) and their prices.  The jump from M to L is about 2 'Benjamins' and the jump from L to XL is about 3 'Benjamins'.

I'm leaning to a medium sized BGE.  My history is burgers, brats and steaks and want to explore smoking of meats and other methods (e.g. baking). Not into mass quantity cooking / storing.  What is your recommendation?

Thanks, John 

Comments

  • go large. more accesories. room for ribs.
    I grill therefore I am.....not hungy.
  • Sookie
    Sookie Posts: 335
    I would suggest the large too.  We have a two person household but I like to smoke a turkey or ham in ours on occasion.  The others just aren't big enough for it.  And like he said, more accessories :)  The extra large is huge.  Way too big for a single family household, in my opinion. 
  • Yep, large.  Accessories are a big consideration.  Plus, if you want to smoke a packer brisket, a large might be the better size.  Remember, it's a one time expense, and you're going to have this jewel for many years to come.
    __________________________________________

    Dripping Springs, Texas.
    Just west of Austintatious


  • Large is the correct answer, just got one here in SC for $700.00 then add the platesetter $50.00, built me a table for about $225.00. But it is now an awesome experience.......
    LBGE - Swing Grate - Platesetter - Pimaster110 - Pizza Stones - Maverick E732 - Thermapen - Dutch Ovens Abbeville, SC
  • It's a tough call I think. I have a medium and it is perfect for weekday grilling. However, I think both the large and medium are too small for the kind of smoking I like to do so I will also be purchasing an XL soon. I think if you are only going to buy one, the large or XL makes sense. If you might want another down the road, I like the medium XL combo. Don't forget, you can get or make a lump reducing ring to run the XL like a large or medium.
  • Hungry Joe
    Hungry Joe Posts: 1,566
    edited September 2011
    I would also recommend a large for all the reasons listed above. I live
    in a 3 person household and have two larges and want to get a small.
    You can always leave some empty space on the grill but once its full you
    can't create more room. Unless you go up, you will soon learn about all the other stuff you need :)) Once you start using the egg your
    previous grilling history will be just that, history. You'll be cooking things you never thought possible on a grill.
  • Based on your needs the large seems like the cooker for you.
  • you might be confused by all the random answers (lol).... by now, I'd say you're spitting in the wind if you don't get a large!   Get it and get cooking.    Like my financially well-off friend Casey says "the BGE is the best thing he's ever spend money on"

  • Spoon
    Spoon Posts: 328
    +1 on the Large size, and again for the accessories.
    "Pork so tender you can pull it with a spoon." ~Spoon
  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
    +1 more for the large.  The medium would be fine for most of what you want to do, but there will be times when you wish you had the room and the extra $ will be worth it for those times. 


    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053

    I would say go with the large also but the medium is good also. I have done 3 racks of ribs in my medium in a vertical rack. I have done 3 racks of ribs flat in my large with the grate extender. The main difference is there are many more accessories available for the large.

  • I just went through the same decision, and based on your post our needs seem to be about the same. I went with the large. I considered the XL but decided that would be overkill for 99% of my grilling. The medium looked awful small to me compared to my old conventional grill.
  • Dnorman
    Dnorman Posts: 117
    Everyone I sell a medium to ends up back within a year to trade up to a large......So go large.  You will only make your dealer happy if you get a medium cuz he knows you will be back to trade up later.FYI it goes the same for the XL.  half the people that buy them come back for the large.
  • I have an XL and a Medium and love that combo but if I had to go for one, it would be a large.  As all the post comments state, most eggcessories availble for the large.  I bought the XL because I cook for 8-14 most weekends (daughters friends) and the Medium is for the three of us weeknights unless I am doing brisket, ribs or butts!

    Smokin'Stogies in Exton, Pa with my wife and our four dogs; Sully and Boo the Newfoundlands, Murphy the Irish Setter and Alli the Beagle/Lab mix. 

    Eggers Prayer-

    Our egg, which art in sizes, hallowed be thy smoke, thy will be grilled, at home as it is at eggfest. Give us this clay our daily brisket and forgive us our rubs, as we forgive those who gas grill against us, and lead us not to flashback but deliver us from overnighters. For thine is the grill, the smoke, the egg. Let's eat!

  • Cowdogs
    Cowdogs Posts: 491
    Your description of what you will be doing really equals medium. But everyone loves the large.

    There is also a prevailing attitude any new egger will underestimate how much grilling/smoking they will be doing once they start cooking on the egg. This is why you'll get the "go as large as can" advice. More often than not, they are right. :)
  • There is a difference in the way you will cook on the egg.

    for the record I have a medium. I happily cook for two adults and two kids on it. I also smoke pork shoulder (butt), brisket and salmon on it.

    If I want to grill a load of burgers, sausages and chops I use my weber kettle - it's got more space (more grid real estate). I'll stand by it and actively flip as necessary unlike when I use the egg.

    Ok I'll admit it - I have a degree of the large/small combo envy!

  • I started with the XL for our family cottage.  Great for feeding and army of family and friends but a bit much for just my family of five.  It takes longer to bring up to temp, harder to hit the high temps for searing unless you keep it pretty clean and uses lots of fuel.  After realizing that I could not live without the BGE at home, I got the Large and love it for so many reasons.  Get's hotter, faster and is very efficient with fuel.  It is the perfect size in my opinion for everyday grilling but you have the option to load it up for the occasional party.  The best of both.  Granted, I don't have the Medium but based on my experience, I would go with the Large.
  • Go for the large.  Love mine!
  • I'm just a family of 2 (my wife & I) and wouldn't trade my XL for anything.
    I smoked and grilled for 8 years on a Weber Smokey Mountain (which has the same size cooking surface as the Large BGE) and I was always wishing I had more horizontal space.  I use a lump reducing ring with every cook (on my XL) and it allows you to cook a variety of different foods at the same.  Hotter in the center, cooler around the edge.  For instance, I can cook 6 hamburger (in the center) while cooking corn on the cob and potato wedges (around the edge) and don't have to worry about the food around the edges getting blackened.

    Also, I don't believe rumors about the XL takes longer to get up to temp and burning more charcoal.  I can consistently get mine up to 400 degrees in about 8 minutes with the lump reducing ring, and with the good Rutland gasket, I can get it shut down and save a great deal of the charcoal on every cook.  Logically, it seems like a bigger cooker would take longer, but from what I've read and seen, I doesn't seem to be true.

    Your probably not looking for an XL, and the L is plenty big for most, just wanted to throw out a different perspective for those considering a bigger size.
    Packerland, Wisconsin

  • edg1
    edg1 Posts: 86
    I am one of those folks who purchased a Medium, and traded it in for a large.

    Too many accessories from BGE that are supposed to fit the medium simply don't.  The large is the better option.

    Take care,

    edg
  • Sundazes
    Sundazes Posts: 307
    edited September 2011
    I have a med, large and mini. I started with the med for my family of five. The large was a gift from a family member. I use the med way more than the large. I have done pork butts, turkeys ribs, pizzas, etc on the med.
    Dont get me wrong, I love the large as well. It is nice for the occasional mass quantity of food. For instance, int he large, I have done a 22lb turkey, 9 racks of bb's, 38 lbs of pork butt, etc. I all boils down to how much food you will be doing the most and if you want to spend the extra bucks. My go to egg is the med. There are accessories for the medium as well.
    You cant go wrong with either......
  • I just bought the XL, it does seem a little big. With that it's also nice to be able to do a weeks worth of cooking in one afternoon. We try to get all our meals prepared on the weekend for the next week. Makes life so much easier.
  • Squeezy
    Squeezy Posts: 1,102
    I live alone ... never considered anything smaller than the large.
    Never eat anything passed through a window unless you're a seagull ... BGE Lg.
  • I have a medium, large, and XL.  I like the large the best of all the eggs and I think I figured out why. The temp comes up quickly, holds nicely and cooks evenly.  The medium has a relatively small grate so any clogging will clog the holes and result in a limitation of temperature.  The XL is just so big that it is hard to get an even fire across the grate so you need to pay more attention to the coals and temps in the egg.
    All that said, we use the med the most for our family of 4 but when we have company or want to do the "whole meal deal" (i.e. veggies, sides, and meat all cooked on the egg) we use the XL as it will fit lots and lots of food.
    I once cooked 100 lbs (raw weight) of pork shoulders on the XL when my wife and I hosted a fund raiser.