Should I get it assembled or not? Pulling the trigger and need some recomendations

Bjorg · September 2011

Hi,

I am about to pull the trigger on a XL BGE after almost a
week of research after discovering it. Some stores recommend getting it
pre-assembled, others say move it in the boxes for safety and assemble it
yourself. What do you guys think? Boxed, it fits in the trunk in my Subaru 2011
with the door 3/4 closed: Here are the dimensions for other who might be
curious:

The
box with the XL Egg itself, is 26” tall, 29” wide, 28.5” long

The
"kit" box which includes everything for assembly, is 4.5” tall, 24.5”
wide, 28.5” long

The
XL Nest box, is 2.5” tall, 8” wide, 33.3” long

I
saw some you tube vids and the installation seems pretty straightforward.

Here
is what I am about to order:

	XL Egg with grill gripper, ash tool, charcoal	$1,150.00
Nest-XL	Nest	$159.95
ESXL	Composite Material shelves	$121.95
BBRC	Big Green Egg Grid Cleaner	$21.95
18CI	Cast Iron Grid	$49.95
CIGHL	Cast Iron Griddle	$34.95

And from Ceramic Grill Store

Toolbox Accessory Special	40
XL Woo2 Adjustable Rig Combo (comes with drip pan, stone, oval and round grill, crossbars)	$255.33
16" Carbon Steel Wok Large/XL	$23.00
Open Bar lump reducing Ring - XL	$40.99
17.5" Round Ceramic Stone - XL	$42.99

And from http://coverworks.nakedwhiz.com/

Exterior Marine grade Sunbrella breathable cover
$170

I already ordered the Thermapen :)

As you can see I have 2 pizza stones in my list (one is included in the combo
kit). I read that for pizza, people are cooking on the Plate setter, BGE feet
and then pizza stone over them so the Pizza stone doesn't have direct heat
under it and air in between it and the platesetter. Is it worth it for me to
buy 2 stones to repeat that setup without a plate setter or a single stone will
suffice? I also could get the 22'' diameter XL stone from BGE instead to use as
the under stone, but I hear issues of some people burning their gasket (ref:
http://www.nakedwhiz.com/pizza.htm) because it pushes heat on it having only 1
inch clearance around it. The ceramic grill guy I talked to said the 17.5
inches one would provide better airflow anyways. I don't really need the plate
setter with the adjustable rig combo apparently but I will bake bread and Pizza
so I want to make sure before I decide.

I am a Canadian and will buy in the US as the XL itself without the
nest or anything sells for $1,950 CAD here! I can afford all these goodies for
almost the same price buying just the XL in Canada. Crazy, isnt it? I am
covered by the warranty but I will have to drive to the store I bought it to to
get parts and service.

Are composite shelves the way to go? It seems obvious to me, but I haven't
found anything regarding them on the forum.

Don't hesitate to make recommendations regarding my list.

Can’t wait to get my Egg and join this community. You guys look like great
folks. I am from Montreal
area btw.

EggHead in Smyrna · September 2011

Buy it unistalled and build it yourself. Not hard to put together. I would just recommend taking your time and don't rush so you can cook on it that night. Build it one nite and just play with it and admire it like I always do and then cook something on the weekend when you have some extended time....your gonna love it. I think building it yourself you'll understand how the entire thing is put together and just have a better working knowledge when you cook. Don't buy the shelfs....either spend the money and buy the table or build the table yourself...there are directions all over the place for building the table. I bought my table which is easy to install with a power drill. Welcome to the club! Remember to also buy a platesetter which is a must for any EggHead!

Bjorg · September 2011

Thanks for the reply. Yeah building it myself sounds like the way to go.

I don't know if you have read my wall of text (lol), but I am mentioning the plate setter alternative I want to use: A XL Woo2 Adjustable Rig Combo with 2 pizza stones. Also asking if I need 2 of these stones to reproduce the pizza cooking setup.

4Runner · September 2011

Self install!

Village Idiot · September 2011

Depends on the deal.

My dealer delivered it for $20 (because it wouldn't fit in my MiniCooper). He assembled it when he brought it. That was worth $20 to me.

Flashback Bob · September 2011

you can do it yourself but i think you should see about having them assemble and deliver.

that's the way to go.

SMITTYtheSMOKER · September 2011

The XL is the most difficult assembly, we assemble for free. We would like our customers to move on to cooking as their first effort with the Egg. On site assembly of the XL works best.

Bjorg · September 2011

Delivery is not an option for me since I am buying from the US and importing it to Canada.

I could get the XL assembled and put it in the passenger seat, buckled up or strapped in the trunk.

What about platesetter vs pizza stones and Woo? I guess I should make a separate post for that.

lousubcap · September 2011

Don't forget about the weight-around 130kgs so you will need some help wrestling it to its proper location.

If I had it to do again I would go with the Woo and ceramic stone vs platesetter.

Gezr · September 2011

"I could get the XL assembled and put it in the passenger seat, buckled up or strapped in the trunk."

What is Canadian Customs going to say about your "passenger"?? Or are you planning on declaring it and paying the GST?
Dave

Bjorg · September 2011

I will declare it. Its kind of though to hide lol.

I also prefer woo and ceramic stone vs platesetter, my question is do I need 2 stones for baking bread and pizza?

Squeezy · September 2011

Mine was delivered by a guy who was one day short of becoming the general manager of the business and then he stayed and helped me put most of it together ... very cool!

All for free!

Botch · September 2011

I got mine assembled but ended up rebuilding it, but to be fair I got it from a brand-new hardware store having their grand-opening, and they were rushed. Bands weren't tightened properly, the "nest" was missing bolts, and the firebox was inserted incorrectly. What someone above said is spot-on: putting it together yourself lets you know how it works. Plus it'll fit in your vehicle in the boxes, go for it!

eggo · September 2011

I built the table first and assembled the LGE in the table. The weight of the ELGE will be hard to handle, as in no where to grab. Assembling it in the nest will be a snap. Just take your time and follow the instructions. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Bjorg · September 2011

I am sure I will! I found somebody who can make me a table with granite top for reasonable price so I am going to skip the nest and shelves. Might as well do this the proper way!

Thanks for the tip Eggo, I will do that.

Just found a pic of a large in a passenger seat, I think Id rather move the xl in the box lol.

Cowdogs · September 2011

The XL box is heavy. I chose to open the box at my dealers, and load the individual pieces. This is the one egg you want to move in pieces IMO. The XL is wide and heavy, so strapping the pieces was not necessary. Just be sure you load every piece fat side down in the car on a packing quilt or an old bedspread to be extra sure it does not slide.

Bjorg · September 2011

Sounds like the way to go Cowdogs.

Flashback Bob · September 2011

Are you sure you need an XL rather than a LBGE?

I used to think "bigger was better" until I got my large and started using it. If you regularly cook for large groups then the XL is the way to go but I am surprised at how much food you can cook on a LBGE.

but that's a whole 'nother thread!

LDD · September 2011

mine came installed... I have an XL and am happy all around

MCR · September 2011

I went the platter setter & Pizza stone route. I like the combo and work well but the adjustable rig combo might offer you more flexibility. My only complaint with the plate setter is not being able to use the Cast Iron grill. It's a minor issue.... the cast iron opening are smaller than the default BGE grill.

Welcome / Bienvenue

Marc

Bjorg · September 2011

Yeah that is a big debate and I hesitated for a long time. I only have a family of 4, but love to cook my side dishes in the bbq and I love the real estate. I also love the fact that with a lump reducing ring, you have 2 different heat zones: middle for high heat and the surrounding for lower heat.

I will order an 18 inch cast Iron grill to put on the spyder real close to the lump to sear those steaks and finish them higher in the dome with the adjustable rig.

Here is a pic of the granit table I am considering (this one is for a large): http://montreal.kijiji.ca/c-ViewAdLargeImage?AdId=305431401&ImageIndex=1

I will however make a fire brick pit as per naked wiz article to be safe: http://www.nakedwhiz.com/eggbase/eggbase.htm

I think the 2 pizza stones are necessary with the adjustable rig setup, but would love confirmation.

Thanks Mark, I do speak french as well.

Hungry Celeste · September 2011

My dealer delivered & assembled on-site, which was perfect, as I don't own a vehicle large enough to transport the damn thing. It's also pretty heavy--two people came out for the delivery/assembly. So be sure to have an assistant when you put it together.

Cowdogs · September 2011

I have the same XL, and ceramic grill store stuff. Yes you probably will need 2 stones. Cooking pizza in the egg requires a little "balancing act" to get the top and bottom equally cooked. With one stone you will be constantly fighting to keep the bottom from burning before top is done. I use 2 stones. One in the bottom of woo ring. The other is on top of the Adjustable Rig.

Bjorg · September 2011

What about to cook a single Pizza Cowdog? Tom from Ceramic grill store recommends using a single stone on the top of the adjustable rig.

To clarify my question: If I use a stone on the bottom of the woo ring to provide indirect heat to the top stone, will it help the cooking of the pizza or bread?

Cowdogs · September 2011

This is why I say probably... A single stone will work if you don't over preheat the stone. I think the heat is blasting up from the bottom of egg, and by the time it washes around the stone and bounces off the dome, coming back down to top of pizza the temp is much cooler. I am coming from a large where a 2 stone setup is standard based on this logic. I have carried this method to the XL.

However Tom knows much more. That 1 stone setup might work better, and I plan to try it. The eggs will cook pizza ifnyou can find a method that allows you to get the top and bottom done at the same time. You can have a lot of pretty good pizza trying to make that great pizza.

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Should I get it assembled or not? Pulling the trigger and need some recomendations

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