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Should I Buy a Big Green Egg, and if so, which one?

Ed
Ed Posts: 123
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I don't think this is exactly an unbiased crowd, but I'll ask anyway. I have a decent grill that I bought at Costco, but am thinking of supplementing it with the Big Green Egg for those times I want to slow cook, smoke stuff or just get the great flavor of real coals. I have read some limited reviews of the BGE and all are very positive, but there are simply not that many reviews out there. [p]Yesterday, I was struggling with a friend's Char-Broil H2O smoker and a brisket (my first). I am having a difficult time keeping the temp up and even knowing if the temp is high enough since there is no real thermometer. [p]Is the Big Green Egg a fad, or is it a life-time cooker? If I invest the money, two years from now will it be collecting dust in the corner of the garage? Is it worth the money?[p]Thanks,[p]Ed

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Comments

  • egret
    egret Posts: 4,168
    Ed,
    You're going to get so many responses to this post as to blow your mind. I was a little sceptical at the onset, but after experiencing this incredible cooking machine I regret not getting it much sooner. I'm so enthused I coerced a local business to become a dealer for the egg. I even go down there on Saturdays to demonstrate and cook on the egg. It's infectious, so beware. Go for it, without hesitation, and get the large. Not too large to cook for two, but large enough to cook for a large dinner party.

  • JeffHughes
    JeffHughes Posts: 100
    Ed,[p]I bought on about 15 months ago, I use it almost daily(way more than the oven in our house)..[p]Truely a great investment, will outlast several good medium grade grills or smokers...[p]Enjoy--Jeff
  • Wise One
    Wise One Posts: 2,645
    Ed, if you want to buy a BGE for low and slow cooking only, you may be disappointed. Because soon you will find that you use it for low and slow (220), high temperature sears (700+) and everything in between. If it collects dust it's because you're not cooking at all. I bought one about five years ago after 30 years of cooking on a gas grill and I have fired that gas grill up exactly once in five years. The Big Green Egg is the best and most versatile home cooker available (and NatureBoy and dr bbq may debate the use of the word "home"). As for which one to buy, start with a large and then decide what the next one will be. You will never regret it.

  • Car Wash Mike
    Car Wash Mike Posts: 11,244
    Ed,
    A fad lasts a few years. This cooker has been around longer than most posters.
    I would get a large and small if you could swing it. I have 2 larges, medium and mini. Small is on the way. When cooking low and slow you can create great appetisers like ABT's, crab stuffed mushrooms and sausage stuffed portabella mushrooms while waiting.[p]Good luck with your decision.[p]Mike

  • chuckls
    chuckls Posts: 399
    Ed,[p]Well I recommend you put your money on the large egg. This guy is the most versatile of the bunch, and a good way to get your "egg legs" under you. You'll find forum members here that have had their egg for 15 years or more - I've had mine for two years this week. Noone can guarantee what you'll end up doing with yours, but if you cook at all, you'll find the egg will do anything you ask of it.[p]'Nuff said[p]Chuck
  • Smokin Joe
    Smokin Joe Posts: 441
    Ed,
    I'll run a little scenario by you...[p]24 beers in a case, 24 hours in a day; coincidence, I don't think so [p]lifetime warranty, lifetime cooker; coincidence, I don't think so [p]Two years later I am cookin better than ever. Trying new, creative dishes an wowing the crowd. I now have two eggs a large & a small and cook on both quite regularly (translated - several times a week).[p]Go for it... once you do there is no turning back (or dust collecting going on) with the folks who post & lurk here.[p]Joe

  • FlaMike
    FlaMike Posts: 648
    Ed, I've only had my large BGE for about a month now, and I can honestly say that it was the best money i've spent in a long while. I never realized how much better grilled food tastes on the egg, and I've got not only a great, versatile grill, but i've got a new hobby also. It's habit forming, and with all the help and advice available on this forum, it's a no brainer. Go for it and you won't be disappointed. Mike

  • Citizen Q
    Citizen Q Posts: 484
    Ed,
    Absolute lifetime cooker, and guranteed for life. My large is one month shy of it's 7th birthday, and in that time it has never gone more than 10 days without being fired up. I loved it so much, I bought one for my sister-in-law (which I have since confiscated) and have long been threatening to cease cooking for all friends and family functions in an effort to get them to buy their own damn Eggs. [p]IMO, the large is the most versatile. It will hold a lot of meat and it's still portable, with a little time and effort. I haven't seen an XL yet, but it's available now. It's a steep price hike from the large, but has a much larger capacity also.[p]Cheers,
    C~Q

  • Skychief
    Skychief Posts: 16
    Ed,
    I have been cooking on my large BGE about six months now and I would not be without one. Did pulled pork for the 4th, it was the best. I like the egg so well I now carry them in my furniture store. Get one you will be pleased.

  • Eggtuary
    Eggtuary Posts: 400
    Ed,
    I struggled with the same debate just over a month ago. I loved the flavor of charcoal grilled food, but I was getting frustrated with my fancy $400 Weber Performer. It had a gas start, which was supposed to make everything easy, without the taste of lighter fluid. But we don't have many trees around us, so the wind would often blow out the gas start when I went inside to check on the kids. When I went back out to see how it was going, I'd have to start it again. Sometimes it would take 40 minutes to get the charcoal going, what with all the distractions of a family. And even when I did get the charcoal going, I had a tough time getting consistent results. Pretty frustrating for what is considered by many a pretty good grill.[p]So, I was quite tempted to get a fancy gas grill. I figured it would be a lot more convenient, and hopefully more consistent. But I dreaded losing the charcoal taste.[p]I did a lot of research on the 'net, and finally came across the Big Green Egg. It was touted as heating up almost as fast as a gas grill, even though it used charcoal (although you're supposed to use lump hardwood charcoal rather than briquettes). It is very efficient, so it uses a lot less charcoal than regular grills. It can do low-and-slow smoking, or high heat sears. And the food is much more moist and tender than on a regular grill.[p]So it seemed like the best of both worlds: convenience almost as good as gas, but with the flavor of a charcoal grill. That, and hopefully better food quality than a regular charcoal grill. I was sold.[p]Well, I wasn't prepared for how much better the food would be. I'm now a cooking maniac. I've cooked cedar-planked salmon with a glaze made from brown sugar, maple syrup, bourbon and just a touch of stone-ground mustard. It's really easy, and I've never tasted anything nearly so good even at an expensive restaurant! I got the recipe (along with many others) from the great people on this forum.[p]This past weekend I cooked marinated kebabs that I've been buying for years from the same store. They always came out very good on the old Weber. On the Egg, though, they were a whole new world. The beef was just plain old sirloin, but it came out more tender than a filet mignon I once got from Ruth's Chris, even though I cooked the kebabs to medium well to appease the women in the crowd. Unbelievable![p]Now I'm cooking things I never would have even considered on any previous grill, like beef brisket! All of a sudden, I've got all these people asking me for pointers to make such good food. It's a bit of an awkward position telling people it really is the cooker, and not just the recipes. I keep telling them there's no way I could get the same results on my old grill.[p]If you're serious about getting a quality cooker that is amazingly versatile and durable, I just don't know anything that can measure up.[p]By the way, I agree with all the suggestions to get a Large. With all the people suddenly coming over, though, I'm thinking I'll need another Egg. I told my wife I'd eventually like to get a Small, so we have something more portable, and more cooking space for big gatherings. She's loving this so much (better food, and I'm now doing most of the cooking!), she didn't put up much resistance! I think I'll be able to get the Small for about the difference in price between the Large and Extra Large. For me, that's a better combination because I'll be able to cook at two different temps at once, and I'll have one grill that can easily go to picnic areas or tailgating parties.[p]Good luck with your choice![p]Mike
    aka Eggtuary

  • Ed,[p]It's just a fad. So far, it's a six+ year and now two Large BGEs that fire up several nights a week fad for me... :)[p]I've personaly helped about 6 others to find "the path" as well. Dang, I wish I would have set up some sort of commission deal first.[p]I don't seem to be showing any signs of slowing down in my ceramic cooking either.[p]Enjoy,
    bc

  • Ed,
    I have had a Weber kettle grill which I gave up not long after I bought a Weber gas grill with a smoker kit in the
    90's. It cooked about as well with less work and I got a
    little smoke flavor. I thought I had the ultimate when I
    gave it to my sister in law and bought a Weber Summit Silver
    C which had a dedicated burner for the smoker box and could
    slow cook as low as 250 degrees.
    Back in February I made the "mistake" of trying a pork chop
    cooked on a Big Green Egg. I beat any chop I had ever had
    in juiciness and flavor.
    Needless to say, I bought a large the end of April and have
    been cooking on it ever since. The food from our egg makes
    our thousand dollar Weber look like a cheap gas grill from
    the early 90's. EVERYTHING tastes better from the egg, from
    a turkey (recipe recieved with the forum's help) to ribs to
    salmon to frozen Tyson chicken nuggets for my 6 yr old son.
    As far as size, I would also suggest the large over the medium. The extra 3 inches is alot of space in a circle for not alot of extra money.
    BGE owners are only faddish in the sense that we found something much better than what we had before.
    I can't say too much for myself because I've only had one
    for a few months.
    I will say from my experiences on the forum and from
    talking to other egg owners at the store that "eggheads"
    are a FAMILY of outdoor food lovers.
    They're always ready to help and share recipes and experiences--good or bad.
    Go for it!!
    Grillnut

  • Ed,
    I have an outdoor kitchen under construction that is designed around a large BGE. I bought mine about two and a half years ago, best I can recall. I cook on it two or three times a week, doing everything from low-n-slow barbecue to searing steaks at 1000 degrees. We grill, bake sourdough bread, pizza, and even pineapple upside down cake. Large seems to be about the right size for a family or dinner party. I would look at the extra large if you need a little more grill real estate.[p]You asked for a review, so here are the pros and cons as I see them.[p]Pro BGE:
    Self-insulating and does not react to external temperature changes.
    Does not rust or burn out.
    No water pan required to maintain moisture inside.
    Cooks easily from 180F to 1000+F.
    Cooks for over 24 hours at 225F without adding fuel.
    No BS lifetime warranty with normal use.
    Outstanding customer service.
    Eggtoberfest.
    Club Egg.[p]Con BGE:
    Heavy and difficult to move around or take on a road trip.
    Dropping it and breaking it is not normal use.
    Fireboxes are prone to cracking (replaced under warranty).
    Costs a bundle compared to conventional grills.

  • Eggtuary hit on something I forgot to mention. You can not go to a restaurant and buy food as good as you will prepare on your egg. I live a few miles from one of the top ten (Zagats) steak houses in the country (makes Ruth's Chris look like Western Sizzler) and I consistently do as good or better on steaks than they do. Pre-egg I used to frequent various barbecue joints in town, but now I can't stand their food. It's lifeless and tasteless compared to what I produce here at home. The egg pays for itself in money not spent at restaurants.
  • Ed,[p]My prediction is that your other grill is the one that will be gathering the dust. More than one of us use our other grills as storage units for all of our egg toys![p]Get a large. The learning curve is shallow. Plenty of help is available from the great people here on the forum. You won't regret a thing.[p]Welcome![p]:)

  • Bigfoot
    Bigfoot Posts: 154
    Ed,[p]You have some good information here - I will throw in my 2 cents as well.... I have been a grilling and smoking fanatic for many years, I used to have the little R2D2 like Brinkman smoker and it was ok (a pain in the butt to operate for low and slow - and a pain to clean). I also had some cheapo gas grill. Then I moved up to a Weber Genisis - this was a great grill compared to the others I had, but still I could not achieve the ultimate Ribs. I then added a New Braunfelds Offset Barrel type of smoker and replaced my Weber Genesis with a new fancy Summit Gold Series. The Weber made the best steaks I had ever had at the time, I would sear at 800 degrees and drop it down and finish them off - they were great! [p]The offset barrell took a lot of practice, but I was eventually able to turn out awesome ribs and chickens with a lot of attention to the smoker the entire cook.[p]THEN one day a cowoker starting rambling about this new egg he wanted to buy. I thought - HA no way, that thing is like 800 bucks for a large, i already have the best set up![p]Then I started reading this forum where true competition winning experts were saying egg, egg, egg. A few days later I rode down to Waldorf with him and we left there with two new larges - I still was not sure what I had just done. [p]I got it home, built a table (really it is more of an egg shrine than a mere table) and started using it. I tried TRex steaks the first cook, yes it was good - not great compared to my Weber, but then I did not do everything exactly as described, so I thought eh - I will try them again sometime. Then I did ribs, again - I can do better or at least as well on my old smoker I thought - although, I was able to basically get the egg fired up and walk away - I liked that.[p]THEN - something happened, the learning curve went away, all of the sudden I can get the egg up and smoking in no time, I know exactly how to control the temp and the techniques for making great pulled pork and pit beef as well as the holy grail, KILLER RIBS. I had to redefine awesome ribs after tasting my last ones off the egg - I have FAR ECLIPSED my best from the old offset. [p]On a whim, I even did steaks again, this time I knew how to get the egg to crazy hot temps- THAT REALLY MADE IT FOR ME. It was the awesome experience everyone described![p]So the short of it - There is a learning curve, but it is FAR less than the other grills/smokers out there. A lot has to do with the amazing folks here willing to help in a second, there is no more guess work. The design and make up of the egg makes it the BEST for making moist, falvorful, GREAT food that can rarely be beat. Yes it is expensive, but it REALLY is more than a grill - it is a community and a true hobby that happens to yield tasty results.[p]Oh an BTW - I just donated my old smoker to the Marine Corps League Post - and I use my Weber to grill extra corn, and keep egged food warm (I need to add a small egg to handle the corn)[p]*off rant*
  • JSlot
    JSlot Posts: 1,218
    I'm sure I'm probably repeating some of the posts below, but here's my 2¢. My original large Egg (the first of nine) resides on my deck with my small. After 8 years of cooking, the only maintenance I've had to do was replace the gasket a month or two ago. I'd wager that once you get your Egg, your gasser won't be fired up much, if at all. One of my acid tests to determine whether or not a product or business is worth it's salt is the number of repeat customers. As I've said here before, I think at least 50%-75% of Egg owners either have more than one Egg or plan on buying another one in the near future. Great product, stellar customer service and some of the finest forum folks anywhere. Can't ask for much more than that.[p]Jim
  • Mark Backer
    Mark Backer Posts: 1,018
    Bigfoot,[p]Great call on the corn heater. Yes, I do lots of other stuff on it, but durn it's nice to be cooking other stuff on the large and know that corn is right next door and will be perfect.[p]
  • Bigfoot,
    Like you with your pre-egg steaks, my Weber Summit made the
    best Salmon I ate at the time--crisped the bottom on impact
    at 700 degrees, then immediately to low to slow cook it to
    a nice finish for the middle.
    My egg now makes the middle even juicer with a bottom crust
    and flavor I have never experienced.
    I shouldn't put down Weber because I work for one of their
    largest independent dealers in the Southeast. They make a
    good product but the BGE produces better food and is more fun for me to use.
    Grillnut[p]

  • Bigfoot
    Bigfoot Posts: 154
    grillnut at Norcross Ace Hardware,[p]I agree 100% - My Weber is the BEST gas grill I have ever used - it is natural gas, a true 1 click and start everytime! But you are right - the egg just makes better food! No put down at all - two different animals.

  • Ed,[p]I purchased my large BGE about two months ago. Since that time I have only fired up my gas grill once to cook hot dogs which to me aren't all that improved cooking on the BGE. My gas grill was used so infrequently after the BGE purchase that when I went to start it a week ago there was a mouse nest built in the inside of the gas grill with the mouse scrambling to find a quick exit.[p]You won't regret purchasing the BGE. I had a 4th of July party and cooked beer butt chickens and pork butt on the BGE and received outstanding comments on the food.
  • StumpBaby
    StumpBaby Posts: 320
    Mark Backer,[p]
    I once had a coworker aks me if'n I cooked my corn hole on the grill. What kinna qwestion is that to be aksin in work ? Ain't rite at all.[p]StumpBaby

  • randomegger
    randomegger Posts: 194
    Ed,[p]About five years ago now, my wife bought me a large BGE. I had a barrel smoker that pretty much disintigrated even thought it saw limited use. I had my eye on an egg as my neighbor raved about his and I figured it would be less likely to dissolve in a pile of rust like my smoker did. We sat it up on the back deck and I figured it made a nice supplement to my big Coleman gas grill.[p]Today I have three eggs: the original Large I started with as well as a small and a mini. The gas grill no longer lives here - seems it was just 'collecting dust'. Getting around the fact that eggs are just outright superior cookers (be it grilling, smoking, baking et cetera), the darn things are downright durable. Couple that with the warranty and it's a no brainer.[p]RE
  • Hammer
    Hammer Posts: 1,001
    Ed,
    In my opinion there are a lot of companies and products in today's market place that are long on promises and short on delivery.
    The Big Green Egg Company and it's products , like Lawn Ranger Bar B Q tools; Dizzy Pig rubs; Bar B Q Guru; Tel-Tru Thermometers; and Therma Pen among others are long on promises, but longer on delivery.
    If you decide to buy an Egg, you won't be disappointed!
    Hammer

  • Eggecutioner
    Eggecutioner Posts: 628
    Ed,[p]I researched the web, read this forum, got in touch with several dealers and couldn't pull the trigger for a couple years. It's a lot of money, for what I thought was just another grill. It IS just another grill.[p]In the beginning of the year for the Daytona 500 Race I slow cooked ribs a 12-15 Degrees ambient for 4 hours, I KNEW that this was the right decision for me. I had tried doing that in my garage during the winter in a brinkman water smoker. That never worked out very well. [p]I bought the Large. It seems right sized for us (Family of 4). When I first looked at the large BGE I thought it was a little small as compared to my gas grill. How many times have you filled up the whole surface of your gas grill? Not very often for me either. [p]The flovor of natural lump charchoal will win you over very quickly. Good luck on your decision[p]Eggecutioner
  • JSlot
    JSlot Posts: 1,218
    So, it looks like you are saying that Lawn Ranger, Dizzy Pig, BBQ Guru, Tel-Tru and Thermapen are all BGE subsidiaries? And that they take a long time to deliver? You gotta keep those secrets in the bag!!! LOL!!![p]I know, I know. I just couldn't resist. :)[p]Frosty Ones,
    Jim

  • JSlot, Good Luck to you and all the others cooking in Greenwood. Hope it's dry and you get the breeze Charles keeps talking about. Had plans to be there but my daughter's wedding is saturday. Looks like you will have a good many EGGS at this contest. Have a few cools one for us.[p]A couple more EGGHEADS,
    Ms.Diane & Poppasam

  • Hammer
    Hammer Posts: 1,001
    JSlot,
    Good hearing from you Jim. Good luck in the forthcoming cook! Hope you win all the money!
    Mitch

  • JSlot
    JSlot Posts: 1,218
    We'll miss seeing you and Ms. Diane, Sam. I'll be sure and have a few cold ones for you. I'll even try and steal some of Charles' bologna, too!!![p]Jim
  • JSlot
    JSlot Posts: 1,218
    Thanks a bunch, Mitch. We hope we win all the money, too!!! No, wait, it's all about having fun. OK. Maybe it's about the money. Now I'm not sure. LOL. The fun and fellowship are guaranteed, so I think we're covered!![p]All the best,
    Jim