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Need sage advice regarding purchase

Unknown
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Ready to pull the trigger. My obsessive-compusive research has yeilded no other answer than ceramic charcoal cookers are the way to go. Some questions remain and I could use some help:[p]1. It would appear that Viking has largely ripped off the BGE with their stainless steel version of the ceramic cooker. Other than good looks is there any advantage to this set-up (ie: is the Egg exterior fragile). Could buy two eggs for the price of the Viking.[p]2. Are there accessories for the XL BGE? I would like a larger pizza stone (18" or more), Larger plate setter, etc.[p]3. What would be considered the average lifespan of the BGE when placed continuously outside through wide swings of temperature (10 deg to 100 deg F and up to 100% humidity).[p]Thanks.

Comments

  • Bobby-Q
    Bobby-Q Posts: 1,994
    Dano,
    The Viking has just ripped off ceramics in general. You would be much better off buying 2 Large Eggs than anything from Viking. The Eggs are not fragile at all in normal use. The things that would break the Viking are the same things that would break the Egg.[p]There is a place Setter for the XL, and like the other place setters it can be used as a baking stone if need be.[p]The average lifespan of an Egg is far greater than yours with a lot less care being given to them than your average person.[p]Pull the trigger, you will not be disappointed. I'd recommend maybe starting with a large first unless you plan on cooking for large groups a lot of the time. I've got 2 larges and a small and it covers just about every scenario with room to spare.

  • Dano,[p]I can't tell you what to do to meet your particular circumstances, so take all with a grain of salt. I would wonder why you're interested in an XL; unless you're feeding a small army I would suggest you consider a Large. It has been around for a long time and, in my opinion, has the following advantages over the XL:[p]1) easier to handle
    2) uses less fuel for smaller cooks, yet can be set up to cook for 20+ hours on one load of lump charcoal.
    3) a proven design (the XL is new and, although some will say all the bugs have been worked out, browse this forum and see how many issues are still out there for owners of the XL)
    4) with practice on a Large you can decide to augment your Large with a different size to fit your needs later. Often adding a small, medium, or a second large is what many forum members seem to do.
    5) I am a relatively new egger and don't know the secret handshake of forum members, but I wanted to respond because I've also "been there". [p]The best food I've eaten has come from my egg and a 20+ year old Imperial Kamado made in Japan for centuries. The BGE is patterned after the IK only is made of ceramic rather than clay and can handle much hotter temperatures. I would also recommend:[p]1) find out what "accessories" come with the price of the egg. Some dealers include the "daisy wheel" top. ash tool, thermometer, grid lifter, book (which is crap and unnecessary, if you get one throw it away), video, "nest", bag of lump charcoal, etc. All of these things cost money, so don't JUST look at final delivered price to your home. [p]I hope this provides a bit more info for you to consider. Good Luck

  • Prof Dan
    Prof Dan Posts: 339
    Dano,[p]About pulling the trigger -- I am the same sort of "research it to death before you buy" person -- in retrospect, my only regret about the Egg is waiting for six months before buying. After four years of Egging, I am still wildly enthusiastic.[p]In terms of longevity, we had a clay [not ceramic] cooker in our family for forty years before it disintegrated in the weather. My wild guess is that an Egg [hard-fired ceramic] could last for a thousand years, in a properly-anchored table. Think of the intact ceramic pots that have sat out in the Egyptian desert for 4,000 years.

  • The Naked Whiz
    The Naked Whiz Posts: 7,777
    Dano,
    1. It would appear that Viking has largely ripped off the BGE with their stainless steel version of the ceramic cooker. Other than good looks is there any advantage to this set-up (ie: is the Egg exterior fragile). Could buy two eggs for the price of the Viking.[p]The Viking cooker is a Primo cooker wrapped in Viking's stainless steel. I've yet to see anyone post a reason why this is a good thing except for looks. And of course, the Primo is an exact copy of the BGE. So exact that parts are interchangeable. You could probably buy 3 large Eggs for the price of the Viking cooker. [p]2. Are there accessories for the XL BGE? I would like a larger pizza stone (18" or more), Larger plate setter, etc.[p]There is a plate setter for the XL. I don't think BGE has said anything about a larger pizza stone, so you may need to look on the web for something that large. I have a 16" stone that I bought several years ago at Crate and Barrel.[p]3. What would be considered the average lifespan of the BGE when placed continuously outside through wide swings of temperature (10 deg to 100 deg F and up to 100% humidity).[p]I don't know that anyone knows the answer to this question because as far as I know, no Egg has ever reached the end of its life yet due to simple aging. Certainly the life span of an Egg is going to be over 30 years because there are still some of the old more fragile Eggs floating around that were sold over 30 years ago.[p]TNW[p]

    The Naked Whiz
  • Last question:[p]I was interested in the XL BGE only because I figured I could make bigger pizzas with it. Most other items (cannot wait to make some ribs, etc) would likely be fine in the Large BGE. Is my logic flawed regarding pizza size (if I cant get a big stone, it just might be)? Posts regarding lack of seal/proper closing, gasket wear, and new bugs etc with the XL are making me wonder about downsizing.[p]Thanks to all who have responded and particularly TNW whose site is nothing less than awesome particularly for this budding 'cue enthusiast.