Newbie Needs Eggcessory Advice

SeeingSpots · January 16

So I got a little b-day money and its smoking a hole in my pocket . My LBGE is exactly 13 days old, and I've done 5 or 6 cooks on it thus far, so I'm definitely still in noob stage. I've done burgers, spatchcock chicken, pizza (twice), steak and ribs so far and will most likely do some fish next followed by a butt or two then moving onto a brisket once I'm more comfortable with the egg. My eggcessories include platesetter, pizza stone, ash tool, rib rack and gripper. My wish list includes round drip pans, BBQ Guru Cyber, paella pan, AR or Woo (undecided), pig-tail flipper, therma pen, and some other things I can't think of right now. My budget is <$250.

Oh, and mangrates, of course! :)

What say you about what my next "must have" should be?

TIA

Spots

Dave in Florida · January 16

I don't think I could live without my Thermapen or a good remote thermometer. Or my adjustable rig or my Stoker wifi. Aluminum drip pans are less than a dollar at Walmart.

But then again, I don't have the mangrate so I will just have to keep making crappy steaks the old way that get devoured.

Mickey · January 16

Thermapen-------Thermapen---------Thermapen--------Thermapen--------Thermapen

To me the most important item (inside or outside cooking). The real Thermapen and not the BGE knockoff.

Your can get just the adj rig for $70 or so.. More if you get more items for it now or later.

Solson005 · January 16

There are so many great Eggcessories out there it really depends on what you plan on doing most. Thermapen is a must have to serve perfectly cooked food. For my large I use a Swing Rack from Ceramic Grill Works to get the most room possible. You can use it with the platesetter to do indirect cooks. I also use it during pizza parties to start it out on the lower one and finish it higher in the dome to get the top perfect!

Its also great for getting sear marks on steaks!

If you plan on doing lots of low and slow cooks BBQ Guru makes it much easier I have a DigiQ DX2 but would get a Cyber Q to be able to monitor it inside. I use it for anything that will take over an hour. If your interested in cooking on a wok a spider from the Ceramic Grill Store is a cheap but very useful device a bunch of guys also put a cast iron grid right above the coals to sear steaks. Carbon Steel woks are also under $30 and are fun to do on the egg. One of the woos has this ring on it and allows you to cook raised direct (I have a woo for my small and have not cooked once without it)

Paella Pans are cheap and a very fun cook to do on the egg.

If you end up doing pizzas often a Super Peel makes doing multiple pizzas very easy. I highly recommend it. Ceramic Grill Works sells those as well.

You can always end up getting a second egg like most of us end up doing too. Eggheads are always great at finding new ways to spend money..

Good luck choosing your next toys!

Brownie · January 16

thermapen
maverick
foodsaver

those are my top three and should be around your budget.

caliking · January 16

I'm kind of in the same boat - returned some things I found in the garage and suddenly have cash that's begging to be spent. I have been thinking about the 2 tier swing rack since I already have a plate setter.

The adjustable rig from CGS does look nifty, especially the new rig extender and sliding grid that is available now. I will probably call Tom sometime and see waht the options and cost are and then pull the trigger on the AR or swing rack. Right now, I'm thinking that the swing rack may be better for me.

Oh and about thermometers - I don't get the hype about Thermapens. Unless you absolutely have to spend $90 or so on a therm, consider the Thermoworks RT600c. Same manufacturer, about $26 shipped from Amazon. Takes 3 secs longer than the Thermapen, but you can buy 3 of these for the cost of a Thermapen. I've had mine for a couple of years now and its a great instrument.

http://www.amazon.com/RT600C-Super-fast-Water-resistant-Digital-Thermometer/dp/B002GE2XF8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358355613&sr=8-1&keywords=rt600c

rustypotts · January 16

Brownie said:

thermapen maverick foodsaver those are my top three and should be around your budget.

Ditto what Brownie said. You can get an extra webber grird at Lowes or Wal-Mart for $10 or so and a couple of thin firebricks and do a lot of cooking raised and so forth. If I was you I would wait for the big bulky purchases till you have done a bunch of cooks and can decide what you need for the kind of cooking you do. I've had my LGE for 7 months and I still can't decide whay exactly I need. Just make sure you have a THERMOPEN! Then get a Maverick.

Chubbs · January 16

Brownie said:

thermapen maverick foodsaver those are my top three and should be around your budget.

Agree with this 100%. Then a AR or Swing rack for more grilling space.

Eggcelsior · January 16

The Thermapen is indispensable for me. I know it has saved more than it's worth of meat that would have otherwise turned out less than stellar with the cheap Taylor thermo I used. Just last night, I made Cock-a-leekie soup on the stove but used skinless, boneless chicken breast instead of the more structured, fatty and tasty cousin, bone-in, skin-on. I boiled the chicken in stock during which I usually go by time. I pulled at 160 and the chicken was so much more moist and elevated the soup to a new level that could only be surpassed by Mangrates. Everything off the grill is always perfect. With my old thermo, I would loose a ton of heat out of the grill when checking a pork butt because I had the dome open for more than 1 minute to check 3 spots. I can now do that in 10-15 seconds.

Otherwise, I would probably go with the CGS PSWoo since you have the platesetter. They also have the round drip pans. If you get the Cyberq or swing rack from CGW, you will blow your budget. I am not being critical of either, but I would look to maximize your available budget. You can almost get everything on your list minus the pit controller.

As you stated. The most important item is the Mangrates. Remember the old adage: "You can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig"? With Mangrates, it's: "If you put lipstick on a pig, Mangrates will give you every model from Victoria's Secret Swim Catalog."

True Story.

SeeingSpots · January 16

Wow, great responses. Thanks! I didn't expect the see "foodsaver" on the eggcessory recommendations lists. What's it's most essential use, marinating, freezing leftovers?

At any rate, the good news is I already have a food saver! Sooooo, I guess that leaves room in the budget for mangrates.

Eggcelsior · January 16

caliking said:

I'm kind of in the same boat - returned some things I found in the garage and suddenly have cash that's begging to be spent. I have been thinking about the 2 tier swing rack since I already have a plate setter.

The adjustable rig from CGS does look nifty, especially the new rig extender and sliding grid that is available now. I will probably call Tom sometime and see waht the options and cost are and then pull the trigger on the AR or swing rack. Right now, I'm thinking that the swing rack may be better for me.

Oh and about thermometers - I don't get the hype about Thermapens. Unless you absolutely have to spend $90 or so on a therm, consider the Thermoworks RT600c. Same manufacturer, about $26 shipped from Amazon. Takes 3 secs longer than the Thermapen, but you can buy 3 of these for the cost of a Thermapen. I've had mine for a couple of years now and its a great instrument.

http://www.amazon.com/RT600C-Super-fast-Water-resistant-Digital-Thermometer/dp/B002GE2XF8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358355613&sr=8-1&keywords=rt600c

I thought this too. I have had 2 thermos with about $50 invested and both had issues. I had seen the Mangrateous reviews on the forum here.I checked Cooks Illustrated and the Thermapen has been their favorite for years, so that sold me(Your's is tied for second). I went with it based on the fact that it has a wider temperature range and is able to be re-calibrated. I also do some candy making and the rt600 only goes to 302 degrees F. The thermapen almost doubles that. I would strongly consider your's if it fit my needs, though. Plus the thermapen has cool colors. That was the biggest thing for me. ;)

Scottborasjr · January 16

Reliable thermometers have become the most important tool that I use no matter what I am cooking. Therefore I would say thermapen and then a remote thermometer if you plan on doing a lot of low and slow cooks. If you do end up getting a Adjustable Rig, check you pizza stone dimensions to make sure it's compatible.

Griffin · January 16

Forget about the pig tail flipper thing. Worthless. Just get some good tongs.

shucker · January 16

Im relatively new to egging myself. Based on the reviews here, I bought one of the Adjustable Rig combos from Tom at CGS. I went from egging once a week to 4-5 times per week. The AR gives you a ton of versatility and allows you to cook so many different things. I would say that it is a "must have" for sure. As a matter of fact, I just ordered some attachments to enhance my rig, like the rig extender and some sliding grates. Cant wait to try them out.

Skiddymarker · January 16

Thermapen, some kind of stoker if you want to do overnights, a Maverick if you will be awake.

Brownie · January 16

SeeingSpots said:

Wow, great responses. Thanks! I didn't expect the see "foodsaver" on the eggcessory recommendations lists. What's it's most essential use, marinating, freezing leftovers?

At any rate, the good news is I already have a food saver! Sooooo, I guess that leaves room in the budget for mangrates.

All the above... Chances are you may start buying meats in bulk now ;)

Plus you will need a sous vide....

Brownie · January 16

I do my beef corning with my foodsaver too.

henapple · January 17

Get a thermapen...NOW. If you are one of the first 25 callers in the next 3 minutes Jason will throw in a second thermapen and a spatula. Order NOW.

Stay tuned...more to come.

nolaegghead · January 17

Brownie said:

I do my beef corning with my foodsaver too.

Dude - that's totally the way I started doing it. I can't believe it isn't in the popular discussion online. Totally makes sense.

DaveM · January 17

I didn't realize you could cook without a thermapen. You shouldn't be allowed to! It is a must. Even pros use them.

nolaegghead · January 17

DaveM said:

I didn't realize you could cook without a thermapen. You shouldn't be allowed to! It is a must. Even pros use them.

Only place ever in the history of human cooking is Master Chef - apparently using a thermometer is "cheating".

Eggcelsior · January 17

DaveM said:
I didn't realize you could cook without a thermapen. You shouldn't be allowed to! It is a must. Even pros use them.

Don't forget the mangrates!

SeeingSpots · January 17

Ok, so it's mangrates plus a cheap throw away meat thermometer. Got it! Thanks all.

caliking · January 17

shucker said:

Im relatively new to egging myself. Based on the reviews here, I bought one of the Adjustable Rig combos from Tom at CGS. I went from egging once a week to 4-5 times per week. The AR gives you a ton of versatility and allows you to cook so many different things. I would say that it is a "must have" for sure. As a matter of fact, I just ordered some attachments to enhance my rig, like the rig extender and some sliding grates. Cant wait to try them out.

I'm trying to figure out whether the AR would work for me. Would it be possible to elaborate on the setup you purchased, how you use it, what specifically you like about it, and if its not too much of an intrusion can I ask how much it cost you? Thanks.

SmokeyPitt · January 17

caliking said:

I'm kind of in the same boat - returned some things I found in the garage and suddenly have cash that's begging to be spent. I have been thinking about the 2 tier swing rack since I already have a plate setter.

The adjustable rig from CGS does look nifty, especially the new rig extender and sliding grid that is available now. I will probably call Tom sometime and see waht the options and cost are and then pull the trigger on the AR or swing rack. Right now, I'm thinking that the swing rack may be better for me.

Oh and about thermometers - I don't get the hype about Thermapens. Unless you absolutely have to spend $90 or so on a therm, consider the Thermoworks RT600c. Same manufacturer, about $26 shipped from Amazon. Takes 3 secs longer than the Thermapen, but you can buy 3 of these for the cost of a Thermapen. I've had mine for a couple of years now and its a great instrument.

http://www.amazon.com/RT600C-Super-fast-Water-resistant-Digital-Thermometer/dp/B002GE2XF8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1358355613&sr=8-1&keywords=rt600c

I'm with you on this. I have a thermapen and I love it...but I don't have the same "can't live without it and it changed my life" opinion of it. It is much better than cheapos I had in the past, but I have seen several posts from folks who got a decent instant read and were quite happy with it. One thing that bums me is the thermapen only has a one year warranty. My one year was up this xmas, and it is acting up. When I open it (that turns it on), it doesn't always turn on. The cost for me to ship it to the UK and pay for a repair would be more than this one on Amazon you mention...

nolaegghead · January 17

Smokey Pitt: Open it up, clean the switch on the pivot, and spray some DeoxIT on the contacts. I gar-un-tee it will fix it. Also, look for cold solder joints (loose solder joints) on the wires. Those can be fixed by heating with a soldering iron.

nolaegghead · January 17

I dunno how that formatting got so FU....

Eggcelsior · January 17

Mangrates, man

SeeingSpots · January 18

Well, just in case anyone cares. These are the items I have on order, coming in at a total of $50 over budget, of course. All of this should be arriving next week:

1. Thermapen (Orange)

2. Maverick

3. AR Starter Combo

Thanks for all of the input on these toys...er...tools, I can't wait!

OziEgg · January 18

After reading this thread I brought a Thermapen yesterday. Not cheap. $125 down under! Can't wait to get it.

erniemcclain · January 19

look at other threads. Thermapen is apparently running a sale for about $25 off.

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