Mini Worth It???

aukerns08 · January 2014

I'm pretty new to the BGE, I just got my large at the November Dizzyfest so I've had it for a couple of months. I have a Weber Kettle, WSM, and a gasser but I haven't touched those since I got the BGE and I'm using it almost every weekend. I've been eyeing the Mini even before I got my Egg and saw a few of the Dizzyfest cooks had one in their area too. It's just my wife and I and she likes simple food, mainly chicken, but I've been getting her to come around on Steaks and Pork over the last couple of years so I'm thinking the Mini would be good for us for what we cook. I love the large and would never give it up, she's preggo with our first so I'll need the room and it's awesome for smoking, I just think it's a lot more than we need on most cooks for now. We have the money to buy it, I'm just having a hard time pulling the trigger on the mini since I just got the large, the mini is pretty expensive and quite small, and we have the baby due in late April so I feel this need to save more than I ever have in the past. So should I just go for it now or wait it out for a while longer? Thanks for the input.

BOWHUNR · January 2014

Save a few more bucks and buy a small. I own both and the mini is probably the most fun egg to cook on, but it's tough to say it can be used to compliment any of it's larger brothers. With just my wife and I the small gets way more use than any of our other eggs (large/XL). It's the perfect egg for 2-3 people and is a good partner with a larger eggs for doing app's, sides, etc.

Mike

SkinnyV · January 2014

Feeds us 4. Kids are 4 & 2.

Cookinbob · January 2014

I say go small, I am planning to add one to my XL. It holds a 12" pizza stone or 5 qt. dutch oven giving you flexibility the Mini can't.

I know @Mickey and others here feel different and love their mini's.

tcampbell · January 2014

Get the mini you'll love it.Of course the small is great as well but for two the mini is great.

Spring Chicken · January 2014

I think the Mini adds something that the other sizes do not add: Magic...

Here are some videos I assembled of the Mini in action:

This was the first one and is followed by five more and one more in the pipeline.

I. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYGge_k7FUI

2. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha4L_WocnJQ

3. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXW2tk49VE0

4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGTQtVWlhus

5. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIgTkeR184A

6. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-wFZ3MdCxY

7. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_DIshWuRLE

8. Due out soon

I have two large's, a small and a mini. The Mini gets the most work because there's only two of us, and it is a lot more exciting to cook on. The other Eggs are 'workhorses' and do the large cooks.

So my suggestion is to get whichever workhorse you like and add a Mini.

Spring "Imagination Put To Music" Chicken

Spring Texas USA

Raymont · January 2014

Can't justify the price of a mini. Love my small I got on CL for $275. Would buy the vision mini before BGE mini.

Spring Chicken · January 2014

Yeah Raymont, the Vision Mini is nice but doesn't have any long-term history yet. The Big Green Egg Mini just keeps on going and going and going...

Spring "Slowing And Slowing And Slowing " Chicken

Spring Texas USA

Mickey · January 2014

Raymont said:

Can't justify the price of a mini. Love my small I got on CL for $275. Would buy the vision mini before BGE mini.

Here is a money saving tip. Mr Chicken will give you and your family free tickets to the Salado EggFest where if you don't win one of four Minis you can buy a New Mini with Nest for $299. That is full lifetime warranty.

Raymont · January 2014

$300 for a mini is outrageously priced to me. Maybe if I found one on CL. My Large and Small combo is perfect. I think the prices of all BGE's have gone up about 20% per year on the average in the last few years.? What did a mini cost 4 years ago? Don't know if its just inflation or price gouging. Plastic handles? I feel bad for people in the market for any new BGE and glad I bought a while back. I talk so highly to all my friends about the egg, but I can no longer honestly say it is worth the money. I'd encourage waiting for a good deal on CL and taking your chances on the warranty. Saving $200-500 by buying used will buy several new fire rings not under warranty or buy the Vision.

Troglodyte · January 2014

Spring Chicken said:

the Vision Mini is nice but doesn't have any long-term history yet.

)

Now there's a knockoff !

stantrb · January 2014

Mini's totally worth it if you have to carry it by yourself!

I've got 2 grids in mine. I stack them and can do 4 steaks at a time.

Stan

henapple · January 2014

$300 is outrageous?

Troglodyte · January 2014

Here's my problem with the Mini.

I watched a couple of those slide shows mentioned above, and 99.9% of them were direct grilling. I can do just as well with my Weber for a LOT less money. For the few times I'd want to do indirect with a very small load, my large BGE is awaiting my call.

stantrb · January 2014

Troglodyte said:
Here's my problem with the Mini.

I watched a couple of those slide shows mentioned above, and 99.9% of them were direct grilling. I can do just as well with my Weber for a LOT less money. For the few times I'd want to do indirect with a very small load, my large BGE is awaiting my call.

I hear ya. I had a smokey joe too until I got a deal on a mini. The mini is just a better cooker, IMO. It direct grills as good as my large and indirect cooks just as good too.

Troglodyte · January 2014

stantrb said:

The mini is just a better cooker, IMO. It direct grills as good as my large and indirect cooks just as good too.

I won't dispute your experience, but I am wondering how it cooks better with direct cooking.

BTW, Smokey Joe is $30 (no nest needed).

stantrb · January 2014

Better airflow control and more focused heat. Also some depth options and a way higher end on the temperature scale.

Basically the same reasons a large egg direct grills better than a standard weber kettle.

smokeyj · January 2014

The small Vision kamado is much cheaper.

In my opinion though I think the small ceramics are way over priced.

I agree with Troglodyte. I would get a smokey Joe or just use kettle for small cooks.

I still use my Weber 22.5 often. Not so much in the winter but in the summer its gets used just as much or maybe more.

jeroldharter · January 2014

I say cook on the large and start a college fund.

Troglodyte · January 2014

stantrb said:

Better airflow control and more focused heat. Also some depth options and a way higher end on the temperature scale. Basically the same reasons a large egg direct grills better than a standard weber kettle.

@Stantrb. I am enjoying this in the spirit of information exchange, and not trying to start any kind of pissing contest. Perhaps you can convince me to spend over 10 times the cost of the Smokey Joe for a Mini.

As far as the higher end on the temperature scale, I have measured grid temperature with an infrared thermometer at over 1200 degrees on the Weber. I don't think I want to nuke anything at a higher temp.

For airflow control, I have found that the dampers on the top of the Weber to be very responsive to manipulation, and I never have to adjust the damper at the intake bottom.

I also have a 22.5 inch Weber kettle. I find it is better for dual zone cooking, and the rotisserie is great. Don't get me wrong. I wouldn't get rid of my large BGE for anyting (well.... maybe), but I like it a lot. Indirect cooking, low and slow, and stir frying with a wok can't be beat.

Lit · January 2014

You know what's better for dual zone cooking? A large and a mini. I put my Smokey Joe out on the curb after I got my mini they shouldn't even be put in the same class. I can throw a rack of ribs indirect on my mini or I have done a 6 pound shoulder if you check previous posts. I actually bought a vision mini also so I can do 2 racks of ribs while camping or out at the neighborhood pool. I have had the mini going for 8 hours without adding lump which will never happen with a Smokey Joe.

Troglodyte · January 2014

Lit said:

You know what's better for dual zone cooking? A large and a mini.

Why? Starting two fires is better than one?

I put my Smokey Joe out on the curb after I got my mini they shouldn't even be put in the same class.

Again, why? Putting it out on the curb is not empirical data and doesn't demonstrate better or worse quality. It could be that your Smokey Joe was 30 years old and rusted.

I can throw a rack of ribs indirect on my mini or I have done a 6 pound shoulder if you check previous posts.

That's why I have my Large. Your knockoff to dual zone cooking is using the Large. So, that is my knockoff here.

I actually bought a vision mini also so I can do 2 racks of ribs while camping or out at the neighborhood pool. I have had the mini going for 8 hours without adding lump which will never happen with a Smokey Joe.

You're right. Is that worth 10 times the cost when you can do the same on the Large?

stantrb · January 2014

It is worth 10x the cost if you want to carry it around.

I'm not pooping on Weber kettles; I cooked on them for years. Mini vs Joe is the same as Weber OTG vs Large Egg. They'll both get the job done. One is imminently more satisfying.

Why buy a mini? Because it will cook anything that fits in it, direct or indirect, as good as or better than a Large Egg, with 2 handfuls of scrap charcoal. And it does it with style. Wok on it if you want. Fry on it if you want. Put in in your trunk if you want.

Troglodyte · January 2014

stantrb said:

Wok on it if you want. Fry on it if you want. Put in in your trunk if you want.

All can be done on the Smokey Joe. I'm bowing out of this tȇte-á-tȇte. I knew from the start that this would not lead to any agreement. If emotions were not involved or nobody owned a Weber or a Mini, I would love to have had a comparison of the two, by evaluating high temperature, time required to get from 800° to 400°, and other factors.

As for me, I won't deny that the Mini is better built or can hold a temperature for longer, but it's way out of line on price.

Thanks for the discussion.

Mickey · January 2014

Guys it's real easy. Buy the Weber, I will stick with my Mini and tell all that ask me to buy a Mini as well. It is one hell of a cooker.

henapple · January 2014

Buy what the f $@# you want. Who cares what people you don't know says. Personally I'll buy an egg because @Mickey will kick my ass.

stantrb · January 2014

I will say price seems weird until you look at bigger eggs. Retail, a Large is about 10x a new kettle around here. A mini for $200 makes sense in that pricing scheme.

And I'm not calling this a tȇte-á-tȇte. I've owned both simultaneously. Only one stuck around. It's green.

Troglodyte · January 2014

henapple said:

Buy what the f $@# you want. Who cares what people you don't know says. Personally I'll buy an egg because @Mickey will kick my ass.

I don't care what you buy.

henapple · January 2014

@Mickey does..he'll bring the hammer.

Lit · January 2014

@troglodyte as stated above you can't carry the large around.

Fred19Flintstone · January 2014

To me, all my eggs are worth it. If a cost/benefit analysis were conducted, I would still be cooking on my Weber kettle. Cooking on my eggs (and I mean all of them) gives me great pleasure and that's why I'm an Egghead. If the cost of a mini puts a bite on you financially, then pay next month's car payment with that money instead.

Mini Worth It???

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