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Yes, I've used the search feature but I still have a ?

So I've been reading on here for a while but this is my first post. I'm about to buy my first egg. Gonna be an XL unless someone can provide an astonishingly strong argument against it. I'm going to go ahead and bite the bullet and buy a second (smaller) egg for weeknight cooks for myself, my wife and my son. According to the dealer I'm working with prices will be going up in April and I know I'll want a second egg soon anyway so why not get it now. With all that said......what size for a complimentary egg to my XL? Probably considering the small or the medium. I can get a large for not much more money but I think it may be more than I'm looking for since I'll have the XL as well.

So go ahead and shoot me if you must for asking the same question that I'm sure has been posed before. I can't find it via search.

Thanks in advance for the advice. I've already learned a lot from you fine folks prior to being approved to post. I hope to someday be able to return the favor and contribute as soundly as many of you do.

Peter

Comments

  • Chris_Wang
    Chris_Wang Posts: 1,254
    edited January 2014
    Do you plan on wanting the smaller egg to transport around? If so, small. If you want a versatile egg, just smaller size for saving on fuel and smaller family cooks, medium. The MBGE is the red headed step child of the family. Not many accessories, but I love mine (and it's the only egg I own).

    XL, Medium, Mini seems about right, but that's a lot of accessories.

    I like the 2 Larges (interchangeable accessories) and a small/mini rig.

    Ball Ground, GA

    ATL Sports Homer

     

  • rtt121
    rtt121 Posts: 653
    I have an XL and a medium. I love the combination.
    Medium, and XL eggs in Galloway NJ.  Just outside of Atlantic City.  
  • I honestly don't think you need two unless you are cooking two different things simultaniouly. I have an XL and use it 3-5 days per week. If you are worried about lump consumption the. Look into the angle L brackets from ceramicgrillstore. These allow you to divid the firebox. This serves two purposes. 1, you can cook indirect on one side and direct on the other. 2. You can use half the amount of lump to cook for weeknight cooks. I use them for almost all grilling tasks for the family. You'll spend about $40 for the brackets and save 100s on lump over the years.

    Let's face it, having two eggs would be cool. I was set on getting another until I got the angle L brackets. My advice, learn how to cook on the XL with temp control and learn it's versatility. Then decide whether or not you need a second egg.
    Mark Annville, PA
  • johnkitchens
    johnkitchens Posts: 5,227
    First off welcome to the forum. Secondly we don't beat people up for asking something that has been asked before.

    If it were me I would buy the XL and just wait a month or so and see if you NEED another egg. Like @cortguitarman said you may not need another one. I cook for four, sometimes only three, and I have a large. 

    I don't really have a need for anything else.  I would wait at least a month and then make my decision. 

    Louisville, GA - 2 Large BGE's
  • GATABITES
    GATABITES Posts: 1,260
    I love the XL and wouldnt have it any other way. But, there have been a few times when I wished I had a second egg for hot and fast cooks while having low and slow on the XL. 

    It depends on how much food you are planning to cook at once. I would wait until you have had the opportunity to cook on the XL before buying a family of eggs. 
    XL BGE 
    Joe JR 
    Baltimore, MD
  • corey24
    corey24 Posts: 386
    edited January 2014
    Agree, those angle L's are great and you have no problem still getting egg hot with less charcoal. No
    Second thoughts on xl. You can get weber grid and make second tier for the xl as well

    XL Egg Owner Since Dec 2013 - Louisiana

  • GATABITES
    GATABITES Posts: 1,260
    I do have the lump reduction ring. Saves lump on the shorter cooks. 
    XL BGE 
    Joe JR 
    Baltimore, MD
  • finster
    finster Posts: 136
    Transportation is the key question.  I agree with Smitty on 2 larges.  Eggcessories can pile up quickly, and take up some space.
    MBGE in Charleston

  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,880
    edited January 2014
    It's your money so buy what you want, but if it's just 3 of you then why an XL? Or do you do a lot of entertaining? For a little more money you could buy 2 large eggs and that would impress your buddies more! Eggcessories that way would be interchangeable. OTOH for the same money as a XL you could buy a large and a small which I personally think is the best combo for most homes. But if you are dead set on the having the biggest...just keep in mind there is an XXL already in production but not commonly available yet, so your reputation of having the biggest on your street may be short lived!
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • Terrebandit
    Terrebandit Posts: 1,750
    I'd buy one and see how it works for you. You could buy a large with a AR and have all the space you will ever need, IMO. I wouldn't buy the second one right off the bat.
    Dave - Austin, TX
  • BOWHUNR
    BOWHUNR Posts: 1,487
    I have an XL, two large, a small and a mini.  If I had to narrow it down to just two it would be the two larges, no question.  The ability to share accessories is a bigger deal than what you might think.   The medium has always interested me, but as said by an earlier poster the lack of accessories has kept me away.

    Mike

    I'm ashamed what I did for a Klondike Bar!!

    Omaha, NE
  • dlk7
    dlk7 Posts: 1,053

    I have two XLs and normally only cook for 2.  I use one egg every night and usually a couple of times per week I use both.  Mostly to do different temps but also to shorten the time to cook multiple entrees or baking a desert.  I have a 2 hour window where I get home, make dinner preparations, cook, eat, and clean up.  Having the second egg makes it easier to meet the 2 hour time frame.  This week I was doing a low and slow brisket from 9:00 AM Thursday until about 7:30 AM Friday for a BBQ competition at work.  I made chicken Cordon Bleu on the other egg Thursday night.

    The other reason, I got the 2nd XL was friends and neighbors.  Once you have people eat your egged food, you become the party place.  We have had parties for 40 people and having the 2 XLs has made it much easier.

    Good luck with your decision.

    Two XL BGEs - So Happy!!!!

    Waunakee, WI

  • onedbguru
    onedbguru Posts: 1,647
    edited January 2014
    I only have an XL and don't have any of the **perceived** lump usage issues. Anything left in the firebox gets used the next cook. I have rarely had to clean out the "left-overs" and start fresh. I clean the ash out every 5-6 bags. Sometimes it is just a couple of burgers or a steak as it is just the two of us now, but I have also done 3-4 butts. 

    I have a plate setter, cast iron grates (CI for the acronym challenged) and a pizza stone. (nest with side tables) and I use a "Weber" chimney for starting the lump.
  • I have an xl. Best part of left over lump. It gets hot fast and no white smoke. I would love to have a second just to have it. But unless you are cooking low. And want something at a higher temp. One egg is plenty
    XL   Walled Lake, MI

  • jhl192
    jhl192 Posts: 1,006
    edited January 2014
    I have the XL and got a medium a year and a half later. Love the combo. I think the XL is the most forgiving and I can cook for 1 or 20. I have the AR Woo2 combo so I can do most anything. I like the medium for a single chicken A couple of steaks or a single pork butt. When I want to cook something special we tend to invite friends or family so I really love the capacity of the XL. I do think you could be happy with 2 large as well.
    XL BGE; Medium BGE; L BGE 
  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,669
    Go two Larges
    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.   

  • BYS1981
    BYS1981 Posts: 2,533
    I have an XL and medium, for my day to day cooks I use the medium, and for parties I use the XL. The XL is great, you can cook an entire meal at once. I have 2 children, one on the way, and enjoy hosting BBQs so I picked up the XL.

    I can do a protein on the medium, but with the thought of my little ones soon having birthday parties, etc I wanted the extra space.

    If I could do it all over,I'd probably do 2 large eggs.
  • Hungry Joe
    Hungry Joe Posts: 1,566
    If you are not looking to transport around the 2nd Egg....I would opt for two large Eggs and get the best of both worlds.  Added space with diverse cooking temps, all the while sharing accessories.
    I agree with two larges, except I ended up buying setups or both eggs.
  • Thanks to everyone who has posted thus far. To answer a few questions.....I've been leaning towards the XL for two reasons. First, out of the reading and reading and reading I've done I have only seen one instance of someone buying an XL and yearning for a Large. I've read quite a few places where someone wished they had gone bigger. Buy once, cry once I guess. Second reason is entertaining. I could certainly make things work on two larges for crowds but thought different sizes might add versatility. I'm fine being wrong. Hell, I'm just asking for opinions. As a follow up to the comments about the L bracket....does that increase the time it takes for the egg to get up to temp? I just assumed (I 100% reserve the right to be wrong on this) that a smaller egg would get to temp more rapidly than a larger egg therefore reducing start to finish cook times. That's just what makes sense in my mind.
  • dlk7
    dlk7 Posts: 1,053

    I start my XL with a mapp torch and I use Rockwood or Ozark Oak lump so I can be cooking in 10 to 15 minutes for a direct or raised direct cook.  It takes longer to heat a pizza stone.  I only light lump directly under what I will be grilling so I really don't use any more lump than a smaller egg.

    Two XL BGEs - So Happy!!!!

    Waunakee, WI

  • saluki2007
    saluki2007 Posts: 6,354
    IMHO I would buy only the XL and play around with it.  Unless your dealer is going to give you a deal for buying two at once, I don't see the need to go "hog wild" all at once.  That way you have a chance to see what you like about the XL and decide what type of accessories you really need/want and it should give you a better idea of what size to purchase next.
    Large and Small BGE
    Central, IL

  • Canugghead
    Canugghead Posts: 11,453
    edited January 2014
    I have an XL and two Larges, more often than not, I use the XL with a lump reducing ring cut out of a leftover stainless steel tube. Would love to trade one of the Larges for a Medium.  We are a family of five and entertain occasionally. 

    Used to own a Small as well but wasn't too thrilled about it, mainly because on an indirect cook it took forever to heat up (probably because of the disproportionately sized BGE oem plate setter).

    As others suggested I wouldn't rush into buying the 2nd egg right away.  If you're concerned about the price increase in the spring, look for an egg fest near you and get a demo egg.  Looking ahead, unless you need easy portability, I would pick XL+M over XL+S ... the space discrepancy between XL and S is too wide for my liking, but to each his own.
    canuckland
  • BOWHUNR said:
    I have an XL, two large, a small and a mini.  If I had to narrow it down to just two it would be the two larges, no question.  The ability to share accessories is a bigger deal than what you might think.   The medium has always interested me, but as said by an earlier poster the lack of accessories has kept me away.

    Mike
    XL, 2 Lgs, 1 sm and a mini?!?!  Is that all??  LOL...wow...that's serious
  • Cowdogs
    Cowdogs Posts: 491
    XL + small.  Small has the room to direct cook about any dinner for 3 normal people (dogs, burgers, chicken, steaks, fish).  Wings and pizza are a couple of things the small would not handle well for 3 people ... that like to eat together ... but who cares, you have the XL for that.  The small can do a 1 large pork butt or 2 smaller ones.  I like this for parties because it leaves my XL free for the apps and sides which the 24" XL really excels.
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,168
    edited April 2014
    No dog in the multiple BGE conversation but regardless, welcome aboard and enjoy the journey!  
    EDIT-and as mentioned above-no one gets any grief from asking questions around here.  So continue to fire away.
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.