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Mini Max

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  • SoCalTim
    SoCalTim Posts: 2,158
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    I emailed BGE and told them I've been looking at the Joe Jr. I told them if the price on the Mini Max was not equal or thereabouts .... (In other words they better not try to bone me) I'm going with the Joe Jr.
    I've slow smoked and eaten so much pork, I'm legally recognized as being part swine - Chatsworth Ca.
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  • Gogogordy
    Gogogordy Posts: 460
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    SoCalTim said:
    I emailed BGE and told them I've been looking at the Joe Jr. I told them if the price on the Mini Max was not equal or thereabouts .... (In other words they better not try to bone me) I'm going with the Joe Jr.

    ...and they said....? LOL
    When I'm not Eggin', I'm scootin'   Eggin' and 'cueing from Temecula Ca; an hour from San Diego, an hour and five minutes from Palm Springs, and an hour and a half from Los Angeles (yeah, right. With THAT traffic?)
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  • SoCalTim
    SoCalTim Posts: 2,158
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    Ignored me ... lol
    I've slow smoked and eaten so much pork, I'm legally recognized as being part swine - Chatsworth Ca.
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  • Gogogordy
    Gogogordy Posts: 460
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    SoCalTim said:
    Ignored me ... lol

    =))
    When I'm not Eggin', I'm scootin'   Eggin' and 'cueing from Temecula Ca; an hour from San Diego, an hour and five minutes from Palm Springs, and an hour and a half from Los Angeles (yeah, right. With THAT traffic?)
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  • GlennM
    GlennM Posts: 1,365
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    Let's get this straight, it's supposed to be green but it is really invisible!
    In the bush just East of Cambridge,Ontario 
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  • NPHuskerFL
    NPHuskerFL Posts: 17,629
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    Lit said:

    @kunstschmeide‌ I would get the mini over the mini max if you like the Joe junior after you use it. The mini max doesn't appear to have any advantages over the junior that I can see and the mini is still much easier to move around. You can still get 4 burgers or 4 chicken breasts on the mini if you need to or plenty of sausages and dogs. Like bad influence said you may consider a medium or even a large. I had a medium but was disappointed by the lack of accessories so I got rid of it but I have a large and XL and I probably use the large more than the XL. If you get the mini the carten is a must have.

    Can you do a long L&S on it? You'll be able to on the MAX (would guess around 13 hrs loaded to the MAX ;-) ).
    LBGE 2013 & MM 2014
    Die Hard HUSKER & BRONCO FAN
    Flying Low & Slow in "Da Burg" FL
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  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053
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    I did a 6 pound shoulder on the mini. Went 8 hours in the 300 degree range. My thought of getting the mini was based off him having the junior already. If he doesn't keep the junior then I'd get the max for sure.
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  • BigGreenPackerFan
    BigGreenPackerFan Posts: 43
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    Not trying to start another debate here but there is a reason why BGE doesn't use stainless on the bands.


    From BGE:

    "We DO NOT use stainless steel bands. Stainless steel bands may look nice but we don't use them for a reason - it is not safe. Stainless Steel expands at over twice the rate of other metals when heated. Because of this, the band holding your lid on could fail without warning. Big Green Egg bands are guaranteed to remain effective under drastic temperature changes that will be experienced when cooking. They are also completely weather proof for lifelong integrity."

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  • Gogogordy
    Gogogordy Posts: 460
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    Sounds like marketing rhetoric to me.
    When I'm not Eggin', I'm scootin'   Eggin' and 'cueing from Temecula Ca; an hour from San Diego, an hour and five minutes from Palm Springs, and an hour and a half from Los Angeles (yeah, right. With THAT traffic?)
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  • DMW
    DMW Posts: 13,832
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    @BigGreenPackerFan @Gogogordy
    Expansion rates of various metals:

    I'm not sure what metal the BGE bands are made of, but if anyone knows it would be fairly easy to look it up. Note that there are various SS blends available and they have varying expansion rates, as noted in the list.
    They/Them
    Morgantown, PA

    XL BGE - S BGE - KJ Jr - HB Legacy - BS Pizza Oven - 30" Firepit - King Kooker Fryer -  PR72T - WSJ - BS 17" Griddle - XXL BGE  - BS SS36" Griddle - 2 Burner Gasser - Pellet Smoker
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  • Gogogordy
    Gogogordy Posts: 460
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    DMW said:
    @BigGreenPackerFan @Gogogordy
    Expansion rates of various metals:

    I'm not sure what metal the BGE bands are made of, but if anyone knows it would be fairly easy to look it up. Note that there are various SS blends available and they have varying expansion rates, as noted in the list.

    The way I understand it, ALL metals have varying expansion rates...including plain old cold rolled steel like what the hardware on our eggs is made of.
    When I'm not Eggin', I'm scootin'   Eggin' and 'cueing from Temecula Ca; an hour from San Diego, an hour and five minutes from Palm Springs, and an hour and a half from Los Angeles (yeah, right. With THAT traffic?)
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  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053
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    It looks life half the stainless options are as good or better than the majority when it comes to expansion. They don't sell the stand alone models at the road show but I talked to the guy for awhile and he said the stand alone are their best selling models. I googled kamado Joe broken dome and couldn't find any hits. Guessing they took the time to figure out which steels is good to use. We all know what BGE uses stretches for sure. Google big green egg broken dome.
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  • kunstschmeide
    kunstschmeide Posts: 5
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    ^^ Her ;)
    Lit said:
    I did a 6 pound shoulder on the mini. Went 8 hours in the 300 degree range. My thought of getting the mini was based off him having the junior already. If he doesn't keep the junior then I'd get the max for sure.

    XL BGE mother's day 2014
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  • bbqlearner
    bbqlearner Posts: 760
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    Gogogordy said:
    SoCalTim said:
    Ignored me ... lol

    =))
    Surely they would respond  =))

    Houston, TX - Buddy LBGE, Don SBGE, Tiny Mini & Shiny Momma Pitts n Spitts

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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,763
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    DMW said:
    @BigGreenPackerFan @Gogogordy
    Expansion rates of various metals:

    I'm not sure what metal the BGE bands are made of, but if anyone knows it would be fairly easy to look it up. Note that there are various SS blends available and they have varying expansion rates, as noted in the list.
    would be A36 or 1018, 1018 cold rolled is prone to cracking at welds so im leaning toward A 36.  my bands expand enough to lose a dome at 900 degrees and higher on pizza cooks and its more a design flaw as my stainless bands on my vision will not drop a dome
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • jaydub58
    jaydub58 Posts: 2,167
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    I sure don't want to highjack my own thread, but I have seen several references to the Kamado Joe Jr size as compared to the mini max.  I got interested and pulled up their web site.  
    Honestly, that looks like a pretty interesting piece of work.  That might be the answer to portability and more cooking area than my mini.
    Anyone out there now using a Joe Jr?

    :)]
    John in the Willamette Valley of Oregon
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  • badinfluence
    badinfluence Posts: 1,774
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    Ho hum....i need more space to cook...can't wait any longer for the mini max..hello XL
    ;)
    1 XXL BGE,  1 LG BGE, 2 MED. BGE, 1 MINI BGE, 1 Peoria custom cooker Meat Monster.


    Clinton, Iowa
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  • thetrim
    thetrim Posts: 11,357
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    The Joe Jr is $430 In my AO
    =======================================
    XL 6/06, Mini 6/12, L 10/12, Mini #2 12/14 MiniMax 3/16 Large #2 11/20 Legacy from my FIL - RIP
    Tampa Bay, FL
    EIB 6 Oct 95
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  • jimreed777
    jimreed777 Posts: 324
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    jaydub58 said:
    I sure don't want to highjack my own thread, but I have seen several references to the Kamado Joe Jr size as compared to the mini max.  I got interested and pulled up their web site.  
    Honestly, that looks like a pretty interesting piece of work.  That might be the answer to portability and more cooking area than my mini.
    Anyone out there now using a Joe Jr?

    :)]
    yes - love it
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  • Gogogordy
    Gogogordy Posts: 460
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    jaydub58 said:
    I sure don't want to highjack my own thread, but I have seen several references to the Kamado Joe Jr size as compared to the mini max.  I got interested and pulled up their web site.  
    Honestly, that looks like a pretty interesting piece of work.  That might be the answer to portability and more cooking area than my mini.
    Anyone out there now using a Joe Jr?

    :)]

    Yup. And two weeks after I got it I added a Big Joe. The ugly truth: 1 x BGE, 1 X Visions ($99) KUB, 2 x KJ, 1 x LSG.
    When I'm not Eggin', I'm scootin'   Eggin' and 'cueing from Temecula Ca; an hour from San Diego, an hour and five minutes from Palm Springs, and an hour and a half from Los Angeles (yeah, right. With THAT traffic?)
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  • FearlessTheEggNoob
    FearlessTheEggNoob Posts: 888
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    Yeeeeeeeesss...come over to the dark side.  >:)
    Gittin' there...
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  • r8rs4lf
    r8rs4lf Posts: 317
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    If that roadshow came to a nearby costco, it would be a done deal.
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  • kunstschmeide
    kunstschmeide Posts: 5
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    jaydub58 said:
    I sure don't want to highjack my own thread, but I have seen several references to the Kamado Joe Jr size as compared to the mini max.  I got interested and pulled up their web site.  
    Honestly, that looks like a pretty interesting piece of work.  That might be the answer to portability and more cooking area than my mini.
    Anyone out there now using a Joe Jr?

    :)]
    Yes, thanks to @Lit giving me the heads up that assembly was nothing more than plopping the Jr into its nest, I fired it up last night.  Honestly, it was awesome - lamb came out perfect, grill lit up beautifully.  I particularly loved the ability to flip the front of the grate and stir up my coals -- however when doing that, I did get some sparks flying out the ash screen-less bottom vent.  But for $350 @ the KJ costco roadshow.... Let's put it this way.  I love my XL BGE, however my friend who has been eyeing my XL since I got it is now receiving advice from me to race out to Costco and pick up the Big Joe while the deal is still on (actually advising her to get a Jr while she's at it, but she can't fathom why she'd need TWO kamado's *eye roll*, she'll get there).  I also love that KJ gives SO much stuff with the grill.  I admire both brands, and I think I'll be adding a BGE mini shortly (for portability).
    XL BGE mother's day 2014
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  • SmokyBear
    SmokyBear Posts: 389
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    KJ Classic + Mini BGE owner here..both are great products, and you get a LOT more for your $$$s with KJ.

    Food cooked on one is indistinguishable from the other.

    I do love my Mini for reduced lump consumption and speed of startup..but the KJ is an awesome product also.
    Mini BGE, KJ Classic - Black, Cookshack SM025, Weber Gasser (mostly for Kamado storage!)
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  • Gogogordy
    Gogogordy Posts: 460
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    SmokyBear said:
    KJ Classic + Mini BGE owner here..both are great products, and you get a LOT more for your $$$s with KJ.

    Food cooked on one is indistinguishable from the other.


    ^^^^this^^^^
    When I'm not Eggin', I'm scootin'   Eggin' and 'cueing from Temecula Ca; an hour from San Diego, an hour and five minutes from Palm Springs, and an hour and a half from Los Angeles (yeah, right. With THAT traffic?)
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  • SkinnyV
    SkinnyV Posts: 3,404
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    More for your $$ ....jeez you think.
    Just talking mini, stand$, woo$ , stones $, ...and that's all pretty much before its usable.

    I love my mini but I'd tell a friend Joe Jr.
    Seattle, WA
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  • jaydub58
    jaydub58 Posts: 2,167
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    Okay, so I drove over to my local Costco.  They have no KJ in stock, but a Road Show in a couple of months.  That will have Joe Jr at $349.99!

    For that price, I can be patient!! 
    Hubba Hubba           
    :-c
    John in the Willamette Valley of Oregon
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  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053
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    @SmokeyPitt‌ it looks like the kj deflector will work with the egg.
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  • grege345
    grege345 Posts: 3,515
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    Looks like I'm takin a ride to cabelas tomorrow. Funny thing is there is a KJ dealer that I will be passing. So what will happen? Stay tuned...
    LBGE& SBGE———————————————•———————– Pennsylvania / poconos

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  • badinfluence
    badinfluence Posts: 1,774
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    I say keep it on topic of the mini max. If you folks want to talk about the joe i do believe they to have there own forum.
    1 XXL BGE,  1 LG BGE, 2 MED. BGE, 1 MINI BGE, 1 Peoria custom cooker Meat Monster.


    Clinton, Iowa
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