Looking at buying my first egg

Rnielsen13 · July 2016

Hey there eggheads,

I’m a 25 yr. old guy living in Houston, TX with a couple buddies in a townhouse. The guy who owns the weber gas grill we use is moving out and so I’m in the market for a replacement. I grill probably 3 times a week, usually a few steaks, chicken breasts, burgers or fajitas. We are moving to a place with a yard so I’m looking to do more cookouts for friends as well and do much more experimenting with different types of cooks/proteins.

I’m debating whether to just get a good $500 weber gas grill like we had to get me through the next few years or go for a BGE. What really draws me to the BGE is the lifetime warranty. I’ve seen my dad go through 4 ~$400 gas grills in the time I’ve been alive from burners going out/rust, etc. I like the idea of buying something I could have for the next 20+ years and taking care of it as such.

With that in mind, my initial impulse is to go with a LGBE. Something that I could see being practical for years to come and won’t have any regret on getting something too small down the line. Also, I like the accessories and the flexibility of it. In general, I want this purchase to motivate me to cook MORE. My fear would be getting lazy/discouraged to start up the BGE because of the hassle of getting it started compared to a gas grill.

My roommate and I are actually moving to a new place in a month….but I don’t want to be without a grill for a month. Would it be stupid of me to buy the BGE now and then move it in a few weeks (only moving 3 minutes down the road).

Any advice on how to approach this grill dilemma? Any ”If I knew then what I knew now” grill thoughts would be much appreciated.

ColtsFan · July 2016

Buy one! You won't be disappointed. The large is a good all-around size. That's what I have and I use it for just a couple burgers/steaks or several. It's efficient enough for small cooks, plus gives you the capacity for the hours needed for low and slow.

Lighting the egg is easy. Stir the old lump, add some if needed, clean out the ash, and I recently started using the paper towel/oil method to light. 15-20 minutes later it's ready to cook on. I enjoy the process

Lastly, ”If I knew then what I knew now” I would have bought an egg 10 years ago

da87 · July 2016

I'm new, but from what I see on the forum so far I'd say:
1. Buy the Egg - you'll love it and the great results will motivate you to use it often
2. Many of the forum members end up with multiple "arrows in the quiver" - different sized eggs, Weber Kettles, flat tops, gassers... But for the majority of the cooks the Egg wins
3. Other than Low & Slow (LS) cooks where I do invest the time to make sure the Egg is fully w2arm and more importantly stable, my LBGE takes only about 10 - 15 minutes longer to get started than warming up the gasser does. Lots of tricks for fast starting on the forum, but I'm still in "start-up" mode and having fine results with BGE starter squares. Because the Egg is so stingy on charcoal, I do many direct cooks without needing to add lump - a quick stir with the ash tool, throw in the lighter, check/adjust once, and then ready to go by the time I've got things ready to put on the Egg.
4. If time really matters, the forum discussions indicate that smaller eggs get to temp faster. Again, if your like most of the forum you'll end up with multiples at some point, so buy the one that works best for your current lifestyle and it will continue to have a role in the future - or you can sell it to one of us that "needs" to add to our arsenal.

Welcome to the forum and eggdiction - looking forward to seeing your food porn!

Renaud · July 2016

Sounds like you need to first make the decision between gas and charcoal. For most of us on this thread, it's a no brainer. The BGE allows you to grill/smoke/bake and experiment with different woods and techniques.

As as far as getting the BGE set up quickly, here's a few tips I use. Buy the Kick Ash Basket and a Looftlighter and your world and getting started is so much easier. I shake the basket, light the fire in 5 minutes, start my first beer and prep for 20 minutes and then I'm ready to grill.

Smoking is different. Smoking, I take the time to reset my wood and basket and clean out my BGE, but when you are going to low and slow cook a brisket, pork butt or some ribs for over 6 hours, what's an extra 15 minutes of prep?

i recommend the BGE large. It's the most popular size, gets all the latest accessories made for it first and has the best resale value. Remember, if you try the BGE for a year or so and it just isn't living up to your lifestyle, the Egg has tremendous resale value.

Angela · July 2016

I doubt anyone here is going to tell you to buy a gasser instead of an egg. We've never owned a gasser.

My recommendation is buy the large BGE.

Renaud · July 2016

There's also no shame in picking up a basic Weber kettle for about $150 to see if you like charcoal cooking. Newsflash: your food will be better and your friends will like you more.

BBQBuddy · July 2016

Get the large...after the move. You'll never regret it.

jeponline · July 2016

I bought a $400 gas grill 9 years ago when I was 26. Knowing what I know now, I absolutely would have bought an egg. Now that I have a wife, kids, and a mortgage it took me a lot longer to save up for the egg than it would have 8 years ago.

If you want to cook more interesting food, you're going to be limited on what a gasser will do for you. The egg has a much larger temp range and just does an overall better job at cooking food.

Especially as it aged, my gasser needed 20 minutes at full blast to get the grates as hot as they could get for searing steaks. Now I can get 300 degrees hotter in the same amount of time.

Finally, it's a lot easier to stock pile lump than it is to keep large quantities of propane on hand and it's easier to tell when you're running low on lump and there's no need to guess if you have enough left for what you want to cook.

1move · July 2016

If you are the only person who will be using your egg then get the egg. If your roommates will be using it as well make sure you train them well and understand that it isn't a toy. As childish as that sounds other people tend not to give a $hit about your stuff and I would be very worried when others use my egg.

There are many factors that come into play and the simple fact that I paid a pretty penny for it. Negligence/not understanding the egg and how it works can also set your house on fire, especially if the person leaves the lid open etc. Just a word of caution

logchief · July 2016

BBQBuddy said:

Get the large...after the move. You'll never regret it.

+1 You don't want to move it any more than you have to. As @1move said above, maybe get your buddies to go in on it for the house if that's doable.

You could throw some great cookouts with the large.

Theophan · July 2016

So long as you and your friends can safely move the Egg (I doubt that dropping it and having it break is covered by warranty), I'm with @ColtsFan. I used to grill with regular charcoal grills (including the Weber kettle) and I used to grill on a Weber gas grill, but I never LOVED the food I cooked until I got a Big Green Egg. I think they're much better.

I suppose there's a little more to it than just turning a knob on a gas grill, but lighting the Egg really is simple. I don't add charcoal every time, and don't have to take the ashes out very often, but those are things you don't have to do at all on a gas grill. To me, the reason to get a Big Green Egg isn't that they last longer, though they probably do. It's that it's a different style of cooking (over real lump charcoal), and they're more versatile in that you can grill and also smoke foods. There are better accessories for smoking food in a gas grill than there used to be when I had a gas grill, but it's still my impression that practically everybody who is serious about grilling and barbecue either cooks over wood or charcoal, not gas. If you really enjoy grilling, do it pretty often, and might enjoy some low-and-slow, smoky BBQ cooks like smoky ribs, brisket, pulled smoked pork, etc., then I really think you will love a Big Green Egg.

Foghorn · July 2016

When I first bought my egg I wish I had recognized that one can be up to cooking temp about as fast as you can on a gasser if you take the right steps. Some use a weed burner. I just use 4 firestarter squares on my weeknight after work cooks - as opposed to using one on weekends when time is not such an issue. However, my wife got conditioned to thinking "the egg takes forever to get ready to cook" based on the early experience when I only used one firestarter for every cook.

WeberWho · July 2016

Just make sure you're willing to take the time and have the time it takes for charcoal. Definitely a learning curve coming from gas but charcoal will become second nature in no time. I use a weed burner to start my egg. I can get my egg up around 350 degrees in about 5 minutes. I ended up buying a large BGE around your age. The lifetime warranty is what sold me on the egg. Expensive at first but will pay itself off with the savings on buying gas grills every 4 years. I wouldn't worry about moving it. I pack my large egg up in my truck 5-6 times a year. Moving it in a month won't be a biggie. We can help explain than the best way to move the egg. If worried about the price you should look around your area and see if you have any eggfests that you could attend. You can buy a pre-used egg that was used one day at the eggfest at a discounted price that will still come with the lifetime warranty. If no eggfests are around you could just buy the egg and see if you can find a nest used on Craigslist. I've bought 5-6 used large nests on Craigslist for no more than $40. The dealer will charge you $140+ plus for a new nest. Might be worth looking at what the egg itself cost new and what you could find for accessories used to save some cash

DoubleEgger · July 2016

You're young with a lot of buddies. I'd get the XL. It's only nominally more expensive but it'll cook a lot more grub with ease. Remember that when you're cooking indirect, your effective grill area is the size of the platesetter.

Grill space is like 4WD. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

mrs_story · July 2016

We were just gifted a large BGE in May. We've always used charcoal grills, while our parents use gas (my parents have a charcoal grill, but don't use it).

*I* don't think the gas grills are that much more convenient. Prior to getting the egg we used a chimney to get the charcoal started. Easy. Our BGE came with a looftlighter, but we never opened it. Didn't want to deal with the cord (the dealer let us exchange it for other accessories). So we either use the chimney, or the little wax starters. Easy. And you know how much charcoal you have. I've been at my parents' house, and after doing all the prep on the food we figure out they're almost out of gas. Wah-wah.

But the difference in the taste of the food between gas & charcoal is worlds apart. For our family's preferences, I would get a cheap charcoal grill before a gas. Since we've been using the BGE (that was a gift), I asked my husband what he would do if something happened to it (if a tornado sucked it away). At this point he'd definitely replace it.

So I don't know if any of this is helpful. Just our experience and opinion. Good luck with the move & your new grill!

HeavyG · July 2016

I agree with @Renaud - might want to get a Weber Kettle 22"-er and a few bags of Kingsford and use that for awhile and see if you like having to mess with fire and ash. It's also a lot easier to move.

Even if you do decide to step up to a kamado you'll still want to hang onto the kettle for those times you need more cooking area.

Rnielsen13 · July 2016

You guys have all made some really good points. This feedback is very helpful. @1move I hadn't thought much about it, but my roommate doesn't do much cooking so I won't have to worry about him using the egg incorrectly. I'm glad you brought it up.
@WeberWho the deal I'm looking at right now at a local store is $799 for just the egg, or $899 for the egg, nest & platesetter. I think that is a reasonably good deal. what do you guys think? Not sure what their price point is for the sideshelves but I think I would like to save my money and make a simple table for it. Any other must need accessories day 1? Ash tool or ash basket? Grate gripper? I guess I have to pick my lighting method?

tonyled · July 2016

thats pretty reasonable on price. the only tool yours doesnt include that you will need will be the ash tool. skip the basket and grate gripper. grab a box of these and you will be in business https://smile.amazon.com/Rutland-Safe-Starter-Squares-144-Square/dp/B00138MO16/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1468437503&sr=8-1&keywords=rutland+fire+starter+squares

for the record i also have a weber gasser around the price point you are looking at (genesis b) and its now 11-12 years old and will easily last me 20 but its no where near as versatile as the bge

WeberWho · July 2016

That's a fair to good price. You should be able to get them to throw in the grate grippers and ash tool with it. Where are you located? Any eggfests around you?

Rnielsen13 · July 2016

@tonyled Thanks for the input. And I would definitely be looking at a Weber genesis down the line if I wanted to add a gasser. I've heard those are great grills

@WeberWho I'm located in Houston. I just missed the eggfest in May. Bad timing to start looking for an egg.

THEBuckeye · July 2016

Don't look, do.

WeberWho · July 2016

@Rnielsen13 Here's an older post from someone looking at eggs in Houston

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1186310/houston-texas-dealer

THEBuckeye · July 2016

Plus, you will eat better, throw less food away and impress women with your newfound talents.

Wylecyot · July 2016

Let me start by saying I own two Eggs, and will probably expand my collection to a third in the next week or two. I have referred at least 30 sales to the local BGE dealer over the past few years. I love my BGE and would never consider owning anything but an Egg.

My son is just a little younger than you are and we had this same conversation. I suggested for his situation (which is similar to yours) that a gasser might be a better bet for a first grill. First, be sure the townhouse you are moving to allows charcoal grills (most in my area do not). Second, how secure is the complex? Are you concerned about your roommates or guests using or even accidentally damaging the Egg? Last, how patient will you be with your cooks (i.e. do you have the time to let an Egg come up to temp, stabilize, etc)? My son's answers lead him to an inexpensive gasser until his living situation becomes more permanent. Based on what you're cooking the gasser may be best for you as well.

Either way, stick with this forum! You'll learn a lot that can be applied to any bbq you purchase, and you'll be an expert when you do purchase your Egg.

Rnielsen13 · July 2016

@WeberWho Good find, Bering's is the dealer I'm working with now and it seems to have good feedback.

@Wylecyot Good questions to think through. There is nothing in the lease about charcoal grills and because it is a side yard with pavestone it will be away from the actual house. I would also be quite confident that no one else would be using it besides me.
The side yard is fenced in with wrought iron so anyone driving by would theoretically be able to see it. I could keep it covered but anyone who knows what they look like would know its there. The fence will stay completely locked though so that they'd have to haul it over an 8 foot wrought iron fence. I would also make a table for it, hopefully making it even harder for someone to steal.

Is theft an issue that comes up on the boards?

WeberWho · July 2016

Rnielsen13 said:

Is theft an issue that comes up on the boards?

I'd be more concerned about a mini, mini max, or small being swiped from someone's yard. I only ever recall reading one guys post that someone drove down his alley and grabbed his mini (I think it was a mini) from his garage. Most thief's wouldn't know what a Big Green Egg is and more less take the time to try and steal it. I'd be more worried about some drunk idiot or friend falling on it. I think you're good with a fenced in property. I'd double check with the landlord and make sure charcoal is okay like Wylecyot mentions.

Jameson19 · July 2016

I have a large BGE. Works great for my family, plus a few hungry friends hanging out. I've ran one charcoal load well over 24 hours, 250° mostly.

I used to use a Weber Genesis gasser. It got the job done, but wasn't anything to talk about really. I then got the Weber Smokey Mountain when a friend got an egg. We would compete in various cooking competitions on the weekends. Egg beat me every single time, so bad it wasn't even debatable. For the past 5 years, I've been very pleased with the egg and the results it gives. the gasser and WSM sit covered up for 362-365 days a year....

For large parties of 25+ I sometimes struggled with cooking room, so I thought I needed an XL or another large. Problem was solved with an adjustable rig from the ceramic grill store.

BYS1981 · July 2016

Moving an egg is not that big of a deal. . Moved a medium and XL, that would not stop me from buying before the new house.

billt01 · July 2016

I've cooked on just about everything...and I used to be a egg-hater (and an Apple hater)...well I love, love, love my egg and I own just about every Apple product they make...Just goes to prove that sometimes people are just hard headed for the sake of being hard headed..... buy the egg...its badass awesomery

johnkitchens · July 2016

I can't add much to the conversation. It has all been said, but I resisted buying an egg for years after my wife wanted me to. I thought it was just an overpriced grill.

I finally gave in and wow! I am so glad. I now have two larges and and an "egging porch". For me it is so much more than a grill it is a lifestyle. I never really cared a lot about grilling when I was cooking with gas or even with charcoal. It was a just a way to prepare food.

Now "egging" is my happy place. I think about cooks well in advance and plan them and look forward to them.

You already mentioned the lifetime warranty. That is a HUGE factor in my book. I went through a ton of gas and charcoal grills before I bought my eggs.

Buy an egg and be happy!

THEBuckeye · July 2016

Well, @Rneilson13, it's been 24 hours. Are you still looking or cooking?

Looking at buying my first egg

Comments

Categories