Mini Egg???

G_S · June 2017

I love my mini.
But 95% of the cooking I do is just for me and the S/O it is great for us.
But for 5 of yall at the same time.... you know it really depends on what you normally could cook.
It if it is burgers, it going to be a tight fit, but do able
If it is butt or a whole chicken you will be fine.
If it is wings or shrimp, probably not as much if you are cooking for everyone.

But for the ofF topic.
@Carolina Q
Would you mind giving me some info on that MOJO PORK, I have never heard of such a thing, but I fell like it is something I need very, very soon.

.

Carolina Q · June 2017

G_S said:

But for the ofF topic.
@Carolina Q
Would you mind giving me some info on that MOJO PORK, I have never heard of such a thing, but I fell like it is something I need very, very soon.

@G_S, I cooked it indirect like any other butt, at about 300°. The recipe for the marinade is here. Is that what you're looking for?

I also made some extra and used it to baste the pork throughout the cook. I guess you could use the stuff the raw pork was swimming in all night as long as you stopped basting toward the end so the heat could kill all the nasties. Next time, I might reserve some as a bbq sauce for serving.

G_S · June 2017

@Carolina Q thank you very much for that recipe!!
It is just what I was looking for.
Thank you, I can not wait to try it.
On My Mini Max

Carolina Q · June 2017

@G_S, hope you enjoy! Some marinade recipes call for cumin too. I might try adding some next time.

Focker · June 2017

I think you are fine with the Grab and Go Anywhere, two-zone grilling is where it's at.

https://youtu.be/v5ITfU7zsRo
In the end, the mini will cost much more, be prone to break, cook less, and more than likely, not as good.

The mini is a single zone direct griller, nothing magical.
A grid over fire folks.
The small is where you start to do some big boy things like shoulders, ribs, baking, etc....where the ceramic, extended fires and temp control virtues, start to play.

The mini is a fragile novelty, nothing more....10" grid. Lol

Hell it's just me, my boy, and a couple of others camping, and even the small is too small, most of the time.

minniemoh · June 2017

I can't argue some of your points @Focker. I can say, however, that the Mini is pretty fun to cook on and it's a little work horse. I bought mine for the fun of it and because I got a great deal. I struggled a bit getting the hang of cooking with the food so close to the fire compared to my other eggs but now that I have things figured out, it's fantastic for a quick lunch or when I go on the road and I'm tired of eating out. To each their own - for me, the mini is "Thumb's up!"

Hell, I've pissed away more money drinking for a weekend than what the Mini cost me.

Focker · June 2017

FearlessTheEggNoob said:

Bet you're goona be pissed once you see someone smoking a 9lb pork butt on an Akorn Jr while you're struggling to fit 3 measly hamburgers on that mini.

Being able to low and slow a significant amount of protein while you're camped out somewhere is a must in my book. But I like to tailgate with my RV, maybe you don't.

Also the Minimax and Joe Jr are too heavy and fragile for traveling and wrestling in and out of a basement storage compartment IMO. Been there, done that.

I agree, almost do more low and slow cooking vs direct high heat grilling when out and about.

The 14.5 WSM has been my go-to, the extra capacity in a small, lightweight, package, is really nice. I'd easily pay $200 for it, over a mini, all day.

The custom table and Carten do help with the small, but I see it getting less and less ride time. You can cook for a crowd, but your choices are limited, and get old quick. Dogs, brats, sausages, chicken parts, etc. An 8lb overnight butt is a solid cook though.

cookingdude555 · June 2017

I bought my mini cheap. If I hadn't, I would not have bought it. I've thought of selling it, but the money I could get would be little. Not worth it to sell. But I enjoy playing with it. It's a toy. Used it yesterday for some sriracha chicken

Mikee · June 2017

I took my mini down to my mom's. My sister and mom confuse it with a large. They expect me to cook meals for 4-5 people on it. I can do it but it's a real PIA and aggravating. An 8 pound roast will barely fit on it; have to put the temperature gauge thru the top of the dome. The mini is great for smaller cooks. It's very easy on lump. It can cook for 2 people. It is very portable compared to the mini-max. Bought mom a large for mothers day so I can bring the mini back home.

Mayberry · June 2017

Just got back from a week long camping trip. The Weber Go Anywhere is small, lightweight and works great. The legs fold to secure the lid, it cools fast and it's a great little camp grill. My only issue is that coal burns quickly in it, it won't fit large pieces of meat and the coals are very close under the below the meat.... Like under an inch. So, things cook fast and it's easy to overshoot your target temp. I will either keep using the Go Anywhere or buy an Akorn Jr. 14" grid, ample room for coal underneath, light enough to transport and can double as a 2nd small grill at home. It is also not prone to cracking from falling doing transport. A few people here mentioned the akorn jr. For those that have used, or own one, what are your thoughts on quality? Is it something that will last multiple years or are they not very well made?

cookingdude555 · June 2017

@Mayberry, have you looked into the Weber jumbo joe? Its basically a portable Weber that's the same size as a large bge. It has the locking lid too. I have two of them and they go when I'm cooking away from home. I'm sure the Akorn jr is awesome, but the JJs give you a more affordable option.

Mayberry · June 2017

A side note is the oven in the camper is virtually useless. If the Akorn works like the Egg, I could steam veggies, cook in foil and bake potatoes in it. I haven't seen a Jumbo Joe. I'll check them out, too. One of my main concerns is portability, too. I want to be able to fit in the pass through of the camper without any issues. The akorn seems like it would fit pretty easily

cookingdude555 · June 2017

Akorn is probably similar in dimensions to the jumbo joe. From amazon:

Jumbo joe dimensions: 19.8 x 20.5 x 19.8 inches
akorn jr dimensions:

20.5 x 21.5 x 25.3 inches

Focker · June 2017

You can steam veg, bake taters on the GA too. It's all about fire management.

Loading the GA with ashed over briqs will get everything hot too fast. That is fine for some cooking like hibachi or "Clinching" (boxing fire reference) as APL calls it, but what are you cooking while camping? When I go, I look for smaller, cheaper items like the brats, dogs, drummies, that can feed more pieholes. Quick, simple, grazing cooks, done in batches, or low and slow ribs. Burgers, I can get 3 or 4 at a time. I wouldn't bring out porterhouses that's for sure. I have done foodie projects while glampin', not much fun. We do focus on a great breakfast though. My cousin makes some "fire a$$ toast", it is legendary. Lol
Keep in mind you're grid real estate is much tighter.

The Weber GAs are like a PK Grill, perfect for two-zone cooking. One side coals, other side empty for a safe zone to finish, rest, could even sear at the end, flipping it back on the coal side.

Here is a Minion Method(small amount of lit charcoal while choking back on the vents at most 50%, 33% open in this vid on the top draft) with lump, slow smoking on the GA. You don't even need water in the pan to help if you control it from the beginning....like the egg.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJ_BbPng-XY

I'm sure you could also use the Snake Method to low and slow with briqs. I run a small snake to smoke in my 14.5 WSM with about 3 briqs deep, chips on top, successfully. Light one end with 4 lit briqs. This, but scaled back a little.

https://youtu.be/XiGRbyg_zeI

I have a Jumbo Joe, it is a beast of a portable cooker, but I feel like you would have the same pitfalls, with just a round grill. It does get your food grate up a little higher, but not much, not enough to buy another grill over.

The single most important thing I have learned up to this point, was Jim Minion's method to control your fire on the way up by starting a fraction of your briquettes, not all of them at once. Francis Mallmann also speaks of this control. I could listen to him talk about anything, but what he says about fire, is spot on. It translates to any cooker, open live fire environment.

The Acorn will help, but it's no guarantee. You still have tight quarters in an all-or-none setup constraint....Direct or Indirect.

Mayberry · June 2017

I did find the Jumbo Joe yesterday and, while it looks like a nice Weber, I don't think I would replace my Go Anywhere with it. I bought an Akorn Jr on a whim at Wal Mart yesterday afternoon. I put it together and did the season/burn off last night. My thoughts:

Pros:
Weight---it is not very hard to carry at all.
The top damper is a design I wish were on more kamados. It doesn't fall off, and seems to function flawlessly.
The small size allowed lump to light quickly and it was up to temp around 400 in under 10 minutes.
The distance from lump to grate can be controlled and it's much better than my current camp grill.

Cons:
It doesn't seem very well built. Nothing is overly loose on it, but you can tell the metal parts will rust pretty quickly. It just looks and feels sort of cheap.
It stabilized at 400 and the dampers were closed down, just leaving a tiny bit open at bottom and top. I came back inside, and went out to check it 10 minutes later. It was between 650 and 700. It took almost completely shutting it down to get it back down, and I still couldn't get it below 500. It seems like you would have to light one small spot of lump only to keep the temps down. I'm worried that it would then have hot spots with direct grilling, or cool spots on the outside edges of the grates. This will take some practice to figure out.
Once it was hot, it was hot everywhere: metal handles, legs, bottom vent door. It was impossible to lock the lid with it being so hot without using an oven mitt.
It still took almost an hour to cool down.

All this being said, I'm most likely going to return the Akorn and I'm back to considering a smaller kamado. It would serve multiple purposes, and I could use it for much more than a camp grill. I would want it to be transportable enough to load up and take with us in the travel trailer or tailgating, though. Last night, I looked strongly at the Kamado Joe Jr. It's 67 lbs. It comes with a carrier, is about the same weight as the MiniMax, and is much cheaper if you utilize the KJ Factory Sale they have for demo and returned grills. $250 cash and carry if you can pick it up in Atlanta. I'm only 45 minutes away from them in Duluth, GA, so that makes sense for me. The KJ Jr's. seem to get good reviews. For those familiar, what are your thoughts on the KJ Jr?

DieselkW · June 2017

I never wanted a smaller BGE until I spent a month away from home, using a gas grill at a rental lake house.

Ugh. When your choice is between a big gasser and a Mini, I'll bet you'll be lighting lump long before igniting spark.

$200 is a good price. Retail price is ridiculous, ergo... still have only one BGE.

Going to take a good hard look at the Joe next Costco road show.

Carolina Q · June 2017

Mayberry said:

I did find the Jumbo Joe yesterday and, while it looks like a nice Weber, I don't think I would replace my Go Anywhere with it. I bought an Akorn Jr on a whim at Wal Mart yesterday afternoon. I put it together and did the season/burn off last night. My thoughts:

Pros:
Weight---it is not very hard to carry at all.
The top damper is a design I wish were on more kamados. It doesn't fall off, and seems to function flawlessly.
The small size allowed lump to light quickly and it was up to temp around 400 in under 10 minutes.
The distance from lump to grate can be controlled and it's much better than my current camp grill.

Cons:
It doesn't seem very well built. Nothing is overly loose on it, but you can tell the metal parts will rust pretty quickly. It just looks and feels sort of cheap.
It stabilized at 400 and the dampers were closed down, just leaving a tiny bit open at bottom and top. I came back inside, and went out to check it 10 minutes later. It was between 650 and 700. It took almost completely shutting it down to get it back down, and I still couldn't get it below 500. It seems like you would have to light one small spot of lump only to keep the temps down. I'm worried that it would then have hot spots with direct grilling, or cool spots on the outside edges of the grates. This will take some practice to figure out.
Once it was hot, it was hot everywhere: metal handles, legs, bottom vent door. It was impossible to lock the lid with it being so hot without using an oven mitt.
It still took almost an hour to cool down.

All this being said, I'm back to considering a smaller kamado. It would serve multiple purposes, and I could use it for much more than a camp grill. I would want it to be transportable enough to load up and take with us in the travel trailer or tailgating, though. Last night, I looked strongly at the Kamado Joe Jr. It's 67 lbs. It comes with a carrier, is about the same weight as the MiniMax, and is much cheaper. They seem to get good reviews. For those familiar, what are your thoughts on the KJ Jr?

@Mayberry, interesting comments. I've had mine only a week or two, but I've experienced none of the Cons you mentioned.

Mine seems to be built well enough. I don't think it looks "cheap" and I don't know how you can tell it will rust quickly, though of course, it might. Reminds me of my Weber which took 20 years or more to start to rust. On the other hand, it IS cheap. It costs $150 and has a 14" grid capacity. Comparable to the sizes of a Medium 15", Small 13" or MMax 13". How much do those cost?

If you went from 400° to 700° in 10 minutes, it wasn't "stabilized at 400". It does take some tinkering to get temps right, but I've had a far easier time of it with the Akorn Jr than I ever did with my Mini. I wanted 275-300° for the butt I cooked the other day and that's exactly what I got. All day long. It did take a while to get it stabilized, but it's new and I'm still figuring it out. I'm sure it'll be easier next time. Just like it was with my large.

Of course it will have hot spots, it's a kamado.

I didn't have the "hot everywhere" problem either. The brackets that hold the dome handle were very hot, but the handle itself was quite comfortable. You do have to be quick when adjusting the vents. They move with the tap of a fingernail, but are quite hot if you forget. I didn't try the carry handles, they tell you not to carry it when lit anyway.

Didn't think to check the legs either, I'll do it next time. My dome latch doesn't get too hot. I've used it many times and have never needed gloves. I found the outer surface of the grill body to be no worse than my egg. You can touch, but don't dally.

I didn't pay attention to how long it took to cool down. I don't normally care. When you shut it down, it does extinguish the fire so lump is left for next time, as with an egg. I imagine if you dumped the burning lump out and left the dome open, it would cool fairly quickly. The fire box lifts out easily (with gloves of course). If I was in a real hurry, I guess I'd use water.

Don't give up on it yet. It will be much easier to transport, less painful if stolen at a tailgate or campground, quicker to cool if necessary, parts are cheap and all are readily available from the mfg. Use it a few times and tinker with temps and settings.

Not so fragile either. I saw this pic the other day... what happens when you drop something heavy on it (or maybe a baseball?). Guy said the inside was still as new and he was still using it. Try that with an egg.

Good luck!

FearlessTheEggNoob · June 2017

Get yourself an instant pot 60 ultra to accompany the akorn jr and you'll be set for steaming veggies.

Or slow cooking, or cooking rice, etc.

Among these other abilities, you'll be able use it to sous vide a couple steaks for searing.

cookingdude555 · June 2017

These double walled, insulated cookers are more efficient than the ceramic kamados like an egg. Its basically a metal kamado "cooler" that you cook with outside. My bubba keg takes less charcoal, and loses less heat than my eggs. This has pros and cons. Pros include faster heat up, less fuel use, and a cooler exterior (measured with IR gun compared to my eggs). Cons are the same as the pros almost. Hard to bring temp down once its hot, this is often confused with poor temp control. It is really that the user is not familiar with its heat up and cool down methods. I have replaced something ceramic now on five of my six eggs due to cracking. I have replaced nothing on my bubba keg in the last eight years. However I use the eggs way more due to its lower efficiency, yielding easier fire management. The eggs have a good balance. I anticipate I will eventually have an Akorn jr, because I am a crazy grill collecting weirdo, and they're cool.

northGAcock · June 2017

I would love to have a mini. Waiting for one of you fine folk to give me one

Mayberry · June 2017

I've spent a lot of time looking at the mini, the minimax and the small. I love BGE, but my opinion is that they have missed the boat on all of them. The KJ Joe Jr looks like the perfect blend. If I can score one in KJ's factory grill sale from their Costco returns, I'm buying one. Still trying the Akorn Jr on other's recommendations here. Tonight, temp still overshot, but I kept it to 500. I think one small spot of coal lit in the middle will be enough to get it up to temp without overshooting. I use a Mapp torch to light, and usually light a few spots. That doesn't work on this small grill.

slovelad · June 2017

Saw this on an Amazon review. Pretty funny looking lol

TN_Sister_State · June 2017

slovelad said:

Saw this on an Amazon review. Pretty funny looking lol

cookingdude555 · June 2017

hahaha

Mayberry · June 2017

I have mine sitting on top of my Egg table beside my large. It's a little high, but not too high to work with. I plan to build a new Egg table whenever I decide and have a permanent 2nd grill. I've had 2 lab puppies the past 2 years and they've eaten the corners off my existing table. As soon as they have outgrown their stupidity, I am building another table anyway.

TN_Sister_State · June 2017

Mayberry said:

I have mine sitting on top of my Egg table beside my large. It's a little high, but not too high to work with. I plan to build a new Egg table whenever I decide and have a permanent 2nd grill. I've had 2 lab puppies the past 2 years and they've eaten the corners off my existing table. As soon as they have outgrown their stupidity, I am building another table anyway.

With all the labs I've had in my life since birth none ever outgrew their stupidity.

Mayberry · June 2017

TN_Sister_State said:

Mayberry said:

I have mine sitting on top of my Egg table beside my large. It's a little high, but not too high to work with. I plan to build a new Egg table whenever I decide and have a permanent 2nd grill. I've had 2 lab puppies the past 2 years and they've eaten the corners off my existing table. As soon as they have outgrown their stupidity, I am building another table anyway.

With all the labs I've had in my life since birth none ever outgrew their stupidity.

Perfect timing. As soon as you posted that, we had to take the big guy into the vet. Throwing up whatever he ate, couldn't hold down water, and it was a 2 day waiting game while they had him sedated on IV and barium to see if he could pass whatever was caught. He threw up a few socks and some sort of plastic that looks like a large bag that blew into the yard. Poor fella feels horrible, but I don't think he's smart enough to learn his lesson. I love having labs, and they are great family dogs, but their inclination to eat anything they find is ridiculous. He's back home and on the mend now, thank God.

I might just rebuild my Egg table and put it in the garage instead of on the back deck going forward. That way, it's out of the sun and the dogs have no access to it.

Carolina Q · June 2017

Mayberry said:

TN_Sister_State said:

Mayberry said:

I have mine sitting on top of my Egg table beside my large. It's a little high, but not too high to work with. I plan to build a new Egg table whenever I decide and have a permanent 2nd grill. I've had 2 lab puppies the past 2 years and they've eaten the corners off my existing table. As soon as they have outgrown their stupidity, I am building another table anyway.

With all the labs I've had in my life since birth none ever outgrew their stupidity.

Perfect timing. As soon as you posted that, we had to take the big guy into the vet. Throwing up whatever he ate, couldn't hold down water, and it was a 2 day waiting game while they had him sedated on IV and barium to see if he could pass whatever was caught. He threw up a few socks and some sort of plastic that looks like a large bag that blew into the yard. Poor fella feels horrible, but I don't think he's smart enough to learn his lesson. I love having labs, and they are great family dogs, but their inclination to eat anything they find is ridiculous. He's back home and on the mend now, thank God.

I might just rebuild my Egg table and put it in the garage instead of on the back deck going forward. That way, it's out of the sun and the dogs have no access to it.

@Mayberry, glad your dog is on the mend! I had one years ago (a Springer, not a Lab) who swallowed a Christmas tree ornament hook. It got caught in her belly and eventually, stuff she ingested got hung up at the log jam. Completely clogged up the works and she stopped eating. Had to surgically remove it. We stopped feeding her wire hooks.

If you move your egg into the garage, I assume you will be rolling it outside and a good distance away whenever you cook? Especially if your garage is attached. Carbon monoxide is nothing to mess with and indoor grilling is a real bad idea on it's own. Then again, so is building a fire on a wooden deck.

@Nature Boy (Chris, the Dizzy Pig guy) lost his house egging on his driveway. The egg was about 15' away from his open garage door as I understand the story.

Mayberry · June 2017

My egg table is on Caster wheels and, in my last house, I kept it stored in the garage and rolled it outside when grilling. For the past three years, I've had the same egg table on my back deck. The only time I would ever use it inside the garage is at the edge with the door open for short fast Cooks when it's raining. Only when I was paying complete attention to it, though. Scary about someone's house burning down like that. I had no idea. The exterior of my house is solid brick, though, so that would be highly unlikely in my case. It's probably at much greater risk on my deck, to be honest.

Mayberry · July 2017

I went rogue and bought a new Kamado Joe Jr this afternoon. I'm a long time, loyal Egghead and I love BGE. But, none of their smaller Eggs fit my needs as well as the KJ Jr. It's the same (actually slightly larger) grid as the small and minimax has a deeper base than the minimax, so it holds more coal, and weighs 25+ lbs less. I like the carrier for the MM, but it was an awkward, heavy SOB. I also got it for $400 plus tax and received a bag of KJ lump, gid gripper, ash tool, indirect stone and the ability to cook raised direct...all included at no extra charge. It was up to temp and roaring in under 10 minutes tonight, and after an hr of low heat break in, I took the 2 bison strips I was cooking off the Large Egg, and reverse seared on the Jr. It's a nice little machine and I'm glad I got it. It cooled to a temp where it could be carried and stored in about 40 minutes without removing any of the lump when shutting down. I'm sure it will cool faster in a pinch while camping if I remove the majority of the coal when shutting down. I'm reheating now for a late night mushroom swiss burger. :-)

I tried to buy a BGE because of the service and response I've received over the years. I'd buy another Large or an XL in a heartbeat. But this KJ Jr fits the bill and is going to get a lot of use, I believe.

Coincidentally, it came a Georgia turd floater around here today and the Akorn Jr I am planning to return was filled with water.....the entire bottom bowl was flooded. The top damper was completely closed, the lid was locked and the bottom damper was closed, too. Water somehow still got in and flooded the entire grill. That sealed the deal and I'm glad I'm able to take it back. Cleaning it out in the morning and back to Wal Mart it goes.

Thanks to everyone for opinions, thoughts and suggestions. They are greatly appreciated. This is a wonderful forum full of really good people.

Mini Egg???

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