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Have to leave the egg behind..... Now what?

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SoCalSooner
SoCalSooner Posts: 52
in EggHead Forum
I will be traveling for work taking 13 week assignments for about a year. Bringing the family with me. We will be working our way down the west coast and living in furnished homes/apartments. Unfortunately my LGE is not coming with us due to space/portability limitations. I love cooking on my egg like we all do here, and really hate the idea of being egg free for a year. Anyway a small egg cooks for a family of 6 (4 kiddos under 8) without having to split cooks up into multiple sessions to get everything done. The other option I guess is going the jumbo joe route, but what’s the fun in that?
2 Large Eggs    Oklahoma City,OK
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Comments

  • pgprescott
    pgprescott Posts: 14,544
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    Give us a list of your 10 most frequent type of cooks. The peanut gallery will provide ample options. Good to know what kind of cooks and the normal frequency we’re dealing with. 
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  • WeberWho
    WeberWho Posts: 11,029
    edited February 2018
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    How about a Broil King Keg? Travel with it on the hitch when needing to move it from place to place. Works just like the BGE and saves space in the vehicle.


    "The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple and it makes bacon. Let's see Michael Phelps do that" - Jim Gaffigan

    Minnesota
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  • slovelad
    slovelad Posts: 1,742
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    1 - pick up a Sous vide if you don’t have one. This will keep your cooking interest peaked for a while. 

    2 - cinsider getting a mini max of the budget allows.

    3 - if the budget doesn’t allow for another egg, consider picking up an aluminum Kamado like an Akron. Or to be honest, a Webber kettle, which is way more portable.

    Use this experience to branch out to something new. And safe travels! 
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  • TN_Egger
    TN_Egger Posts: 1,120
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    See this thread - and make some new friends!

    Where is everyone?

    tkleagertkleager Posts: 539
    June 2014 edited June 2014 in EggHead Forum
    Signal Mountain, TN
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  • SoCalSooner
    SoCalSooner Posts: 52
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    I think any low and slow options, minus whole packers would fit on the small. I could cut ribs and load them on and butts will fit on a small, right?  I guess where I would maybe have to cook in shifts on a small would be when using it as a grill.......  Chicken, steaks stuff like that.
    @WeberWho that keg looks cool. Light easy to move. That’s kinda where my mind goes with anything Weber like a kettle. I just really enjoy cooking on an egg and would miss that using a kettle, but it could allow me to branch out a little. Cooked on a kettle for a long time before moving to an egg. Thanks for all the feedback!!
     
    2 Large Eggs    Oklahoma City,OK
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  • WeberWho
    WeberWho Posts: 11,029
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    SoCalSooner said:
    I think any low and slow options, minus whole packers would fit on the small. I could cut ribs and load them on and butts will fit on a small, right?  I guess where I would maybe have to cook in shifts on a small would be when using it as a grill.......  Chicken, steaks stuff like that.
    @WeberWho that keg looks cool. Light easy to move. That’s kinda where my mind goes with anything Weber like a kettle. I just really enjoy cooking on an egg and would miss that using a kettle, but it could allow me to branch out a little. Cooked on a kettle for a long time before moving to an egg. Thanks for all the feedback!!
     
    The Broil King Keg is a beast. It weighs in at 126 pounds. It's almost identical to the BGE. 
    "The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple and it makes bacon. Let's see Michael Phelps do that" - Jim Gaffigan

    Minnesota
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  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 17,186
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    Akorn is a good bet for what you’re doing. 
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  • SoCalSooner
    SoCalSooner Posts: 52
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    @DoubleEgger I’ll have to look into that. Didn’t realize the keg was so heavy. 
    2 Large Eggs    Oklahoma City,OK
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  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,110
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    No shame cooking on a Jumbo Joe or a Weber Kettle. Being a ceramic snob will only limit your possibilities. Seems like a great, affordable option for your travels.
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
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  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 17,186
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    SoCalSooner said:
    @DoubleEgger I’ll have to look into that. Didn’t realize the keg was so heavy. 
    That Akorn cooks well. The only issue is longevity as they tend to rust out over a few years. That won’t apply in your case. It’s lightweight and easy to move. Theft is going to be much less of an issue as well. 
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  • SoCalSooner
    SoCalSooner Posts: 52
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    @Photo Egg I think you’re right. Jumbo joe could be a perfect fit. I have to be careful getting too caught up in the color of my cooker. I do think though cooking on an egg is an experience that differs greatly from other stuff and I think I would maybe miss that. I’ve put out some great stuff on a kettle in the past. Great versatile portable light cooker. Akorn is interesting with setup being a little closer to an egg. 
    2 Large Eggs    Oklahoma City,OK
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
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    I have an Akorn Jr and love it. 14" grid (MM and Small Eggs are 13, Med is 15). Will cook a butt with room to spare. Weighs about 40 lbs, even less if you replace the CI grid with a steel one from a Smokey Joe. Built in handles, easy to carry. Walmart had 'em on end of season clearance last summer, $74, but regular price is $146. Still, it's not $500, even if it does cook like it! Home Depot sells them too. And Amazon. Not sure who else.

    Every component part is available from the mfg if you need to replace something. For accessories, I would suggest a cover because water gets inside when it rains. Doesn't seem to affect cooking as it collects in the ash collector below the coals. Also a platesetter ("Jr Smokin' Stone" $25 from CharGriller, the mfg) if you do indirect cooking.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • alaskanassasin
    alaskanassasin Posts: 7,659
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    In some states it is illegal to grill on decks of condos or apartments... sayin
    South of Columbus, Ohio.


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  • td66snrf
    td66snrf Posts: 1,822
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    So  @SoCalSooner what's the plan for the LBGE that you must leave here in SoCal? ???
    XLBGE, LBGE, MBGE, SMALL, MINI, 2 Kubs, Fire Magic Gasser
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  • SoCalSooner
    SoCalSooner Posts: 52
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    I do have some options in our living accommodations and you better believe I favor places that allow outdoor cooking. I can never part ways with my Large. It’s going to stay in the family forever and in storage during our voyage. 
    2 Large Eggs    Oklahoma City,OK
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  • FearlessTheEggNoob
    FearlessTheEggNoob Posts: 888
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    The Weber Q series is the gold standard for a portable gasser.

    Akorn JR all the way if you require lump.

    The novelty of a heavier, dirtier, breakable, MM or KJr wears off quickly moving it around so much.

    Gittin' there...
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  • td66snrf
    td66snrf Posts: 1,822
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    SoCalSooner said:
    I do have some options in our living accommodations and you better believe I favor places that allow outdoor cooking. I can never part ways with my Large. It’s going to stay in the family forever and in storage during our voyage. 
    @SoCalSooner I'm happy to hear your going to hang onto it. Best of luck on your journey. 
    XLBGE, LBGE, MBGE, SMALL, MINI, 2 Kubs, Fire Magic Gasser
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  • Hans61
    Hans61 Posts: 3,901
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    A SV and a jumbo joe would be a nice pair 
    “There are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body.”
    Coach Finstock Teen Wolf
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  • scdaf
    scdaf Posts: 176
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    Consider a Green Mountain Grills Davy Crockett pellet grill.  Light, portable, much more cooking area than most suggestions above and the ability to set temp once and walk away.
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  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 19,107
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    If I was traveling a bunch I would use my Weber Smokey Mountain.  I used it for years as a smoker and even used just the base to grill direct a lot.  The wire grates fit in the base perfectly.  Light, portable, and great cooker.
    They don’t want a population of citizens capable of critical thinking. They don’t want well informed, well educated people capable of critical thinking. They’re not interested in that. That doesn’t help them. That's against their interests. - George Carlin
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  • Jupiter Jim
    Jupiter Jim Posts: 3,351
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    I have had a small for several years and it will do what you need.................. also have a Mini Max and take the small when living in the Motor Home. Safe travels with your new small BGE. :)

    I'm only hungry when I'm awake!

    Okeechobee FL. Winter

    West Jefferson NC Summer

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  • BYS1981
    BYS1981 Posts: 2,533
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    Bring a few cast iron pans with you too.
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  • baychilla
    baychilla Posts: 387
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    West coast?  Make sure whatever you use doesn't break some local "don't annoy the vegemites/vegans" law.  Or one of the increasingly numerous "spare the air" days.
    Near San Francisco in California
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  • clifkincaid
    clifkincaid Posts: 572
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    I live in Olympia..Own a LBGE and a mini max...More than welcome to cook on em! Just in case your west coast travel  brings you around here.
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  • GrillSgt
    GrillSgt Posts: 2,507
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    https://amazingribs.com/grill-tailgater/cook-air-wood-burning-grill-review

    Red orb shaped object on right with a black vinyl case labeled cook-air next to it on left Small electric components scattered in front
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