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In the market for new grill

Unknown
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
A few weeks back my I was set to do some grilling and my gas grill was fried so I ran out and purchased a cheap charcoal grill. When I tasted the food my childhood came back in the flavor - why did we ever go to gas?
Anyway, I'm looking for a new grill. In my research I ran accross the Big Green Egg.
I have two questions, and I certainly don't mean to insult in the asking, so please answer honestly.
Is the Big Green Egg that much better than a Weber?
Would a long time Weber users move over to the Big Green Egg?

Comments

  • Good Eats
    Good Eats Posts: 136
    Back2Char,[p]In response to your question YES... the BGE IS that much better than that other thing you mentioned... while it is a rule of thumb that we don't compare the BGE to other cookers on this site I will kick it off with a few of the virtures of the Egg you can't find anywhere else...[p]1. Lifetime Warranty
    2. Unprecedented Customer Sevice
    3. This site
    4. The great people on this site... always there always willing to help
    5. The ability to cook anything on the Egg... yes anything you can cook in an oven you can cook on an egg... the possibilities are endless...
    6. The Naked Whiz, Wess B, Dizzy Pig, Grate Mates, Spring " Always Up To Answer A Question " Chicken, Lawn Ranger, Dr. BBQ, Mad " The phone is always on near Thanksgiving " Max, Car Wash Mike, Stumpbaby ( don't even try to figure the last one out )... and the many many many others...[p]When my gas grill broke my neighbor had an egg... he kept trying to sell me on it and I thought he was out of his damn mind... then he started bringing food over... I was sold... I went and bought a large... a few years later and now I have a small.[p]Hang around here and you will find out that people love the egg... it is almost a religion... and those that have the egg ususally have more than one and if they don't they have plans to get more than one.

  • thirdeye
    thirdeye Posts: 7,428
    Back2Char asked:[p]Is the Big Green Egg that much better than a Weber?
    Would a long time Weber users move over to the Big Green Egg?
    [p]First off both a Weber kettle and a WSM are great cookers. An Egg is a lot more versatile and is a true all season cooker.[p]Many have and some have both. Anyone who is comfortable grilling or barbecuing with charcoal can step into an Egg like an old pair of boots.[p]~thirdeye~

    Happy Trails
    ~thirdeye~

    Barbecue is not rocket surgery
  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,880
    Back2Char,
    come wade on in here...the water is warm. There are sooooooooooo many of us in here with multiple BGEs. It gets in your blood and once it dawns on you how great the results are and that it is a lifetime investment not something you'll kick to the curb in a few years you'll wonder why you didn't become an egger before!

    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • Avocados
    Avocados Posts: 465
    The biggest benefit is the thick ceramic construction of the Big Green Egg (or other similar ceramic brands.)[p]It is much more efficient and uses less charcoal.[p]The insulation of the ceramic cooker helps to not dry out meats nearly as much as steel cookers because there is much less airflow needed to maintain a given temp.[p]You can smoke pork BBQ on an egg for well over 20 hours without needing to add any additional charcoal.
  • jwirlwind
    jwirlwind Posts: 319
    Back2Char,
    My friend, the Weber can't hold a light to the lid of an Egg. Not trying to be ugly, but don't let anyone try to compair the two in any way. Get off the money and get you an Egg. I garantee you will never look back. [p]Chef Jerry

  • Avocados
    Avocados Posts: 465
    The insulation of the thick ceramics allows you to cook year around. It maintains cooking temperatures easily with minimal effects of very cold or wet weather unlike steek cookers.[p]In addition to the insulative properties of the ceramic, it also holds the heat which helps to maintian a more constant temp (like a brick pizza oven)[p]It is a very versitile cooker. You can sear meat dirctly over very high temp coals. You can slow smoke meat over indirect heat. You can also bake breads, pies, and make the best pizza around.
  • Metalhead
    Metalhead Posts: 668
    Back2Char,
    egg egg egg egg egg egg egg egg egg
    'course I am partial.....never had a charcoal grill
    prior to the egg and I still, yes still have an old gasser
    for storage and for hotdogs but other than that...the egg

    Oh by the way I'm one of those ones that actually went out and bought a 2nd one and we got a whole 2 ppl that I am cooking for.[p]Large grEGG Sr.
    small grEGG Jr.[p]love 'em both[p]Jan

  • Back2Char,
    I've had mine since January and cook on it at least 3-4 times a week. You can use it in the cold, rain whatever. In addition to grilling and smoking meats you can also make bread, pizza, casseroles, lasagna, all with that wood fired brick oven taste. The versatility alone makes it a worthy investment in my book. Oh yeah & brownies too!

  • Back2Char, I grilled with a Weber kettle for many years before I bought an egg. I still think "it's the cook and not the cooker that makes most difference in how good the food will be", i.e. I think a person can cook food as good one one as the other. The things I like about the egg are that they are so easy to use and have so little clean-up after cooking. As a consequence, I cook at least one meal on it almost every day. First, it's easy to lite a fire very fast. Next, it is so air tight that you can control the internal cooking temperature almost like an oven. And, finally, when you are finished, you close the vents and it smothers the fire out, allowing you use the same charcoal again for the next cook. I still barbecue my briskets, butts, and sometimes ribs, on a WSM, but I prefer the egg over any other grill for grilling. I should quickly add that most egg heads also cook "low and slow" on their eggs, i.e. briskets, butts, and whatever. I just have a bias in favor of my WSM for low and slow, but the egg definitely can be used for low and slow.

  • Steeler Fan
    Steeler Fan Posts: 395
    Back2Char, I have Weber Gas Grill, a smoker w/ firebox offset, a barbeque pit. In addition have a large egg and a small egg. I use the Weber Gas Grill's side burner to steam my vegetables. The BBQ pit is used for oyster roasts, the smoker is rusting in the back forty and the eggs are doing the rest of the cooking. Hope this helps.

  • atx,[p]Can you tell me more about brownies? Do you use a typical brownie mix/recipe and cook in the egg similar to an oven, or is there a special brownie recipe that you use?[p]Thanks in advance.[p]SwineLover

  • Morro Bay Rich
    Morro Bay Rich Posts: 2,227
    Back2Char,
    35 yrs on a Weber so I feel qualified to answer:[p]Bought BGE - tossed Weber 2 days later. That was 6 yrs ago and have never looked back.[p]'Nuf said.
    Rich

  • Back2Char,Over the past 40+ years I have had 4 Charbroil 960 charcoal grills with cast iron grates. They are a very good grill but they do not even come close to my large BGE. For example, I cooked an 8 pound roster chicken on the BGE this weekend for 4 hours and the meat fell off the chicken. I did not have a water pan and it was very moist. If I had done that indirect on the other grill with a water pan it would not have been as good or as moist.

  • Why1504
    Why1504 Posts: 277
    Back2Char,
    Webber makes some great products that will cook some great meals. [p]However, I have been cooking for almost 40 years. The BGE is the most versatile and forgiving cooker I have ever used. I burned up a Webber kettle every 3 years before the BGE. I have had my BGE for 7 years and it is going strong. Yes I replace the gasket, clean ashes, etc. but my egg is still going strong. I can cook almost anything. If you like to cook, want to learn to cook, like great food get the egg. Even cooking steaks, the easiest of all cooks, the egg out distances every other grill I have ever used.

  • FatDog
    FatDog Posts: 164
    Back2Char,
    I had a Weber and loved it. Great charcoal flavor (for briquettes) and reasonably good heat control. I gave it to my parents and got a nice gasser. Quick heating ... that's about it. After three burner replacements, my bride suggested a new grill. [p]I had seen a BGE once at my cousin's house and, when we went to the local BBQ Galore, I saw one. Well, after finding this site and a couple of months of research, I ponied up a bit less than I would have for the new gasser I wanted and bought a large egg. It is absolutely, without question, the best thing I have ever cooked on, including my stove. Since I do all the cooking in my house, there are precious few days that I don't use the egg for dinner. [p]As for which one to buy, get the large. You can, like many of us here on the board, add a small later. Seems like I use the small more these days since there are only the two of us now that the kids have moved away. [p]Whatever your choice, enjoy.[p]Doc

  • BigDave
    BigDave Posts: 1
    Back2Char,
    I used a Weber kettle for almost 20 years. Used it A LOT. I couldn't imagine cooking on anything else. Then, like you, I started to read about this Big Green Egg thing. It sounded impractical at first, and then I didn't believe it was as good as everyone says. I got my Large about 2 years ago and haven't used the Weber kettle since. Not once.[p]Now the kettle is a fine cooker in its own right. But for me there is no comparison with it and my Large.[p]Good luck in the search for your perfect grill. I've found mine![p]BigDave

  • SwineLover,
    You can do them just like in the oven; Plate setter legs up, grate on top of that. Put the pan on the grate. Easy nuff!

  • I'm considering purchasing a large egg. Seeing as so many here tell of also having a small, I'm wondering why. Is it just the amount of coals used for smaller meals or are there other advantages?[p]Thank you all! (I'm new here!)[p]Rascal

  • FatDog
    FatDog Posts: 164
    Rascal,
    Once I had the large, it seemed that I was cooking almost everything on it. I added the small as an auxiliary for things like baked beans, breads, etc. while the ribs, burgers, wings, or whatever were cooking on the large. Now that our two kids are out of college, married, living on their own, I find the small is perfect for the smaller amounts of food I cook for my bride and me. I still use the large when friends come over or when I need to take something good to a party.[p]Be careful with whatever you buy. Once people find out how good the food is, you may become the designated cooker.

  • atx,[p]Thanks... I'll give it a try!