Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

BGE installation in stone countertop questions

Unknown
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I am building an outdoor kitchen that will have a thick stone top and I want to build in a large egg. I have found the plans for the wooden egg table that calls for a 21" circular hole and requires the egg to be supported from underneath, but this appears to leave a visible gap between the edge of the egg and the countertop.[p]My first question is whether I can hang the Egg from the countertop by cutting a circular hole that is slightly smaller than the maximum circumference of the egg, or whether the egg should not be installed in this way and must be supported from underneath. While the countertop is plenty strong to support the egg, I didn’t know what size hole to cut, whether to use any gasketing material, and whether thermal expansion would cause the egg or the countertop to crack if I mounted it like this. [p]If this doesn't work, does anyone know of any trim or gasketing material you can recommend to finish out (and keep water out of ) the space between the grill and the countertop opening? I am shooting for a very polished, professional looking built-in installation with no gaps and no water leaks. Should I be looking at a hole slightly smaller than 21" to reduce the size of the gaps? [p]Is there anything else I need to watch out for?

Comments

  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,657
    Dan Druker,
    i would not hang it, i think the gasketing approach would be better than making a tight fit. my bet is that the egg isnt as round as you may think and that whatever gasketing you use will have to make up the difference. what do you plan to use for a gasket

    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • The Naked Whiz
    The Naked Whiz Posts: 7,777
    Dan Druker,
    I'd be afraid that if you hang it, you might end up putting unintended stresses on the lower shell that might crack it when it got hot. Also, do you think the stone can take the heat? I have scorched the edges of the 21" circle in my table top. I know that granite countertops can crack if you place hot pans on them, so I'd wonder about heat cracking the stone used for your top.[p]TNW

    The Naked Whiz
  • Dan Druker,
    I concur with Fishlessman. I wouldn't suspend it from the countertop hole. It was made to stand on it's bottom. If an egg cracked that had been installed as you suggested, I would expect it not to be covered by warrantee.[p] Also, are you planning to allow for airflow to the lower vent?[p]The Egg gets hot while cooking, so whatever sealant/caulking you use has to be both weatherproof and resistant to heat. Also it will be temporary so you will have to plan on re-caulking from time to time.[p]There are some great outdoor kitchens posted at TNW's site, and there was one posted here (that I didn't see there) by a poster named "birmingham legal eagle" or something like that. Look at those and see if there's a happy compromise for you.[p]I think you'll do well to design an outdoor kitchen to work WITH the outdoors.[p]Just my 2 cents

    [ul][li]TNW gallery[/ul]
  • The Naked Whiz,
    Good point about the heat.
    Here's what happened to the stone under mine that was still separated by the airspace from the heat.
    stonecrack-1.jpg[p]That stone split like that with a 140 lb Egg still on it.

  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
    Flashback Bob,
    that the stone you swiped from the interiors department? serves you right, klepto.[p]

    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
  • stike,
    I didn't steal it, Angus stole it and I just received it![p]Actually, I did take a nice 12 x 12 piece of Onyx I use as a "trivet" for placing hot stuff. I'll probably shatter that one of these days too.[p]Hey I cooked up a nice squirrel on the Egg the other day! Ellen said my cooking is improving! I knew she'd come around.

  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
    Dan Druker,[p]I don't know how reliable this is, but the owner of Barbecues Galore in Duluth, GA told me that he had a client mount and XL BGE just like you propose in a custom cut marble counter top. The sides of the egg were flush with the marble. He claims that the stone acts like a wick and pulls heat from the egg.[p]Again, just passing it on, but it makes sense.
  • Thanks guys - I'm getting the idea now - the egg needs to be supported from underneath and the hole in the countertop needs to be slightly oversized. [p]I will hunt for some some stainless flashing to go around the egg to match the rest of the trim (Access doors, Lynx Grill) on the structure - this will allow for expansion and resist the heat but also make the opening look finished and keep water out of the enclosure. I was also thinking about oven gasket material in the hole - we'll see. [p]The counter is actually going to be 3 cm thick soapstone, which is both highly heat resistant and also possible to fabricate using woodworking tools with carbide / diamond bits. Plus the wife likes the look of it, which makes the whole project possible. [p]I'll post a picture in a couple of weeks when it's done.

  • orion11
    orion11 Posts: 140
    Dan Druker,
    My brother in law has his suspended like you said in his outdoor island. His "top" is just poured concrete, believe it or not, approx. 3" thick. His is hanging by the rim and has been for several years. He does have vents in the walls of the island to allow for airflow, looks a bit tedious to clean out from the bottom though. In my island, I clean out the ash and old lump from the top anyway, using a shop vacuum dedicated to that purpose. I thought the same thing that when it expanded, something would give, but he has had no issues at all. Just my 2 cents....