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new egg for my Birthday - which one should I get?

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Dan in Stamford
Dan in Stamford Posts: 11
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Can someone direct me to a discussion (or add some helpful advice now) that gives pro's and con's between a Large Egg vs. an XL Egg? Really, just want to know if you can cook 6 big rib eyes on a Large Egg - or do you need an XL for this? I am a steak and hamburg man who wants to graduate to low and slow cooking - might be the first guy in town to do so...

I live in Stamford CT so nobody in town has an Egg yet - otherwise I would just ask a neighbor. The local distributor has only sold about 10 so far in the towns next to us, and besides giving a cooking demo at the store last month (which I missed) does not have personal experience with the Egg.

Also, would you recommend getting the table for the Egg? Does the table interfere with cooking (i.e. are you better just using the metal stand that comes with the egg because the table gets in the way of operating the Egg)

Finally, I have searched the web to find out it the natural lump charcoal is "bad" for you like brickets. I have a Webber 24" grill (soon to be retired!) and have been using natural lump charcoal for the past year. My wife is a little skittish about the potential carcinogen exposure from grilling too much.
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Comments

  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
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    I say get the green one! :woohoo:

    Seriously, I think a large will be plenty for your needs. It will hold much more than you think when you first look at it. It is easy to cook 6-8 slabs of ribs, 30+ pounds of pork butt, 3 whole chickens. I think 6 ribeyes will fit pretty easily.

    I like having a table - it gives me counter space to work with (and as a side note, the metal stand - "egg nest" - normally doesn't come with the egg, it is an add-on in most cases. If you need mobility, you can always mount casters on the table to enable you to move it around.

    Regarding the safety of cooking over lump charcoal, it has been beat to death and I really don't know that there is a clear concise answer. I am in the camp that believes most of the danger lies in overcooked (i.e. well done) meats and scorched or burned areas. Those are easily avoidable with the BGE.

    Many of us cook on our eggs, and therefore over lump charcoal, most nights of each week, and sometimes multiple times each day.
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  • AZRP
    AZRP Posts: 10,116
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    6 ribeyes are no problem for a large, and that would be my recommendation. Unless you are catering, the xl is a lot more cooker than you will need. -RP
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
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    ...and the food you prepare at home is almost universally safer than any food you can buy, anywhere!
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • vidalia1
    vidalia1 Posts: 7,092
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    I agree with Fidel. The large should be fine. I have a large & a small. Also, I do not believe the carcinogen thing is really as bad as some report.

    I had the nest at first and now I have I table for my Lg BGE...I love it as it gives me room to work...

    I just know that if I am going to die from eating food from my BGE...I will die HAPPY :P

    Kim Youngblood
    (aka vidalia1)
    Lawrenceville, GA
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  • Dan in Stamford
    Dan in Stamford Posts: 11
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    Thanks for the advice - I guess looks can be deceiving at the store, plus my webber is the 24" model so I assumed I would need the XL Egg.

    Plus I saw posts earlier about people who have both a Large Egg and a small Egg and wrongly concluded that they had the two Eggs because they "outgrew" their Large Egg.

    I will be doing family cooking, and for burgers, I suppose you can cook them in batches.

    If $$ and space were no object, would there be a downside to a XL Egg (besides using more fuel)?
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  • Rascal
    Rascal Posts: 3,923
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    I pondered that question for a good while and wound up buying a large. I am very happy with it and might add a small in the future for 1-2 plate meals or some side offerings. The cooking grid on the large is 18" in diameter and has a total area of 255 sq. in. which can be augmented significantly with a grid extender. BTW, I spend some time at the other end of the State (Mystic) and soon will be looking for a dealer in that area. Not too many around so I'm gonna try and convince my local True Value store to become a dealer. I'll be their first customer! Enjoy your BGE!

    Rascal
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,754
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    most end up with two eggs and do different cooks at the same time, maybe appetizers while the dinner is cooking, or a dish cooked at different temps etc. after you get this egg and you read this forum long enough your cooks will change and be greatly varied. for instance you could very easily fit three 2 bone ribeyes in there and split them at the table. i would opt for the large with an adjustable rig and spider plus a couple pizza stones and you will be well on your way. keep in mind you will probably be buying a second egg down the road.
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • Dan in Stamford
    Dan in Stamford Posts: 11
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    So a Large Egg will do an 18 pound Turkey? I have NO reason to distrust the Egg websites listing of each Egg's capabilities - after reading this comment stream, I think the Large will be the ticket.

    The dealer is the Ace hardware in Pound Ridge New York (just north of Stamford)

    Can't wait to see the expressions my neighbors will give when I tell them that I smoke for 18 hours straight
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  • gdenby
    gdenby Posts: 6,239
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    It depends a little on what kind of lump you use, and how well you place the lump, but you are likely to get more than 18 hours with a load up into the fire ring. My longest so far is 22 hours, and I still had a bit left.

    As for carcinogens, there are a few things to you can do. Don't let grease drip into the hot coals. If I recall correctly, above 500 degrees, burning grease smoke will contain undesirable chemicals. Also, many of the spices used in rubs are themselves beneficial both in sterilizing the food and counteracting various undesirable chemicals.

    Your biggest hazard will be "portion control." A big pile of steaming pulled pork really will make your mouth water. You'll be thinking "I can pile a little more on the bun."
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  • vidalia1
    vidalia1 Posts: 7,092
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    and then tell them you cooked pizza at 750 degrees and bread at 450 and!!!! well you get the point....believe me you will enjoy the BGE no matter what size it is.... ;)


    Kim Youngblood
    (aka vidalia1)
    Lawrenceville, GA
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  • vidalia1
    vidalia1 Posts: 7,092
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    and then tell them you cooked pizza at 750 degrees and bread at 450 and!!!! well you get the point....believe me you will enjoy the BGE no matter what size it is.... ;)


    Kim Youngblood
    (aka vidalia1)
    Lawrenceville, GA
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  • Dan in Stamford
    Dan in Stamford Posts: 11
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    Two silly question Kim.

    When you have a 20 hour cook (say pulled pork), how far does the smell carry? To the house on either side, or a few houses down?

    Do you have a table for your Egg? Is the table for a Large Egg stable? Assuming the legs are resting on a level wood deck, would a child be able to pull the table over and get crushed? Is the short table as good as the regular table (short table is 36" and the long is 59.5")
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  • Hustling Hare
    Hustling Hare Posts: 105
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    I've cooked 22 lp turkeys in my Lge the past two Xmases. No problem. For turkeys check out the "Mad Max" recipe on the Naked Whiz web site. Wonderful.

    Those on the forum who own XLs are also quite happy with them If there's are down sides, the XL uses a bit more charcoal (probably an obvious point) and the dome height is somewhat lower which could restrict the size of large objects such as turkeys although I believe it would still handle most anything.

    Having spoken for the qualities of the XL, I'm certain that you only need the Lge for your family. Get one and enjoy.

    HH
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  • Dan in Stamford
    Dan in Stamford Posts: 11
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    The Large Egg weighs in at 140 lbs. If you purchase the table, would a small child be able to pulling the thing over and get crushed?

    Put another way, if the table has castors, is it less stable then without the castors? Obviously to wheel it to a different location, you would pull it by the short end closest to the grill, but would two guys be able to just lift the thing to move it (thus no castors would ever be needed in the first place)

    Sorry for all the questions here
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  • AZRP
    AZRP Posts: 10,116
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    I prefer the flexibility of the nests to a table. Because we have horses and the flies that go with them, my prep work is all done indoors. The ash and coals that fall out of the vent door can easily be easily hosed away
    IMG_0066Small2.jpg

    Also, not being in a table makes cleaning the Egg a little more convenient when the need arrises. -RP
    goop.jpg
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  • Tuck
    Tuck Posts: 54
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    They seem pretty stable. Instead of buying one, you can build one. You can find plans here:

    http://www.nakedwhiz.com/cart.htm
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  • vidalia1
    vidalia1 Posts: 7,092
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    I am not sure how far the smell carries but I know my neighbors better now than before I had my BGE... :laugh:

    1st of all a Lrge BGE weighs 140 + lbs...I doubt a child could pull it over but who knows..for my table I used the Naked Whiz plans and then customized those to make the table 6' long with granite. while it does have wheels it is extremely difficult for me to roll it by myself...

    BTW...if you have a gas grill or webber kettle style can a child tip those over????

    Kim Youngblood
    (aka vidalia1)
    Lawrenceville, GA
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  • Hustling Hare
    Hustling Hare Posts: 105
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    It might be possible for a child to pull an egg in a nest along and have it trip on a pebble and tip over. I doubt that would be possible with a table even a castered one.

    HH
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  • "Sparky"
    "Sparky" Posts: 6,024
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    I have been cooking on my medium since June 04.I then got my small in Decmber 04.They work great for my small family.I just got an X/L last weekend because I got a great deal on it.The small/medium combo is good for different temp cooks at the same time.I usually do veggies or abts on the small while while the main meal is cooking in the medium.Get the large now and figure out what will work best for your second egg.Trust me,it's coming. :woohoo: The X/L is alot of grill that burns alot of lump.I hope to get some use out of it,but it wouldn't be my first choice if it was going to be my only egg.I would hate to start it for just a few burgers or two slabs of ribs.I hope this helps :)


    XL003.jpg
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  • Dan in Stamford
    Dan in Stamford Posts: 11
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    Doug,

    A picture is worth a million words - thanks, or should I say sold! I will ask the wifey for a Large Egg with a table. I know you could build a table for cheaper then the $370 (compact) or the $440 (full size) but that would be a project - just moved from NYC to the burbs and I would have to buy all the tools first.

    Grilling is illegal in NYC (think of a toppled grill falling from a 29th floor balcony onto the sidewalk below - not too good for tourism) While steak, chicken, and burgers on the Webber have been great, I can't wait to start the longer cooks.
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  • "Sparky"
    "Sparky" Posts: 6,024
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    Welcome to the club Dan.You will not be dissapointed,I promise.Keep us posted.
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  • Eggtucky
    Eggtucky Posts: 2,746
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    Welcome to the community Dan! As you can tell, if you need any assistance just make sure you've bookmarked this forum! ;)
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    Dan,

    Great question/concern!

    First, I just bought an egg 5 days ago, a large. I debated between the two forever, and am GLAD I bought the large. I can now buy a small also for the difference in price, and have much more versatility.

    As for grilling, your wife has an extremely legitimate issue. High temp cooking has long been associated with the formation of carcinogens.

    Too much info to repeat here, go to www.mercola.com for more information. Type in t grilling or Heterocyclic amines, and browse from there. You should also google the terms.

    There has also been much concern on smoking with the release of stored arsenic from the wood.

    Hope this helps,

    jeff
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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
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    I agree with fishless. In most cases it isn't a matter of being out of space.

    My excuse for my second egg (medium) was less space for cooking for the wife an I. The bonus would be when I would have people there would be more space and or I could cook something different, time & temp.

    What has ended up is that often times for the wife and I only, we cook something on the large and maybe some spuds or corn on the medium.

    The bottom line is it is just fun cooking on the eggs.

    I am entertaining the thought of getting a small or mini, just for the heck of it. I keep looking at the mini and just scratch my head. Eggers sure love them though.

    There are a lot of folks out here that have one of each size xl to mini (and more).

    GG
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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
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    AZRP has a nice setup.

    I have made a table and plans to make another. However, I am going back to nests and using my SS tables that are more portable.

    The wooden tables look wonderful but the versitality and abilibty to move the work/serving stations easily has some advantages.

    GG
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  • Mike in Abita
    Mike in Abita Posts: 3,302
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    IMO there is no downside to owning an XL. It uses more fuel than any other egg, but much less than a Weber.
    Can you do every thing a large does? Absolutely. You can just do more of it on an XL.
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