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Fiancee buying me smoker as Engagement gift...

Grumpa
Grumpa Posts: 861
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Hi there, been looking at smokers for a few months, came across the BGE...was almost decided on metal based 1/4 inch version but now considering this...like the reviews but she brought up a point that i have yet to see addressed..durability...we are up in Canada and thinking of our bad winters, what if the unit got knocked over for a reason, does it crack easily and render useless? As she put it, thick metal can get knocked around and still be ok..
model I am looking at is the large for the cooking surface...also if someone could address flare ups, and cooking with wood chunks verses chips, adv and disadv...that would be great...
thanks

Comments

  • The Naked Whiz
    The Naked Whiz Posts: 7,777
    Bob,
    Don't worry about harsh winters. You can cook on it in the coldest of weather or you can leave it outside in the coldest of weather. The Egg won't crack due to cold. Now if you detonate a small thermonuclear device inside the egg, yes, it will crack. If you drop it on a concrete pad it will also break. But most of us don't do that and it isn't a concern. If it were to break, you can put it back together with the appropriate adhesive, but it looks kinda funky. The only reports we have had of broken eggs that I can recall are a few people who have the auto-lock hinge and tried to close the lid by forcing it closed without releasing the lock. The lid can pop out of the hinge and if it falls to a hard surface it will break. However, new Eggs have a spring-assist hinge that eliminates this vulnerability. If you get an Egg, make sure you get the spring assist hinge. [p]However, the point here probably isn't how much you can abuse a metal smoker vs. an egg but rather how much more you can do on an Egg that a metal smoker. The egg is more versatile and I think once you start cooking on it and watching the forum, you'll find yourself having all kinds of fun cooking things on the Egg that you never thought you would. Pizza, 1000 degree seared steaks, naan bread, squid, and on and on.[p]TNW

    The Naked Whiz
  • The Naked Whiz
    The Naked Whiz Posts: 7,777
    Bob,
    Answer Part II --[p]I also recall one or two folks who pushed their eggs in their egg nests and pushed the whole thing over onto concrete and it broke. You need to exercise a little care if you are going to push it around. [p]You asked about flareups. What about them? If you use it like a grill and cook over hot coals, you will get flareups, but you can reduce flareup by cooking with the lid closed, which is recommended anyway to conserve heat and moisture. Now, if you mean FLASHBACK, (everyone reading the forum is now chuckling....) I happen to have a webpage with video on this subject. See the link below.[p]As for chunks vs. chips, if I want a lot of smoke for a short period of time, I use chips. Else, I use chunks. I hardly ever use chips any more. [p]Good luck on whatever you decide, but you will love the Egg if you get one.[p]TNW

    [ul][li]The Naked Whiz's Flashback web page[/ul]
    The Naked Whiz
  • eggaholic
    eggaholic Posts: 309
    Bob,
    Go with an EGG, you will be glad you did.
    I live in Canada as well, and have had my EGG for three years.I put it in a table with wheels on one end and a handle at the other so I can move it around safely.
    I have done everything from pizza's to oysters on it and it sears a steak or chunk of tuna like nothing else!
    I have a large and am trying to justify getting myself a small as well.
    You will get more testimonials from others,and this forum is an excellent resource for ideas and tips, no matter what kind of cooker you decide on.
    Good luck and good eats to you.

  • BlueSmoke
    BlueSmoke Posts: 1,678
    Bob,
    "Bad winters" is a great reason to choose ceramic over metal. Down here in Colorado I barbecue year round. With my old metal body I had to babysit year-round, a real pain in winter. No such problem with the Egg, regardless of the season. With metal, getting and holding cooking temps required lots of fuel, as well as an insulating blanket in winter. With ceramic I hit temp within half an hour, and stay there 18 hours or more on one load of lump (about 2 pounds).
    My advice? Get an Egg, put the snowshovel just inside the back door.[p]Ken

  • Toe 49
    Toe 49 Posts: 193
    Bob,
    Make sure it's an "EGG-gagement" gift.....I'm in Vermont, about 2 hours from Montreal (if that) and I have mine out and use it all winter. This was a cold one here, too, but I used it on average of 2 times a week.....some more, some less....[p]I know, other eggers may think 2 times a week is not enough, and they are correct, but having to go out in -20 weather is not all that fun....

  • Washog
    Washog Posts: 58
    Bob,
    First of all, any doubts about finding the right woman should be out of your mind. The girl has taste. Second, the only thing you need to watch is dropping the Egg on concrete. As long as you are aware and use some cautuion when moving it around, you won't have to worry. As far as the cold winters, the Egg will cook circles and maintain temps far better than metal cookers. [p]Here is what I can tell you from my experience. I live in Missouri and even though the winters aren't as long as Canada's, we routinely get temps well below freezing. Before I purchased my Egg,I use to own a metal drum type cooker and my Barbique season would start in March, and end in September. I basically cooked ribs and steaks and the most I would barbique was once a week. You can only eat ribs and steaks so often. After buying an Egg, I cook so many different things now that it is nothing for me to barbique three to four times a week and the taste is incredible. I also have friends purchasing meat then asking me to cook it on the egg for them. Now, I've always thought I was a decent barbiquer, but I never had people asking me to cook their meat when I used a metal cooker!!!!! [p]If you want a cooker that is easy to use, versatile, that's not effected by outside conditions and the results are great tasting meat, then buy an Egg. I've never entered contests, however, I've had more than one person tell me my Q is the best they've ever had. I like putting it this way. While some can achieve great results with metal cookers, the main reason for their results is their ability to cook and not the cooker, in other words, it's their mastering of their technique. The egg is just the opposite. The Egg is precisely why my barbique is so good. Even my screw-ups in the beginning were decent. And because the Egg's design traps moisture in the meat, AND, because it's so versatile and easy to use you will cook more often. The result? The best barbique you'll ever eat.

  • Gretl
    Gretl Posts: 670
    Bob,
    I live in Pennsylvania (land of gray skies and snow) and I cook all year round on my two BGEggs. For instance, our Christmas turkeys are always roasted outdoors; they're always delicious. It seems as though the nastier the weather, the better the Egg performs. Hope this helps.
    Cheers,
    Gretl

  • CR
    CR Posts: 175
    Bob, in addition to the benefits already cited, this is the last time you will have to spend money on a bbq/grill/smoker. Unless you decide to buy an additional ceramic cooker as many of us do. The BGE will last more than a lifetime; it is likely to become an heirloom passed down for generations.[p]I have gone through a number of charcol bbqs', gassers, and smokers over the years; could have save a lot money and had better results if I had bought the Egg.[p]

  • Gandolf
    Gandolf Posts: 906
    Bob,
    MARRY HER!

  • Basselope
    Basselope Posts: 102
    Would somebody repost that picture of Qfan cooking in his swim trunks in the snow? That should help.
  • Prof Dan
    Prof Dan Posts: 339
    Bob,[p]I agree with everything said earlier, but let's talk flareups. Have you ever tried to grill chicken [with the skin on] on a hot fire on a regular bbq? It sticks, unless you are careful, and the grease drips and it flares up.[p]On an Egg, it is a lot easier. First, you don't need such a hot fire, since the hot ceramic bakes your chicken while you grill. A metal machine just can't do that. Second, you can raise up your grid on an Egg so that the food is far from the flame, but it is up in the hot zone above the flame. So even when the chicken fat drips off, no big deal.[p]

  • CR
    CR Posts: 175
    Bob, as far as cooking with chips or chunks he is my $.02.

    You cook with lump charcol in the Egg not briquetts. The lump supplies a certain amount of smoke depending upon the brand; some more and some less. I like the amount of smoke flavoring that just the lump supplies.[p]If you like a more smokey flavor then you can also add chips or chunks of hardwoods, like hickory, mesquite, pecan, apple, etc. There is many ways to do this but in general my method is to throw in a handful of chips for flavoring high temp cooks that are done fairly quickly, like steaks or chops. For cooks at low temps like a Butt I would use a larger chunk that will last longer.[p]When you have the Egg you have a multitude of options and methods and it is a lot of fun to experiment and find out what you like the best. Also this forum will give you the ideas and advice that will make it easy.