Most needed accessories to buy with a Lrg BGE?

Burnt coal · August 2009

What are the most needed 4 or 5 accessories that I need to buy when I buy my large BGE? I now I'm getting the nest and the mate. What are 3 or 4 more that you think I will really need? I hear that the elctric starter is a must have but there are so many other accessories to chooses from. I plan on cooking/smoking mostly chicken breasts, hamburgers and once I feel confident I will be doing a 10-12 hour smoked beef brisket or two, if you think that is possible on a BGE. Thanks!

mad max beyond eggdome · August 2009

i prefer to use a MAPP torch (about 40 bucks at your local hardware store) to light my egg. ..a 30 - 60 'hit' and you are good to go... and a can of MAPP gas lasts me a year. . . works great

most important thing you need for your egg for indirect cooking is either a plate setter or and adjustable rig setup from the ceramic grill store

http://www.ceramicgrillstore.com/ceramicgrillstore/

get yourself the adjustable rig settup with spider and pizzastone and you are set for just about any situation you can imagine ... .

Semolina Pilchard · August 2009

Plate setter or it's equivalent from the ceramic grill store, and a Thermapen.

Crimsongator · August 2009

For indirect cooking all you really need is a platesetter. If you want to do large cooks, bge sells a grid extender that is reasonably priced. There are other things you can buy and everyone has a preference. The bottom line is that you need to cook indirect and have a second tier if you want to do larger cooks.

How you get there is up to you.

Gator Bait · August 2009

Hi Burnt,

Welcome to the forum. I agree with the others in that a way to cook indirect is a priority. After that I think Semolina is right about the Thermapen, being able to cook accurately to an internal temperature is the way to go and the Thermapens are very fast and accurate. I also use a MAPP torch from Lowe's or Home Depot. I have both the Brenzomatic TS4000 and TS8000 which is a few dollars more and love the extra heat output of the TS8000. The one draw back of the torches is that they will throw off sparks from the charcoal.
If you do not have one yet, I recently got a Foodsaver and love it. All my expensive cuts of meat in the freezer are safe and I can see what they are, as well as leftovers. I used it over the weekend to marinate chicken in buttermilk and did not have to worry about spills or leaks in the frig. One of the best prices on one can be had from Bed, Bath and Beyond. If you sign up for their email promotions they will instantly send you a 20% off coupon that you print yourself, good for any single item in the store.
Good luck and happy egging. :cheer:

Gator

Spring Chicken · August 2009

Technically you don't need any accessories in order to cook on the Egg. However, accessories give you a much greater range in how you can cook each dish, not to mention making it easier and the outcome more predictable.

You can (and eventually will) create your own accessories from time to time. For example, Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil is a great way to make a drip pan. Just fold the sides up, crunch the corners and Waa Laa, a drip pan that you can toss when finished.

You can even use foil as a barrier between a pan and the grid when cooking direct. Keeps the pan clean and offers an element of direct heat protection.

Fire bricks can serve you in many ways, as will cast iron cookware such as dutch ovens, skillets and griddles.

Since temperature control is important during long cooks you can use devices that will assure the temperature is right on for the entire cook, but even though they are wonderful, worry-free devices, you can still do a long low and slow cook without them.

Also, an 'instant read' thermometer is great to have, but they range in price from $3 to $90. These will help you avoid over or under cooking a meal. Some have timers and some even allow you to monitor the cook remotely.

When you get to the point where you want to cook multiple items you will benefit greatly from multi-tier devices as mentioned earlier.

There are tools like grid lifters and spatulas and tongs etc that greatly improve your joy of cooking. And don't forget the many web sites that are loaded with information.

The list of useful accessories is endless and you can see most of them in action on this Forum if you drop in frequently and pay close attention to the photos. That's why this Forum is the absolute best accessory you can have. Use it frequently.

Spring "Now Do You Want To Know How To Build A Clock" Chicken
Spring Texas USA

troutman · August 2009

Great advice from others above. Here is my two cents (no refunds):

1. Thermapen
2. Adjustable rig with pizza stone and drip pan for indirect cooks
3. Gym membership - Just walking by the egg adds a pound, and cruising this forum adds ten

Enjoy and use this forum. These folks can really cook.

Doug in Eggmonton · August 2009

I agree with all above, and I would add that what you really need is a plate-setter or the adjustable rig and a good set of Tongs, I hear OXO make a good set. Thermapen is a truely great tool but not urgent (think no later than Christmas) if you have some other way of measuring internal temperature.

Also great is the second tier setup, but not urgent until you want to serve a very large group of people small things, you can cook a 20lb roast on the grid, you can cook 4 8 lb pork butts on the grid. It'll be a big party to eat more than that.

Doug

JPF · August 2009

I second a mapp torch. Much better all the way around than the electric starter.

You will need a plate setter for sure or some type of setup equivalent for indirect cooking.

Thermapen is also a must. I cooked a long time without and will never be without it again!

You will need something to raise main cooking grid to about the felt line. No matter what you decide to use to do this with it will make for easy cooking direct.
I know that ceramic grill store has some nice stuff but I had already built a few things so that's what I have stayed with so far.

DrZaius · August 2009

I am starting to think that the best eggcessorie would be a trust fund. :P

:woohoo:

Bacchus · August 2009

The grid extended shown by JPF is excellent.You can by one, its called the Woo, a simpler version of the adjustable rig. This gives you a "raised direct" setup which is often a good idea. The Plate Setter is a must have. Thermapen is the best meat thermometer ever. Cover? Forget the electric starter, IMO.

Grandpas Grub · August 2009

There are a lot of things you will want to buy, some necessary and some just nice to have.

For me, to start there are just 2. I can't rate either as #1 or #2 as they are both essential.

The Adjustable Rig & Spider combination & Thermapen. Links to both items are in the above posts.

I have a plate setter and then I got the Adjustable Rig (AR) & Spider.

I use the AR and or Spider on 99.5% of my cooks.

Other items worth mentioning, is the Maverickk ET-73 about $40 on the net, Wiggle Rod (several members make and offer them).

For starting, a lot of forum members use MAPP or Propane, if you use propane you have to be careful which head you buy, some heads won't work inverted with a propane bottle. MAPP will burn inverted. Either canister of gas lasts an extremely long time. This method sparks and the sparks burn can clothes.

I like the paper towel and napkin method which is just about as fast as using MAPP.

Pick up some smoking wood, fruit & hardwood. Cherry is excellent as is apple.

Spring Chicken mentioned some bbq stuff that is needed.

Other items I like having and would buy again, V-Rack, DigiQII & Stoker (Powered Vent System - don't need both), Dutch Ovens (had these from pre-egg days), cast iron skillet, weed burner for lighting the egg (I use this in winter when it is cold and snowing), small personal AA battery fan, Cast Iron Grid (I don't use much at all).

AND by all means not least additional eggs (4 now).

Things I don't use and wouldn't buy is that I have bought is vertical chicken & turkey racks, many thermometers trying to avoid buying a Thermapen.

Welcome to the forum and you will love your egg.

GG

ibanda · August 2009

1. A Platesetter transforms the BGE from a grill to a smoker.. There's a second aftermarket way to go with adjustable rig and a pizza stone. It might offer more versatility.
2. I bought 2 BGE tools that I use all the time the ash tool and grate lifter. For a few weeks I was cleaning out the ash the cheap way with a bent up hanger but that got old fast.
3. Thermapen - expensive but I now think it is worth it.
4. LED headlamp - good handsfree light. I don't have good outdoor lighting and I end up cooking in the dark half the time.
5. $2 set of jersey gloves at the hardware store to keep clean loading lump, and cleaning the egg.
6. I start fires just fine with those cube wax and sawdust firestarters from the hardware store or paper towel strips drizzled with cooking oil. I have used a $10 electric one in the past and it works well. I like the idea of a Mapp torch, one may be in my future - but not a need.
7. I will make or most likely buy a wiggle stick sometime soon to ensure good airflow on long cooks.

[Deleted User] · August 2009

The first accessory I got was a raised grid. Bought 18" Weber replacement grid, (3) carriage bolts nuts and washers (See JPF's Picture of the raised grid) and I was ready to go! A drip pan below provided a barrier to facilitate indirect cooks.

I now have a platesetter and still used the raised grid a lot- especially for cooking chicken parts over direct heat.

1) Ash Tool
2) Thermapen- I ain't rich but this thing is really worth it!
3) Raised Grid
4) Platesetter
5) Maverick ET-35 remote thermometer if you intend on doing any long (overnight) cooks like Pork Butts.

Grandpas Grub · August 2009

Bob... ET-35??

GG

cahuck · August 2009

"Most" needed - IMHO = Thermapen! Too many recipes tell you cook xxx amount of time. Should just say "cook until done!" With the thermapen you will know!

Next - LONG tongs! I think it was ceramicgrillstore that recommended 16" Oxos. I got them and much better then the 12"ers I already had. Without my rig the low grate gets hot!

Of course I can't live without my sheet pans, Adj. Rig, slider, oval grids, wok, pizza stone, paella pan, MAPP starter and now I want the Lodge 14" griddle/pan too!

Start with Thermapen and long tongs. Get some foil and you're good to go for now.

Most needed accessories to buy with a Lrg BGE?

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