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

For those that have a large and bought a mini

Options
Boatman
Boatman Posts: 854
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
Do you wish you bought a small instead? Looking to buy a small or mini to complement the wifey and I. Leaning to the small. Love the large....want something else to complement. Thanks for the input B)
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,895
    Options
    While I have a mini I believe my small and large is a better combo. BTW there's just two of us too and my small gets 60 to 65% of all my biz. Go small!
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Smokey Mountain
    Smokey Mountain Posts: 34
    Options
    I've had a large for several years and received a mini for Christmas. I'm very happy with it. I cook for the family on it (wife and 2 kids) and take it camping too. The size and weight is what kept me away from the small - it was too heavy to easily load up for camping trips. We cook pizza, burgers, etc. with no problems on the mini.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Boatman
    Boatman Posts: 854
    Options
    Kinda what I thought. Don't need the portability of a mini and like the extra size of the small (a relative term, like Jumbo Shrimp)Thanks.....probably go with a small B)
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Morro Bay Rich
    Morro Bay Rich Posts: 2,227
    Options
    I have a Large, Small and a Mini. In my thinking, one has to look at the small as a smaller version of the large in that it can do almost everything that the Large can do whereas I see the Mini more as a grill and not an even smaller Large.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Spring Chicken
    Spring Chicken Posts: 10,255
    Options
    First Egg was a large. Second was a small. Wish I had just got another large because of all the accessories I could use on each. But the small does the job when called on. Then I got a mini and my life is complete. The mini is fast and fun. The others are workhorses but can also fast and fun when I need it.

    At my age the mini is easier to take somewhere, and it's definitely fun.

    I say get all three.

    Spring "Managing A Quarter Dozen Eggs" Chicken
    Spring Texas USA
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,895
    Options
    actually a small isn't all that heavy - just 65 pounds. I'm not a big guy by a long shot, but using a Potlifter I can carry it with ease...and if two people are carrying it it's a breeze!
    IMG_1729.jpg

    IMG_1780.jpg
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
    Options
     
    This is mostly going to depend on your needs.

    There is just the 2 of us. We have the large on down and I haven't fired up the small in 4 months.

    The mini is quick and easy to light cook with. Plan on getting a mini woo ring. It is also easy to clean out. I usually can get 4 cooks on the mini with 1 load of lump and I need to clean the mini out about every 4 cooks.

    If I only had the large and small I would get Chubby's GrateMates.

    Don't get a smaller egg thinking you are going to save on lump. That is false economy.

    Buy and adjustable rig and spider for the large. Put a small amount of lump in the large, then the spider and a smaller grid, medium sized grid, on the spider and you essentially have a medium or small egg.

    At this time I think my ideal setup would be 1st large, next a mini and third another large.

    If you need more cooking space neither the small or mini is the answer. Also, if you are looking for more grid space get another large or even maybe look into the XL.

    Just some thoughts. GG
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Hungry Celeste
    Hungry Celeste Posts: 534
    Options
    I own a large & a mini. For a 2-person household, the mini fires up very, very quickly and has just enough space for us. I'm using it about 2:1 over the large. I looked at smalls, but I liked the portability of the mini (though I haven't taken it anywhere yet!). For the mini, I have a pizza stone, 8" cast iron skillet (handle cut off), and I plan to get a raised grid at some point. I've used it for direct grilling of various meats/poultry, pizzas, and quite a bit of baking (apple crisp, fruit galettes, calzones, etc).

    I can grill boneless, skinless chix over a generous handful of charcoal, shut it down, and re-fire two or three times on the same handful of coals...I find it quite efficient.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • lowercasebill
    lowercasebill Posts: 5,218
    Options
    i have a large and a mini.. cooking for 2 or three depending but my sons are affecionatly known as the bottomless pits.. i use the mini mostly during the week , steaks and chicken.. while the meat rests green beans asparagus or romaine goes on. it heats up fast, is really easy to clean.. and you can fit a lot more on it than you would think.. i believe the new ones are an inch larger in diameter . ..i have done pizza on the mini as well.. the only reason i don't have a third is i cannot decide between the small and the medium :laugh:
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0
    Options
    Portability is why I went with the Mini instead of a small. I use the mini a lot and it has proven to be the right decision for me.

    I don't think you can go wrong with a Large/Small combo.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Angela
    Angela Posts: 543
    Options
    When we were talking about a second egg to go with our large I immediately thought small. Mainly because everyone says they are the perfect complement. After talking about it on here, and thinking about what I wanted to do with the second egg we chose to go with a second large. Was the right decision for us, plus we already had a bunch of eggcessories for the large.
    Egging on two larges + 36" Blackstone griddle
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Mickey
    Mickey Posts: 19,674
    Options
    Bought my small in '97 and got my large last April. Then won a mini last year.
    My small sits and I feel sorry for it.
    Just the 2 of us and the mini will fire up and cook in about 12 min's. We use it MOST of the time. Next is the large.
    If I had a big do-over I would have 2 larges and the mini....
    Salado TX & 30A  FL: Egg Family: 3 Large and a very well used Mini, added a Mini Max when they came out (I'm good for now). Plus a couple Pit Boss Pellet Smokers.   

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Bacchus
    Bacchus Posts: 6,019
    Options
    Any man who can't easily pick up a SBGE and put it a vehicle needs to do some strengthening exercises.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Car Wash Mike
    Car Wash Mike Posts: 11,244
    Options
    I think the large and small is a great combo. I bought a mini to use with my small for tailgating. If I could just have one to compliment my large, it would be a small.

    Mike
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • AZRP
    AZRP Posts: 10,116
    Options
    We have two large, one small, and a mini. The mini gets about 50% of the usage. -RP
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Options
    Unless you have a bad back!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • HungryMan
    HungryMan Posts: 3,470
    Options
    I move my large around like it's a mini.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Unknown
    Unknown
    Options
    Boatman, I have that combination. I didn't read the other replies so this may have been said, but it is a great combo. I use the eggs equally. I tend to use the mini more during the week, & the large for bigger weekend stuff. I have no regrets with the mini, like all eggs it has its advantages not found in the other sizes (I love to pick it & bring it everywhere, & it tucks in very small spaces). I have never had a small, but I am sure you would be very happy with that too, it is an egg after all. No matter which you pick, you will love it, no question about it, good luck, Marc
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Sun Devil Brett
    Sun Devil Brett Posts: 440
    Options
    Two larges and a mini here. If I had to do over, I think a small would have been better for us than the mini.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0
    Options
    Any man who can't easily pick up a SBGE and put it a vehicle needs to do some strengthening exercises.

    If you ever threw out your back, you wouldn't go there.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Options
    I have a large and I got my new Mini today. I haven't even assembled it yet. There were two reasons I decided on the Mini. First, I live alone and most of my cooks are for one. Secondly, I am tired of cooking outside in the cold New England winter.

    This worked great with my now retired Alton Brown flower pot. Sure hope it works with the Mini!! :lol:

    4285793773_bfa8641c63_b.jpg

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • SmokeOrFire
    SmokeOrFire Posts: 49
    Options
    How do you plan on opening the lid?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Boatman
    Boatman Posts: 854
    Options
    Thanks for all of the input....I appreciate it. I will do some serious decision making over the next few weeks then buy on or the other....thanks B)
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Little Chef
    Little Chef Posts: 4,725
    Options
    Sold our mini after a few useless cooks....we LOVE our ribeyes, and couldn't cook two a the same time. We sold our mini, and replaced it with a medium. A small probably would have been just fine too!!! I guess at that point, we had the "It's going to be too small" worries. I know many of my fellow eggers love the mini, but really, it is nothing but a searing machine for small items. Go for the small. ;) (Or even better, a medium if you can swing it in the budget!!!) :whistle: We LOVE our medium!!! Best to you !! :)
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Options
    That's why I bought the Mini instead of the Small. Would have much preferred a Small, but it's too Large. :) Plenty of room to open.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Categories