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BGE vs. Gas Grill

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Buckeye
Buckeye Posts: 4
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I am considering crossing from the dark side (gas grill) to BGE. I am impressed by everyone's forum posts and support. That's a great sign.

Tell me a little about flavor when cooking with the BGE.

While I can only imagine the wonderful charcoal flavor that will come with the BGE on many recipes, how do you control the extent of the charcoal smoke flavor when cooking in order to have a more subtle presence. Do foods always have a similar influence of taste? Does the charcoal sometimes overpower the spices, rubs and sauces?

Be mindful, I am just a Newbie... but I love grill cooking. :cheer:
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Comments

  • BBQMaven
    BBQMaven Posts: 1,041
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    simply put - depends on type of lump and wood used.

    Each has its own distinct flavor. You can go from a hint of smoke to gag-you smokey.
    Kent Madison MS
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  • Capt Frank
    Capt Frank Posts: 2,578
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    Good quality lump will, in itself, only impart a mild, smokey flavor, wood chips or chunks can be used to get any strength or flavor you want. There is a learning curve, but that is part of the fun! :)

    Capt Frank
    Homosassa, FL
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  • maXim
    maXim Posts: 468
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    Buckeye,

    My wife does not like smoke PERIOD!
    So I rarely add any wood to my charcoal. That being said my wife never liked my burgers on the egg because they tasted too smokey! I realized that when I cooked fatty meats on direct heat, the fat from the meat caused the smokey flavor.

    Now when I cook burgers I simply don't close the lid like I used to. I simply close the bottom vent and cook with the lid open. Now the wife absolutely loves my burgers B).

    It is a learning curve and a matter of personal preferences. Some people will cook the burgers with the lid close, for me that simply doesn't work. Maybe I'm doing something wrong but the way I do them now, everybody is happy.

    And this of course can apply to all types of meats and cooks. The trick is to experiment learn from the wonderful people here and the most important thing...

    GET RID OF THAT GASER AND GET YOURSELF AN EGG :evil:
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  • Buckeye
    Buckeye Posts: 4
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    Thanks for the insightful response, MaXim. I think I'm in a similar boat and your post is helpful... :ohmy:
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  • BENTE
    BENTE Posts: 8,337
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    with a little planning there is no smoke flavor..

    all you have to do is light early and let the smoke clear up some..

    i mean bread with a smoky flavor would be bad but my breads have never been smokey

    DSC_0007.jpg

    btw:::: you will love your first egg..

    happy eggin

    TB

    Anderson S.C.

    "Life is too short to be diplomatic. A man's friends shouldn't mind what he does or says- and those who are not his friends, well, the hell with them. They don't count."

    Tyrus Raymond Cobb

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  • 'Q Bruddah
    'Q Bruddah Posts: 739
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    That's some ciabatta!! Absolutely beautiful!!
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  • 'Q Bruddah
    'Q Bruddah Posts: 739
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    Buckeye, follow the advice to get an egg. You will be happy. Your gasser can't even begin to approximate the taste, let alone the juicy succulence you will experience with a egg. Check this out. A good gasser might set you back $500 but isn't worth it because you can't get the food to taste the way you want it. A large egg might run $800 but is so totally worth it because the food is so wonderful every time you cook that you wind up cooking 4-5 days a week. Ask me how I KNOW this. I bought the gasser three years ago and just got an Egg three weeks ago and have cooked on the egg nearly every day and in the rain twice. The gasser sits all winter. I plan to BBQ through next winter. Hmmmm. I wonder what makes the difference? Its the food, .....
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  • BENTE
    BENTE Posts: 8,337
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    thanks

    happy eggin

    TB

    Anderson S.C.

    "Life is too short to be diplomatic. A man's friends shouldn't mind what he does or says- and those who are not his friends, well, the hell with them. They don't count."

    Tyrus Raymond Cobb

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  • Zinger
    Zinger Posts: 86
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    Buckeye,

    I think maXim said it well.

    I personally like a smoke flavor on my Q, but some don't. One important thing this forum has taught me is, that in most all cases there is more than one right way to cook food on the egg.
    You just have to find what works for you. It's experimentation. It's Fun....

    IT'S BETTER THAN GAS!!!

    You can do many things on the egg that you can't do on a gasser.

    my two cents.
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  • Eggsakley
    Eggsakley Posts: 1,019
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    One thing to remember is that out ancestors cooked all their foods on wood or charcoal or some fuel oil like fat or whale oil. Breads have been enjoyed for millenia prior to the invention of the gas or electric ovens. Pizza's are world renowned when cooked in a coal fired brick oven. The egg will not displease you in any cooking adventure if you give the coal time to heat up and be ready for cooking. Look at the responses by forum members and you will soon see that there is a very strong sentiment toward the egg as an excellent device to cook Any and Everything. Come on iver to the Light and Right side. :)
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  • Zyme
    Zyme Posts: 180
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    Several people have already commented on the smoking, so I'll leave it at that. But what surprised me the most, switching from gas to BGE was the amount of control I gain over my cooking. With practice, I can now dial my temperature in to about +/- 5 deg F without any feedback controller (except my eyes reading the thermometer and adjusting the vents!)

    Combine a plate setter for indirect heating and your BGE is even more versatile than ever. Pizza, the most tender, tastiest ribs you'll ever have, steak seared like they do at high end steakhouses, cornbread, you name it.

    This forum and the links you will find from here are a fantastic reference. This is a very positive community that has taught me a great deal!

    Good luck with your decision.
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  • Zinger
    Zinger Posts: 86
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    Zyme,

    I enthusiasticly agree...

    Especially when it comes to this forum.

    So many links to good information.

    So many big hearted people willing to help.

    So much to be learned.

    Mike
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  • Zippylip
    Zippylip Posts: 4,768
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    I'll bet gasgrillforum.com can't sport a line-up like that :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
    happy in the hut
    West Chester Pennsylvania
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  • Go Bucks!
    Go Bucks! Posts: 53
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    Buckeye
    So a fellow Buckeye fan! I had bought a new weber gas grill 2 years ago after 17 years of happy grilling on a old weber gasser. Bought the new and loved it. Then last summer I bought home a large Egg and my wife was like what in the heck are you doing? Have used the weber 1 time since. Egg is so different. Food is almost always moist and flavorful. You won't regret it.
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  • GrillinGator
    GrillinGator Posts: 31
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    We've had our egg for about 6 weeks now & my husband noted that we haven't turned the oven on in all that time, have only used the stovetop & microwave occasionally, and we've only eaten in a pinch. We just LOVE the egg. As others noted above the quality of food is great & it is so versatile! We should have bought it sooner! :lol:
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  • Judy's Egg
    Judy's Egg Posts: 104
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    If you love grill cooking, than you can't go wrong with a BGE.
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  • Nature Boy
    Nature Boy Posts: 8,687
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    And when is the last time we had three posts in a row with someone whose handle started with "Z"???

    Really good hangin with you this weekend.
    Cheers
    Chris
    DizzyPigBBQ.com
    Twitter: @dizzypigbbq
    Facebook: Dizzy Pig Seasonings
    Instagram: @DizzyPigBBQ
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  • ResQue
    ResQue Posts: 1,045
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    You gotta go with a BGE. I bought mine about 5 months ago and baptized it in 3 feet of snow. I have a $750 Weber gasser sitting next to it collecting dust(I haven't fired it since I bought the BGE). And the only thing our oven has been used for is to proof dough. Nothing compares to the flavor you get off an egg!
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  • Zippylip
    Zippylip Posts: 4,768
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    exZactly, & you too mang, real good talk'n to you, & enjoying the multiple duck breasteses
    happy in the hut
    West Chester Pennsylvania
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    Dat be Zed in the King's english...Not Elvis :laugh:

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • EGGARY
    EGGARY Posts: 1,222
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    I have had my EGG for almost a year. Like the others, I have a gasser as well, a very nice one, a Fire Magic, that I bought 6 years ago. When I grill/cook I use the EGG most of the time. The only time I will use the gasser is for hot dogs, something that needs a quick cook. You won't go wrong with the EGG. Every day I think what do I want to cook on the EGG and with nice weather here I look forward to cooking.

    Gary
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  • Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker
    Humphrey Chimpden Earwicker Posts: 3,743
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    still beholden to the monarchy are we?
    ;)
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  • TampaQ
    TampaQ Posts: 40
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    My wife doesn't like burgers on the egg either. I figured the problem was the fat too so I still used my gasser for burgers.

    I will try the egg with the lid open next time.
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  • Zyme
    Zyme Posts: 180
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    ha ha! good one.

    I should have added in my original post how nice it is to have some free weekend time hanging out in the backyard reading while the egg is smoking away--its downright therapeutic! (yeah, yeah--there's usually a beer or two involved) Gas grills are fast and convenient, sure. But the egg gets me to slow down and enjoy the time.
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  • PhilsGrill
    PhilsGrill Posts: 2,256
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    The best thing is food will not taste like propane gas anymore.
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