Why not to buy a medium

edg1 · June 2010

This is a tale of woe, and partial redemption.

For the extra $200, buy the large, not the medium. Why? Because almost all of the accessories that BGE sells for the large AND medium, do not fit the medium.

I started with the V-Rack. With the plate setter legs up, it does not fit when you try to close the lid. Then I got the Grill Extender. Again, with the plate setter legs up, the lid won't close. Even though both are clearly marked as being sized for the medium.

My dealer took back my V-Rack and gave me the one for the small, and that fits. I need to return my grill extender. My dealer said he will take it back, it's just a question of getting over there.

Thus far, the folks at BGE have not responded to my "unhappy-gram". It was not a nasty-gram.

I don't know what my options are regarding the grill extender. I think that I have any.

Then, this past Saturday I went to the Eggs By the Bay Eggfest, and I saw a demo on baking bread in the egg using a cast iron dutch oven. Down to Target I went and got a 5qt dutch oven. Without the lid on the dutch oven, I can close the lid on my egg, but with the lid on, it don't fit. So..... What to do?

I put a fire brick under my egg on day one, so I have the little green feet available. I removed the grill, put the little green feet on the plate setter, then the the pizza stone on the little green feet, then I put the dutch oven on top of the pizza stone. Now the lid on my egg closes.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, I cook bread. I will let you all know how it goes.

edg

PS: Do the medium and the large share the same wood table?

Bacchus · June 2010

Funny, my 5qt D.O. fits in my small Egg, with lid.

edg1 · June 2010

Mine is from Lodge. And it does not fit with the plate setter legs up, grill on. Could that be the difference?

edg

Theophan · June 2010

My wife bought me an Egg for Christmas last year, and chose a Medium. When I realized how many accessories are only available for the Large I was a little disappointed she hadn't gotten a large, but I've LOVED everything I've done on my Medium, and I've decided that it's probably cool that it's "forcing" me to learn the discipline of how to do things the "normal" way. Simplicity can be good. Instead of raising or lowering the grid, I can raise or lower the heat, and I can cook direct or indirect with the Plate Setter, with or without a Pizza Stone. and actually that's a LOT of options!

I remember when I was young and into photography, I was like most guys in that I wanted all the accessories -- all kinds of special lenses, fancy spotmeter for the "Zone System," special filters, extenders, fancy darkroom procedures, etc.. But I kept realizing that most of the greatest photographers in the world back then had used very simple equipment, like Leicas that weren't SLRs, didn't have interchangeable lenses, etc.. It was the eye behind the camera and the technique that made their photographs so wonderful, not the accessories.

Well, I figure the greatest grillers and BBQers in the world are probably old guys who dug a pit in the ground, or cut open an old metal drum, and learned how to make some of the world's greatest food, and my Medium Egg is probably more capable (though smaller) than what they had.

Don't get me wrong: I'm with you, in that if I were buying my first Egg, I'd almost certainly go for the Large. But I don't see much point being unhappy with my Medium. With raising and lowering the heat, and direct and indirect with the Plate Setter, by gosh there are a zillion things I CAN cook in my Medium, and so far, my wife and I have been loving every one of them.

edg1 · June 2010

Hi Theophan,

It's options that are the issue here. For instance, if I want to cook a tri-tip and corn at the same time, there isn't enough room on the grill to do both. If the grill extender worked, I could put the corn up there. Instead, I have to take the meat off, and let it cool down a bit while I put the corn on. Not the way I want to go.

Life does suck, don't it?

edg

JLOCKHART29 · June 2010

Really sorry you are unhappy with your Medium. Untill I got a small to go with mine the Medium was all I had for two years and 100's of cooks. Do a forum search with "some'en" That will bring up a bunch of my cooks I have done on my Medium. Yea a lot of stuff will not work on it as is but that never stopped me. Just need to do a little measuring. Shoot me an email and I'll get you measurements of the stuff I use for my Medium. Got cast iron D.O, pizza stones, wok, Le Creuset, ect. You can turn out some amazing stuff on a Medium just have to be smart about it.

Gandolf · June 2010

You might also try taking the fire ring out when you want the extra room . You'll find that all those things you can't make fit now will work just fine.

cookn biker · June 2010

AMEN!!

DeanR · June 2010

I have a 5 and 7 qt D.O an they both fit fine on my medium. I have also had large but love my medium. Uses less lump, easy to transport and I have no problem cooking for the family. I have made a raised grid using bolts and have made a spider which I can drop my CI dutch oven on or my frying pan. Life is good with the medium.

Mainegg · June 2010

Most of our cooks are on a mini or the med. this is what I got for mine and just about anything fits. you can not beat the service and the product!
http://www.ceramicgrillstore.com/ceramicgrillstore/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=71&Itemid=234
I have the large and it sits most of the time. if I am doing a load of butts the large is working or for more than 6 people we might fire it up. but the med is the busy one.

Michael B · June 2010

All of those thing you mentioned can be taken care very easily with just a very little thought.

eg.
Raised grid = 20 minutes at Home Depot. (Including check-out)
__ second grid from BBQ section
__ SS carriage bolts, fender washers, and nuts from the hardware isle.

Now you can cook your tri-tip and corn at the same time.

FrankC · June 2010

I'm a bit surprised that you're not happy with your medium. I've got a large and a medium, am cooking for a family of four, and the medium sees at least 75% of the work.

When I bought them, I went to Tom at the Ceramic Grill Store for accessories. You might want to try there for some additional goodies for your medium.

fc

Theophan · June 2010

edg1 wrote:

... Life does suck, don't it?

Well, as I think you meant to imply with the smile, it doesn't suck a whole lot, but yeah, it does, some.

I get your point -- maybe it's simply true that for you, the Medium is going to be an ongoing frustration, I don't know. I'm delighted that you started this thread, though, because I've learned a lot from the responses! I didn't know about that Woo Medium thing, and I'm going to keep that in mind. And it was fascinating reading a about a couple of people who have both a Large and a Medium and mostly use the Medium. I'm still gung-ho to keep learning how to do everything I can in my Medium, but maybe you'd want to cut your losses and try to sell your Medium, maybe on this list, and get a Large. I hope that whatever you do, you wind up satisfied with your choice, and that life will suck a little less.

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Why not to buy a medium

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