Excuse my ignorance....

Unknown

I have decided to purchase a BGE tomorrow. What, if any accessories are necessary to get started?[p]Thanks.

clausenk

Newman,[p]Charcoal and food

Banker John

Newman,
You're making a wise decision to go ceramic! Welcome home and visit often. You are in for a life altering eggsperience. [p]Here are a few items that most find useful. [p]Eggnest with wings OR table
Ash Tool
Dome Thermometer
Orka Mitts
Plate Setter
Pizza Stone
MAPP Gas Torch
Plenty of Lump charcoal (I use about 150#/year)
Several different smoking wood chunks (hickory, mesquite, apple, cherry, oak, alder - to name a few favorites)
Extra Grid made into a raised grid
Thermapen instant read thermometer
Maverick ET73 remote polder thermometer
2 Pizza Peels
2 14" pizza screens
Heavy duty aluminum foil
Dizzy Pig rubs (see www.dizzypigbbq.com for flavors)
V-Rack (doubles for cooking roasts or flip over for a rib rack)
Cast Iron dutch oven[p]...and the list goes on. This is only a partial list of wants & needs. I'm sure others will add to it and emphasize certain items.[p]Don't forget to visit The Naked Whiz website and read about "flashback".[p]Can't wait to read about your success stories.[p]Banker John

Unknown

clausenk,[p]LMAO![p]I knew that but was wondering if there was anything else I needed to purchase....

Unknown

Banker John,[p]Thanks for all the advice!

Seattle Todd

Newman,[p]I'm a foodie for sure. I spend WAY too much money on cookbooks, kitchen utensils, pots, pans, knives, etc. I've owned a large BGE for five years and absolutely love it. I do fire it up less than many at about 3 times a week on average. Here's my personal suggestions based on what I've purchased that I use, what I have purchased that I don't use much, and what I thought about purchasing and haven't yet but I don't really miss so far:[p]Ash tool: It's cheap and valuable. I use it for removing the grid on a hot cooker as well as for pulling out ashes.[p]Wire Brush: Invaluable for brushing after eating.[p]Plate Setter: I bought one of these late, didn't use it enough and have lately fallen in love with it for indirect cooking. Easy, sturdy indirect cooking assistance! I find myself setting up indirect for things that work great direct such as bacon-wrapped scallops if I don't have the time to watch as closely as I'd like.[p]Lighting/Ignition Tool: I don't have a MAPP. Where I live I can get boxes of firestartes called 'firebugs' I believe that are cheap, plentiful and work great. The other fire-starters around me are horribly expensive when you consider a per-use cost and if I couldn't find these I'd figure something else out. MAPP is popular on the board but if you don't mind the extra mess and time a chimney starter is cheap as well.[p]I stared with an ash tool and a table and had great results for many months before I yearned for and bought more. A lot depends on your cooking objectives as far as if you're going to grill more, smoke more, make pizzas, etc.[p]Welcome to the family! You won't be disappointed with the purchase.[p]Todd

ranger ray

Newman,
to start my fire... i use one of those weed burners...that attaches to a 20 pound propane tank...it's quick and economical to use... i'd just get the egg without the nest... after a couple of weeks you'll want to design/ build your own table setup..and you will have distilled ideas down to what you need... email me and i'll send ya a pic of mine. good luck! a wise decision.... the egg is one of the best things i have ever bought... need some wgc?... let me know... i have a whole pallet.

Wise One

Newman, after the normal, grid lifter, firestarter of some sort, dome thermometer and DFMT (Dual function metal top) all of which normally come as part of the purchase, here's what I would get:
1. A nest or a table (decide which - there are advantages to each - personnally I would get a nest, then design my own table and then when I buy my second egg, I wouldn't need another nest)
2. Plate setter - single most valuable accessory - makes a grill into an outdoor oven
3. Good instant read thermometer - instant read is a bit of a reality stretch, but it should come pretty close in 4-5 seconds. Invaluable but a polder will work as well.
4. Pizza stone - quite useful
5. Perforated wok pan - great for doing small pieces of meat (shrimp, scallops, etc) and also for doing veggies
6. Perforated grill sheet - great for doing fish - however,the new Reynolds Non-stick grill sheets may replac ethe need for this
7. A Lawnranger personalized grid lifter - done by our own Lawnranger, this is a functional work of art that says "I've arrived"
8. Grill basket - great for stuffed fish an danything else that is a pain to flip. Williams-Sonoma has a nic eone with removable handles.
9. Rubs, rubs, rubs - nver too many - Dizzy Pig rubs can be purchased in many of the BGE stores but Bluesmoke and several others on the forum also sell some
10. A container to hold your lump. Rubbermaid makes some nice green conatiners that hold exactly one bag of Big Green Egg lump.
11. Grill tools - Lawnranger has some really nice custom ones but a good pair of tongs and a good HEAVY spatula are essential
12. A good set of knives - not 30 or 40 like are advertised on the infomercials but just three will do - a good chef's knife (cannot be too big), a good paring knife and a good boning knife. Oh, yeah, get a good stone for honing and forget about a sharpener. Get them professionally sharpened once a year and you will be fine.
13. A cast iron dutch oven. Great for stews and an amazing list of other things on the grill.
14. About 6 half-size fire bricks. about 4x1x8 Really useful in avariety of ways.[p]That should get you started

Egg_eh

Seattle Todd,
to quote: Wire Brush: Invaluable for brushing after eating.[p]Oral hygiene is important, but I question the use of a wire brush, and would think nylon bristles might be less aggressive on one's teeth. [p]OR, just what the heck are you cooking !![p]OK OK OK, just joking. Too bad I missed this for April Fools day.[p]All have provided excellant advise.