Wife vs. BGE

Unknown

Thanks to everyone for all of the advice reagrding my BGE. Thanks for the laughs, too. She's a good woman, though... she's put up with me for this long, so I recken I better hang on to her.[p]I've gotten several inquiries via email. I assume those are the serious ones. I'll take a picture of the BGE and the table tonight and email it out to those who have responded. Here's a few quick answers to your questions...[p]1) I purchased the egg and table new on 12/31/04 from Log and Lantern in McDonough, Georgia. I paid $833.48 for the large egg, table, accessories, and charcoal.
2) There is nothing wrong with the Egg... it's brand new. We've cooked on it maybe five or six times.
3) In addition to the cedar table, it comes with the usual... grate handler, ash scraper, etc. I even have about half a bag of charcoal left.
4) I'll email the price along with the pictures.[p]Many asked what she hates about it... {deep breath} here you go...
1) it takes too long to start
2) it takes too long to cook
2) too much smoke flavor in the food
3) the cook smells like you wallerd in the ashes
4) it doesn't look "right" on the deck[p]Thanks again for all of the advice and laughs. That's what I love about BGE fans! By the way, I still have friends with BGE's, so all is not lost.

thirdeye

T. Jones,[p]A man has to do what he thinks is right, (and I wouldn't get rid of either my BGE or wife), but just for grins, consider this:[p]Top ten reasons why a BGE is better than a Woman:[p]10. A BGE doesn't mind getting dirty.
9. A BGE doesn't need closet space
8. A BGE never changes its mind
7. A BGE never has a headache
6. A BGE doesn't think you're childish if you like to watch the Three Stooges
5. A BGE doesn't care if you have no culture or manners
4. A BGE never cares when you come home
3. A BGE doesn't have a lawyer
2. A BGE never gets jealous when you admire another mans BGE [p]And the number one reason a BGE is better than a woman: A BGE doesn't care if you keep a bunch of other BGEs around[p]~thirdeye~

katman

T. Jones,[p]Well, good luck. I've heard some of those comments. I took care of item 4 by moving the large egg off the deck and putting the gas grill there. The large egg now sits under the carport extension to my barn/workshop. I've got a frig full of beer and freezer full of food, stereo and TV in the barn. Keep a sleeping bag there, too. It's really nice.[p]I did buy a small egg and put that up on the deck next to the gasser. Take one step at a time...

Citizen Q

T. Jones,
Lets take a look at these "complaints" individually.[p]1) it takes too long to start - Even after stirring the old lump and adding the new, I can get my large Egg up to 1000 degrees and ready for steaks in less time than it took my old 60,000 btu gasser to reach 550 degrees. Hotter sear = tastier steak.[p]2) it takes too long to cook - 1 1/4 inch thick sirloin steaks are done to a perfect medium rare after 45 seconds per side. Medium well takes a full minute per side plus two additional flips for 25 seconds/side. Thicker steaks require a shutdown and dwell period of up to 4 minutes after a 2 minute sear. Even a Steak-Um would still be steak tartar after 6 minutes on a gas grill.[p]2 again) too much smoke flavor in the food - Lost me on this one although I think I can still answer it. Give the fire a full 20 minutes to establish itself, use no wood for smoke flavoring and grill over good hot coals with the top vent open for little to no smoke. This can be accomplished even on low & slows if you establish the fire at the desired temp before adding the food and use no smoking woods.[p]3) the cook smells like you wallerd in the ashes - God gave us indoor plumbing and soap so's we could take showers ya know. [p]4) it doesn't look "right" on the deck - put it on the patio like so: [p][p][p]Cheers,
C~Q

fishlessman

katman,
I've got a frig full of beer and freezer full of food, stereo and TV in the barn. Keep a sleeping bag there, too. It's really nice.
..... sounds like a contingency plan, a change of clean clothes should be in there also : )

katman

fishlessman,
Good idea. Time to add a cedar closet anyways.

Wyldwood

T. Jones,
Even though my wife likes food on the Egg best, I keep my gasser next to the Egg so she can use it. She understands it better because it works like her kitchen range. Just turn it on and be happy with whatever she cooks on it. (I was for years before the Egg). As for the smoke oder, showers work well. My suggestion is to compromise and get her very own gas grill then you have the best of both.

Toy Man

The real reason - [p]4) it doesn't look "right" on the deck

RhumAndJerk

T. Jones,
What Citizen Q has gone into detail about is something that I want to draw attention too. He has hit the nail on the head. What it sounds like is that you are cooking at too low a temperature. Before you send the BGE to someone else, do two things. First, make sure that opening in your fire box is aligned with the draft door. This will not only speed up the heating of the grill, but it is essential to the operation of the BGE.
Next, you may have a bad batch of charcoal. Go to GFS and get some Royal Oak Lump and try it.[p]It sounds like her issues with the BGE are correctable, except No. 4. Sometimes the art is in the food that you will create. I don't recall many people saying that their kitchen looks great because of their stove[p]Hope this helps,
RhumAndJerk

Citizen Q

RhumAndJerk,[p]I think #4 is the most correctable.[p]I'm a contractor and build a lot of decks. One common thread between most of the people that I deal with is that they either don't have enough room for or don't want their grill taking up space on the deck at all. I've taken to designing most new decks with either a 3'x 5' to 6' alcove off to one side to accomodate the grill or arranging easy access to an area down off the deck for a separate spacious cooking area. I personnaly can't stand having a cooker up on the deck, they can take up double the space visually as they do physically giving even a large and otherwise empty area a claustrophobic feeling. My own deck is 15'x 18' and has no room at all for cooking in that space, but the 12'x 12' patio is my year round outdoor kitchen. [p]When setting the cooking area down on a patio, even the most clustered outdoor kitchen can feel much larger when 2 or 3 sides are completely open to the rest of the backyard and your feet are on the ground. [p]Just my thoughts anyway.[p]Cheers,
C~Q

Unknown

I agree with you RhumAndJerk,[p]The first steak I cooked my wife on the grill she thought I had cooked it in the oven because it had no smoke flavor.
Mapp torch and a clean egg with DRY charcoal will start in 15 min. or less (750 degrees) and cook in another 10 or less. Gas will get hot in 12 min (400 degrees) but will take 15-20 min to cook. Meat will be less moist and less crusty on the outside. I also think you got bad coal.[p]Let me tell you go to Rachel Rays 30 min Chicken Enchladias and slow cook the chicken breast for about 25 min @ 280-300 and she will think you are a cooking god.

Wise One

Citizen Q, you bring up a good point about utilizing the patio area rather than the deck. With the patio, it's possible to place the cookers right off the patio whereas with a deck, you can't place them right off the deck unless you build a special alcove for them. My wife is after me to build a patio and move mine to a covered area on it rather than use up porch and deck area.

fishlessman

Citizen Q,
even with the patio, its nice to have an area off to the side where the grill sits. ive been building a 2 teired patio and have an area between them where the grill is going.this seems to be one of those projects that takes forever to get done, going on 2 years with several hundred wheel barrels of fill coming out of the basement. every time i think im close to getting it done the project grows

Hammer

T. Jones,
In my opinion none of the reasons make any sense. The BGE is not exactly an ungly duckling. Hell, I've had a lot of folks on my deck that was uglier than the BGE; in fact the BGE would have won a beauty contest if they they had all been entered.
The problem is, as I see it anyway, is that you have been told get rid of it. So rather than fight for your rights to keep it, you caved!
End of story!
Hammer[p]