Am I making the right decision? Please help!

shoresdiver

I am a long time propane griller in Florida, who saw an XL BGE at a friend's house, and was amazed at the quality of food he was able to turn out!  I am seriously considering buying one, but need your expert help.  Due to financial and space constraints, if I buy a BGE, it will have to be the only grill I own.  Additionally, living in Miami, theft is a real problem, so the BGE would need to be stored in my garage, and therefore will need to be on a nest and wheeled in and out every evening.

Q#1 - 

Is there anything you would not cook on a BGE?  I.e., do most or all of you also own another propane or charcoal grill?

Q#2 - 

Is there any problem with shutting the vents for 15-20 minutes, and then wheeling the egg into a garage?  Do the coals go out in that amount of time?  I really do not want to experiment with CO poisoning....  Also, the info on the egg says the outside stays "cooler".  Is it still to hot to move after 20 minutes?

Q#3 - 

Is there any problem with wheeling the egg around in the nest?  Does it move easily?  Am I likely to do it damage if I am wheeling it around almost daily?

I have read all of the good comments about BGEs!  I just want to make sure that if I buy one, I will not be thinking I made a mistake a month later -- I will have to live with this decision for about ten years.

Thanks in advance for the help and advice!

733102243

(Disclaimer - I'm in the same situation as you. Doing due dilligence before purchase so, in the time-honored tradition of the blind leading the blind here goes:)

Seems that this forum isn't well monitored. I have some of the same questions that you do. From what I've gleaned here and elsewhere:

Addressing # 3 first:

1  rolling the Egg should always be done by pulling it rather than pushing.

2 there is something called The Nest Handler that makes moving it easier. It's on my list of must haves. Additionally, the casters are apparently available in 3" and 4". The larger caster is more forgiving of pebbles and other irregularities than smaller ones

As for your question #2 - I would not take any chances with CO2 or the danger of setting fire to your garage. Not sure how long it takes for the coals to fully extinguish but embers can lay dormant for a long time. Hopefully someone will address this.

You might also visit these other forums:

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/nwindex.htm - This site is really informative - I've found more information that related to my needs at nakedwhiz than anywhere else.

AND

http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/index.php  Q-talk is probably the forum in which to ask. There are a lot of Egg users there too.

So - good luck on your purchase. I'm taking my time. I've been looking at smokers for several years. Had my heart set on a big heavy offset smoker until I saw the Egg being used in a competition on one of the food channels. I also realized that since I live very close to the ocean, steel would require extra maintenance creating an ongoing battle which the salt air would eventually win; second, I don't have space for the kind of offset cooker that I would like (but it's a great excuse to buy a pickup truck) and third, that such a smoker is complete overkill for my current needs (slow cooking pork ribs, shoulders and grilling the occasional tri-tip). Maybe when I'm ready to cook whole hogs. :-)

Also - there are probably other forums - Google is your friend!

 

 

R2Egg2Q

Here's my opinion on your questions:

 

Q#1 - 

Is there anything you would not cook on a BGE?  I.e., do most or all of you also own another propane or charcoal grill?

 

I honestly can't think of anything I wouldn't cook on an Egg.  If it will fit one of my Eggs I have no issue cooking it on the Egg.  I also own a natural gas grill (goes almost entirely unused), and several other charcoal cookers (drum smoker, Weber Smokey Mountain, gravity feed cabinet smoker, Hasty Bake, kettles, etc...) and without a doubt the Eggs are the most versatile and my favorite.

 

Q#2 - 

Is there any problem with shutting the vents for 15-20 minutes, and then wheeling the egg into a garage?  Do the coals go out in that amount of time?  I really do not want to experiment with CO poisoning....  Also, the info on the egg says the outside stays "cooler".  Is it still to hot to move after 20 minutes?

 

I wheel my Small Egg into the garage after cooks but typically wait at least 90 minutes after cooking before I do so.  I worry less about the exterior heat than the CO.  Some folks keep a steel pail with a tight lid nearby and if they're in a hurry to transport their Egg they put on welding gloves and something to scoop out the lump and put it into the pail and cover with the lid.  The Egg can cool down much quicker without the lump and even faster if you go the extra step and remove the fire ring and firebox and leave the lid open to cool. 

 

Q#3 - 

Is there any problem with wheeling the egg around in the nest?  Does it move easily?  Am I likely to do it damage if I am wheeling it around almost daily?

Don't have much to add to this that 733102243 didn't already say.  No problem wheeling it around.  Would suggest checking nuts & bolts periodically for tightness.  I had issues with the nut on the bottom center where the bars cross in an "+" loosen up but some threadlocker has solved that for me.  The nest (and nest handler) work great on smooth ground.  The handler helps for a little rougher terrain as well.

733102243

Thanks for the info about the coals. I will  keep mine outside but, with a cover. I don't want to repeat a friend's 'cover disaster'. He put the cover back on his gas grill when one of the burners was on low. It takes a long time to remove a melted cover. :-)

Any thoughts about rust prevention? We live on a hill about 3 blocks from the ocean. Great view but, the salt air is a constant battle with any metal, painted surface etc.

My guess is that the nest, handles etc. can be waxed with the same wax I use for the cars but, the hotter areas?

shoresdiver

Thanks for the help!  Since posting, I have gone ahead and decided to buy a large BGE, and am in the process of constructing a table based somewhat on the plans listed on the nakedwhiz website.  Suffice it to say I have learned a lot about wood working (particularly using a jigsaw...) but hope to have the table done by the end of the week.  I will post pictures once it is finished.

I, too, live not far from the ocean, and therefore deterioration of just about everything wood and metal is an issue.  I am putting 3+ coats of spar varnish on all surfaces of the table in the hopes that it will survive for at least several years.

I look forward to being a true member of this forum once the Egg arrives!

gmbbs

Congrats! You will not regret your purchase, and eventually many or your friends will have BGEs too!

JohnInCarolina

LOL the OP was last active on here about five years ago.

MeTed

Congratulations on the new Egg. You can cook or bake anything that will fit on it. I bake bread in a cast iron Dutch oven and later in the day smoke beef jerky. I hope you are as happy with yours as I am with mine, and by the way welcome to the forum we are glad to have you!

MeTed

By the way your Egg is the only cooker you will ever need.

NorthPilot06

Today is the day of 5+ year old posts...

GoldenQ

If I had to move it in and out of my garage every time I used it and it was the only thing I had, I would probably look for something other than an BGE. The lip in front of a garage would be asking for disaster when rolling it over the slight drop or trying to get it up over it. I have a gasser, a charcoal grill, a griddle, and an XL and if I only had one to use I am not sure what it would be but I can leave them all in place and not move all the time.  
With the situation you discussed I would decide what I wanted to cook the make a decision. In your case I would probably try to find a way to have a Large BGE and a small gasser like the webber Q 220 or another webber gasser that size on a good cart plus the LBGE.  The XL is too heavy and the wheel on the nest are too small to be moving all the time without danger of tipping and breaking.  Also, for things like a quick steak or burgers or dogs or quickly grilling salmon or veggies for supper when tired after work the egg is not my favorite thing. I go to my Webber 220 Q or to the Griddle.    

Three options I think should be considered would be 
1-LBGE Plus GOOD small gasser--not cheap gasser
2-LBGE plus 22 inch Blackstone Griddle.  The griddle is great for quick things like burgers, eggs/bacon, vegetables, chicken/rice, Fajatias, etc. and can cook a pretty good steak when used hot like a cast iron skillet for steaks. The 22 in griddle is light and can be easily movet to any table or other place to use it however I would recommend getting a 2X2 FT piece of 11/2 in plywood to place under it to keep heat from tables or etc.
3-Large very good gasser with roll around capability and a MiniMax which can be moved easily.  You can get good griddles which work on gassers for the things a griddle will do also.  And the gassers have rotissere capability which I loved on my last large gasser. also lafrge gassers can do indirect cooking if burners set front to back and larege enough. also can get some but not great smoking capability for the large gassers with chip holding boxes or sections.

While I am not a great lover of pellet grills many are and they can be configured to do low and slow as well as grilling if you get the right one. Meathead on the amazing ribs site thinks they are the coming thing   --   check out his reviews of them and other equipment.

The only thing I can cook on my XL that my friend can not on his large is a long rack of ribs w/o cutting and a big brisket.  Also there are many advantages to the LBGE vs XL if you do not need the xtra space. These are easier to move, more ceramic grill store goodies, quicker to heat up and cool down, less charcoal needed, 

Please read the other posts on here about what to buy and then think about what you want to cook before making any decision. What is best for me may be the worst for you and etc.

Also, you may want to call TOM at the ceramic grill store for info and advice. He is outstanding.

JohnInCarolina

JFC people pay attention to the time stamp on posts.

Yno

People that have been on the forum for fewer than five years probably not have seen that post, so bumping old posts is not a mortal sin. Granted, there have been other posts in that time that address the same subject, but sometimes opinions change.

If it ever comes time to vote on a moderator  for this forum, my vote will NOT go to #JIC. 

JohnInCarolina

Yno said:

People that have been on the forum for fewer than five years probably not have seen that post, so bumping old posts is not a mortal sin. Granted, there have been other posts in that time that address the same subject, but sometimes opinions change.

If it ever comes time to vote on a moderator  for this forum, my vote will NOT go to #JIC. 

Gee, that last part really hurts.

I don’t have a problem with people bumping zombie threads.  I agree with you, sometimes they contain useful info.  My point was more that responding to the OP is probably pointless at this stage.  He/she posted this six years ago, and hasn’t been active here in nearly as many years.  

HendersonTRKing

NorthPilot06

JohnInCarolina said:

Yno said:

People that have been on the forum for fewer than five years probably not have seen that post, so bumping old posts is not a mortal sin. Granted, there have been other posts in that time that address the same subject, but sometimes opinions change.

If it ever comes time to vote on a moderator  for this forum, my vote will NOT go to #JIC. 

Gee, that last part really hurts.

I don’t have a problem with people bumping zombie threads.  I agree with you, sometimes they contain useful info.  My point was more that responding to the OP is probably pointless at this stage.  He/she posted this six years ago, and hasn’t been active here in nearly as many years.  

This. He is probably on his 5th egg by now...

HeavyG

NorthPilot06 said:

Today is the day of 5+ year old posts...

Since this forum doesn't have "sticky posts" or a FAQ like so many other forums I've visited this may be the only way to address some commonly asked questions.

At least that is the excuse I use when I fall for replying to an old dead thread. Glad I caught it this time before suggesting getting a Kick Ash Basket to deal with/remove lit charcoal.

gasman79

I still don’t have a kick ash basket...

bucky925

https://youtu.be/If3SXJeZzMQ

SemolinaPilchard

"I just want to say good luck, we're all counting on you."

Jupiter Jim

733102243 said:

Thanks for the info about the coals. I will  keep mine outside but, with a cover. I don't want to repeat a friend's 'cover disaster'. He put the cover back on his gas grill when one of the burners was on low. It takes a long time to remove a melted cover. :-)

Any thoughts about rust prevention? We live on a hill about 3 blocks from the ocean. Great view but, the salt air is a constant battle with any metal, painted surface etc.

My guess is that the nest, handles etc. can be waxed with the same wax I use for the cars but, the hotter areas?

I lived in Jupiter FL buy the Jupiter inlet between the ocean and the ICW for 8 years with egg in nest on patio east side of house yes the nest had some rust but I still have the nest now after 13 years and it's still going strong. I say don't worry about the salt air! As long as you have a good gasket the egg will shut down quickly and snuff out the fire. As for theft buy a cable that you can run through the nest, handle, hinge and secure to something they can't carry away and your all good. Getting an Egg was one of the best things I have ever purchased.

Yno

@JohnInCarolina Please don't feel singled out. There are many here who would not be my choice for moderator, myself included. If @SGH were at the top, we would only have anus shaving posts...

Some of your posts are thought provoking, some are curse worthy, and I am happy you are here. I just do not want either of us to be at the helm!

Hotch

Wow! Never knew there was a "Pre-Sale Questions" sub forum!
(See below) 

jamesv591

I love my egg.  But i also use my gas grill with side burner more . For now Get an inexpensive gas grill with side burner and a webber little smokey joe.  Learn to cook well. Down the road . Get an Egg and Egcell.
The most important thing.  Learn to cook