New BGE owner.

chmoo

Have wanted a ceramic Kamado-type cooker for quite some time and got one yesterday. Found a large BGE in a local thrift store, won't bore you with the details <-G->.[p]
Just curious, though...with the money I saved, is a BBQ Guru minder a good investment? How sturdy are these things made? Keep in mind that I can dismantle a ball bearing using only a banana. ;-)[p]Looks like the Guru is just the ticket for a lazy man like me. I really like the idea of starting the fire, putting the meat on, setting the Guru, and heading to the pub while the BGE does the work.

The Naked Whiz

chmoo,
The BBQ Guru is the bee's knees. The wireless model is the bee's knees, ankles, shinbones, etc.! I've had a Competitor for over a year now and the wireless model for several months. No problems. They work as advertised and like you say, if you are lazy, they can do a lot of the minding for you. You should still learn to control the temperature yourself, but the Guru is a great tool to simplify your cooking if you are so inclined.[p]TNW

chmoo

Thanks, Whiz. I suspected as much. Guess I'll be ordering one pretty soon.[p]I also have a very large offset horizontal smoker I designed & built several years ago and it makes the *best* smoked turkeys you can imagine. [p]Trouble is, with 20 sq. ft. of cooking area, it's hardly worth firing off for a single bird. Heck, it's just as easy to smoke a dozen turkeys as one on that monster![p]I've gone thru several different small smoker/grills now in search of one that I can duplicate those turkeys on. First impressions of the BGE indicate that I may have just found it.

BBQBluesStringer

chmoo,
You have found nirvana. The big green egg and bbq guru combo will smoke up the best turkey you've ever had. What you probably don't realize yet is that you'll be able to load up the firebox with lump and wood, and do your entire cook without adding any fuel. My stick burner will only go about 4 hours without new lump and/or wood. With the guru on the job, you can do an overnight butt cook and actually sleep 8 hours while you're doing it. One load will burn easy 24 hours.

Smokey

chmoo,[p]That's a great find! Many of us are always on the lookout for such deals.[p]Heck, I'm as lazy as the next guy, but as for the Guru, I have trouble justifying one. Shotgun Fred, BBQ Bob, and the people at BBQ Guru are GREAT and I own some of their other products, but I have NO problem with overnight cooks (due to the egg). My first attempt was not perfect, but the learning curve was really EZ.[p]I would suggest trying a cook or two over night first. If the Guru is for you, you will know it quickly!![p]Just my 2 cents!!![p]"Lazy" Smokey