Big Green Eggers ... A Different Breed.

fishlessman

ive been cave manning lamb roasts on an open fire  since high school, searing in the hot coals and building indirect setups with granite rocks and finish roasting. try and get a whole leg of lamb out of the bottom of an egg during the searing process on the red hot coals. give me a campfire anyday. i still thing chicken parts are better out of a weber but easier with an egg

ryantt

The truth be told the egg is not the best cooker there is; however, it may be one of the most versatile.  I think my UDS produces A better brisket or butts than my egg. The Webber kettle makes steak and chicken just as good if not better.  wood fired pizza ovens make a better pie than my egg.   However with all of that said, my egg produces some great eats...I think of the egg as the Swiss Army knife of the grill world.  

SoCalTim

I like when a post rises up from the dead ...

SmokingPiney

SoCalTim said:

I like when a post rises up from the dead ...

Yeah, nice necro........

fishlessman

SoCalTim said:

I like when a post rises up from the dead ...

milesofsmiles is just catching up, reading everythread since august 2014, its alot to read. its not like you can just jump right back in

Theophan

FanOfFanboys said:

that post I made was June 2014

I don't think he runs/owns that site anymore

https://www.instagram.com/el_pescadero805/

that shows his pics, though it also contains non-food stuff

Ah... hadn't noticed the date.  Pretty pictures, sorry I missed the site that had more information on the grilling.  Thanks!

northGAcock

Focker said:

@Mickey,

Some things, never change.  >:)

 

You can't be too safe with chicken. 

jtcBoynton

SoCalTim said:

A couple scattered thoughts ...

I think when you see someone who owns a BGE, it's says alot about who they are. Using a BGE is not a simple thing (at first) there's quite a learning curve, that's not to say people who use charcoal and or gas grills are 'dumb' but, I think just 'bout anyone can show up where there's a grill, light a fire, throw some dogs and burgers on and call it a 'meal.'

Now, I mean no disrespect to anyone who uses a Weber, but try to imagine someone who's never seen a BGE showing up at someone's home and try to use it for the very first time.

I love my egg ... I absolutely love the lifestyle.

Using a Weber kettle many seem easier than an egg - but it is the the same. A round container  with an adjustable air intake on the bottom, a pile of charcoal in the bottom that has to be lit, a cooking grate, a top to be placed on it with an adjustable vent on the top.  Anyone who understands how to fire up a weber would be able to fire up a BGE.  Yes there are differences in performance between sheet metal and ceramic cooking vessels, but they use the same fire management skills.  Propane is, however, a different animal.

HeavyG

jtcBoynton said:

SoCalTim said:

A couple scattered thoughts ...

I think when you see someone who owns a BGE, it's says alot about who they are. Using a BGE is not a simple thing (at first) there's quite a learning curve, that's not to say people who use charcoal and or gas grills are 'dumb' but, I think just 'bout anyone can show up where there's a grill, light a fire, throw some dogs and burgers on and call it a 'meal.'

Now, I mean no disrespect to anyone who uses a Weber, but try to imagine someone who's never seen a BGE showing up at someone's home and try to use it for the very first time.

I love my egg ... I absolutely love the lifestyle.

Using a Weber kettle many seem easier than an egg ...

I'd argue that a kamado is actually easier to use than a kettle given how stable ceramic cookers can be in all types of weather.

yljkt

HeavyG said:

jtcBoynton said:

SoCalTim said:

A couple scattered thoughts ...

I think when you see someone who owns a BGE, it's says alot about who they are. Using a BGE is not a simple thing (at first) there's quite a learning curve, that's not to say people who use charcoal and or gas grills are 'dumb' but, I think just 'bout anyone can show up where there's a grill, light a fire, throw some dogs and burgers on and call it a 'meal.'

Now, I mean no disrespect to anyone who uses a Weber, but try to imagine someone who's never seen a BGE showing up at someone's home and try to use it for the very first time.

I love my egg ... I absolutely love the lifestyle.

Using a Weber kettle many seem easier than an egg ...

I'd argue that a kamado is actually easier to use than a kettle given how stable ceramic cookers can be in all types of weather.

How about a metal Kamado? The new Weber charcoal seems to be the thing. Never really spent any time around one but seems to have a fan base.  

HeavyG

yljkt said:

HeavyG said:

jtcBoynton said:

SoCalTim said:

A couple scattered thoughts ...

I think when you see someone who owns a BGE, it's says alot about who they are. Using a BGE is not a simple thing (at first) there's quite a learning curve, that's not to say people who use charcoal and or gas grills are 'dumb' but, I think just 'bout anyone can show up where there's a grill, light a fire, throw some dogs and burgers on and call it a 'meal.'

Now, I mean no disrespect to anyone who uses a Weber, but try to imagine someone who's never seen a BGE showing up at someone's home and try to use it for the very first time.

I love my egg ... I absolutely love the lifestyle.

Using a Weber kettle many seem easier than an egg ...

I'd argue that a kamado is actually easier to use than a kettle given how stable ceramic cookers can be in all types of weather.

How about a metal Kamado? The new Weber charcoal seems to be the thing. Never really spent any time around one but seems to have a fan base.  

The new Weber Summit Charcoal is an insulated shell so it functions similarly to a ceramic cooker. So...easier.

SmokingPiney

I think the pricing of BGEs tends to bring the more serious cooks into the fold. Most of us have started on other cookers and are looking for a higher game.

This said, the BGE's greatest strength is versatility.......but it's not a master at all styles. It's a great grill, indirect cooker, and oven, but it's weakness is smoking. It just falls short of what a dedicated smoker can do. 

I've met a few BGE owners that evangelize them as the be all and end all of cookers. I am not one of them. I love my BGE, and I don't see myself as a "different breed". 

Meeeshigan22

ryantt said:

The truth be told the egg is not the best cooker there is; however, it may be one of the most versatile.  I think my UDS produces A better brisket or butts than my egg. The Webber kettle makes steak and chicken just as good if not better.  wood fired pizza ovens make a better pie than my egg.   However with all of that said, my egg produces some great eats...I think of the egg as the Swiss Army knife of the grill world.  

Maybe not the best at any one thing, but the fact that kamado grills are good to very good at many things makes it the best cooker no? Versatile is a good word, I can't think of anything more versatile.

Suppose it's how you cook em, but I can't see a kettle doing a better job at steak and chicken. 

TN_Sister_State

I chose the egg based on its versatility alone. I loved the idea that one cooking machine could literally do it all from low and slow to some really good brick oven style pizza at 500 and everything in between. Will get a joetisserie for it soon as well. 

Theophan

SmokingPiney said:

I think the pricing of BGEs tends to bring the more serious cooks into the fold. Most of us have started on other cookers and are looking for a higher game.

This said, the BGE's greatest strength is versatility.......but it's not a master at all styles. It's a great grill, indirect cooker, and oven, but it's weakness is smoking. It just falls short of what a dedicated smoker can do.

I've thought about why I love the BGE so very much more than any charcoal or gas grills I've used over the years, and partly, I truly do think they're just better and I get better food out of them, but I also agree that I pay more attention and put more care into cooking on the Egg than I used to on a Weber kettle grill or a gas grill, and surely that's part of it, too.

I disagree, at least partly, about the Egg not being much of a smoker.  I am sure that they aren't as good as a wood burning pit -- no doubt.  But first, I tried to get smoky flavor on a Weber kettle and a Weber gas grill, years ago, and I get DRASTICALLY better smoke flavor on my Egg. I think the BGE comparison is appropriately to those, and compared to those, it's a drastically better smoker, in my own experience anyway.  And second, I like my smoked BBQ better than any local BBQ I've had in NC from "real" BBQ pits.  The style near me, anyway, is for BBQ that's been smoked in a pit, but it hardly ever tastes like it to me.  The smoke flavor is so mild as to be almost nonexistent.  So, again, while I agree that if I had a stick burner like on BBQ Pit Masters I'd do even better, I would hardly call smoking a "weakness" of the BGE -- in my own experience, anyway, the appropriate comparison is to other smoker-grills, and compared to any other charcoal grill I've ever used, or gas grill, or even nearby professional BBQ pits, the BGE is a wonderful smoker!  Bottom line:  It's a good enough smoker that I have no interest in buying any other smoker to cook ribs, brisket, pork butt, etc...  I'm sure a "real" stick burner would be better, but my BGEs are more than good enough for me.  I'm VERY happy with the smoked food I cook.

jabam

All I know is I'm keeping my Egg and my Harley!

outdoorsmin

FanOfFanboys said:

Theophan said:

FanOfFanboys said:

http://www.thefoodkey.com/

That is my buddies website. He does 100% grilling/smoking on Weber. Amazing food. Guy is a beast on a Weber and proof of how much great stuff can come from one. 

Um... I'm not sure why your friend thinks a food blog needs security, but when I tried to look at it, it demanded I log in with a password...

that post I made was June 2014

I don't think he runs/owns that site anymore

https://www.instagram.com/el_pescadero805/

that shows his pics, though it also contains non-food stuff

"Non-Food"??? anything good

Mosca

This year I added a Weber Kettle with the Slow & Sear accessory alongside my BGE, and I couldn't be happier with the combination.

I think that the learning curve for either is pretty freakin' simple. I think it took maybe 3 cooks for me to learn how to dial in a temp for low & slow on the BGE and avoid the rebounding; with that knowledge it took me one on the Weber. But if I had the Weber first, it would have probably taken three cooks, and then one on the BGE. A bigger issue was learning to control the smoke, learning to wait for it to clear before cooking, but I also think that the effect of the initial smoke is overstated; it clears pretty quickly, and 15 minutes of grey smoke isn't going to kill a 20 hour brisket cook. This isn't much of an issue using briquets, waiting for them to ash over also clears the initial smoke.

My opinion, having put some time into understanding both rigs, is that anyone could be happy with either one alone, and happier with both together. I have to give a huge edge to the BGE for longer cooks; I haven't been able to get the kettle past 6 hours without a reload (but I also have to say that I'm not motivated to test it past that, either). For grilling the Weber's 22" diameter kills the BGE's 18", a problem obviously solved by using an XL, but the L is a better all around BGE IMO. The Weber does 2 zone much better than the BGE.

They're tools. Fire tools. Each will do the same as the other, with workarounds. IMO the best setup is having both.

Ladeback69

Theophan said:

SmokingPiney said:

I think the pricing of BGEs tends to bring the more serious cooks into the fold. Most of us have started on other cookers and are looking for a higher game.

This said, the BGE's greatest strength is versatility.......but it's not a master at all styles. It's a great grill, indirect cooker, and oven, but it's weakness is smoking. It just falls short of what a dedicated smoker can do.

I've thought about why I love the BGE so very much more than any charcoal or gas grills I've used over the years, and partly, I truly do think they're just better and I get better food out of them, but I also agree that I pay more attention and put more care into cooking on the Egg than I used to on a Weber kettle grill or a gas grill, and surely that's part of it, too.

I disagree, at least partly, about the Egg not being much of a smoker.  I am sure that they aren't as good as a wood burning pit -- no doubt.  But first, I tried to get smoky flavor on a Weber kettle and a Weber gas grill, years ago, and I get DRASTICALLY better smoke flavor on my Egg. I think the BGE comparison is appropriately to those, and compared to those, it's a drastically better smoker, in my own experience anyway.  And second, I like my smoked BBQ better than any local BBQ I've had in NC from "real" BBQ pits.  The style near me, anyway, is for BBQ that's been smoked in a pit, but it hardly ever tastes like it to me.  The smoke flavor is so mild as to be almost nonexistent.  So, again, while I agree that if I had a stick burner like on BBQ Pit Masters I'd do even better, I would hardly call smoking a "weakness" of the BGE -- in my own experience, anyway, the appropriate comparison is to other smoker-grills, and compared to any other charcoal grill I've ever used, or gas grill, or even nearby professional BBQ pits, the BGE is a wonderful smoker!  Bottom line:  It's a good enough smoker that I have no interest in buying any other smoker to cook ribs, brisket, pork butt, etc...  I'm sure a "real" stick burner would be better, but my BGEs are more than good enough for me.  I'm VERY happy with the smoked food I cook.

@Theophan, I agree a lot with what you say here.  My first smoker was a Weber Smokey Mountain and it produced decent food, but it seems to take more effort to getting a fire going and using the water pan is a pain to me.  I know only use it If I am doing a large cook because my BGE is so much easier to get up to temp and takes less effort to maintain.

I also agree I get better flavor then a lot of the BBQ restaurants in KC to me except for the ones that in the top 10 in the city.  I have been to BBQ joints where all I taste is heavy oak smoke and not the meat and it is dry or you get a slab of ribs that look like they have hardly any meat on them at all.  I feel I make a pretty good product from cooking on the BGE and I love how versatile it is.  I can't afford to have a pizza over, stand alone smoker and a stand alone grill.  I have had chicken from a Weber Kettle and it was good, but I think the way I make chicken on the BGE is better.  I have a portable gas grill that I use from time to time, but my wife and I don't like the flavor of propane much so it only gets used when we are in a hurry.

The BGE may not be the best at one thing, but it great at a lot of things.  That is why I bough it and love cooking on it.  If I ever get into catering I will probably buy a stand alone smoker, but for now the BGE is enough.  Also this forum makes it more fun to cook on.

billt01

SkinnyV said:

Yes $400 for a mini..... I would say we are. Its the bling of BBQ!

400 bucks isn't that much for a good grill/smoker...
some would actually say the egg is a steal at 4 hundy...