What is the BGE accessory you regret purchasing the most?

Dondgc

Fun to hear different opinions. Unlike many others, I am very pleased with my Maverick 732, which i bought as soon as it was released.  And I don't regret my platesetter one bit, although I am sure I would find the AR more flexible.

The rib V-rack and the chicken stand thing I bought are a different story though...

I did note that with six pages of regrets, I only noted one person who regretted buying a temperature controller.

DMW

My XL, man that started a long and expensive process...

KiterTodd

I have this weird looking hook thing I asked for, for Christmas.  I saw it somewhere and put the link on my list.  The thing is, I forget what it's for and how you use it.  I think it's to hold the grate against the side of the egg when you are adding charcoal or something. 

I haven't used it yet.  I know I can dig up the link and figure it out, but I think it's funny that I have this thing I don't know what it is and my Egging isn't any worse off for it.  (it didn't come with any instructions, just a box with a piece of metal in it)

It's like a late night order I keep around to deter me from repeating them...    

Grillin_beers

V-rack. It only gets used to make a turkey at thanksgiving and meatloaf 2-4 times a year. 

henapple

Mostly gifts.. Firewire, burger press and a swing rack. This is a great list for new owners. Don't get caught up with buying a bunch of useless stuff. 

YukonRon

No doubt - upright poultry holders. 1 for chicken, 1 for a turkey. I deep fry my turkeys. What was I thinking?

GregW

fishlessman said:

cast iron grid, way over rated in the egg

I agree, I have one and don't use it. I also have a V rack that never gets used.

EggPerfection

I think my Vrack is great but I only need it when I do more than 3 racks. My wife uses in the kitchen for roasts or whatever good stuff she makes that I don't have to manage. Anyway, it been used a good deal and that porcelain cleans showroom clean.
My regret is the turkey stand.  You can stick a turkey of chicken sitting in the any-which-way and they're going to smoke/cook just fine. Never used it in 10+ years.

Essex County

I'll add my vote for the 3-tier cooking grid for the LBGE.  The lowest grid is the same size as the regular grid but there is so little clearance between the lip of the egg and the middle grid that it is pretty useless.  Raise it up?  Great idea except that the top grid keeps the dome from closing!  Always meant to cut off the top grid but never got around to it.

SPRIGS

Swing Rack for my XL from Ceramic Grill Works.  I absolutely loved the thing and used it all of the time but then the bottom grate warped badly.  Judging by the website it looks as though Franco may have fixed the warping issue as it appears they are now selling them again for the XL.  Mine however is useless in its current state.  

clintmiller

I used to think the V-rack was awesome and I used it all the time. Not sure what changed, but now pretty much all I use it for is to drape a brisket across to get it to fit in the LBGE.

The Maverick seemed like such a great idea in theory. But I stopped using it a couple years back after 4 or 5 uses. I think the benefit it was giving me was not greater than the trouble it took to set it up and connect it up to the grate and meat (that's more a statement of how little the benefit is rather than the difficulty of setup). At any rate, I have no intention of using it anymore.

Nothing wrong with the platesetter except that the AR does everything the platesetter does and much, much more. I should have just bought the AR from day 1 and save some money. Trying to save money buying the platesetter ended up costing me more money in the long run when I broke down and bought the AR anyway.

Along those same lines, I tried to find cheap alternatives to second levels of grates for a year or so before breaking down and buying the AR. That led to several wasted purchases, including the BGE grill extender (though I use it on my Jumbo Joe now) and the swivel grate thing that the forum did the group buy for sometime back (I bought the swivel thing from my dealer, though). Again, should have just bought the AR from day 1.

I'll cast another vote for the BGE Cookbook. Nowhere near as good a source as this forum. Maybe once a year I feel guilty about buying it and cook some recipe in it out of guilt.

Not sure if it's a BGE product or not, but sometime back I bought from my dealer a flat round metal pan with holes all over the bottom for cooking vegetables. It's such a pain to clean that I think I've used it three times in 2 years. Much easier to put vegetables directly on the grate or on foil if I'm afraid they'll fall through.

I think that's the complete list of stuff I've bought that I don't really use. Kind of depressing to think about how much I've spent on that stuff. The moral is to buy an AR and Thermapen from day 1, and then you'll probably end up saving a bunch of money.

Turning the thread around, here are good grilling purchases I've made that I use all the time:

LBGE
AR/extender/half moon stone/R&B combo
paella pan
ash tool
thermapen
harbor freight weed burner
welder's gloves
meat handling gloves
high-que grate
bge dutch oven
cast iron pan
weber chimney
weber jumbo joe, height extender, hinged grate
web 22" kettle (bought used in immaculate condition for $30, previous owner only used it twice)
good knives
good cutting board

Looking at it that way, way more hits than misses. :-)

HoustonEgger

The half moon raised grid. Good idea in theory - just not useful for me

blakeas

I use my platesetter all the time for indirect cooks.  I like how it is deep so I can use a tin poil pan to catch drippings.  However, in reading this trhead it seems everyone has an adjustable rig or Woo.  Why is an AR so loved? 

bettysnephew

blakeas said:

I use my platesetter all the time for indirect cooks.  I like how it is deep so I can use a tin poil pan to catch drippings.  However, in reading this trhead it seems everyone has an adjustable rig or Woo.  Why is an AR so loved? 

I am quite new to the AR/Woo2 combo for my XL but it does the same job as the platesetter and so much more. The Woo2 with the ceramic plate takes the place of the platesetter. The W2 with a CI skillet placed in the bottom preheating is used for reverse searing while steaks are cooked above on the grid. The AR can be used for raised direct or to place humongous amounts of indirect protein in the Egg without resorting to a bunch of jerry rigging of bricks, bolts or flimsy raised racks.  My Eggcessory storage box has far fewer loose parts housed within since getting the W2/AR. I am sure there are others that can expound further, but when my platesetter cracked and I priced a new one, the additional cost of the W2/AR became much more acceptable to me. If I had known of the versatility when I initially purchased my Egg, I would have forgone the PS. Either wait until your PS cracks to buy the W2 and just purchase the AR only now or take advantage of the AR/W2 Combo package deal discounts.

Biff_Tannen

Really surprised with the CI grid hate. I probably use that more than anything I have. It gets super hot and is perfect for searing steaks IMO. 

HoustonEgger

RRP said:

Here's another item I never used - the multiple rib rack. I bought it the day I bought my first egg. 

@RRP - why don't you use it? I use mine every time I cook ribs (I do 3 racks at a time, cut in half) - and then I'll flip this and use it for roasts or even the thanksgiving bird.

RRP

HoustonEgger said:

RRP said:

Here's another item I never used - the multiple rib rack. I bought it the day I bought my first egg. 

@RRP - why don't you use it? I use mine every time I cook ribs (I do 3 racks at a time, cut in half) - and then I'll flip this and use it for roasts or even the thanksgiving bird.

I only do 1 rack at a time vs your 3, and I also cut mine in half. I just don't see the need to use it and then have to clean it. As for a T-D bird I use a roaster that has it's own rack.

Legume

I prepaid a ten year forum membership, kinda bored after two.

Greedygoat

My Maverick 733, still in it's box, never been used and I can't imagine I ever will.

Little Steven

Am I the only one that wasn't thrilled with the calzone maker?

Jstroke

I have to admit I have only bought three things since I bought my egg a weed burner a pizza stone and a new stainless steel grid after the original rusted out and I use all of them constantly

RRP

Little Steven said:

Am I the only one that wasn't thrilled with the calzone maker?

OK - I'll bite...what part of using it didn't work for you? Or did you buy one on the high end machines?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8DNm2xVqOY