Should I pull the trigger on a Minimax?

1move

Well how often do you guys use yours on a weekly bases? 

For or me at least 3 times per week to sometimes even 10 times per week in the summer 

NPHuskerFL

How did a thread that was merely asking what we thought of adding a MM go South so quickly?  Did you get it @reload ?

Danny71

Imo and I have never had to use it. But BGE has the superior warranty and customer service. Reading a lot of post on here and online. 

Danny71

Well for what it's worth this thread and a few others talked me into a mini max. I wanted a portable grill that was cool looking and performs as well. Thanks for all input positive and negative. 

stompbox

So... I wanted a MM, but I am getting quotes for MM is $20 less than a medium.  I am nuts to get a MM right?

SkinnyV

No, we all paid $500-$600 for the MM. There's really no skating around its an expensive piece.

theyolksonyou

stompbox said:

So... I wanted a MM, but I am getting quotes for MM is $20 less than a medium.  I am nuts to get a MM right?

It all depends on your intended use. Do you want to take it with you, or have a second grid at home?

stompbox

theyolksonyou said:

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stompbox said:

So... I wanted a MM, but I am getting quotes for MM is $20 less than a medium.  I am nuts to get a MM right?

It all depends on your intended use. Do you want to take it with you, or have a second grid at home?

For now, I want it as a second Cooker at home.  Down the road, I would like to think I would take it camping when the kids get older.

I question wether people have found the MM useful for camping given that it still weighs a lot, it takes a long time to cool down, and the fact that it is $650 if you (or small kids) accidentally break it.

I can't even see people using this for tailgating for the fact that it takes a while to cool down and then have to worry about CO poisoning on the way home.

I do like the fact that the MM is light enough to put it under shelter if not planning on using it for a period of time even for home use.

Now that it has been out a littlw while, what are thw user thoughts?

YukonRon

Winter XL 4 cooks/week, MM 5 cooks/week. Summer, Spring and Fall XL 4 cooks/week, MM ~10? cooks/week. Doing more camping -BDSA 3 - 4/week

Jeepster47

stompbox said:

... I can't even see people using this for tailgating for the fact that it takes a while to cool down and then have to worry about CO poisoning on the way home. ...

@stompbox ... With the KAB you can dump the burning lump into a bucket of water (I think @NPHuskerFL recommends the ocean) to put out the fire.  Opening all the vents and the lid will cool it down in a reasonable period of time.

theyolksonyou

@stompbox I took mine to the beach last year and cooked in it everyday. I took it to @henapple hoedown last year. I use it in the rain at the edge of the garage(you could do the same with any egg in a nest, I have no nest). We don't do a lot of camping, but as baseball tourneys get longer, I'll take it there. 

Re: long time to cool. I use tongs to take out lump into a small galvanized locking kid can I got at lowes. Leave the done open and it cools pretty quickly b

YukonRon

@stompbox used mine 6 x tailgating, never took more than an hour to cool down once KAB was removed and left open.

NPHuskerFL

Jeepster47 said:

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stompbox said:

... I can't even see people using this for tailgating for the fact that it takes a while to cool down and then have to worry about CO poisoning on the way home. ...

@stompbox ... With the KAB you can dump the burning lump into a bucket of water (I think @NPHuskerFL recommends the ocean) to put out the fire.  Opening all the vents and the lid will cool it down in a reasonable period of time.

Yepper. The Atlantic works wonders on cooling lump (rinse the KAB w/ fresh once home or fresh water is available or don't it's your choice).  Now that the lump is extinguished, dome stays open, reel in the fishing lines, clean-up our area of the beach and the egg is cool enough to transport. Truthfully I've transported it hot also but, I didn't like to do this with the substandard air gap from the factory little carrier nest stubby feet.  This was one of the driving factors in finding kicks that gave some lift while at the same time gave more stability. 

Eggzellent

Danny71..congrats on the MM. Hope that your decision was easier made than mine and that you go overboard with the accessories before even lighting a fire (I have no idea what direction I'm headed with 3 ceramics and a woo). Menards has those skinny/scrappy looking Oklahoma Joe(?) chips on sale for $2/bag around here..so now I've got 4-5 bags each of hickory, mesquite, apple, cherry and who knows what else..for who knows what method of burning them.
It's going to be fun scaling down from the XL.

clifkincaid

Jeepster47 said:

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SmokeyPitt said:

...   I don't mean to sound negative but I just don't see any real evidence that BGE ceramic is superior to any others because they crack all the time under normal use. 

Devils advocate for a minute.  We see a lot of evidence of cracked ceramics on the forum, but most folks on here probably use their eggs more than the general public.  The general public probably doesn't see a crack during the time they own it.  Even if it cracks, they probably don't know it until something falls off.  Yes/No?

My ring and box are cracked. Already got warranty new pieces. Still using cracked items. Over a year so far

Eggzellent

For those undecided on the MM convector vs the various ceramic sizes/woo:
I stacked the following in my current model MM today (my conveggtor is still on order):
KAB
10" stone
10" drip pan
Woo
OEM grill 
Cobb size GrillGrate
12" BGE stone

The 12" stone on top ended up approx. 4.5" from the bottom of the dome opening (top of the dome) and 2.5" higher than the felt level. Not sure how higher is practical for different cooks yet would like to hear about any other set-ups. No pics avail. (sorry). I'm just happy that it all fit nicely.

northGAcock

stompbox said:

So... I wanted a MM, but I am getting quotes for MM is $20 less than a medium.  I am nuts to get a MM right?

I went to purchase a MM as my first egg a little over a year ago.....and found the same. I purchased the Medium at the time. I have now gone back and added the MM with no regrets. Both play a large roll in my cooking strategies.

Jwork328

Do it and don't look back I love mine I also have a large I use the mini max in the week it's a work horse 

stompbox

Wow after looking at a MM vs M in store. One negative for the medium: I flipped the M BGE PS and MM BGE PS back to back and the diameter is exactly the same.

IE you do not get more indirect coverage in the M than the MM (unless they reduced the MM diameter as part of the redesign of the MM for increased airflow?).  I was very surprised. 

Ozzie_Isaac

stompbox said:

Wow after looking at a MM vs M in store. One negative for the medium: I flipped the M BGE PS and MM BGE PS back to back and the diameter is exactly the same.

IE you do not get more indirect coverage in the M than the MM (unless they reduced the MM diameter as part of the redesign of the MM for increased airflow?).  I was very surprised. 

Good eye!  My MM and medium use the same stone from CGS.  10".

thetrim

reload said:

The best wife in the world gave me cash for valentine's day.  I've been thinking about purchasing the Minimax for a while now.  So, what are your thoughts?   We will be using it in addition to our large and for tailgating/camping.

Let;s hijack this thread into what are the WORST things you could buy with the cash your wife gave you for Valentine's Day!

stompbox

Ozzie_Isaac said:

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stompbox said:

Wow after looking at a MM vs M in store. One negative for the medium: I flipped the M BGE PS and MM BGE PS back to back and the diameter is exactly the same.

IE you do not get more indirect coverage in the M than the MM (unless they reduced the MM diameter as part of the redesign of the MM for increased airflow?).  I was very surprised. 

Good eye!  My MM and medium use the same stone from CGS.  10".

Anyone know if it is the same for the small? Or is it smaller?

Ozzie_Isaac

stompbox said:

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Ozzie_Isaac said:

stompbox said:

Wow after looking at a MM vs M in store. One negative for the medium: I flipped the M BGE PS and MM BGE PS back to back and the diameter is exactly the same.

IE you do not get more indirect coverage in the M than the MM (unless they reduced the MM diameter as part of the redesign of the MM for increased airflow?).  I was very surprised. 

Good eye!  My MM and medium use the same stone from CGS.  10".

Anyone know if it is the same for the small? Or is it smaller?

Guess the same.  Original MM used a small fire ring.

shtgunal3

stompbox said:

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Ozzie_Isaac said:

stompbox said:

Wow after looking at a MM vs M in store. One negative for the medium: I flipped the M BGE PS and MM BGE PS back to back and the diameter is exactly the same.

IE you do not get more indirect coverage in the M than the MM (unless they reduced the MM diameter as part of the redesign of the MM for increased airflow?).  I was very surprised. 

Good eye!  My MM and medium use the same stone from CGS.  10".

Anyone know if it is the same for the small? Or is it smaller?

My woo for the small came with a 10" stone

Jai-Bo

Just got my woo fer my new MM!!!  Can't wait to run her!!!  Looking fer a wok fer it now....the ceramic store is sold out so local it will be!

Eggzellent

Congrats!
I had a couple of steaks for my 2nd MM cook and managed to read the manual this time around for my Cobb size Grill Grate. Went direct with nothing but the KAB and OEM grill (underneath the GG) at standard height. The manual suggested to simply light or let burn a few pinches of small smoke shavings/chunks in the GG channels around the meat.
I lit them with a torch, smoked/seared the steaks after the egg/grill seemed to be hot enough..done.
Not sure how things get any easier than that and they tasted great.

northGAcock

1move said:

Well how often do you guys use yours on a weekly bases? 

For or me at least 3 times per week to sometimes even 10 times per week in the summer 

@reload  .....This post has been out there for over a week.....do you have enough info to make a decision? If not, you need to just pony up and go for it. Just bustin on ya....

Tspud1

blind99 said:

I'm dreaming of a custom cart with space for two eggs. Large small combo in a challenger seems like it'd be great. And if I hit the powerball it'll have a TV pop up out of the back

Lg/Med combo

Flashback Bob

I've been away for a long time- before the mini max was even a "thing"!

FWIW- I took my Mini (old school) to a tailgate last weekend and did up some pork tenderloin that was fantastic! Just wanted to share some of the logistics that others may find helpful.

I brought the Egg with no lump in it. Put the lump in a metal can with a tight-fitting metal lid (originally purchased full of Boy Scout popcorn), put that can inside my chimney fire starter (gets the coals going quicker) a Mapp torch, and a small tackle box with leather gloves and cooking equipment. I dumped the coals into the chimney and got them going with the torch (about 60-90 seconds)
when done cooking, I dumped all the remaining coals back into the tin, closed the lid and put it aside. Left the egg with the top open while it cooled and I think it was about 30 minutes later that I put it into the car (too warm for bare hands but not too hot to put in the back of the CRV) put the tin with the now extinguished coals inside the chimney and put that in the car as well.
Then we went to watch Holy Cross (underdog) beat Harvard.
it was a beautiful fall day and the day that we were supposed to show up for the tailgate was the NEXT Saturday!

GrateEggspectations

1move said:

Well how often do you guys use yours on a weekly bases? 

For or me at least 3 times per week to sometimes even 10 times per week in the summer 

Same for me. Makes me strong like bull.