Met Big Joe at Buc-ees last night

Photo Egg

Stopped at Buc-ees last light on my way home from work to top off with gas. After 1 1/2 hours fighting rodeo and spring break traffic I needed a little break so did a quick walk through the store looking for deals for my friend @caliking as the gas pump was ticking away.
Right up front was Big Joe and Classic Joe with all the new features. This was my first hands on look at the mods. I'm familiar with the old versions and have cooked on both the Big Joe and the Classic. 
The locking latch was easy to pop open and close with one hand. The gaskets look to be beefy, fantastic quality and I really like the hinge system. The dome can be raised and lifted completely out of the way with only minimal intrusion from the back hinge. Was way different than my XL. Grilling with the dome open would be great. The adjustable dome cap was also nice. I did not yank the guts out to play with the fire box so no comments. Buc-ees had both priced at full retail but I had to stand in line to get my look as they were drawing a crowd. I'm fully stocked with green ceramics right now but I did like the new upgrades. Is the locking latch something I would get used to or would it grow to be a pain in the *ss? Who knows for sure...
Snapped 2 photos.

Ladeback69

I like the color.  The dome seems kind of low and I am  used to doing two levels of cooking on my XL.  It looks like you couldn't get the food very far up past the felt line.  I don't like the looks of the next it is sitting in.  How much were they listed at in price?

Photo Egg

Ladeback69 said:

I like the color.  The dome seems kind of low and I am  used to doing two levels of cooking on my XL.  It looks like you couldn't get the food very far up past the felt line.  I don't like the looks of the next it is sitting in.  How much were they listed at in price?

Agree, the dome is squatty, similar to older style XL BGE dome. But my camera angle and wide view also exaggerate this a little. The stands are actually very stable. How they stand up over time I don't know. My BGE Nests rust and look horrible in 2-3 years just like the bands. My BGE XL is on its 3rd band and 2nd Nest and these were not warrantee covered.
Both were listed at full retail, $1899 and $1199. I think this is more marketing than selling as Buc-ees has thousands of people in and out every day.

YEMTrey

I'd have to put it in a table.  I HATE those nests.  Something that's so easy to improve upon.

bhedges1987

I wish BGE used better bands/hinges and gaskets.

DaveRichardson

I believe that BGE will be making some changes in the next year or two to the hinges and gasket that they have now.  Those are always a big problem with eggs.  A simple ridge along the base and along the dome to secure the bands better to prevent the dome falling out makes sense.  And a gasket that is usually  roached out in 1 to 1.5 year is poor design.

Photo Egg

YEMTrey said:

I'd have to put it in a table.  I HATE those nests.  Something that's so easy to improve upon.

I does look more like a rolling plant stand. But also very sturdy with better wheels. My brothers "teak" looking side tables...now they were crap.

caliking

This is funny @Photo Egg because I was thinking of trying to entice you the other day. KJ roadshow is on at the Pearland  Costco. Their Big Block lump was going for $30 per 40lb bundle. 

Interesting choice re displaying/selling at Buc-ees. Cool store to stop by every now and then.

thetrim

YEMTrey said:

I'd have to put it in a table.  I HATE those nests.  Something that's so easy to improve upon.

That's the first thing I thought as well.

Photo Egg

caliking said:

This is funny @Photo Egg because I was thinking of trying to entice you the other day. KJ roadshow is on at the Pearland  Costco. Their Big Block lump was going for $30 per 40lb bundle. 

Interesting choice re displaying/selling at Buc-ees. Cool store to stop by every now and then.

The red bag KJ lump I purchased from Ceramc Grill Store a few years ago was the best lump I have ever used. 

4Runner

Sure wish we had a Big Joe forum here.  That would be awesome. 

GATraveller

Looks like a 7 year old Indonesian girl made that nest. The red KJ lump is a good quality item. 

SemolinaPilchard

Photo Egg said  "... a rolling plant stand."  As Letterman used to say "once again Paul, you have crystallized my thoughts eloquently." 

Mickey

Remember several Mini's bottom half breaking in half with the same nest. 

bigbadben

Mickey said:

Remember several Mini's bottom half breaking in half with the same nest. 

Different next. There is no pressure from the ring on the body. The grill sits on crossbars. The ring is added insurance against tipping. I helped a buddy set up his. 

Killit_and_Grillit

Buccees is the BEST. That would be the biggest impulse buy I have made there...but it would be close. 

caliking

Photo Egg said:

caliking said:

This is funny @Photo Egg because I was thinking of trying to entice you the other day. KJ roadshow is on at the Pearland  Costco. Their Big Block lump was going for $30 per 40lb bundle. 

Interesting choice re displaying/selling at Buc-ees. Cool store to stop by every now and then.

The red bag KJ lump I purchased from Ceramc Grill Store a few years ago was the best lump I have ever used. 

Let me know if you want some. It's 5 mins from my house. I can load up the truck. I have a few hundred lbs of lump in the garage , so I don't need any right now. 

HeavyG

YEMTrey said:

I'd have to put it in a table.  I HATE those nests.  Something that's so easy to improve upon.

You can buy them without the nest.

Mickey

caliking said:

Photo Egg said:

caliking said:

This is funny @Photo Egg because I was thinking of trying to entice you the other day. KJ roadshow is on at the Pearland  Costco. Their Big Block lump was going for $30 per 40lb bundle. 

Interesting choice re displaying/selling at Buc-ees. Cool store to stop by every now and then.

The red bag KJ lump I purchased from Ceramc Grill Store a few years ago was the best lump I have ever used. 

Let me know if you want some. It's 5 mins from my house. I can load up the truck. I have a few hundred lbs of lump in the garage , so I don't need any right now. 

Do you like this red bag KJ lump better than Ozark Oak?

I'm down to last 13 bags of Ozark Oak and starting to have withdrawal. 

Photo Egg

Mickey said:

caliking said:

Photo Egg said:

caliking said:

This is funny @Photo Egg because I was thinking of trying to entice you the other day. KJ roadshow is on at the Pearland  Costco. Their Big Block lump was going for $30 per 40lb bundle. 

Interesting choice re displaying/selling at Buc-ees. Cool store to stop by every now and then.

The red bag KJ lump I purchased from Ceramc Grill Store a few years ago was the best lump I have ever used. 

Let me know if you want some. It's 5 mins from my house. I can load up the truck. I have a few hundred lbs of lump in the garage , so I don't need any right now. 

Do you like this red bag KJ lump better than Ozark Oak?

I'm down to last 13 bags of Ozark Oak and starting to have withdrawal. 

Mickey, I don't know if it's still the same as it was a couple years ago.
Very different than OO. It's clean but not as clean as OO but it was very heavy and dense. Burned a very long time and had very little ash.
@caliking I already had about 30 bags before  stumbled across the center cut lump on sale for $5.00 a box. I had to put boxes inside my hanging kayak.lol

caliking

For a moment I thought that was a pic of the store display. Until I saw the kayak.

Good to know that I'm not the only one with a hoarding problem

tjv

looks like they still have stand fitting issues.  The cooker looks to be wedged into the upper ring.  Can't tell ya, how many of those upper legs we had to cut down when we carried them.  

Photo Egg said:

Agree, the dome is squatty, similar to older style XL BGE dome. But my camera angle and wide view also exaggerate this a little. The stands are actually very stable. How they stand up over time I don't know. 

The stands are fabricated from the same material as egg stands - powder coated steel.  

t

    

Photo Egg

tjv said:

looks like they still have stand fitting issues.  The cooker looks to be wedged into the upper ring.  Can't tell ya, how many of those upper legs we had to cut down when we carried them.  

Photo Egg said:

Agree, the dome is squatty, similar to older style XL BGE dome. But my camera angle and wide view also exaggerate this a little. The stands are actually very stable. How they stand up over time I don't know. 

The stands are fabricated from the same material as egg stands - powder coated steel.  

t

    

You are able to confirm that the BGE stands and the KJ stands both use the same grade of steel as well as the prep and powder coating being the same quality?

blasting

@Photo_Egg I like your display.  Someone may correct me,  but I don't believe our nests are powder coated - just regular paint.

Photo Egg

blasting said:

@Photo_Egg I like your display.  Someone may correct me,  but I don't believe our nests are powder coated - just regular paint.

I don't know either. I do know that Tom knows his metals.
The constant humidity and salt in the air really does a number on my BGE Nests, bands/hinge and cast iron daisy wheel. And I'm not claiming the KJ would do any better.

blasting

@Photo Egg

I hadn't seen  above where Tom said they were powder coated.  This is confirmed on the BGE website.  Somewhat surprising given how much they are negatively affected by the elements.

Photo Egg

blasting said:

@Photo Egg

I hadn't seen  above where Tom said they were powder coated.  This is confirmed on the BGE website.  Somewhat surprising given how much they are negatively affected by the elements.

I don't know why they rust so bad. My friend, that lives only a few blocks away, has some patio furniture that is powder coated. She said they are over 10 years old and finish is near perfect with no rust. New regulation on paint equal poor quality powder coating? I know zero about powder coating or most paint for that matter. I would pay $100.00 more for good quality stainless bands.

tjv

Photo Egg said:

tjv said:

looks like they still have stand fitting issues.  The cooker looks to be wedged into the upper ring.  Can't tell ya, how many of those upper legs we had to cut down when we carried them.  

Photo Egg said:

Agree, the dome is squatty, similar to older style XL BGE dome. But my camera angle and wide view also exaggerate this a little. The stands are actually very stable. How they stand up over time I don't know. 

The stands are fabricated from the same material as egg stands - powder coated steel.  

t

    

You are able to confirm that the BGE stands and the KJ stands both use the same grade of steel as well as the prep and powder coating being the same quality?

I can't confirm but carbon steel and powder coating is the most common and fastest production processes.  The kjoe stand is not iron, as many folks think.   On cart/nest quality, Kjoe is made in China and BGE is made in the USA.  

Check the picture, upper stand ring just above left side of slider.  Looks like the paint if gone in couple spots.  Also, commons spots for chips is where the upper ring legs slide into the knuckle on the lower stand.  Upper ring legs did not match up with the knuckles so had to force them to fit. 

They put the big joe in the stand backwards.........Just a little fyi.

t

     

Dobie

Photo Egg said:

blasting said:

@Photo Egg

I hadn't seen  above where Tom said they were powder coated.  This is confirmed on the BGE website.  Somewhat surprising given how much they are negatively affected by the elements.

I don't know why they rust so bad. My friend, that lives only a few blocks away, has some patio furniture that is powder coated. She said they are over 10 years old and finish is near perfect with no rust. New regulation on paint equal poor quality powder coating? I know zero about powder coating or most paint for that matter. I would pay $100.00 more for good quality stainless bands.

Patio furniture isn't heated to several hundred degrees and cooled over and over. Expansion and contraction at work here. 

Photo Egg

Dobie said:

Photo Egg said:

blasting said:

@Photo Egg

I hadn't seen  above where Tom said they were powder coated.  This is confirmed on the BGE website.  Somewhat surprising given how much they are negatively affected by the elements.

I don't know why they rust so bad. My friend, that lives only a few blocks away, has some patio furniture that is powder coated. She said they are over 10 years old and finish is near perfect with no rust. New regulation on paint equal poor quality powder coating? I know zero about powder coating or most paint for that matter. I would pay $100.00 more for good quality stainless bands.

Patio furniture isn't heated to several hundred degrees and cooled over and over. Expansion and contraction at work here. 

I can see where that hold true to the bands but my nest is rusting the exactly the same. Even the lower sections not close to the heat. They are equally rusting like the band. No expansion and contraction except ambient temperature and sun exposure. 

pgprescott

Photo Egg said:

Dobie said:

Photo Egg said:

blasting said:

@Photo Egg

I hadn't seen  above where Tom said they were powder coated.  This is confirmed on the BGE website.  Somewhat surprising given how much they are negatively affected by the elements.

I don't know why they rust so bad. My friend, that lives only a few blocks away, has some patio furniture that is powder coated. She said they are over 10 years old and finish is near perfect with no rust. New regulation on paint equal poor quality powder coating? I know zero about powder coating or most paint for that matter. I would pay $100.00 more for good quality stainless bands.

Patio furniture isn't heated to several hundred degrees and cooled over and over. Expansion and contraction at work here. 

I can see where that hold true to the bands but my nest is rusting the exactly the same. Even the lower sections not close to the heat. They are equally rusting like the band. No expansion and contraction except ambient temperature and sun exposure. 

Mine has sat out for twelve years now with no rust.