Mini-Egg or ...

sidpost

For a small Kamado, is the Mini-Egg a good choice? 

I'm looking at it and the slightly larger alternate brands that are slightly bigger at the same price.  With the Egg carrier with handles though, it is more expensive than the Vision Grills 'portable' unit.  I should also note that I do not have a BGE dealer anywhere close to me versus the competitors which are within a 30-minute drive.

I realize this is the BGE forum but, I am interested in opinions and comments from people who ACTUALLY USE a ceramic Kamado versus some of the other 'opinions' out there.  I am leaning slightly towards a Vision Grill because of 'local' dealer support and one, shall we say, mixed BGE dealer encounter.

Pro's and Con's of either or both?

TIA,
Sid

hoosier_egger

Find a Costco and buy a Kamado Joe Jr. for 400 bucks. That's what I did and I love it. 

WeberWho

I mini is super fun but I find it to be too small for most cooks and expensive for what you get. I'd look at the small BGE or bigger. Just my personal opinion though...

Photo Egg

Not knocking the ability of the Mini BGE, i have one, but I think it's a poor bang for your buck cooker with todays prices. When i bought mine it was under $200 from the dealer.
They pop used fairly cheap on Craigslist but then you get to warranty on ceramics breaking.
If it were me, and I did not have a good BGE dealer in my area, I would never buy another BGE. I would buy the brand I could easily get serviced. 

Carolina Q

People who don't have a Mini don't seem to have a very high opinion of them (too small, too expensive). Most people who do have them seem to like them! I had one and used it a LOT, far more than I used my large egg, until my dog knocked it over and broke it. Kamado Joe is a good choice too, as is the Vision. But all are (I think) $400-ish! Overpriced for such limited capacity. 

Last summer, I stumbled on the CharGriller Akorn Jr as a replacement for my Mini and I just love it! It's made of steel (insulated) so it won't crack or shatter, though it will dent and I'm sure it will rust eventually. So will a Weber kettle and they are legendary!

14" grid so it's larger than the ones you mentioned, yet it weighs slightly less than a Mini. Has handles so it's easy to carry. No side tables though. Lights fast, gets plenty hot, doesn't burn much lump, affordable spare parts available from the manufacturer. List is about $150, though walmart had them marked down to $75 when I got mine. Walmart, Lowe's and Home Depot show them on their web sites, but only walmart has them available now, in the grilling "off season".

I'd buy another in a heartbeat. I have noticed no performance difference between my Akorn and my LBGE. And the 14" Akorn grid is plenty big for a spatchcocked chicken or a pork butt!

jp646

Carolina Q did you replace the Cast Iron grate with a Stainless?

Carolina Q

jp646 said:

Carolina Q did you replace the Cast Iron grate with a Stainless?

@jp646, if I could find a 14" SS grid, I would. That's just a plated steel weber grid for a Smokey Joe.

RememberTheAlomar

Carolina Q said:

People who don't have a Mini don't seem to have a very high opinion of them (too small, too expensive). Most people who do have them seem to like them! I had one and used it a LOT, far more than I used my large egg, until my dog knocked it over and broke it. Kamado Joe is a good choice too, as is the Vision. But all are (I think) $400-ish! Overpriced for such limited capacity. 

Last summer, I stumbled on the CharGriller Akorn Jr as a replacement for my Mini and I just love it! It's made of steel (insulated) so it won't crack or shatter, though it will dent and I'm sure it will rust eventually. So will a Weber kettle and they are legendary!

14" grid so it's larger than the ones you mentioned, yet it weighs slightly less than a Mini. Has handles so it's easy to carry. No side tables though. Lights fast, gets plenty hot, doesn't burn much lump, affordable spare parts available from the manufacturer. List is about $150, though walmart had them marked down to $75 when I got mine. Walmart, Lowe's and Home Depot show them on their web sites, but only walmart has them available now, in the grilling "off season".

I'd buy another in a heartbeat. I have noticed no performance difference between my Akorn and my LBGE. And the 14" Akorn grid is plenty big for a spatchcocked chicken or a pork butt!

Agreed, for a portable small cooker, this thing is great. I got mine for about 35 from Walmart as it was their last one at the time. 

Mattman3969

I really enjoy my mini but with that said my buddy had an Akorn Jr and it is a good grill too.  

YukonRon

I have a Mini Max, I have found to be very worthy of the investment. It has the same surface area as a small, it is versitile and can cook for up to 4-5.

I use it at home and take it with us for tailgating and camping. For us, it has been extremely enjoyable.

It is a hefty tote, for sure, right at 90 lbs. However, when you grab some ribs and a baked potato off that Mini Max, or pizza, l0after a brutal hike, you are glad to have it. 

Jupiter Jim

Agree with YukonRon 100%

fishlessman

i use a vision kub regularly, they were the same size as the mini. cooks just as good as an egg. if this is your only kamado style then it needs to be bigger. im not a fan of the small or minimax. the minis are all priced way too high, my kub was on clearance for 99 bucks at the time and i jumped on it(vision will not honor my warranty, gave me a bunch of crap when i tried to register it)

epcotisbest

Carolina Q said:

jp646 said:

Carolina Q did you replace the Cast Iron grate with a Stainless?

@jp646, if I could find a 14" SS grid, I would. That's just a plated steel weber grid for a Smokey Joe.

Thank you for the tip on the SJ grid. Gotta get one of those. It will make the Akorn Jr. even lighter and easier to clean when camping. I got mine for $74. Worth every penny.

cookingdude555

I have the mini, mini max, and the akorn jr.  My opinion is they are novelties, novelties that I have no problem spending money for.  But I am a weirdo with several kamados.  If I were buying my first kamado, it wouldn't be a small one.  It would be the XL or L BGE.  My grills of choice to transport around are weber jumbo joes:

https://www.amazon.com/Weber-1211001-Jumbo-18-Inch-Portable/dp/B0098HR0RC/

I have two of them, and they are the same cooking surface as 1 large BGE each.  They are not heavy, and the lid clamps on for easy travel.  Plus I bring a bucket to dump charcoal in and they cool down within minutes of the charcoal being dumped out.  Remember, the small kamado has no voodoo about it, the weber will cook more food, just as good.  Having said that ...:

Chris8938

Like many have said, I would probably go with a little larger than a mini.  I have a mini and I love it, but it is strictly for a meal for me when the wife and kids are out.  Otherwise, I am using the large.  I just picked up a mini-max and haven't tried it out yet.  So I can't speak for that.   

Mikee

The mini is great. It can cook for two people. I use mine almost daily. More than two people and you'll have to be a little creative.