OT...Insufferable evangelists...

HeavyG

We all know MORE than one:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-06-14/5-best-grills-weber-traeger-everdure-kalamazoo-big-green-egg

HeavyG

Shots fired...

TEXASBGE2018

HeavyG said:

Shots fired...

They are clearly jealous.   I've owned many diff types of grills, I get that itch from my father who has also owned multiple types of grills over decades and currently has 6 in his collection of varying types. "Dylan" in the post above clearly is a moron because of all that bunch the Traeger is the one that requires no skill. The Egg requires and develops your cooking abilities. Lets see how many steaks you can sear at 700 in a Traeger, and then turn around and cook a peach cobbler,oh wait.... Ive experienced all cost levels of Grills from a $4,000 gasser to a $59 kettle and nothing can come close to the versatility of an egg. Then again I am just preaching to the clearly superior Choir here.

DoubleEgger

Can I get an Amen? 

SemolinaPilchard

They need to talk to Rumsfeld, and learn how to know what they don't know.

YukonRon

Everybody in my Chicago lab has bought a BGE, except one, and he thinks he is the expert. He has a Traeger.

Last time I was up there, we did pizza on the BGE's. No Traeger pizza made the buffet.

Felt sorry for Mr. Knowitall.

TEXASBGE2018

If you gotta plug your grill in there's your 1st mistake.

SonVolt

I'm more shocked that a $1,700 Weber exists. 

distanceman

Admittedly I was once a doubter of the BGE. Loved my Weber Kettle—had it for 8 years or so. Finally landed an XL BGE and quickly realized nothing compares to the ease and versatility. 

What i I think some people don’t understand (maybe that Dylan guy) is that ease does not equal easy. I can get a fire from 225 to 700 with ease; however it is not easy to perfect a 20 oz ribeye (Maybe a lil thicker than 1/2”) or a 15# brisket, and then everything in between. 

Alas, glad I’m an insufferable evangelist now...I’m ok letting folks think a Traeger is the end all be all. But it ain’t. 

SandyHookEgger

Wow! I’m both a cultist and an evangelist. Never would of thought. 
Actually I thought this was going to be a Jim and Tammy Faye or Swaggert thread.

Foghorn

@SunVolt, that $1700 Weber is a sweet grill.  My XL BGE cost me $1700 out the door with all the accessories I bought so it's not really more expensive than the BGE.  The competition team I hang with is partially sponsored by Weber in that they have cooked their chicken on a Weber kettle, but they are being forced to "upgrade" to the Summit Kamado.  It probably won't be much of an upgrade for them given that they just cook halfcocked chicken on it, but it seems better insulated than an egg - which can be good or bad.  And given the people spend much more than $1700 for their Summit gas grills, I suspect this reaches the same market.  

I've also had people tell me the steaks they cook on their Traegers at 600 degrees are the best they've ever had.  I've got no reason to doubt them.

I guess I'm not much of an evangelist....  I just think the egg is the best all-around grill, but I won't diss the others.

SonVolt

Foghorn said:

@SunVolt, that $1700 Weber is a sweet grill.  My XL BGE cost me $1700 out the door with all the accessories I bought so it's not really more expensive than the BGE.  T

Thin enameled steel isn't expensive though, so I'm at a loss for the price being more than a BGE which is made of high-heat ceramic, which is a relatively expensive material by comparison. Also shipping weight from MGF to distributor is most likely 1000x higher for the BGE due to weight... me thinks Weber's doing a bit of price gouging here.  I won't even mention the Radio-Flyer® plastic wheels on the back...

TEXASBGE2018

Foghorn said:

@SunVolt, that $1700 Weber is a sweet grill.  My XL BGE cost me $1700 out the door with all the accessories I bought so it's not really more expensive than the BGE.  The competition team I hang with is partially sponsored by Weber in that they have cooked their chicken on a Weber kettle, but they are being forced to "upgrade" to the Summit Kamado.  It probably won't be much of an upgrade for them given that they just cook halfcocked chicken on it, but it seems better insulated than an egg - which can be good or bad.  And given the people spend much more than $1700 for their Summit gas grills, I suspect this reaches the same market.  

I've also had people tell me the steaks they cook on their Traegers at 600 degrees are the best they've ever had.  I've got no reason to doubt them.

I guess I'm not much of an evangelist....  I just think the egg is the best all-around grill, but I won't diss the others.

What Traeger can get to 600 degrees? They only go to 450 tops on the high setting and not very effectively. By the way this isn't my opinion this is stated in their owners manual. I've never personally heard of a traeger going over 425.

NPHuskerFL

Traeger is that some sort of newfangled venereal disease?

TEXASBGE2018

SonVolt said:

Foghorn said:

@SunVolt, that $1700 Weber is a sweet grill.  My XL BGE cost me $1700 out the door with all the accessories I bought so it's not really more expensive than the BGE.  T

Thin enameled steel isn't expensive though, so I'm at a loss for the price being more than a BGE which is made of high-heat ceramic, which is a relatively expensive material by comparison. Also shipping weight from MGF to distributor is most likely 1000x higher for the BGE due to weight... me thinks Weber's doing a bit of price gouging here.  I won't even mention the Radio-Flyer® plastic wheels on the back...

Agreed. I went and looked at them in person before choosing my egg. Nothing that I saw impressed me enough to justify $1,700 on it. Maybe $600-800 would be more realistic and that's pushing it. Same cheap relatively thin steel as my weber performer had on it with an added insulated layer. I liked the size but when I had cash in hand I chose the egg because its unique, versatile, and so I could come on here and hang with you fine folks.

HeavyG

TEXASBGE2018 said:

Foghorn said:

@SunVolt, that $1700 Weber is a sweet grill.  My XL BGE cost me $1700 out the door with all the accessories I bought so it's not really more expensive than the BGE.  The competition team I hang with is partially sponsored by Weber in that they have cooked their chicken on a Weber kettle, but they are being forced to "upgrade" to the Summit Kamado.  It probably won't be much of an upgrade for them given that they just cook halfcocked chicken on it, but it seems better insulated than an egg - which can be good or bad.  And given the people spend much more than $1700 for their Summit gas grills, I suspect this reaches the same market.  

I've also had people tell me the steaks they cook on their Traegers at 600 degrees are the best they've ever had.  I've got no reason to doubt them.

I guess I'm not much of an evangelist....  I just think the egg is the best all-around grill, but I won't diss the others.

What Traeger can get to 600 degrees? They only go to 450 tops on the high setting and not very effectively. By the way this isn't my opinion this is stated in their owners manual. I've never personally heard of a traeger going over 425.

http://pelletheads.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=d36bceb9ccb0753a8fdb538c15bfb630&topic=7367.msg71068#msg71068

TEXASBGE2018

HeavyG said:

TEXASBGE2018 said:

Foghorn said:

@SunVolt, that $1700 Weber is a sweet grill.  My XL BGE cost me $1700 out the door with all the accessories I bought so it's not really more expensive than the BGE.  The competition team I hang with is partially sponsored by Weber in that they have cooked their chicken on a Weber kettle, but they are being forced to "upgrade" to the Summit Kamado.  It probably won't be much of an upgrade for them given that they just cook halfcocked chicken on it, but it seems better insulated than an egg - which can be good or bad.  And given the people spend much more than $1700 for their Summit gas grills, I suspect this reaches the same market.  

I've also had people tell me the steaks they cook on their Traegers at 600 degrees are the best they've ever had.  I've got no reason to doubt them.

I guess I'm not much of an evangelist....  I just think the egg is the best all-around grill, but I won't diss the others.

What Traeger can get to 600 degrees? They only go to 450 tops on the high setting and not very effectively. By the way this isn't my opinion this is stated in their owners manual. I've never personally heard of a traeger going over 425.

http://pelletheads.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=d36bceb9ccb0753a8fdb538c15bfb630&topic=7367.msg71068#msg71068

Interesting, So they are modifying the controllers on their grills to allow them to go hotter and clearly voiding the warranty. Or they are using aftermarket Solid steel plates to get to 600 degrees. Did the people you know also do this? That is the 1st time I have ever heard of that on a Traeger and I'm assuming very few people would do this. Thanks for sharing.

caliking

I agree with @Foghorn that the BGE's versatility is where it shines. You can cold smoke bacon or crank out Neapolitan-style pizza with the same cooker. Its not the best at each of  the things it can do, but does each of them well enough.

And funnily enough, I've convinced more folks to buy KJ's than BGE's

TEXASBGE2018

caliking said:

I agree with @Foghorn that the BGE's versatility is where it shines. You can cold smoke bacon or crank out Neapolitan-style pizza with the same cooker. Its not the best at each of  the things it can do, but does each of them well enough.

And funnily enough, I've convinced more folks to buy KJ's than BGE's

Blasphemy!!!! Who else here votes @caliking off the island? Who's with me? Anyone, anyone???  J/K. I have a friend I've been trying to convince to get an egg for months. Finally thought I got through to him, he told me last week that after he gets back from his Cruise this week he's going to buy a KJ. His reason as to why? His wife likes red better!!! I figure its a win at least for Kamado's in general so I'm not too mad.

SonVolt

caliking said:

 crank out Neapolitan-style pizza with the same cooker

Can someone provide video evidence of this? Sadly I've yet to see anyone cook a Neopolitan-style pizza in 90s seconds on a BGE where it actually looks like a legit Netopolitan pie. I've browsed through countless YouTube videos of people cooking pizza on their eggs and almost all of them look lousy and/or take 10+ minutes to bake. I haven't tackled pizza yet on mine, so hopefully someone will prove me wrong. 

The best I've found so far is this low-budget video made by a BBQ supply store. It at least cooked in 4 minutes and looked relatively ok. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NkbmHF8YRc

DoubleEgger

SonVolt said:

caliking said:

 crank out Neapolitan-style pizza with the same cooker

Can someone provide video evidence of this? Sadly I've yet to see anyone cook a Neopolitan-style pizza in 90s seconds on a BGE where it actually looks like a legit Netopolitan pie. I've browsed through countless YouTube videos of people cooking pizza on their eggs and almost all of them look lousy and/or take 10+ minutes to bake. I haven't tackled pizza yet on mine, so hopefully someone will prove me wrong. 

The best I've found so far is this lousy quality video made by a BBQ supply store. It at least cooked in 4 minutes and looked relatively similar. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NkbmHF8YRc

No video evidence but this popped up on my Facebook today. 

SonVolt

Curious how long that baked. The crust looks a bit pale and under-baked, no blistered bubbles etc. Definitely an improvement though. 

HeavyG

DoubleEgger said:

SonVolt said:

caliking said:

 crank out Neapolitan-style pizza with the same cooker

Can someone provide video evidence of this? Sadly I've yet to see anyone cook a Neopolitan-style pizza in 90s seconds on a BGE where it actually looks like a legit Netopolitan pie. I've browsed through countless YouTube videos of people cooking pizza on their eggs and almost all of them look lousy and/or take 10+ minutes to bake. I haven't tackled pizza yet on mine, so hopefully someone will prove me wrong. 

The best I've found so far is this lousy quality video made by a BBQ supply store. It at least cooked in 4 minutes and looked relatively similar. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NkbmHF8YRc

No video evidence but this popped up on my Facebook today. 

Of course if one wants to adhere to ALL the strict official regulations it's not possible to make a real Neapolitan pizza on a kamado.

nolaegghead

Nice.  Where did you get the Mozzarella di Bufala Campana?

BGEs don't have enough top heat that you'll find in a pizza oven because of the design.

Carolina Q

SonVolt said:

caliking said:

 crank out Neapolitan-style pizza with the same cooker

Can someone provide video evidence of this? Sadly I've yet to see anyone cook a Neopolitan-style pizza in 90s seconds on a BGE where it actually looks like a legit Netopolitan pie. I've browsed through countless YouTube videos of people cooking pizza on their eggs and almost all of them look lousy and/or take 10+ minutes to bake. I haven't tackled pizza yet on mine, so hopefully someone will prove me wrong. 

The best I've found so far is this low-budget video made by a BBQ supply store. It at least cooked in 4 minutes and looked relatively ok. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NkbmHF8YRc

You can't do legit Napoletana pizza on an egg. It's not a WFO and never will be. Wood Fired Ovens are completely different beasts. Flames licking the dome at 900-1000° and the burning coals right next to the pie. 

I've done a couple that came kinda sorta close, but 3-5 minutes, not 90 seconds! I don't do Margs often, these with other toppings have to do.  This one was from August 2012 at 900° and by the time it got to 900, the lump was almost gone. Also, the bottom cooked faster and I actually had to pick up the pie and insert a small, unheated stone under it so the top could finish without burning the bottom. One of the best I've ever done, but playing around inside a 900° egg is an adventure. I don't do that any more. 
I haven't done any pies in the egg for the last 4-5 years (until recently). Oven with baking steel and broiler. My last couple were done on the egg and they turned out well, but not WFO pies.

Here's one. 675°, 5 minutes or so? I forget how long.

If I had pulled it a minute or so earlier, would have looked more 'correct' maybe.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

nolaegghead said:

Nice.  Where did you get the Mozzarella di Bufala Campana?

BGEs don't have enough top heat that you'll find in a pizza oven because of the design.

whole foods has it. 

The Cen-Tex Smoker

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

nolaegghead said:

Nice.  Where did you get the Mozzarella di Bufala Campana?

BGEs don't have enough top heat that you'll find in a pizza oven because of the design.

whole foods has it. 

ah...it's from Columbia. Very good though.

http://bufcreamery.com/#home

caliking

SonVolt said:

caliking said:

 crank out Neapolitan-style pizza with the same cooker

Can someone provide video evidence of this? Sadly I've yet to see anyone cook a Neopolitan-style pizza in 90s seconds on a BGE where it actually looks like a legit Netopolitan pie. I've browsed through countless YouTube videos of people cooking pizza on their eggs and almost all of them look lousy and/or take 10+ minutes to bake. I haven't tackled pizza yet on mine, so hopefully someone will prove me wrong. 

The best I've found so far is this low-budget video made by a BBQ supply store. It at least cooked in 4 minutes and looked relatively ok. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NkbmHF8YRc

Note that I (carefully) said “Neapolitan-style”

some have come close to 90 secs by cranking their eggs up to the point of lapping their thermo. But 10+ mins is long for thin crust pies. I make pizza 1-2 times a year, and they’re typically done in 6-7 mins with the egg going at 600ish. 

A pizza oven gets you even closer. My redneck pizza oven could finish a pie in under 2 mins, going at 1000F or so. Which was my point - that s task-specific cooker is hard to beat with an egg, but you can do plenty of other things with an egg (or ceramic grill). 

Carolina Q

nolaegghead said:

Nice.  Where did you get the Mozzarella di Bufala Campana?

BGEs don't have enough top heat that you'll find in a pizza oven because of the design.

Wegman's has Mozzarella di Bufala Campana D.O.P.. 

https://www.wegmans.com/products/cheese-shop/italian-cheeses/cheese/mozzarella-di-bufala-campana-dop.html

They aren't in LA, but mentioning it for those who do have a store.

DoubleEgger

nolaegghead said:

Nice.  Where did you get the Mozzarella di Bufala Campana?

BGEs don't have enough top heat that you'll find in a pizza oven because of the design.

Harry’s Farmers Market 

Hans61

SonVolt said:

I'm more shocked that a $1,700 Weber exists. 

My dad has the version in the table cooks just like an egg. its nice