OT - The Consumer Reports hate begins in 3, 2, 1...

HeavyG

BugFreak72 said:

The fact that cleaning a grill is even part of the ranking system says all you need to know about that report.

I think you need to keep in mind that their target audience is not likely to be folks that are "hardcore grill users".

Most of us here have probably been grilling outdoors for a long time, have multiple cookers, grill many times a week, and are willing to get elbow deep into cleaning/maintaining our cookers. Ease of cleaning probably isn't one of our more heavily weighted concerns. Even so, I can see where having an ash removal tray like the Broil King or Kamado Joe is still a useful and appreciated feature. The summertime weekend griller might appreciate that sort of thing even more since "using charcoal is messy".

cookingdude555

People often ask me (and Im sure a few of you) that have more than 2 grills, why do we keep more on hand.  This never started out being the reason, but a side benefit that having a few has been realized.  When I start a grill up, it is one that I prepped to be ready prior to the cook.  And while I am cooking on one, I am cleaning the ash from another, knocking the bits off the cooking grid, and adding charcoal for the next cook.  One is always a weed burner light up away from cooking very quickly.  The KAB in all of my eggs makes this process even easier.  I am also finding myself stealing charcoal from one egg and putting it in another depending on what I am cooking.  Lower grilling temps are great to use charcoal that isn't brand new, it lights without sparks, and is almost odorless from a smoke point of view.  Bubba keg is the easiest to clean since it has a flat floor to brush out from the vent, you dont have to get the ash up over the lip.  I use the bubba keg the least because it sits in my shed for when I want to travel with a kamado.  If I knew the elements wouldn't destroy it, its such a good cooker to use otherwise.

Nine years ago when my ten year old help me set it up



And today helping me cook brats for lunch

SmokeyPitt

cookingdude555 said:

People often ask me (and Im sure a few of you) that have more than 2 grills, why do we keep more on hand.  This never started out being the reason, but a side benefit that having a few has been realized.  When I start a grill up, it is one that I prepped to be ready prior to the cook.  And while I am cooking on one, I am cleaning the ash from another, knocking the bits off the cooking grid, and adding charcoal for the next cook.  One is always a weed burner light up away from cooking very quickly.  The KAB in all of my eggs makes this process even easier.  I am also finding myself stealing charcoal from one egg and putting it in another depending on what I am cooking.  Lower grilling temps are great to use charcoal that isn't brand new, it lights without sparks, and is almost odorless from a smoke point of view.  Bubba keg is the easiest to clean since it has a flat floor to brush out from the vent, you dont have to get the ash up over the lip.  I use the bubba keg the least because it sits in my shed for when I want to travel with a kamado.  If I knew the elements wouldn't destroy it, its such a good cooker to use otherwise.

Nine years ago when my ten year old help me set it up



And today helping me cook brats for lunch

Cute little guy...although he was really small for a 10 year old and still looks pretty young for a 19 year old. 

etherdome

It is what it is. But I’m not buying another one. 

StillH2OEgger

I have no complaints about being a BGE owner, but not having to think twice about gasket or alignment is not insignificant, which the red one seems to have going for it.

Hans61

Any ranking that puts Akron above BGE has zero credibility with me

TEXASBGE2018

Note to self. Ignore anything read in consumer reports in the future....

Legume

Hans61 said:

Any ranking that puts Akron above BGE has zero credibility with me

I hear Akron is horrible, but still, it’s not as bad as Toledo or Columbus.

alaskanassasin

Consumer reports is a joke 

Jeremiah

Bought my little brother an Akron for his birthday this year.  While it’s not on the same level with Egg or KJ, it’s a great grill, and at less than half the price I can see the draw. 

Skiddymarker

Markarm4119 said:

We used to have a subscription to CR, and followed their best picks for washers, dryers, tv's and the like. Found most of their picks to be no better than anything else within that particular price range. We dropped the subscription about 10 years ago.
Just curious as to how BGE compares to KJ, PRIMO on cracking of ceramics ? Just discovered a crack on my fire box ring last week, egg is 2 years old, most of my cooks 250-400 degree range.

I can vouch that Primo and BGE are both excellent. Reported on a Wednesday, I had the new Primo liner when I drove over to pick it up at Northwest Stoves, the western Canada distributor, on Friday and my BGE dealer, Inovations in Bellingham WA, had a replacement fire box for pick up the following Tuesday. Hard to beat that service. 

BTW, CR rated my old Broil King gasser as unsafe because it got too hot. They put 6 rib steaks on, turned it to high and closed the lid. They were concerned when the fat fire grew to engulf the lid.....Geez, heat is what you need to sear....

cookingdude555

SmokeyPitt said:

cookingdude555 said:

People often ask me (and Im sure a few of you) that have more than 2 grills, why do we keep more on hand.  This never started out being the reason, but a side benefit that having a few has been realized.  When I start a grill up, it is one that I prepped to be ready prior to the cook.  And while I am cooking on one, I am cleaning the ash from another, knocking the bits off the cooking grid, and adding charcoal for the next cook.  One is always a weed burner light up away from cooking very quickly.  The KAB in all of my eggs makes this process even easier.  I am also finding myself stealing charcoal from one egg and putting it in another depending on what I am cooking.  Lower grilling temps are great to use charcoal that isn't brand new, it lights without sparks, and is almost odorless from a smoke point of view.  Bubba keg is the easiest to clean since it has a flat floor to brush out from the vent, you dont have to get the ash up over the lip.  I use the bubba keg the least because it sits in my shed for when I want to travel with a kamado.  If I knew the elements wouldn't destroy it, its such a good cooker to use otherwise.

Nine years ago when my ten year old help me set it up



And today helping me cook brats for lunch

Cute little guy...although he was really small for a 10 year old and still looks pretty young for a 19 year old. 

Haha. Math. I do it wrong. 

nolaegghead

Akorns are awesome.  The best for the money, best performing.  Only problem is they rust out after 8 to 10 years.

cookingdude555

nolaegghead said:

Akorns are awesome.  The best for the money, best performing.  Only problem is they rust out after 8 to 10 years.

Agreed. My bubba keg is better build quality, but the same concept. It’s way more efficient than the egg. However this efficiency gives you some trouble on low and slow. I sealed all the air gaps on mine with permatex. It’s a little too tight now and can flame out at lower temps as the fire is so small. Ultimately I consider the egg better all around. I think CR should evaluate after a few years, not a few cooks. 

Legume

CR is one of the last places I would look for advice on a barbecue.  Other things, yeah it can be a decent read.

CtTOPGUN

nolaegghead said:

stlcharcoal said:

One thing about these magazines, they have to prove their worth to the consumer.  So if they always pick the norm or most expensive, no one is going to subscribe.  They always have to change things up to show their value.

Also, they might not accept advertising, but they all have corporate underwriters.

Cooks Illustrated also always dogs the BGE and lump charcoal.....and they always have a brand new shiny gas grill on the set from one of their sponsors at the beginning of the show.

Consumer reports doesn't take money or products from manufacturers.   They don't have corporate underwriters. 

While this statement is true, how about the writers doing the articles??? Bet their homes are filled with swag for favorable placement...(or their pockets filled with cash)

nolaegghead

CtTOPGUN said:

nolaegghead said:

stlcharcoal said:

One thing about these magazines, they have to prove their worth to the consumer.  So if they always pick the norm or most expensive, no one is going to subscribe.  They always have to change things up to show their value.

Also, they might not accept advertising, but they all have corporate underwriters.

Cooks Illustrated also always dogs the BGE and lump charcoal.....and they always have a brand new shiny gas grill on the set from one of their sponsors at the beginning of the show.

Consumer reports doesn't take money or products from manufacturers.   They don't have corporate underwriters. 

While this statement is true, how about the writers doing the articles??? Bet their homes are filled with swag for favorable placement...(or their pockets filled with cash)

Consumer Reports once cancelled a subscription to CR from a car dealership because it didn't want *that* to look like a conflict of interest.  They buy all the products they test from the same places consumers buy them. 

Unless you have any evidence, this is just more fake news....a conspiracy theory.

FanOfFanboys

nolaegghead said:

Akorns are awesome.  The best for the money, best performing.  Only problem is they rust out after 8 to 10 years.

or less

I have never owned one but two friends, my uncle, and my step dad have. Out of those 4 only one still has his. Two rusted and one guy sold his when he moved to Atlanta and he bought a BGE at his new place. The two that rusted lasted around 5ish years. They were both in S Carolina but not covered regularly. 

For the price the Akorn is a good grill,probably the best you can buy in that price range, and taking care of it will make it last longer. If you are someone looking to test out the kamado style grill then it is probably the best place to start. The learning curve will be the same and the final product will be just as good. The grill itself just won't last as long. 

I have owned three BGEs but currently own an older style KJ, in black. From a build quality perspective I see no difference between it and any of my former BGEs. I do prefer the ash removal method of the KJ and it came with two half moon ceramic stones and a piece to cook raised direct. Add in I bought it new from an authorized dealer (so full warranty) for only $550 and it was a no brainer. 

I have several other friends with BGE, a couple have bought more than one. Everyone is happy with it, as they should be. Another guy had one, sold it when he moved, and bought a Vision at the new place. He is just as happy with the Vision as he was the BGE but he spent less money the second time around. 

I really liked the new KJ and it's features. The only reason I don't own one is the price I mentioned above. Compared side by side with a new BGE and I can see more people picking the KJ. One thing BGE has going for it is name value and that is worth a lot. Anything else can be viewed as "off brand" akin to Yeti vs RTIC. So many folks won't even look at any of the BGE competitors when they go shopping. 

HeavyG

Legume said:

CR is one of the last places I would look for advice on a barbecue.  Other things, yeah it can be a decent read.

I've subscribed to CR for decades. CR isn't perfect, but the key thing to remember about CR is they write for a general, layman sort of audience over an incredibly wide range of products. I can't think of any other publication/service that does what they do and the way they do it.

I get what you are saying about not looking to them as a resource for you when looking to buy a barbecue. In my experience, whenever they have tested stuff in a few categories such as electronics or cameras (or grills) where I have been more knowledgeable than the average bear I'll often find reasons to quibble/disagree with some of their conclusions.

A couple decades ago I used to believe that the internet might eventually make it easier to find honest, informed opinion regarding stuff I might be purchasing. Ahh, to be young and naive.

There are some sites that seem to do some decent reviews of stuff. The Wirecutter site is one example but they are now owned by the New York Times so right off the bat we know that their reviews are all FAKE NEWS!! Toptenreviews.com seems to do some decent reviewing (and they are related to a couple of sites, AnandTech and Tom'sHardware, that I have occasionally relied on over the years) but they get their revenue from a mix of traditional ads, sponsorships, and affiliate links. Does that taint their conclusions?

My favorite internet sites are those that turn up in Google searches and all they do is reformat Amazon reviews and provide an affiliate link to whatever product you searched for. I said sarcastically.

Again, CR ain't perfect, but if I'm researching toothpastes, or blood pressure monitors, or chainsaws, or house paint, or car batteries I'll continue to hit them up first to see what they recommend.

HendersonTRKing

Time to dump my BGE and head over here:  http://forum.bigsteelkeg.com/

NOT.

CR is fine for lots of stuff.  My father (hoarder) had a subscription since I could remember and when he passed, I tossed 10 years worth, maybe more.  They're kind of in my DNA, so to speak.  SWMBO swears by CR as well, which kind of steams me sometimes.  Data, research, science -- all good, but it doesn't much account for art, of which there's plenty in kamado cooking generally and bbq specifically.    

I say bring on the hate!  I love my bge, I preach the gospel, I'm eating well and getting more out of this hobby than I ever expected.  Do I really care where CR ranks a cooker I've had for years, bought or made all those accessories for, and p*ssed away so many hours on this forum learning and laughing about?

[Maybe just a little . . .]  

SonVolt

stlcharcoal said:

Cooks Illustrated also always dogs the BGE and lump charcoal.....and they always have a brand new shiny gas grill on the set from one of their sponsors at the beginning of the show.

I was just thinking of Cook's Illustrated as a counter to your point above about publications having to shake it up to stay relevant. Cooks Illustrated almost always pics All-Clad or Le Creuset in their product reviews, which is the norm and most expensive.  Even when All-Clad's patent expired and everyone under the sun started copying their design, they still (as of this month's issue) won the 12" Skillet award. 


off-topic rant- 

Meat Head and Aaron Franklin just don't like Komados in general... so you're not going to get much love there.  Meat Head has gone on Twitter rants saying anything you can do on a BGE you can do on a Weber kettle better and cheaper. He also a strong advocate of briquettes for consistency... something I can kinda see theoretically, but don't agree with in practice. 

nolaegghead

SonVolt said:

stlcharcoal said:

Cooks Illustrated also always dogs the BGE and lump charcoal.....and they always have a brand new shiny gas grill on the set from one of their sponsors at the beginning of the show.

I was just thinking of Cook's Illustrated as a counter to your point above about publications having to shake it up to stay relevant. Cooks Illustrated almost always pics All-Clad or Le Creuset in their product reviews, which is the norm and most expensive.  Even when All-Clad's patent expired and everyone under the sun started copying their design, they still (as of this month's issue) won the 12" Skillet award. 

Meat Head and Aaron Franklin just don't like Komados in general... so you're not going to get much love there.  Meat Head has gone on Twitter rants saying anything you can do on a BGE you can do on a Weber kettle better and cheaper. He also a strong advocate of briquettes for consistency... something I can kinda see theoretically, but don't agree with in practice. 

I don't get the briquette "consistency" argument unless you're grilling.  Low and slow you're regulating the heat by regulating the air, so who gives a fark, really, what the consistency is unless you're having problems getting good smoke.  Briquettes do lay out an even bed of heat when they're ashed over and rolling full blast...

That said, briquette cooked food on a low and slow tastes like it was cooked over briquettes - has that "coal" creosote flavor.  Many of us grew up with that flavor so it's what we think is "correct" or good.  Just like a dash of that quintessential lighting fluid in the air makes us salivate like Pavlov's dog because that's how it smelled when dad cranked up the stamped steel weber after mowing the grass on a Sunday afternoon.

Nostalgia and "learned" tastes play a big part in our expectation of good food. This is why you might find *real* authentic ethnic foods "funny" tasting - you're not used to the flavor combinations. 

If you get a chance, buy some Chinese or Japanese (or even some European) candy and tell me it isn't weird.  Our definition of what constitutes proper "sweets" was formed when we were very young and every morsel of candy was something coveted (unless we had rotten parents - that works both ways).

Botch

Heh, my Dad always lit the briquettes with 95-octane Texaco, so I have a more "refined" salivation trigger.  

lwrehm

Lit said:

BugFreak72 said:

The fact that cleaning a grill is even part of the ranking system says all you need to know about that report.

I don’t think so at all. I have a 2yr old and a 4 yr old and anything that makes life easier is a plus to me. 

Uber Eats makes life really easy.

SonVolt

nolaegghead said:

I don't get the briquette "consistency" argument unless you're grilling.  Low and slow you're regulating the heat by regulating the air, so who gives a fark, really, what the consistency is unless you're having problems getting good smoke.  Briquettes do lay out an even bed of heat when they're ashed over and rolling full blast...

I don't remember exactly how he phrased it, but it was something along the lines of 1 briquette = 1 predictable unit of heat, unlike the variation you get with lump. He seems to dismiss the whole low 'n slow counter argument by saying the "BGE is just a glorified oven", which it is, so I don't get the pejorative slant on that. A coal-fired oven with grilling potential is a pretty kick-ass thing to have in your back yard. It is, by its nature, a reverse-sear machine... a technique he is fond of.  So yeah I don't get his hate. 

Gulfcoastguy

I have to admit that I liked the Kamoda Joe gasket when I looked at one. Is it as bad to get out of alignment as the Egg?  That $300 difference though?????

Lit

lwrehm said:

Lit said:

BugFreak72 said:

The fact that cleaning a grill is even part of the ranking system says all you need to know about that report.

I don’t think so at all. I have a 2yr old and a 4 yr old and anything that makes life easier is a plus to me. 

Uber Eats makes life really easy.

So does my Weber summit with push button gas assisted start and a drop down ash basket you just squeeze the handle. I haven’t had to stir the lump or shake an ash basket or reach through the bottom vent to scrape out ash and never will again. 

unoriginalusername

The egg in 2015 looked a lot like the egg in 1995.... the KJ divide and conquer, daisy wheel, gasket, ash basket, hinges have sparked more innovation from BGE in the last few years than the previous two decades. perhaps like many companies in its place, BGe had become complacent in new innovations while protected by patents. 

Ive bough two eggs and love them. I think reviews like this only help team greens products in the long run 

SonVolt

I'm kinda fond of how basic the BGE design is... curious how all the bells 'n whistles of the KJ will hold up over time. 

jeponline

I always felt like KJ takes choices away.  I was drawn to the egg, because I could start basic and get accessories as I go that fit my needs.  I have watched many videos of the KJ divide and conquer and am just so much happier with my CGS PSWoo and extender.

It's certainly a matter of preference, and I don't see either company going anywhere anytime soon.  BGE also depends heavily on their dealer network.  My dealer is amazing and that helps with the experience.