Are we still in love with the MiniMax?

YEMTrey

My Mini Max is my most used Egg.  Would buy it again if I needed to.

jp217p

The Minimax is my first and only BGE right now. I really do like it. I bought my Minimax and ordered the Joe Jr the same day about a week ago. My Joe Jr will arrive tomorrow. In the meantime I've had the chance to play around with the Minimax and I really like it. My first cook was a 5lb pork butt. It maintained temperatures great. I did have to make three adjustments throughout the 10 hour cook but it turned out great. I think this cooker does need some understanding as small adjustments can really throw you off. I recommend a good pit thermometer to understand the cooker much quicker. Either way, as of now if I had to buy it again, I would. What I wouldn't buy again is the deflector and opt for the Woo with deflector instead.

HeavyG

jp217p said:

The Minimax is my first and only BGE right now. I really do like it. I bought my Minimax and ordered the Joe Jr the same day about a week ago. My Joe Jr will arrive tomorrow. In the meantime I've had the chance to play around with the Minimax and I really like it. My first cook was a 5lb pork butt. It maintained temperatures great. I did have to make three adjustments throughout the 10 hour cook but it turned out great. I think this cooker does need some understanding as small adjustments can really throw you off. I recommend a good pit thermometer to understand the cooker much quicker. Either way, as of now if I had to buy it again, I would. What I wouldn't buy again is the deflector and opt for the Woo with deflector instead.

I bought a KJ Jr. rather than a MiniMax a few years ago. Great cooker.

Why both?

pgprescott

HeavyG said:

jp217p said:

The Minimax is my first and only BGE right now. I really do like it. I bought my Minimax and ordered the Joe Jr the same day about a week ago. My Joe Jr will arrive tomorrow. In the meantime I've had the chance to play around with the Minimax and I really like it. My first cook was a 5lb pork butt. It maintained temperatures great. I did have to make three adjustments throughout the 10 hour cook but it turned out great. I think this cooker does need some understanding as small adjustments can really throw you off. I recommend a good pit thermometer to understand the cooker much quicker. Either way, as of now if I had to buy it again, I would. What I wouldn't buy again is the deflector and opt for the Woo with deflector instead.

I bought a KJ Jr. rather than a MiniMax a few years ago. Great cooker.

Why both?

The jr is a small. Not comparable. kJ doesn’t offer anything comparable.

Like that the MM is compact and all in one type cooker. Fits easily in the back seat or under the tonneau cover etc. size matters 

Mattman3969

pgprescott said:

HeavyG said:

jp217p said:

The Minimax is my first and only BGE right now. I really do like it. I bought my Minimax and ordered the Joe Jr the same day about a week ago. My Joe Jr will arrive tomorrow. In the meantime I've had the chance to play around with the Minimax and I really like it. My first cook was a 5lb pork butt. It maintained temperatures great. I did have to make three adjustments throughout the 10 hour cook but it turned out great. I think this cooker does need some understanding as small adjustments can really throw you off. I recommend a good pit thermometer to understand the cooker much quicker. Either way, as of now if I had to buy it again, I would. What I wouldn't buy again is the deflector and opt for the Woo with deflector instead.

I bought a KJ Jr. rather than a MiniMax a few years ago. Great cooker.

Why both?

The jr is a small. Not comparable. kJ doesn’t offer anything comparable.

Like that the MM is compact and all in one type cooker. Fits easily in the back seat or under the tonneau cover etc. size matters 

Maybe fits under tonneau cover on full size trucks but will not on a Tacoma. This is one of the reasons I went with a mini other than it’s just cool.  

@mickey  

pgprescott

Mattman3969 said:

pgprescott said:

HeavyG said:

jp217p said:

The Minimax is my first and only BGE right now. I really do like it. I bought my Minimax and ordered the Joe Jr the same day about a week ago. My Joe Jr will arrive tomorrow. In the meantime I've had the chance to play around with the Minimax and I really like it. My first cook was a 5lb pork butt. It maintained temperatures great. I did have to make three adjustments throughout the 10 hour cook but it turned out great. I think this cooker does need some understanding as small adjustments can really throw you off. I recommend a good pit thermometer to understand the cooker much quicker. Either way, as of now if I had to buy it again, I would. What I wouldn't buy again is the deflector and opt for the Woo with deflector instead.

I bought a KJ Jr. rather than a MiniMax a few years ago. Great cooker.

Why both?

The jr is a small. Not comparable. kJ doesn’t offer anything comparable.

Like that the MM is compact and all in one type cooker. Fits easily in the back seat or under the tonneau cover etc. size matters 

Maybe fits under tonneau cover on full size trucks but will not on a Tacoma. This is one of the reasons I went with a mini other than it’s just cool.  

@mickey  

It’s nice BGE has 7 sizes. Something for everyone. Yeah, mines a full size. Non issue. 

westernbbq

I use my minimax more than any other BGE i own...2 xl and 1 large.   In fact ive just gotten base and fire ring replaced under warranty. And am looking forward to firing it up many times in the coming weeks.

MaskedMarvel

Feel like the MM is more a day to day griller while my medium and large are more special occasion smokers...

MaskedMarvel

Also want one, just so I can bring it to the butt blast...

jp217p

HeavyG said:

jp217p said:

The Minimax is my first and only BGE right now. I really do like it. I bought my Minimax and ordered the Joe Jr the same day about a week ago. My Joe Jr will arrive tomorrow. In the meantime I've had the chance to play around with the Minimax and I really like it. My first cook was a 5lb pork butt. It maintained temperatures great. I did have to make three adjustments throughout the 10 hour cook but it turned out great. I think this cooker does need some understanding as small adjustments can really throw you off. I recommend a good pit thermometer to understand the cooker much quicker. Either way, as of now if I had to buy it again, I would. What I wouldn't buy again is the deflector and opt for the Woo with deflector instead.

I bought a KJ Jr. rather than a MiniMax a few years ago. Great cooker.

Why both?

I don't need neither one of these cookers. As a BBQ enthusiast, I just wanted them. I do find myself cooking on my smaller cookers more than any of the larger cookers. 

jp217p

pgprescott said:

HeavyG said:

jp217p said:

The Minimax is my first and only BGE right now. I really do like it. I bought my Minimax and ordered the Joe Jr the same day about a week ago. My Joe Jr will arrive tomorrow. In the meantime I've had the chance to play around with the Minimax and I really like it. My first cook was a 5lb pork butt. It maintained temperatures great. I did have to make three adjustments throughout the 10 hour cook but it turned out great. I think this cooker does need some understanding as small adjustments can really throw you off. I recommend a good pit thermometer to understand the cooker much quicker. Either way, as of now if I had to buy it again, I would. What I wouldn't buy again is the deflector and opt for the Woo with deflector instead.

I bought a KJ Jr. rather than a MiniMax a few years ago. Great cooker.

Why both?

The jr is a small. Not comparable. kJ doesn’t offer anything comparable.

Like that the MM is compact and all in one type cooker. Fits easily in the back seat or under the tonneau cover etc. size matters 

Is the small BGE comparable to the Joe Jr?

jp217p

MaskedMarvel said:

Also want one, just so I can bring it to the butt blast...

It's really heavy. Although it's portable, it's not convenient to take places. That's my personal taken on it. A good alternative is the Akorn Jr. If you don't mind not having a kamado, Weber makes a grill called the Jumbo Joe. It's 18.5" and has a pretty neat handle for carrying it. 

jp217p

MaskedMarvel said:

Feel like the MM is more a day to day griller while my medium and large are more special occasion smokers...

Most family's of 4 would benefit from a 13"-14" cooker. With time you get really creative with space and can really maximise the cooker. My smaller cookers are my daily cookers. My bigger cookers are usually for entertaining. 

jp217p

westernbbq said:

I use my minimax more than any other BGE i own...2 xl and 1 large.   In fact ive just gotten base and fire ring replaced under warranty. And am looking forward to firing it up many times in the coming weeks.

It's a great size for day to day cooks. I like my BBQ fresh so I try not to cook more than I would eat fresh. The Minimax size is perfect for 5lb pork butts which my family usually finishes. Or a rack of ribs, chicken etc... 

SGH

blasting said:

Oh, and 500 cheaper.

You make a valid point there for us less fortunate  folks. However, 500 bucks won’t make the high rollers blink an eye. They don’t even consider price when buying.  

pgprescott

jp217p said:

pgprescott said:

HeavyG said:

jp217p said:

The Minimax is my first and only BGE right now. I really do like it. I bought my Minimax and ordered the Joe Jr the same day about a week ago. My Joe Jr will arrive tomorrow. In the meantime I've had the chance to play around with the Minimax and I really like it. My first cook was a 5lb pork butt. It maintained temperatures great. I did have to make three adjustments throughout the 10 hour cook but it turned out great. I think this cooker does need some understanding as small adjustments can really throw you off. I recommend a good pit thermometer to understand the cooker much quicker. Either way, as of now if I had to buy it again, I would. What I wouldn't buy again is the deflector and opt for the Woo with deflector instead.

I bought a KJ Jr. rather than a MiniMax a few years ago. Great cooker.

Why both?

The jr is a small. Not comparable. kJ doesn’t offer anything comparable.

Like that the MM is compact and all in one type cooker. Fits easily in the back seat or under the tonneau cover etc. size matters 

Is the small BGE comparable to the Joe Jr?

Yes

cookingdude555

pgprescott said:

jp217p said:

pgprescott said:

HeavyG said:

jp217p said:

The Minimax is my first and only BGE right now. I really do like it. I bought my Minimax and ordered the Joe Jr the same day about a week ago. My Joe Jr will arrive tomorrow. In the meantime I've had the chance to play around with the Minimax and I really like it. My first cook was a 5lb pork butt. It maintained temperatures great. I did have to make three adjustments throughout the 10 hour cook but it turned out great. I think this cooker does need some understanding as small adjustments can really throw you off. I recommend a good pit thermometer to understand the cooker much quicker. Either way, as of now if I had to buy it again, I would. What I wouldn't buy again is the deflector and opt for the Woo with deflector instead.

I bought a KJ Jr. rather than a MiniMax a few years ago. Great cooker.

Why both?

The jr is a small. Not comparable. kJ doesn’t offer anything comparable.

Like that the MM is compact and all in one type cooker. Fits easily in the back seat or under the tonneau cover etc. size matters 

Is the small BGE comparable to the Joe Jr?

Yes

It’s exactly the same, except the lower vent is larger. 

HeavyG

cookingdude555 said:

pgprescott said:

jp217p said:

pgprescott said:

HeavyG said:

jp217p said:

The Minimax is my first and only BGE right now. I really do like it. I bought my Minimax and ordered the Joe Jr the same day about a week ago. My Joe Jr will arrive tomorrow. In the meantime I've had the chance to play around with the Minimax and I really like it. My first cook was a 5lb pork butt. It maintained temperatures great. I did have to make three adjustments throughout the 10 hour cook but it turned out great. I think this cooker does need some understanding as small adjustments can really throw you off. I recommend a good pit thermometer to understand the cooker much quicker. Either way, as of now if I had to buy it again, I would. What I wouldn't buy again is the deflector and opt for the Woo with deflector instead.

I bought a KJ Jr. rather than a MiniMax a few years ago. Great cooker.

Why both?

The jr is a small. Not comparable. kJ doesn’t offer anything comparable.

Like that the MM is compact and all in one type cooker. Fits easily in the back seat or under the tonneau cover etc. size matters 

Is the small BGE comparable to the Joe Jr?

Yes

It’s exactly the same, except the lower vent is larger. 

Except that it's got a larger grid, weighs less than either the Small or MiniMax, and costs significantly less than either the Small or MiniMax.

Oh... and it's red, some people hate that.

cookingdude555

HeavyG said:

cookingdude555 said:

pgprescott said:

jp217p said:

pgprescott said:

HeavyG said:

jp217p said:

The Minimax is my first and only BGE right now. I really do like it. I bought my Minimax and ordered the Joe Jr the same day about a week ago. My Joe Jr will arrive tomorrow. In the meantime I've had the chance to play around with the Minimax and I really like it. My first cook was a 5lb pork butt. It maintained temperatures great. I did have to make three adjustments throughout the 10 hour cook but it turned out great. I think this cooker does need some understanding as small adjustments can really throw you off. I recommend a good pit thermometer to understand the cooker much quicker. Either way, as of now if I had to buy it again, I would. What I wouldn't buy again is the deflector and opt for the Woo with deflector instead.

I bought a KJ Jr. rather than a MiniMax a few years ago. Great cooker.

Why both?

The jr is a small. Not comparable. kJ doesn’t offer anything comparable.

Like that the MM is compact and all in one type cooker. Fits easily in the back seat or under the tonneau cover etc. size matters 

Is the small BGE comparable to the Joe Jr?

Yes

It’s exactly the same, except the lower vent is larger. 

Except that it's got a larger grid, weighs less than either the Small or MiniMax, and costs significantly less than either the Small or MiniMax.

Oh... and it's red, some people hate that.

The cooking grate is the same size as a small.  Dimension wise, the small and KJ jr are the same cooker, but yes, the KJ does weigh a few lbs less.  I like my KJ jr, and my mini max, and the small that I sold.  There is something different about the KJ ceramic, it is less dense, and that is probably how its lighter.  I am not sure if it is better because of it.  I do know it cooks exactly the same as a small egg.  Even fits real nice in a small nest



but not so good in a mini max one, a little wobbly ...

HeavyG

Technically the KJ Jr cooking grate is larger - 13.5" diameter vs the S/MMx 13" diameter which equates to about 10 square inches of extra grid real estate. Enough room for a couple more wings!

I consider the Jr. and MMx comparable cuz the grate is basically the same and they are both sold with a carry stand meant to aid in their portability unlike the Small. To me the Jr being 2.5" taller than the MMx was of no significance but for some folks it apparently is. Wasn't my intent to stir up some folks emotions by making that comparison.

jp217p

cookingdude555 said:

HeavyG said:

cookingdude555 said:

pgprescott said:

jp217p said:

pgprescott said:

HeavyG said:

jp217p said:

The Minimax is my first and only BGE right now. I really do like it. I bought my Minimax and ordered the Joe Jr the same day about a week ago. My Joe Jr will arrive tomorrow. In the meantime I've had the chance to play around with the Minimax and I really like it. My first cook was a 5lb pork butt. It maintained temperatures great. I did have to make three adjustments throughout the 10 hour cook but it turned out great. I think this cooker does need some understanding as small adjustments can really throw you off. I recommend a good pit thermometer to understand the cooker much quicker. Either way, as of now if I had to buy it again, I would. What I wouldn't buy again is the deflector and opt for the Woo with deflector instead.

I bought a KJ Jr. rather than a MiniMax a few years ago. Great cooker.

Why both?

The jr is a small. Not comparable. kJ doesn’t offer anything comparable.

Like that the MM is compact and all in one type cooker. Fits easily in the back seat or under the tonneau cover etc. size matters 

Is the small BGE comparable to the Joe Jr?

Yes

It’s exactly the same, except the lower vent is larger. 

Except that it's got a larger grid, weighs less than either the Small or MiniMax, and costs significantly less than either the Small or MiniMax.

Oh... and it's red, some people hate that.

The cooking grate is the same size as a small.  Dimension wise, the small and KJ jr are the same cooker, but yes, the KJ does weigh a few lbs less.  I like my KJ jr, and my mini max, and the small that I sold.  There is something different about the KJ ceramic, it is less dense, and that is probably how its lighter.  I am not sure if it is better because of it.  I do know it cooks exactly the same as a small egg.  Even fits real nice in a small nest



but not so good in a mini max one, a little wobbly ...

Your KJ looks so cool in that small Nest. 

cookingdude555

HeavyG said:

Technically the KJ Jr cooking grate is larger - 13.5" diameter vs the S/MMx 13" diameter which equates to about 10 square inches of extra grid real estate. Enough room for a couple more wings!

I consider the Jr. and MMx comparable cuz the grate is basically the same and they are both sold with a carry stand meant to aid in their portability unlike the Small. To me the Jr being 2.5" taller than the MMx was of no significance but for some folks it apparently is. Wasn't my intent to stir up some folks emotions by making that comparison.

No emotions stirred here, I enjoy the discussion.  Thanks for your input/experiences, it makes this fun.

cookingdude555

jp217p said:

Your KJ looks so cool in that small Nest. 

I really like it.

DoubleEgger

Looks like the dome on the KJ will give you a bit more room. 

jp217p

HeavyG said:

Technically the KJ Jr cooking grate is larger - 13.5" diameter vs the S/MMx 13" diameter which equates to about 10 square inches of extra grid real estate. Enough room for a couple more wings!

I consider the Jr. and MMx comparable cuz the grate is basically the same and they are both sold with a carry stand meant to aid in their portability unlike the Small. To me the Jr being 2.5" taller than the MMx was of no significance but for some folks it apparently is. Wasn't my intent to stir up some folks emotions by making that comparison.

I feel you make some valid points. I cannot wait to have my KJ and Minimax tackle some BBQ together. Thanks for your input. 

HeavyG

DoubleEgger said:

Looks like the dome on the KJ will give you a bit more room. 

I once did a 9lb pork butt (bone out) on my Jr. Thought the dome thermo might poke into the butt but it didn't.

MaskedMarvel

HeavyG said:

DoubleEgger said:

Looks like the dome on the KJ will give you a bit more room. 

I once did a 9lb pork butt (bone out) on my Jr. Thought the dome thermo might poke into the butt but it didn't.

What’s the rule for pulling the thermos out a bit? I get a lot of poking on my dual grate...

cookingdude555

MaskedMarvel said:

HeavyG said:

DoubleEgger said:

Looks like the dome on the KJ will give you a bit more room. 

I once did a 9lb pork butt (bone out) on my Jr. Thought the dome thermo might poke into the butt but it didn't.

What’s the rule for pulling the thermos out a bit? I get a lot of poking on my dual grate...

This is on my work mini, put the therm clip on the outside of the dome.

DoubleEgger

cookingdude555 said:

MaskedMarvel said:

HeavyG said:

DoubleEgger said:

Looks like the dome on the KJ will give you a bit more room. 

I once did a 9lb pork butt (bone out) on my Jr. Thought the dome thermo might poke into the butt but it didn't.

What’s the rule for pulling the thermos out a bit? I get a lot of poking on my dual grate...

This is on my work mini, put the therm clip on the outside of the dome.

A wine cork works too 

bgebrent

DoubleEgger said:

cookingdude555 said:

MaskedMarvel said:

HeavyG said:

DoubleEgger said:

Looks like the dome on the KJ will give you a bit more room. 

I once did a 9lb pork butt (bone out) on my Jr. Thought the dome thermo might poke into the butt but it didn't.

What’s the rule for pulling the thermos out a bit? I get a lot of poking on my dual grate...

This is on my work mini, put the therm clip on the outside of the dome.

A wine cork works too 

Wine corks are what I use.  Access issue.  Be sure to use real cork wine corks because the fake ones(must have been gifted  ) will melt on the dome.  Heard that from a friend.