Best Egg Size (Or Sizes) for Chicken and Vegetables?

garthb4903

3 year egger here, I just sold my mini (I never felt the love), and have a L and a M.  The most use my wife and I get is for chicken and vegetables, the M seems just too small to have the protein (chicken, steak, or burgers) and vegetables (usually asparagus or peppers) going at the same time.

The large is tough because it's hard to grill protein with a good crisp char.

I'm Jonesing for a MM, and "want" one but don't "need" one, but what is your go to combo and/or strategy for doing protein and vegetables?

unoriginalusername

garthb4903 said:

3 year egger here, I just sold my mini (I never felt the love), and have a L and a M.  The most use my wife and I get is for chicken and vegetables, the M seems just too small to have the protein (chicken, steak, or burgers) and vegetables (usually asparagus or peppers) going at the same time.

The large is tough because it's hard to grill protein with a good crisp char.

I'm Jonesing for a MM, and "want" one but don't "need" one, but what is your go to combo and/or strategy for doing protein and vegetables?

I have bought two larges a Minimax and been gifted a mini... not sure I get the char issue you mentioned?

I like the versatility of the large with a ps woo but I also love my Minimax with a woo ring 

GrateEggspectations

unoriginalusername said:

garthb4903 said:

3 year egger here, I just sold my mini (I never felt the love), and have a L and a M.  The most use my wife and I get is for chicken and vegetables, the M seems just too small to have the protein (chicken, steak, or burgers) and vegetables (usually asparagus or peppers) going at the same time.

The large is tough because it's hard to grill protein with a good crisp char.

I'm Jonesing for a MM, and "want" one but don't "need" one, but what is your go to combo and/or strategy for doing protein and vegetables?

I have bought two larges a Minimax and been gifted a mini... not sure I get the char issue you mentioned?

I like the versatility of the large with a ps woo but I also love my Minimax with a woo ring 

Beautiful photos, as always. 

Theophan

garthb4903 said:

... I ... have a L and a M.  ... The large is tough because it's hard to grill protein with a good crisp char. I'm Jonesing for a MM, and "want" one but don't "need" one,...

I have a Large and a Medium, and I think that combination is perfect!  And the Large can sear as well as anything on the planet, so something's missing on your technique on that score.  If you take it up to 700°, which is easy, by gosh a minute a side will sear just about anything.  And you can take them higher than that, but you don't need to.

And the only advantage I can think of for a Minimax is portability, not cooking.  If you're never going to take it anywhere, I think what you already have will actually cook better.  Once the newness has worn off, you'll find that it's actually not as good as the Medium and the Large you already have.  You do know it's smaller than the Medium, right?

But it sounds like you really want one, so if you've just gotta have a Minimax, buy one!  

mEGG_My_Day

I’d get a second level for the medium.  I cook all the time with two levels on a small for just the two of us. 

Legume

Yeah, just get an XL.  You’ll burn a little more charcoal than one smaller egg but probably better than two smaller eggs.

’Merica

bgebrent

L is the most versatile egg.  @Legume is a wannabe.  That said, I also enjoy my XL.

garthb4903

@mEGG_My_Day Where did you get your second level grid?

YukonRon

I have an XL and a mMx. Love them both, would nottrade them for any other size.
I get a lot of cooking done with both.
We do a lot of dinner parties. They work out extremely well.....

NPHuskerFL

Simple meal shown below.  This was all done on the LG.  Indirect 2 level using PS and Smokeware's The Stacker, Rockwood charcoal and Orange tree prunings for extra smoke.  I could have done the exact same cook in the MM. Would've went slightly smaller in scale on veggies in the MM using The Stacker.  I'm having difficulty understanding why you can't get a good crust or good crisp char using the large though🤔

cookingdude555

@garthb4903, what size is right is dependent on the person really, so my opinion wont help you here.  But since you mentioned the medium is too small to do what you want, I am not sure a MMX would be good for you.  Now if you are buying to scratch an itch, I get that.  These are fun toys.  But for the record, I enjoy my medium egg far more than my MMX.

garthb4903

@cookingdude555 Thx, I have the itch, but also want to be "smart" about it!  I have a LG, Md, and have the itch for a MM, but my question: what does a MM add to my repertoire that I don't have with the L and MD?

cookingdude555

garthb4903 said:

@cookingdude555 Thx, I have the itch, but also want to be "smart" about it!  I have a LG, Md, and have the itch for a MM, but my question: what does a MM add to my repertoire that I don't have with the L and MD?

nothing, for me anyway.  I dont consider it portable, either.  I bought it because it was cheap, and I like to collect BGEs.  It cooks fine enough, but looking back I prefer the small egg that I sold it to obtain.

garthb4903

@cookingdude555 good point, I would get the MM if it was cheap, so far the lowest I've found in my town is $500...I'd be happy with a used MM at a $250ish range, that way I wouldn't "feel" bad about a third egg

cookingdude555

If you are looking for cooking flexibility, go bigger, not smaller. Consider the most flexible egg IMO, the XL. Keep that medium for small cooks. But again, these things are fun, collect whatever you want. When I say I regret selling the small for the MM, it’s more that I regret letting the small go, not that I regret buying the MM. I should have kept the small and just added the MM. I didn’t do it for space or money, I did it because I had too many eggs. Now I accept and embrace my crazy, and don’t mind the extra eggs hanging around. 

mEGG_My_Day

garthb4903 said:

@mEGG_My_Day Where did you get your second level grid?

That is a grate stacker made by Smokeware 

DFW

cookingdude555 said:

Now I accept and embrace my crazy, and don’t mind the extra eggs hanging around. 

I'm trying to come to terms with my own crazy right now...obsessed with getting a Medium!

cookingdude555

DFW said:

cookingdude555 said:

Now I accept and embrace my crazy, and don’t mind the extra eggs hanging around. 

I'm trying to come to terms with my own crazy right now...obsessed with getting a Medium!

@DFW - I am sure this will help you, of all the sizes I have, my medium is my favorite.  You are welcome, this medium is in glen rose, tx:

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/389666324981499/

GrateEggspectations

Short answer: You can cook it all on any size Egg. It’s how much of “it” you want to cook that matters. 

There is no “best size” for chicken and vegetables. Depends on how much of it you want to cook. 

But if you need an Eggscuse, the Mini Max is by FAR the best size Egg for cooking chicken and vegetables! BY FAR!!

littlerascal56

I only cook on my XL.  Use 1/2 moon stones, and have 2 zones.  Indirect for potatoes, veggies, and direct for chicken.  I cook the whole meal on my XL, so the kitchen doesn’t see much use.

jtcBoynton

garthb4903 said:

@cookingdude555 Thx, I have the itch, but also want to be "smart" about it!  I have a LG, Md, and have the itch for a MM, but my question: what does a MM add to my repertoire that I don't have with the L and MD?

Nothing other than bragging rights and ability to have 3 different temps/setups going at once.  If you want to actually add to your cooking abilities and scratch an itch to spend money you should go the the Ceramic Grill Store and get accessories for your existing eggs. An adjustable rig and/or woo are the "smart" choice.