If you knew then what you know now....

RyanStl

Oh hell yes I would buy again. I have owned many different styles of grills and/or smokers, and I've never been happier.  My cooks are so much better and I love how little charcoal it uses. Only thing I would do different is start with an XL. I don't really need two.

PigBeanUs

Probably the best all-‘round cooker funning on lump. 

I got it to smoke only, because it was advertised as mainly a smoker, and a dude on another forum used to taunt us with pics all the time

found it is an excellent set and forget smoker for a person with no real smoking experience (me). 

But it was also a damn good grill. Granted, charcoal is what was really doing the heavy lifting when grilling

so yeah, if someone wants to smoke about as much as grill, i would still recommend it. 

If they only wanted one or the other, there are better options for just doing one thing very well. 

EzraBrooks

I learned about the egg when my dad got one when I was in my early 20s.  I definitely couldn't afford one back then and my perception was it was an overpriced novelty.  I also looked down upon them when I saw on one of those bbq competition shows that Lee Ann Whippen was basically in tears because her temp controller broke and she couldn't control the temp of the egg.

So I bought a cheap chargriller offset and thought I would be a bbq god.  I couldn't get a rack of ribs that didn't taste like an ash tray and couldn't keep the temp where I wanted anywhere near long enough to do a butt.  I had so many fails I wouldn't even try anything advanced like brisket.

Then we had our son and we started visiting my parents more.  My dad's food had really improved vs. what I had remembered from my lighter-fluid based childhood on his trusty char-broil.  We saved up and just as my chargriller was rusting out, we splurged on a large egg.  That was almost 10 years ago and now I easily out cook my dad as I learned so much from this forum.  I've tried so many new foods and techniques that I never would have attempted with my POS chargriller.

My only regret is that I wish I had found the forum before I bought the egg.  I would have been much more educated and would have gone with the CGS adjustable rig and stone setup instead of the plate setter.  Now that I'm invested in the plate setter, hard to just put that to the side and go to the AR.

Tbent

If I could only have one cooker, it without a doubt would be a kamado. I would consider KJ and others now, but I most likely would end up with an egg. 

I got my first egg almost ten years ago. It really has been a life changer, and a large part of that is what I've learned from this forum. 

BSR

Orange egg these days but not a big enough difference to change... I do want a pizza oven...

Ozzie_Isaac

Real speak: The value in the egg, is this forum.  The egg is a tool that is easily replicated, this community is not.

butt_juice

I would buy my BGE again, yes. I've cranked out some spectacular food on it, and enjoyed more beverages while doing so because of the whole process involved. I wouldn't get to drink as much with a pellet grill or gasser! 

Seriously though, the track record and warranty are why I would buy again. It's an investment that I plan on passing down to my son. He is 8 months old right now. I liken it to anything else that is a bit expensive but, in time, ends up being the lesser expensive route due to longevity. 

My brother has one of the OG Traegers. It is probably every bit of 20 years old and still in one piece. He has replaced the electronics three times though in that span, so he has likely bought it once again in maintenance...something that won't happen with the egg.