How high is the grill surface? Drip pans?

SoonerEggster

Being an egg-looker and future egg-cooker, I seem to be coming up with a lot of questions as I go to look at large and medium eggs. First, I've seen one dealer with the grate on the "fire ring" and the grate is lower than the top of the egg. Another has the grill/grate even with the top of the egg. Now what's with that? Do you have one or two of those ceramic rings for the grate to sit on or does something else go on top of that? Does one store not even know how to put one together?

Also, I'd assume you always use a drip pan with chickens? Brisket? Butts? I'm thinking about this as I try to figure how much I can cook in a medium! I'd like the medium because 99 percent of the time there is just the 2 of us, and I'd like to cook easier and more often.

So what do you do about grease collecting in the bottom of the cooker? Or does it?

Thanks a bunch! I'm one of those who likes to think of this stuff BEFORE I plop down my hard-earned cash!

AZRP

The one with the grate at gasket level probably had a plate setter in it. -RP

fishlessman

with the large you can get more accessories which make cooking easier, i would go with the large. it has a little more grill space and fits some cooks better like turkeys and pizzas. i dont use a drip pan all the time, most cooks i go direct over the fire and dont worry too much about the grease unless its something like a butt or brisket and even with them i sometimes cook direct. here is one of the more popular setups for a large, lots of options

http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.php?option=com_simpleboard&func=view&id=866913&catid=1

RVH

Being that you are a Sooner, does this mean you are in Oklahoma? If you are, perhaps you can attend the Oklahoma Eggfest in OKC. The hosts, Everything BBQ, can answer all of your questions. Well, actually just about any of the drunken Eggheads cooking at the fest can answer them as well. Barring this, you can probably talk one of us locals into showing you our rigs and how they operate.

vidalia1

Get the large...you will be much happier in the long run...cause like most of us you will end up with at least 2 BGE's... :P

Bacchus

I would recommend the Large even just for 2 people. The standard set up is cooking grid on the fire ring which is a few iches below gasket line. The plate setter is pretty much a must have accessory which raises the grid level and creates a barrier for indirect cooking. There are accessories available both though BGE and after marketers that provide a raised grid setup without the barrier, for "raised direct" cooking, which is indeed a good method for many cooks.

'Q Bruddah

You can cook less on a large but not more on a medium.
Don't sweat it too much. Get the large. After all its just your first egg anyway.

Ross in Ventura

THE LARGE

Ross

SmokyArkie

I am new to Big Green Egg and was looking at the different sizes before I bought the large. 99% of the time I am cooking for two people but the extra space always comes in handy. You may want to add a small dutch oven of baked beans or some corn on the cob to the Egg while your Boston Butt is finishing up. Sometimes I wonder if I should have goten the XLBGE.

A drip pan can be helpful. You may want to look at the discussion thread under My Grease Fire.


Whatever size you buy you will enjoy the BGE.

tjv

If you are a fan of briskets and ribs, get the large. The fit better on a large than a medium. t

'Q Bruddah

'nother thought. There's two of you. Let's say you get the large and cook too much food for the two of you to eat. There are no leftovers quite like yesterdays barbeque. Just noshed on a cold chicken thigh from last night- Heaven!!

Doug in Eggmonton

If you are within driving distance please attend the OKC fest, I'll be in a setup tent with some of the finest eggers around. Come see us and we'll be glad to show you what we know.

Doug

Manfred

I had a MBGE for a year now and love it. I mainly cook for me and my wife. I have taken some of the food that I have cook to church on our followship days now the orders are getting bigger. So now I talked to the wife and she ok me to get a large. I will pick it up at the eggfest. So if you know for sure you are not going to cook for more than you and wife get the MBGE but if there is chance the numbers will grow get the LBGE

'Q Bruddah

Manfred, You bring up an interesting point. Egging changes how you cook. You WILL want to do more not less. Once you and others know how good the food is...get the large.

Doug in Eggmonton

Theres a bigger problem, you get whichever size and you'll eventually (usually measured in weeks) realize that a second one would be soooo useful. The medium, then large actually seems like a good "strategy" from here. :woohoo:

Doug

'Q Bruddah

That's true, since that way the upfront cost of your addiction is lower.

ibanda

If you are in Sooner Territory come see us at the Eggfest held THIS SATURDAY at Everything Barbecue on N. May Avenue in Oklahoma City (see Okie Eggfest banner at the top of the page). It is free to attend. Last year I think there were 75 eggs going at once. You will learn so much in one day, and the food is really good!

The medium is a fantastic grill for 2 to 4 people, but as said above it will get cramped for brisket or ribs.

SoonerEggster

WOW! You have all the toys don't 'ya? I do a lot of wok cooking in the house. We have a really hot burner on our cook top and I love doing it. Soy, dry sherry, ginger, cornstarch and a little water--mix up and dump in as you finish and it is always a great pan sauce!

SoonerEggster

I might take you up on that. There is one problemo however. Someone managed to schedule this on Red/White game day. We'll have to see how things shake out! I would like to see some actual cookin' though! Thanks for the offer!

SoonerEggster

I knew you guys would have the answers! Thanks and hope to see you Saturday. Although there is SOMETHING else going on in Norman--now WHAT could it be???