XL vs. LG Charcoal Use

SmokedOut · December 2011

I am buying an egg today. I am leaning towards a large. We are a family of 6. The XL would allow whole meal prep on the large surface.

Our usual meals are pretty small, 7 burgers / 6 steaks / 1 whole chicken ect. If I use the XL for average meals am I wasting a lot of charcoal? I am aware of the charcoal reducer rings and the idea of displacing the charcoal to one side for an indirect zone. I don't have a feel how any of that stuff changes the equation.

Does anyone have experience with both LG and XL? Thanks, I need a little shove one way or the other.

njl · December 2011

6 of what kind of steaks? I have a large, and I think 6 decent size steaks would be very crowded on the grill. I don't generally do more than 4 at a time.

With the large, I think you have about a 16" diameter area of usable grill surface. Can you fit 6 steaks in that?

Another thing to consider is the size/weight of the large and XL. The large is already a beast and even in a wheeled table, if the ground isn't hard and flat, it can be challenging to move around alone.

SmokedOut · December 2011

Thanks for the quick reply,

Probably NY Strip. I was concerned about the searing zone. Some of the grate is obscured by the fire ring. You bring up a good point.

I have heard that you can cook around 225 to 250 for up to 24 hours on one load of coal. Do you know if you can do the same on the XL?

ChokeOnSmoke · December 2011

See this recent thread:
http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1135578/how-much-lump-difference-between-the-lg-and-the-xl#Item_23

SmokedOut · December 2011

Thank You all for the help!

I saw a video with the XL. The coals were pushed to one side. He had steaks on that side and asparagus laid out on the other; on indirect heat. I am headed off to get an XL. Thanks again for the help!

howmeisterg · December 2011

You won't be sorry. I have an XL for a family of 5 and use all the surface area on multiple tiers more often than not. I like having air space around the food as well.

XL vs. LG Charcoal Use

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