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When and how you discovered the big green egg?

CANMAN1976
CANMAN1976 Posts: 1,593
edited October 2013 in EggHead Forum
Just wondering how and when all of you first discovered the big green egg? The egg has become a big thing for me and my family as I cook on it almost daily and I couldn't imagine living without it now. I first heard of the bge about two years ago just by surfing the web for recipies...so glad I discovered it... even though it took me over a year to acquire one, it was definatley worth the wait:)

What about you guys? How did you first here about the egg?

Jamie.
Hows ya gettin' on, me ol ****



Kippens.Newfoundland and Labrador. (Canada).
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Comments

  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817

    Saw one in a BBQ store and bought it right away. That was about 1998

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • My dad brought one home a few years ago during Christmas and after the first rack of ribs we were hooked. I finally picked one up about 2 months ago for my family, and we have enjoyed the heck out of it.
  • CANMAN1976
    CANMAN1976 Posts: 1,593

    Saw one in a BBQ store and bought it right away. That was about 1998

    So L.S did you already know about the egg when you saw it or did you just buy it blindly?
    Hows ya gettin' on, me ol ****



    Kippens.Newfoundland and Labrador. (Canada).
  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,880
    edited October 2013
    I witnessed two guys talking which soon turned heated over 3 bags of charcoal. This was nearly 14 years ago and lump was not commonly found, but I did not know that at the time let alone what "lump" was! A nursey was closing out the BGE line and selling their stock. Some local guy had just bought the last 3 bags of lump as a guy who had driven 100 miles from Iowa was like next in line. "Iowa" was nice about it pleading for him to sell him one bag and "local" said no and was not nice about it at all and it got heated out in the parking lot. I wondered what would cause two grown men to almost come to blows over charcoal so I went home got on the net and found Eggdom!
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
    edited October 2013
    No, I knew nothing about it. The guy at the store said he do brisket on his and it came out great. I thought I made pretty decent brisket on the Napolean. I could see the possibilities. I used it for eight years or so and then found the old forum. Learned a helluva lot more after that.

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

  • DMW
    DMW Posts: 13,832
    Saw the BGE first at a Home/Garden Expo. Took me just over 2 years of attending eggfests, talking to anyone I knew that had one, lurking on the forums, etc before finally pulling the trigger on an XL. It has exceeded my expectations in every way and SWMBO is fairly sure I've gone off the deep end.
    They/Them
    Morgantown, PA

    XL BGE - S BGE - KJ Jr - HB Legacy - BS Pizza Oven - 30" Firepit - King Kooker Fryer -  PR72T - WSJ - BS 17" Griddle - XXL BGE  - BS SS36" Griddle - 2 Burner Gasser - Pellet Smoker
  • Charlesmaneri
    Charlesmaneri Posts: 1,295
    edited October 2013
    I knew about the BGE about 5 years ago saw something on the internet and wanted one eversince but was gun-shy to pull the trigger because of the expense ,I finally got my 1st Egg for Christmas 2012 and fell in love with it now I have 2 larges and hoping to get a XXL 
    2 Large Eggs and a Mini 2 Pit Bulls and a Pork shoulder or butt nearby and 100% SICILIAN
    Long Island N.Y.
  • I saw it in a you tube video, got my interest, a couple of months later i bought a large.
    Ova B.
    Fulton MO
  • gpsegg
    gpsegg Posts: 427
    edited October 2013
    We bought a cabin in the Georgia mountains (Blue Ridge) with a deck. First thing I bought was a pretty good gas grill and had it hooked up to the gas line. It worked great . We were spending two weeks every six or seven weeks at the cabin coming up from Florida. Each time we came up and took the cover off (especially in cold weather) we had a nest of mice with babies in the burners using part of the grill cover for nest material. We , especially SWMBO , was distressed about the "cute" babies. Went on line to try to find a solution and somene suggested the BGE since it is totally sealed shut.....had heard of it but hadn't really considered it. Went and checked it out. Became a total convert and haven't looked back . Love it and even converted to BGE in Florida. Nothing like it!
    George
    Palm Beach Gardens, Fl and Blairsville, Ga.
  • I went to the store to buy paint, i saw the guy cooking there had a sample get hooked bought it came home told my wife honey look what i got ;-) 
  • windsurfer
    windsurfer Posts: 63
    edited October 2013
  • Skiddymarker
    Skiddymarker Posts: 8,522
    Owned a kettle since the late '70's. New neighbour moved in from the mid west about four years ago and he had a brand spanking new Kamado Joe. One of the first ceramic kamado's I'd seen. Soon saw the advantage and looked all over for a dealer, there were none in my area, still limited. He was transferred again and took his KJ with him, so I had to find something. Inter web browsing found a BGE dealer 25 miles south in Bellingham Wa, bought a MBGE.
    Delta B.C. - Whiskey and steak, because no good story ever started with someone having a salad!
  • JRWhitee
    JRWhitee Posts: 5,678
    A couple friends had them and always talked about how good the food was, like we do now, I always said I was going to get one some day. Then in 2006 I won my fantasy football league, $1,200, my wife said what are you going to do with your money you always wanted that Green Egg...I bought one that afternoon...
                                                                
    _________________________________________________
    Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story!
    Large BGE 2006, Mini Max 2014, 36" Blackstone, Anova Sous Vide
    Green Man Group 
    Johns Creek, Georgia
  •  image

    Barney, my neighbor and best buddy, invited me over for a steak dinner.  He pulled it out this weird green cooker and it was great!  He said it was an Egg and is the secret to great outdoor cooking.  I had to have that magic green machine!  Now I have one and I cook steaks better than Barn! 

    Flint, Michigan
  • td66snrf
    td66snrf Posts: 1,821
    edited October 2013
    I met my wife 33 yrs ago and my father in law to be had an Imperial Kamado and that's where it all began. The Kamados were imported locally in Long Beach and they had a store front where he bought his in the early  60's. I have bought, sold, traded, bartered over the years to get what I have now. So I've been cooking on them for about 30 yrs and have made at least 10 friends/relatives believers.  The following is from the Naked Whiz's website.  It's from 1963. Check out the pricing!But perhaps the most humorous evidence that “Kamado” is a real Japanese word comes from a 1963 advertisement in the Long Beach, California newspaper, The Independent Press-Telegram placed by Richard Johnson himself: But perhaps the most humorous evidence that “Kamado” is a real Japanese word comes from a 1963 advertisement in the

    Long Beach, California newspaper, The Independent Press-Telegram placed by Richard Johnson himself:

     

    image

     

     

     

     

    XLBGE, LBGE, MBGE, SMALL, MINI, 2 Kubs, Fire Magic Gasser
  • abpgwolf
    abpgwolf Posts: 558
    A friend let me use his BGE while we were staying st their vacation home. I cooked on it every day we were there (sometimes twice a day). Simple stuff, burgers, dogs, chicken. But my wife and boys loved the results. A few weeks later my wife bought me an XL. On of the best gifts, ever! 

    Lititz, PA – XL BGE

  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,727
    Saw one on display at an Ace Hardware when we lived in Iowa.Then was at a cookout where I was able to cook on one. Was really interested in its high temp tandoor-like capabilities. Lusted after one ever since. That was in 2007. Learned how to cook on charcoal, acquired and built a variety of cookers (Weber kettles, drum smokers, tandoor, wood-fired pizza oven) until I kicked my BGE fund drive into high gear in 2012. Protested my property taxes, negotiated down  the unit rate for electricity and internet service, etc. Pulled the trigger last December, then bought 2 more before SWMBO realized what I was doing :D

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
  • billyray
    billyray Posts: 1,275
    Saw my first one back in the 80's at a hardware show in Chicago, The freight was so expensive so we didn't order any. Have been a dealer for the last 6 years. Ace Hardware
    Felton, Ca. 2-LBGE, 1-Small, PBC, PK360, Genesis Summit, Camp Chef Flattop, Smokefire 24, Traeger Pro Series 22 Pellet with a Smoke Daddy insert, Gateway 55 Gal. drum, SNS Kettle w/acc.
  • Doc_Eggerton
    Doc_Eggerton Posts: 5,321
    Brother had a (now mine) medium.  Talked him into getting an XL and selling me the MBGE. 

    XXL #82 out of the first 100, XLGE X 2, LBGE (gave this one to daughter 1.0) , MBGE (now in the hands of iloveagoodyoke daughter 2.0) and lots of toys

  • My insurance agent had one and explained how I needed one and history was made.
  • What a great thread. Saw them several years back and kind of just laughed because they were very expensive. A fad I thought for wealthy people only. Then I got into smoking and cooking everything outside. Over the years I bought an ECB, a Chargriller smoker, a Brinkman Smoke King Deluxe, a WSM, 2 Weber kettles, a Weber Performer, a MES...and finally, about 6 weeks ago, bought a LBGE. Still have the Webers and the MES, but am loving this EGG. Still just new at Egging but now I see and realize what I was missing. I could have saved some money if I knew but hey, you live and learn.
    Cherry Hill, NJ
  • Tackman
    Tackman Posts: 230
    A few years ago I got a weber kettle and cooked on a lot, I then got interested in low and Slow smoking, I really wanted a weber smokey mountain, but couldn't justify the cost Of a dedicated smoker. Through the BBQ brethren site, I saw people building mini Weber Smokers out of the smokey joe and a tamale pot. I made one, and had a lot of fun smoking on that thing. through that forum I learned about the egg. Searched craigslist for months, finally my patience was rewarded. Found a very gently used large with a ton of accessories for $550. Never looked back.
    Cleveland, Ohio
  • td66snrf
    td66snrf Posts: 1,821
    edited October 2013
    I was homeless and drunk on a street corner in Las Vegas.  An elderly man came by with a gorgeous young woman, dressed in short shorts, high heel shoes, and cheap jewelry hanging all over her.  He tossed a thin dime into my now empty tin cup of warm Mogan David Wine.

    I crawled to the nearest casino and tossed the dime onto the roulette table.  To my surprise, it won.  I thought I could buy another bottle of MD wine, but I couldn't get up to claim my winnings, so I let it ride.  I kept winning until I had amassed a sum of $865,000 dollars.  The hotel staff took me to a room where I slept it off.

    Determined to find my benefactor, I hired a private detective.  He found that the elderly man was a Toyota salesman from Salado Texas and was in Las Vegas at a convention.  I contacted him and told him that I was going to write a thank you letter to him and his wife at their home.  He begged me not to do that, and offered to buy me a Big Green Egg if I would forget it.  

    I have not been disappointed.
    Village Idiot   OK you win!
    XLBGE, LBGE, MBGE, SMALL, MINI, 2 Kubs, Fire Magic Gasser
  • YEMTrey
    YEMTrey Posts: 6,829
    I had known about them for a couple of years prior to getting one.  I was happy with the food I was making on my gas grill and my offset smoker.
    The offset was a bit of a chore in the hot summer weather having to babysit it and be with it constantly.  It was very inefficient in comparison to an Egg. My buddy had just bought an Egg and invited me over for some ribs. I went over to hang out with him while he "cooked". I was amazed in that the Egg maintained temp for hours while we sat inside and watched the game and drank. It didn't need to be babysat constantly.  And the ribs turned out pretty damn good to boot.
    I immediately signed up for both sites and registered and bought an XL at my local Eggfest.

    It's a life changer.  The quality of my cooks have gone up and the versatility is amazing.  Wood fired pizza and the most moist chicken I have ever cooked.  Can't imagine life without one now.
    Steve 
    XL, Mini Max, and a 22" Blackstone in Cincinnati, Ohio

  • RLeeper
    RLeeper Posts: 480
    Passed the mothership almost daily and never thought to look more into the Big Green Egg displayed in huge green neon lights. Finally walked in the store and spoke to the retail manager about it and the rest is history. Walked out with a large package that same day.
    Extra Large, Large, and Mini. Tucker, GA
  • stlcharcoal
    stlcharcoal Posts: 4,684
    My dad had an office in Atlanta when I was a kid, so he travelled there at least once a week.  He says he saw this funny cooker outside of a shop every once in a while.  We can only assume that it was Ed Fisher's pachinko machine shop.  He doesn't remember where it was, but it was in the 80s.
     
    Fast forward to the early 90's and the first shop in St. Louis started carrying them.  They had a small ad in the newspaper and had a BGE in the corner.  He recognized it and we bought one a few days later.  Medium BGE with stand, cover, tools, & charcoal for $299 (we still have the receipt!)
  • JRWhitee
    JRWhitee Posts: 5,678
    VI you crack me up.  :((
                                                                
    _________________________________________________
    Don't let the truth get in the way of a good story!
    Large BGE 2006, Mini Max 2014, 36" Blackstone, Anova Sous Vide
    Green Man Group 
    Johns Creek, Georgia
  • Mattman3969
    Mattman3969 Posts: 10,457
    edited October 2013
    My large was a Christmas gift from my wife in 2006,(her boss had one)I really had no clue what to do with it after all I was a gasser guy. Did some basic steaks,burgers and chicken breast but never really grasp what it was fully capable of. In 2007 we had a ice storm that knocked our power out for 14 days and the gasser was out of fuel so the egg turned into our only means of hot food. After I made eggs and sausage in a CI skillet one morning and left it burning so I could do lunch and dinner I got really interested in the possibilities of the egg. Found this and the other forum, lurked for a while and signed up, my cooks haven't been the same since. 2 months ago I brought a small into the family

    -----------------------------------------

    analyze adapt overcome

    2008 -Large BGE. 2013- Small BGE and 2015 - Mini. Henderson, Ky.
  • Watching too much BBQ Pit Masters I was thinking about getting something to smoke with. My dad works out of state at an Ace Hardware and said "Get a Big Green Egg". I was pretty much thinking an upper end Pellet smoker and I started to do some research.

    I didn't know anything about the grill so I went to an outdoor furniture store that sold them (closest to my house - I have two dealers within 10 miles) and fell in love with the grill but not the store. The second closest was Dizzy Pig.

    That's all I took. About once every two months or so, I go there and just turn over my paycheck for accessories and charcoal etc. Dizzy Pig was extremely helpful. I went first picked out a large and brought back the wife to convince. All she asked was "Can you set the temp like an oven?" and I was like "Throw in the CyberQ Wifi please".