I don't understand the Medium size indirect coverage.

stompbox · March 2016

As noted in another thread, I recently found out that the MM, small, and medium all have the same sized (diameter) indirect area which is about 10". The plate setters and CGS stones confirm this.

This baffles me why the Medium indirect coverage is not larger. If you plan on cooking indirect, I don't see a benifit to purchasing the medium over the small.

I went onto CGS and see they sell the 12" drip pan for the Medium size. Won't the drippings burn having only 10" of protection? This does not seem to make sense.

Why wouldn't BGE or CGS try to get a little more coverage with the platesetter or round stone?

Ozzie_Isaac · March 2016

12" drip pan works great in the medium. No extra burning. Functions as a deflector.

northGAcock · March 2016

The MM & Small are 13 inch diameter. The medium is 15 inches. My drip for the medium is 12 inchs..... Not sure I am following you here @stompbox

DoubleEgger · March 2016

That's not the case. I use a woo with a 12" BGE stone on my medium.

DoubleEgger · March 2016

I walked outside and took a pic for you. 12" stone inside the woo.

stompbox · March 2016

northGAcock said:

The MM & Small are 13 inch diameter. The medium is 15 inches. My drip for the medium is 12 inchs..... Not sure I am following you here @stompbox

The diameter portion of the platesetter. Not the cooking grid.

DoubleEgger · March 2016

I bought the stone for the same reason as Stomp mentioned. I have the platesetter too and its coverage area is too small.

stompbox · March 2016

DoubleEgger said:

I walked outside and took a pic for you. 12" stone inside the woo.

That is not what is recommended ( see below, it notes buying 10" for indirect). How does it work for you?

"The Medium Woo2-15 fits the Medium Big Green Egg® with the 15" diameter grid. The Woo2 raises the Medium's 15" grid to the felt line for direct cooks. Or, set our 10" ceramic pizza stone on the crossbars to create an indirect (platesetter) set-up. Add our 12" Round Stainless Drip Pan for easy clean up."

DoubleEgger · March 2016

Works fine for me. Never had any problems with it.

DoubleEgger · March 2016

I just went to their website and I think I have an explanation. They don't sell a 12" stone. Their recommendations are based on their branded products. They sell a 13" stone for the large and they have a 10" stone which will fit the medium, small and MM. I would assume that the demand for a CGS 12" stone isn't great enough for them to carry it for only the medium. A 13" stone would be cutting it too close on the medium.

stompbox · March 2016

Where did you get a 12" stone the same quality as CGS?

This is so odd to me that BGE would design the PS with a 10" diameter, the same size as the small. That it too small for ribs and briskets.

DoubleEgger · March 2016

It's a BGE branded stone for the medium. I agree with you in regards to the smaller coverage area of the platesetter. It rarely gets used anymore.

northGAcock · March 2016

Glad y'all got to the bottom of that....I was scratching my head on that one. Too much siphoning for a Monday night I guess.

DoubleEgger · March 2016

Note that CGS is telling folks to use a 12" drip pan. If airflow alone was the issue, the drip pan would be a problem.

stompbox · March 2016

10-4 on that one, that makes sense.

So, CGS did not want to make 12" stone because sales on Small and Medium accessories are lower volume and not financially best to make seperate sizes..... or they were just mimicking BGE's design.

Ugh, I don't like it either way you look at it.

Theophan · March 2016

stompbox said:

... the MM, small, and medium all have the same sized (diameter) indirect area which is about 10"... This baffles me why the Medium indirect coverage is not larger. If you plan on cooking indirect, I don't see a benifit to purchasing the medium over the small... Why wouldn't BGE or CGS try to get a little more coverage with the platesetter or round stone?

I just looked at the plate setters for my Medium and my Large, and they look to me like they were made exactly the same way, proportionately. The diameter was about 10 1/2", and if the Small's is exactly the same, I'd be surprised and a little confused about how they did that, but I don't have a Small.

I think the Medium is GREAT for most of the stuff I do, cooking almost always for just me and my wife. But I don't cook ribs on my Medium -- I cook those on the Large. And lots of other stuff. If I only had one Egg, it'd be the Large. But I probably use the Medium more often than the Large, and I love it. If I happened to have a Small also, I'm sure I'd use it for some of the cooks I currently do on the Medium, but for me, the Small is too limiting and the Medium is just a perfect size for me a lot of the time. It's small enough that I don't feel like I'm wasting charcoal on a couple of burgers or steaks, but large enough that a spatchcock chicken (which I usually cook hot indirect), a pork butt, etc., fit very nicely. When I see pictures of similar things on other people's Smalls, they look cramped to me. Maybe not, I've never used one.

If you're really concerned about needing a significantly larger indirect area, I'd suggest thinking hard about a Large. No size is perfect for everything, but I think most people agree that the Large is probably the most versatile of all of the BGEs. My wife bought me a Medium first, and I loved it, still do, but every now and again it just wasn't big enough. For me, the combination is perfect: sometimes I use the Medium, sometimes the Large, sometimes both together! It's great. But if I only had one Egg, it'd be the Large.

Jupiter Jim · March 2016

DoubleEgger said:

I walked outside and took a pic for you. 12" stone inside the woo.

Nice socks!

stompbox · March 2016

Theophan said:

stompbox said:

... the MM, small, and medium all have the same sized (diameter) indirect area which is about 10"... This baffles me why the Medium indirect coverage is not larger. If you plan on cooking indirect, I don't see a benifit to purchasing the medium over the small... Why wouldn't BGE or CGS try to get a little more coverage with the platesetter or round stone?

I just looked at the plate setters for my Medium and my Large, and they look to me like they were made exactly the same way, proportionately. The diameter was about 10 1/2", and if the Small's is exactly the same, I'd be surprised and a little confused about how they did that, but I don't have a Small.

I think the Medium is GREAT for most of the stuff I do, cooking almost always for just me and my wife. But I don't cook ribs on my Medium -- I cook those on the Large. And lots of other stuff. If I only had one Egg, it'd be the Large. But I probably use the Medium more often than the Large, and I love it. If I happened to have a Small also, I'm sure I'd use it for some of the cooks I currently do on the Medium, but for me, the Small is too limiting and the Medium is just a perfect size for me a lot of the time. It's small enough that I don't feel like I'm wasting charcoal on a couple of burgers or steaks, but large enough that a spatchcock chicken (which I usually cook hot indirect), a pork butt, etc., fit very nicely. When I see pictures of similar things on other people's Smalls, they look cramped to me. Maybe not, I've never used one.

If you're really concerned about needing a significantly larger indirect area, I'd suggest thinking hard about a Large. No size is perfect for everything, but I think most people agree that the Large is probably the most versatile of all of the BGEs. My wife bought me a Medium first, and I loved it, still do, but every now and again it just wasn't big enough. For me, the combination is perfect: sometimes I use the Medium, sometimes the Large, sometimes both together! It's great. But if I only had one Egg, it'd be the Large.

Thanks for the reply. Yes, the diameter is the same for the Small, Medium and MM. I held them back to back to compare in the store.

This would actually be for my second egg, I have an XL so no concerns there. I want a second egg for different temps, doing sides without wasting lump, etc.

I just need to make sure that the small and MM are not too small even for throw away pans for beans, potatoes, etc. But, I would also like to cook small butts and a few ribs here and there for myself. Oh and not to mention pizzas since I am using a lot of lump getting that XL up to high temps right now.

I also think that making only like 4 burgers at a time is limiting. But, I do like the face that the S or MM could be transported. So, I have a big dilemma.

Jupiter Jim · March 2016

stompbox said:

10-4 on that one, that makes sense.

So, CGS did not want to make 12" stone because sales on Small and Medium accessories are lower volume and not financially best to make seperate sizes..... or they were just mimicking BGE's design.

Ugh, I don't like it either way you look at it.

BGE makes there own pizza stones to the size they think is best, CGS I think gets them from a Kiln supply company and they only make certain sizes and none of that I have been able to find are the same size as BGE. One can save $$$$ going direct to Kiln suppliers and they are good and as strong as BGE. I have a Roswell rig for baking two Pizzas at the same time on a large egg but it was made for the 14" BGE Pizza stone and the 13" from kiln supply are to small. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Thatgrimguy · March 2016

@stompbox I routinely cook 6-7 burgers at a time on my small. You can cook 4 ribeyes at a time.

SmokeyPitt · March 2016

I agree with the size of the medium you could have a bigger deflector. The 12 inch looks about perfect. FWIW I have been using a terra cotta plant saucer on my small. Since the edges are tapered an 11 inch saucer works perfectly. It was only $7. I'm not sure how it would stand up to lots of high heat but I have had it over 500 for a short time with no issues.

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1182251/terra-cotta-plant-saucer-for-indirect

stompbox · March 2016

SmokeyPitt said:

I agree with the size of the medium you could have a bigger deflector. The 12 inch looks about perfect. FWIW I have been using a terra cotta plant saucer on my small. Since the edges are tapered an 11 inch saucer works perfectly. It was only $7. I'm not sure how it would stand up to lots of high heat but I have had it over 500 for a short time with no issues.

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1182251/terra-cotta-plant-saucer-for-indirect

That is pretty nifty!

I don't understand the Medium size indirect coverage.

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