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What size BGE for 5 people?

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Comments

  • smokeyj
    smokeyj Posts: 340
    I had a Weber kettle 22.5 and got a large about 7 years ago. I missed the size of my kettle when I switched. Last summer I got a XL and couldn't be happier. I still have the kettle, love that grill also. 
  • Ozzie_Isaac
    Ozzie_Isaac Posts: 18,942
    Mini-max .... unless you all want to eat at the same time.
    A bison’s level of aggressiveness, both physical and passive, is legendary. - NPS
  • jhl192
    jhl192 Posts: 1,006
    I have 4 in my family and we like to entertain a lot.  Went with the XL and it is my preferred egg.
    XL BGE; Medium BGE; L BGE 
  • StillH2OEgger
    StillH2OEgger Posts: 3,741
    It sounds like you settled on the size and XL sounds about right. I just wanted to mention that like you my only experience was with gas grills before doing my research and getting a large BGE. You're already on this site so you're way ahead. You'll learn quick and you'll love it.
    Stillwater, MN
  • HeavyG
    HeavyG Posts: 10,323
    smokeyj said:
    I had a Weber kettle 22.5 and got a large about 7 years ago. I missed the size of my kettle when I switched. Last summer I got a XL and couldn't be happier. I still have the kettle, love that grill also. 
    Likewise with a Weber Kettle. I'll never get rid of my kettle.
    “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.” ― Philip K. Diçk




  • Jeepster47
    Jeepster47 Posts: 3,827
    I think the XXL can fit one person, but any more would be pushing it.  I suggest using oak wood for smoke.
    Oh come now ... oak is for smoking Texans!  If you're going to smoke a Mid-westerner, than pecan is preferred.

    Washington, IL  >  Queen Creek, AZ ... Two large eggs and an adopted Mini Max

  • Theophan
    Theophan Posts: 2,654
    HeavyG said:
    smokeyj said:
    I had a Weber kettle 22.5 and got a large about 7 years ago. I missed the size of my kettle when I switched. Last summer I got a XL and couldn't be happier. I still have the kettle, love that grill also. 
    Likewise with a Weber Kettle. I'll never get rid of my kettle.
    I used a Weber kettle for years, liked it, never loved it.  Switched to a Weber gas grill, liked the convenience, never really was crazy about how the food I cooked tasted.  It was only since my wife bought me my first BGE that I really LOVED the food I cook outside, and I have no interest in going back.  I can't imagine what I'd want a Weber kettle grill for.

    Not trying to start an argument, we're all different, but I'm sincerely curious: if you have a BGE and a Weber kettle, what would make you ever choose the kettle?
  • six_egg
    six_egg Posts: 1,110
    I bought a large. Loved it but too small for a family of four with sides and main course on grill. The XL I bought later. I use it more than the large. If I am just doing meat I will use the large. If I am doing a whole meal sides and all XL is the clear winner in my book. Just my two cents.  

    XLBGE, LBGE 

    Fernandina Beach, FL

  • smokeyj
    smokeyj Posts: 340
    Theophan said:
    HeavyG said:
    smokeyj said:
    I had a Weber kettle 22.5 and got a large about 7 years ago. I missed the size of my kettle when I switched. Last summer I got a XL and couldn't be happier. I still have the kettle, love that grill also. 
    Likewise with a Weber Kettle. I'll never get rid of my kettle.
    I used a Weber kettle for years, liked it, never loved it.  Switched to a Weber gas grill, liked the convenience, never really was crazy about how the food I cooked tasted.  It was only since my wife bought me my first BGE that I really LOVED the food I cook outside, and I have no interest in going back.  I can't imagine what I'd want a Weber kettle grill for.

    Not trying to start an argument, we're all different, but I'm sincerely curious: if you have a BGE and a Weber kettle, what would make you ever choose the kettle?
    No worries about starting an argument. Everyone likes different things.

    I definitely do chicken in my kettle more. Especially with the rotisserie. I just like chicken on my kettle better. Some of my best briskets and ribs have been on my kettle. For some reason I like the taste of the food a bit better off my kettle.

    I do more cooking on my kettle from March until around November. Once the cold hits the kettle doesn't get used much. 

    It's always been a fun a grill for me to use. I don't think the egg makes superior food over a kettle as long as you don't under cook or over cook.
  • Theophan
    Theophan Posts: 2,654
    I definitely do chicken in my kettle more. Especially with the rotisserie. I just like chicken on my kettle better. Some of my best briskets and ribs have been on my kettle. For some reason I like the taste of the food a bit better off my kettle.

    I do more cooking on my kettle from March until around November. Once the cold hits the kettle doesn't get used much. 

    It's always been a fun a grill for me to use. I don't think the egg makes superior food over a kettle as long as you don't under cook or over cook.
    I'm absolutely fascinated!  I don't understand how our experiences could be so different.

    I enjoyed cooking over charcoal (briquettes) with a number of different grills, the last one being a Weber kettle grill.  But as I worked harder to eliminate off flavors (got rid of lighter fluid--used a chimney, trimmed fat so very little would drip down and burn back up onto the meat), my food tasted less and less "grilled."  It looked grilled, but tasted a lot like it had been broiled in the oven.  And for longer cooks, I had to add charcoal, which was a major pain.  I gave up and bought a Weber gas grill, and loved how easy it was, but as years went by, the "looks grilled but tastes broiled" thing bugged me more and more.

    Then my wife bought me a BGE, and I used BGE lump, which I've learned on this forum is smokier than some others, and suddenly I LOVE what I cook in the Egg!  Ribs are amazing, but even a plain spatchcock chicken cooked with no wood chips is wonderful, with a light but noticeable smokiness that just tastes like a wood fire to me.  I love it. Chicken just tasted boring to me cooked on the Weber grill. If I was really careful to avoid fat dripping down and then burning back up again into the meat, it looked grilled but I swear it would have tasted the same broiled in the oven.

    I'm not positive whether I could taste the difference, really, in something grilled super hot and fast, like a (thinner) steak, for example, between an Egg, a Weber kettle grill, or even a gas grill.  I'd like to hope so, but I'm not sure.  But anything that takes a little longer to cook I think the BGEs are amazing for.  The charcoal-ey, wood fire-ey flavor is wonderful, and they seem moister to me than they did when I had a Weber grill.
  • HeavyG
    HeavyG Posts: 10,323
    Theophan said:
    HeavyG said:
    smokeyj said:
    I had a Weber kettle 22.5 and got a large about 7 years ago. I missed the size of my kettle when I switched. Last summer I got a XL and couldn't be happier. I still have the kettle, love that grill also. 
    Likewise with a Weber Kettle. I'll never get rid of my kettle.
    I used a Weber kettle for years, liked it, never loved it.  Switched to a Weber gas grill, liked the convenience, never really was crazy about how the food I cooked tasted.  It was only since my wife bought me my first BGE that I really LOVED the food I cook outside, and I have no interest in going back.  I can't imagine what I'd want a Weber kettle grill for.

    Not trying to start an argument, we're all different, but I'm sincerely curious: if you have a BGE and a Weber kettle, what would make you ever choose the kettle?
    I love the Weber Kettle because it is a classic design. pretty much unbreakable (no cracked fireboxes or bands to adjust), extremely portable, and available for a very reasonable price.

    There is nothing that a kamado can do that I can't do on a kettle. I will concede that on cold, wet, windy days my kamados are a lot easier to manage temps so most of my kettle use is in the Spring-Fall period.

    My kettle is my XL. When I want to do a bunch of chicken wings my kettle has the space. The vast majority of my cooking does not need the space of a BGE XL (actually I'm using my KJ Jr. 90% of the time these days, my Large Egg 5% and my Kettle or WSM the other 5%) so I will never be in the market for a BGE XL/KJ Big Joe.

    I use Kingsford in my kettle 99% of the time and add chunks to add more smoke if wanted/needed. Most of the time I don't add a chunk of smoking wood as I'm one of those folks that doesn't want or like heavily smoke flavored food all the time.

    One big advantage of using good ole Kingsford is I can avoid all these silly arguments/angst over which lump is best and whether I got enough big chunks or too many smaller pieces in my latest bag of lump. :)

    I think kamados are great cookers (and I've been around kamados since the 1960's) but I don't think they are as magical as many folks seem to.  If I could only have one grill/cooker it would probably be a kamado (preferably a Komodo Kamado Big Bad :)) only because I like to cook outside year round.

    Even if I had a KK Big Bad I'd probably still hang onto my kettle tho. :) 
    “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.” ― Philip K. Diçk




  • smokeyj
    smokeyj Posts: 340
    Theophan said:
    I definitely do chicken in my kettle more. Especially with the rotisserie. I just like chicken on my kettle better. Some of my best briskets and ribs have been on my kettle. For some reason I like the taste of the food a bit better off my kettle.

    I do more cooking on my kettle from March until around November. Once the cold hits the kettle doesn't get used much. 

    It's always been a fun a grill for me to use. I don't think the egg makes superior food over a kettle as long as you don't under cook or over cook.

    I enjoyed cooking over charcoal (briquettes) with a number of different grills, the last one being a Weber kettle grill.  But as I worked harder to eliminate off flavors (got rid of lighter fluid--used a chimney, trimmed fat so very little would drip down and burn back up onto the meat), my food tasted less and less "grilled."  It looked grilled, but tasted a lot like it had been broiled in the oven.  And for longer cooks, I had to add charcoal, which was a major pain.  I gave up and bought a Weber gas grill, and loved how easy it was, but as years went by, the "looks grilled but tastes broiled" thing bugged me more and more.

    That's funny, the kamado cookers remind me of more of an oven taste that's one of the main reasons I like chicken on the weber more.

    As far as adding charcoal to the kettle I usually never have to add anymore.

  • HeavyG
    HeavyG Posts: 10,323
    smokeyj said:
    Theophan said:
    I definitely do chicken in my kettle more. Especially with the rotisserie. I just like chicken on my kettle better. Some of my best briskets and ribs have been on my kettle. For some reason I like the taste of the food a bit better off my kettle.

    I do more cooking on my kettle from March until around November. Once the cold hits the kettle doesn't get used much. 

    It's always been a fun a grill for me to use. I don't think the egg makes superior food over a kettle as long as you don't under cook or over cook.

    I enjoyed cooking over charcoal (briquettes) with a number of different grills, the last one being a Weber kettle grill.  But as I worked harder to eliminate off flavors (got rid of lighter fluid--used a chimney, trimmed fat so very little would drip down and burn back up onto the meat), my food tasted less and less "grilled."  It looked grilled, but tasted a lot like it had been broiled in the oven.  And for longer cooks, I had to add charcoal, which was a major pain.  I gave up and bought a Weber gas grill, and loved how easy it was, but as years went by, the "looks grilled but tastes broiled" thing bugged me more and more.

    That's funny, the kamado cookers remind me of more of an oven taste that's one of the main reasons I like chicken on the weber more.

    As far as adding charcoal to the kettle I usually never have to add anymore.

    The vast majority of things I cook on my kettle never require more than a chimney of coals. If I did need to add more coals one of my grates has the flip up side sections so adding a few more briquettes or wood chunks is easy peasy. So I don't really get the knock against kettles and having to add fuel.
    “Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away.” ― Philip K. Diçk




  • THEBuckeye
    THEBuckeye Posts: 4,230
    I had a three Weber kettles over 20 some years. Never cooked a Spatch. 

    Just sayin'
    New Albany, Ohio 

  • dougcrann
    dougcrann Posts: 1,129
    No replacement for displacement. Get the XL
    Yeah....but ain't there one bigger? Just the 2 of us and we still bought an XL way back. Since then we got a Large when our dealer had a sale on them. We use the Large for every day cooks. Briskets and ribs are done on the XL....
  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 17,125
    dougcrann said:
    No replacement for displacement. Get the XL
    Yeah....but ain't there one bigger? Just the 2 of us and we still bought an XL way back. Since then we got a Large when our dealer had a sale on them. We use the Large for every day cooks. Briskets and ribs are done on the XL....
    Yeah but it's not practical. For that kinda money, buy a cabinet smoker. 
  • annjamaican
    annjamaican Posts: 152
    edited March 2016
    Even though it's only two of us, I got an XL and honestly can't imagine cooking on a smaller surface. It's perfect, especially for doing multi-dish meals. 
    - Jamaican living in rural Western Washington
    - Got my first egg (XL) in October 2015
  • dougcrann
    dougcrann Posts: 1,129
    dougcrann said:
    No replacement for displacement. Get the XL
    Yeah....but ain't there one bigger? Just the 2 of us and we still bought an XL way back. Since then we got a Large when our dealer had a sale on them. We use the Large for every day cooks. Briskets and ribs are done on the XL....
    Yeah but it's not practical. For that kinda money, buy a cabinet smoker. 
    I have never even seen the XX. For the amount of  $$ the XL costs one could probably build 2 Reverse Flow cookers....I know I built mine, based on a 60 gallon compressor tank for quite a bit less $$ than we paid for our Large...and we got it on sale....with no nest or wings....while the RF rivals, if not exceeds the Egg at smoking it is just a smoker....and it is a bit labor intensive to use...
  • bgebrent
    bgebrent Posts: 19,636
    Just piling on, XL for 5.
    Sandy Springs & Dawsonville Ga
  • Terrebandit
    Terrebandit Posts: 1,750
    If I was cooking for 5 on a routine basis I might opt for an  XL. I own a Large, personally. 
    Dave - Austin, TX
  • Hans61
    Hans61 Posts: 3,901
    Love my XL! I debated between it and a large as well. I read a lot of threads on this topic, and what helped me make up my mind was the folks saying you'd never regret going bigger but may regret going smaller. When spending $1k + I didn't want any regrets, and I have none :-) 
    “There are three rules that I live by: never get less than twelve hours sleep; never play cards with a guy who has the same first name as a city; and never get involved with a woman with a tattoo of a dagger on her body.”
    Coach Finstock Teen Wolf
  • westernbbq
    westernbbq Posts: 2,490
    welcome Hans!   You will have a lot of fun.  Post picts of cooks, 
  • ar15203
    ar15203 Posts: 86
    Check the Ceramic Gill Store and their spider and adj rig setup I have an xl with that and can cook for a party. 
    XLBGE, Egging in NH
  • YukonRon
    YukonRon Posts: 16,984
    We have an XL and a MM. We are a family of 4, often feeding 6, and frequently thinking of adding a third egg to the mix.
    I don't know that I would keep an egg under roof, in a room, attached to the house, screened in or not.  A lot of heavy smoke is one reason, and cooking residue (soot)  is the other. Just my opinion. 
    For us, the XL and MM is perfect. 
    "Knowledge is Good" - Emil Faber

    XL and MM
    Louisville, Kentucky
  • blind99
    blind99 Posts: 4,971

    you need multiple cookers. 

    sidetrack re webers-

    the weber kettle is great because you can put half the coals on one side and have an easily controllable two zone fire.  it's an excellent, inexpensive grill.  I cooked on a Weber Challenger setup recently.  Lots of grill space, it comes with baskets for organizing coals in the kettle, excellent grate system, nice table, lump storage, gas start option - best $400 grill value out there.


    there's no easy way to have two zones on an egg.  when my large egg is filled to the top of the fire box with coal, high heat grilling can get some really huge, gnarly flames going because there's so much fuel burning.  Grilling burgers on an XL seems like it would be daunting.


    to get back to your question, I use my large BGE probably 4 nights a week spring through fall, cooking for 5-7 people. I supplement it with space on a gasser. I keep my weber nearby, don't use it as much as I'd like because I don't have a safe space and kids would be running right by it. 

    Chicago, IL - Large and Small BGE - Weber Gasser and Kettle
  • Abter
    Abter Posts: 125
    On location:   I would not want to use my egg in a screened porch if it is attached to the house.  As much as I love the smell of smoke and food, I want my egg away from the house.

    I am building a very simple table (lots of plans available, plus a whole forum here on tables), and will put casters on it to move around my deck for different size parties.  A few neighbors also have eggs, and we are talking about having a multi-family egg feast; the casters will help me get to their houses.

    I wouldn't want either an egg-n-nest or  egg-n-table directly in the grass or bare ground,. Simple pavers under each leg would be just fine if you don't have deck/pad/gravel bed/etc. to put it in.  I would get a few additional pavers for the cook to stand on in front of the egg also.
    Stay Calm and Egg On
    1 lonely medium in Rockville, MD
  • jtcBoynton
    jtcBoynton Posts: 2,814
    jmy2469 said:
    Thanks for the info! I do have a small screened in porch, do you think it would be ok to set everything up on there or would keeping everything outside would be better? Everything here is open, and yard is not fenced in. Would like to keep it on the porch if possible
    Keep it on the screened porch, just move it outside to use.  You need to consider the fire hazard and smoke control of using it on a screened porch.  I keep mine on a screen porch and move it outside to cook with.  I have several pavers just outside the door to the porch so it can roll outside onto something solid.  
    Southeast Florida - LBGE
    In cooking, often we implement steps for which we have no explanations other than ‘that’s what everybody else does’ or ‘that’s what I have been told.’  Dare to think for yourself.