To BGE or Not To BGE - that is the question?

SRQLI · July 2016

We are building a house, and the time has come to finalize what our outdoor kitchen will consist of. We are debating whether to go with a Gas Grill, or the BGE. It has been about 15 years since I have been able to BBQ, since living in a COndo, grilles were not allowed. I miss it.

Here's how we'd use it: First of all, we are only 2 people, retired, plan to use maybe 3X a week, and only an occasional party - maybe once a month. We will primarily be cooking chicken and fish, and occasionally dogs & burgers. Once in a while a steak. Maybe a brisket or turkey on a holiday. Also veggies, and potatoes.

Nothing in the house will be using gas, so if we use a gas grill, we'll have to run a gas line to the house (too old to be changing out propane tanks! And for the charcoal, instead of lifting heavy bags, my plan is to use a scooper.). So that will be an added expense of construction, although a small enough one that it's only a minor factor. We already have a slab of granite that we'll be using to place the grille/BGE, between a sink and a small fridge.

This will be in FLorida, and we won't be there most of the summer.

I understand this is a BGE site, so there may be some bias, but I do appreciate any feedback to help our decision.
Thanks

johnnyp · July 2016

"There may be some bias". Ha!

You mentioned a lot of different kind of cooks. Chicken, fish, brisket and turkeys. BGE is the most versatile type of outdoor cooker available. Think Swiss Army knife of grilling. Because the egg is basically a fire-powered convection oven, you can cook virtually anything on it.

A gas grill is a simple, solid option for quick and easy grilling. For more complicated cooks, you won't be able to yield the same results.

dldawes1 · July 2016

There is no question....BGE all the way !!!!!

Thatgrimguy · July 2016

There is no question. You want a large green egg. You can't do a good brisket or turkey on a gasser. But you can do everything you listed perfectly in a Large green egg. Also, the Green egg will last longer with it's ceramic construction and lifetime warranty. You will got through lots of parts and frustration on that gasser where the Egg will just work, and always work.

You know what you want. You made an account here. You are already bit. Just go ahead and dive on in.. The water is just fine.

SoCalTim · July 2016

Question (and I ask this very nicely) why did you sign up for a BGE forum acct if you didn't intend to egg.

I vote - YES! ... You won't regret it.

Tim

gmac · July 2016

I had a gasser and didn't use it once after buying the BGE. For two of you I think that the real question is what size (and I will say here that I like the versatility of my large when it comes to doing apps for that monthly party).

It it really is a great choice and once you have it you may find that there are far more things you want to try.

TN_Sister_State · July 2016

For all the things you want to cook i vote egg all the way. Only other thing I can even think you would want to get would be a pellet smoker/grill and Ill probably get roasted for even suggesting that. Egg is still the best option for all types of cooks.

fishlessman · July 2016

burgers dogs gas grill or blackstone griddle
steak briskets turkeys ribs pulled pork a large big green egg.

went years with just a bge but theres a commitment to it, now i mainly use a large bge and a blackstone griddle but like the gas grill for the dogs burgers and corn on the cob when i have the party going on. would not give up my big gas burner for lobsters clams mussels etc. either. the blackstone is just so quick an easy, its almost burgers on demand, 3 to 4 minutes and im eating. what did you used to bbq on, theres things i would not use a gasser on, theres things i would not use my egg for. if you REALLY like to cook and just had one, the egg wins

lousubcap · July 2016

As above, the BGE will do a great job of cooking everything on your list and much more. The versatility is what makes it quite attractive. Something to consider is that to get great food outcomes, the BGE is not a simple "fire and forget" operation. Give the forum a look and you will see that there is a learning curve to its operation and the various cooking styles; direct, raised direct and indirect. However, once there "all is well." FWIW-
Many here have multiple BGE's as you would expect from those who spend time on the forum. May want to have some flexibility in your design to accommodate BGE siblings down the road

ColtsFan · July 2016

You won't regret going with a BGE. And I'm willing to bet you'd be using more than you thought

SRQLI · July 2016

Well, considering we are already well into our 60's, who knows how much "down the road" there will be! :-) But seriously, heard wonderful things about the BGE, and when we went to the Grille store our builder sent us to, they told us how wonderful the BGE was. But I do fear the learning curve - especially at our age. And looking at this forum, it is not clear to me just how simple things like burgers & dogs & corn would be done on the BGE. I am used to turning the dogs frequently, for example. SOunds like not much turning - and there wouldn't be time for turning since it would get done so fast? And seems like this cannot be used with the top open? I'd love to see one in action. Anyone here from Sarasota, FL?

YEMTrey · July 2016

This is like asking a barber if you need a haircut.

Thatgrimguy · July 2016

SRQLI said:

Well, considering we are already well into our 60's, who knows how much "down the road" there will be! :-) But seriously, heard wonderful things about the BGE, and when we went to the Grille store our builder sent us to, they told us how wonderful the BGE was. But I do fear the learning curve - especially at our age. And looking at this forum, it is not clear to me just how simple things like burgers & dogs & corn would be done on the BGE. I am used to turning the dogs frequently, for example. SOunds like not much turning - and there wouldn't be time for turning since it would get done so fast? And seems like this cannot be used with the top open? I'd love to see one in action. Anyone here from Sarasota, FL?

You can cook with the lid open. Just use regular charcoal instead of lump and add like you would in a weber. The learning curve is short if you are interested. If you just want to eat, and cooking is a pain, then the gasser may be better. But if you enjoy the cooking process and being outside, then the Egg is easy to learn. The community here is amazing.

Ladeback69 · July 2016

Like others have said above you sound like you are leading to toward the BGE. I had a gas grill for almost 20 years and it was fine, but I always wanted a BGE when I bought my gas grill. I have had XLBGE for over 2 years and I do not miss my gasser. If you a wanting to do briskets and turkey, the BGE will be better at cooking it then the gasser. Chicken on the BGE is juicer and taste a lot better then when I used a gasser. I wouldn't want mess with having a gas line run just to run my grill either.

Now you mentioned the heavy bags. Most lump comes in 20 lb bags, but I know Royal Oak sells in 8 pound bags which is the same weight of a gallon of milk.

If it was me I would go with a Large BGE and my bet is in a few months you will be buying a Mini Max to go with it. By the way my oven inside doesn't get used much anymore since buying a BGE.

Good luck and happy Egging if you go that way.

WeberWho · July 2016

I think fishlessman has a great point when he says, "but there's a commitment to it". It's not a gas grill. You won't be able to turn some knob and hit an ignite button. At the same time your food isn't going to taste like a gas grill. I'm not saying the BGE is hard to light or control but there is a small learning curve to it. As long as you know what it takes for a charcoal grill compared to gas, the BGE really becomes effortless. Just think of it driving a manual transmission. Yes it takes you a few times to understand how everything meshes and works but after a few tries you don't think twice about driving it. It's the same with the egg. Put a little time and effort into it and you won't look for anything else. You won't find an automatic gas grill or automatic car in my driveway!

SRQLI · July 2016

WeberWho said:

I think fishlessman has a great point when he says, "but there's a commitment to it". It's not a gas grill. You won't be able to turn some knob and hit an ignite button. At the same time your food isn't going to taste like a gas grill. I'm not saying the BGE is hard to light or control but there is a small learning curve to it. As long as you know what it takes for a charcoal grill compared to gas, the BGE really becomes effortless. Just think of it driving a manual transmission. Yes it takes you a few times to understand how everything meshes and works but after a few tries you don't think twice about driving it. It's the same with the egg. Put a little time and effort into it and you won't look for anything else. You won't find an automatic gas grill or automatic car in my driveway!

Well, I wasn't able to master a manual transmission long ago when I learned to drive. :-) I much prefer the taste of foods on a charcoal grill compared to gas. But geez - if we get the BGE, maybe I can convince the "boss" that we don't need the higher-end oven in the house. The BGE will be in a covered area, so can use in all kinds of weather. If you have a BGE, what do you even use an indoor oven for - reheating pizza?

fishlessman · July 2016

SRQLI said:

Well, considering we are already well into our 60's, who knows how much "down the road" there will be! :-) But seriously, heard wonderful things about the BGE, and when we went to the Grille store our builder sent us to, they told us how wonderful the BGE was. But I do fear the learning curve - especially at our age. And looking at this forum, it is not clear to me just how simple things like burgers & dogs & corn would be done on the BGE. I am used to turning the dogs frequently, for example. SOunds like not much turning - and there wouldn't be time for turning since it would get done so fast? And seems like this cannot be used with the top open? I'd love to see one in action. Anyone here from Sarasota, FL?

the learning curve can be pretty quick, hot dogs for instance are an easy cook, theres even a hotdog vendor using an egg near me

like was mentioned though, you will probably end up with two eggs. dont worry about your age, we have some older retired folks here that started late, spring chicken, rrp and a bunch others. you will find yourself cooking things you never thought of or only seen at resteraunts, its more like a journey with an egg, you get past the simple grilling stuff quick, i probably went 5 years without even thinking about grilling a burger

Acn · July 2016

I know you're retired so this might not be a big concern, but in general I'd add in a question about your schedule. If you consistently only have 25-35 minutes to get dinner done, you might want the speed of a good gas grill to be ready to cook. I usually egg more during the week in the summer when school is out, because I have more time available. During the school year, when work/school/afterschool activities/homework/etc all pinch into cooking time, I use the Genesis more than the Egg because it is ready to go in 3-5 minutes.

If that isn't a factor, I'll echo everyone else's recommendation for a Large Egg. I might also suggest adding an induction burner to your outside kitchen - if you're cooking a lot of fish you might want to saute some occasionally and I usually do that on the gasser side burner to keep the wife's clean stovetop and keep the odor outside.

gdenby · July 2016

If you get a BGE, and give it a little care, you will be able to leave it to someone when you are thru using it.

The learning curve isn't so bad. My biggest problem was that I had gained all sorts of habits from using metal bodied grills and cookers. I had to forget those.

Gassers are more convenient, but my few experiences w. them produced food that was never as good as anything from a charcoal fire. And I live someplace cold and snowy/wet enough that winter cooking is very difficult w. propane or even a metal charcoal grill.

In terms of quality, the Egg makes food taste really spectacular and moist. A fellow I worked w. before retirement hesitated to buy an Egg, given the cost. He was rewarded after his 1st cook when his wife said he had never cooked anything better.

WeberWho · July 2016

SRQLI said:

WeberWho said:

I think fishlessman has a great point when he says, "but there's a commitment to it". It's not a gas grill. You won't be able to turn some knob and hit an ignite button. At the same time your food isn't going to taste like a gas grill. I'm not saying the BGE is hard to light or control but there is a small learning curve to it. As long as you know what it takes for a charcoal grill compared to gas, the BGE really becomes effortless. Just think of it driving a manual transmission. Yes it takes you a few times to understand how everything meshes and works but after a few tries you don't think twice about driving it. It's the same with the egg. Put a little time and effort into it and you won't look for anything else. You won't find an automatic gas grill or automatic car in my driveway!

Well, I wasn't able to master a manual transmission long ago when I learned to drive. :-) I much prefer the taste of foods on a charcoal grill compared to gas. But geez - if we get the BGE, maybe I can convince the "boss" that we don't need the higher-end oven in the house. The BGE will be in a covered area, so can use in all kinds of weather. If you have a BGE, what do you even use an indoor oven for - reheating pizza?

I couldn't agree more. My wife and I bought our house 6 years ago and the oven that came with the house never functioned properly. We went 5.5 years without one. Everything that we would have put in the oven went into the egg! I can get the egg up to temp faster than it took my oven to reach temp. We switched out the faulty oven 6 months ago and haven't touched the new one. My wife will throw an occasional something in it but anything worth while goes into the egg. A couple buddies came back to my place after the bar and grabbed a few pizzas from the deep freeze in the garage. They handed them to me and asked if I could cook them. I handed them back and told them that they need to figure out how to use the oven if they wanted pizza!

Dondgc · July 2016

@SRQLI- you didn't ask for this opinion, so I hope it is not unwelcome - but if you enjoy cooking, by all means run gas to the house and get a gas stove for your kitchen.

Ladeback69 · July 2016

SRQLI said:

WeberWho said:

I think fishlessman has a great point when he says, "but there's a commitment to it". It's not a gas grill. You won't be able to turn some knob and hit an ignite button. At the same time your food isn't going to taste like a gas grill. I'm not saying the BGE is hard to light or control but there is a small learning curve to it. As long as you know what it takes for a charcoal grill compared to gas, the BGE really becomes effortless. Just think of it driving a manual transmission. Yes it takes you a few times to understand how everything meshes and works but after a few tries you don't think twice about driving it. It's the same with the egg. Put a little time and effort into it and you won't look for anything else. You won't find an automatic gas grill or automatic car in my driveway!

Well, I wasn't able to master a manual transmission long ago when I learned to drive. :-) I much prefer the taste of foods on a charcoal grill compared to gas. But geez - if we get the BGE, maybe I can convince the "boss" that we don't need the higher-end oven in the house. The BGE will be in a covered area, so can use in all kinds of weather. If you have a BGE, what do you even use an indoor oven for - reheating pizza?

We basically use our indoor oven to cook casseroles, reheat pizza and keep BBQ i cooked on the egg warm. Once the BGE is at the temp you want to cook at burgers, hot dogs, and steak are done in like minutes. The large doesn't take that long to get up to temp.

If you have time to wait, I suggest going to and Eggfest. Here is a list on the BGE site. See if one of the ones in Florida is close to you. http://biggreenegg.com/eggfests. My dealer has classes from time to time and walked me through on how to use it. Youtube has some videos also on how to use the egg.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvGDCUPmQvw

westernbbq · July 2016

I would go bge, a lg or medium with multigrid fromcgs. If you entertain occaisionall you will wow your guests with shoulder, briskett, burgers, cornish hens, fish tacos and pizza. A bge allows you the opportunity to prepare a wide array of foods and the bge is very forgiving.

THEBuckeye · July 2016

With all due respect, dumb question.

Buy a Large. I'd say Medium but for a couple hundred more you'll have a lot more flexibility - to cook a holiday turkey, for example.

xfire_ATX · July 2016

I had exclusively gas for 20+ years and now have a Large and a Weber.

Order of use is BGE - 90%
Gas- 9%
Weber- Occasional when I have too much for egg

The time it takes to use the BGE/ Weber is a planning process, nothing wrong with that but its not 5 minutes to cook. I used the gas just this weekend to grill pork chops, I just didnt have the time needed to use the egg. I prefer to use the egg- not really for the taste charcoal imparts but because it keeps the moisture in the meat better.

dldawes1 · July 2016

The BGE will do anythng the oven in the house will do, and anything the gasser will do !

Lighting the BGE and leaving the top open, and grilling something, as on a regular charcoal grill....is no different in time to get ready to cook. A gas grill may give instant flame....but what advantage is that compared to the taste from the lump and the versatility of the egg ??

I used my gas grill about 4 times for grilling vegetables, while cooking main course on the egg when I first bought it....now, I do it all on the egg....or eggs !!!!!

I have to say, a Blackstone grill sounds very good to have !!!

SRQLI · July 2016

Dondgc said:

@SRQLI- you didn't ask for this opinion, so I hope it is not unwelcome - but if you enjoy cooking, by all means run gas to the house and get a gas stove for your kitchen.

Would like to, but for some crazy city code reason, we can't.

bhedges1987 · July 2016

You want one or you wouldn't have gotten on this forum. I think you've already made up your mind.

Ladeback69 · July 2016

SRQLI said:

Dondgc said:

@SRQLI- you didn't ask for this opinion, so I hope it is not unwelcome - but if you enjoy cooking, by all means run gas to the house and get a gas stove for your kitchen.

Would like to, but for some crazy city code reason, we can't.

I just read an old article about that gas companies didn't put in the infrastructure for gas line, because everything was going to electric. So if you want gas you have to put a tank in your back yard? They only do that around here in the rural areas where it would be a long run for the gas services.

Sonny3 · July 2016

SRQLI, I too am in my 60s, in fact 68 next month. I got my first, then quickly 2nd BGE about a year ago. I had been cooking on gas my whole life until that point. It took me about 3-4 cooks to just give away my gasser and I have not looked back for one micro-second.

There is just absolutely no comparison to the versatility and taste of the food that comes off the egg.

And as far as your statement about being 60 and not knowing the future; I was diagnosed with cancer in 2009 and have been fighting the crud ever since. None of the things I have tried seem to be doing any good long term. But in the meantime I am enjoying some of the best eats that I have ever had and having a blast preparing them.

Life is short and we are never guaranteed the next day, so we should live each day we have fully to the max. Get the egg, enjoy good eats and live life brother.

Just my two cents FWIW,

Sonny

SRQLI · July 2016

Sonny3 said:

SRQLI, I too am in my 60s, in fact 68 next month. I got my first, then quickly 2nd BGE about a year ago. I had been cooking on gas my whole life until that point. It took me about 3-4 cooks to just give away my gasser and I have not looked back for one micro-second.

There is just absolutely no comparison to the versatility and taste of the food that comes off the egg.

And as far as your statement about being 60 and not knowing the future; I was diagnosed with cancer in 2009 and have been fighting the crud ever since. None of the things I have tried seem to be doing any good long term. But in the meantime I am enjoying some of the best eats that I have ever had and having a blast preparing them.

Life is short and we are never guaranteed the next day, so we should live each day we have fully to the max. Get the egg, enjoy good eats and live life brother.

Just my two cents FWIW,

Sonny

SOnny - a great attitude! All the best to you in your fight, and continue to enjoy good food for many many years!

To BGE or Not To BGE - that is the question?

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