Minimax Vs. Small Egg

HoustonEgger · December 2016

So I lucked out and picked up the MiniMax from The Cen-Tex Smoker - who got it from @bgeaddikt- I know his original thread was not the brightest review of the minimax, but I lived close enough and had some extra space on the patio so I figured why not give it a whirl.

The night we brought it home, I fired it up and cleaned it up a bit - got it up to 700 degrees but it took time. I immediately noticed that it's slower then the other eggs to get up to temp.

Second night, I wanted to test out the temperature issue and fired up the small egg and the minimax at the same time with the same amount of lump. I wanted to see which egg could get to 500 degrees the fastest. (just seemed like a good number)

The Small got to 500 degrees almost a full 10 minutes before the minimax. The minimax did get to 500 after about 30 minutes - took the small only 20 minutes to get there (that's from intial lighting to 500).

I have not tested the temp race with the mini yet - but I know the mini will win.

As for any charring issues that CenTex experienced, I have not had any problems with that so far as you can see - but I've also only been using the cast iron grill grate at the raised direct level.

So overall verdict - nothing wrong with the minimax, it's just different then would would expect. It's the slowest to temp amongst all the eggs for sure. I had a learning curve when I first got the small egg, but dialed that in nicely - but I can see how the learning curve for the minimax would be even harder. Especially if going from a large to a minimax.

I've got a full house of eggs now (except that XL) and can see the minimax getting regular use - it fits nicely with the small and the large for working multiple dishes at the same time at different temps. Or for an easy weeknight cook. Plus I like the portability and the interchangable accessories with the small.

JohnnyTarheel · December 2016

I am sure it will fit right into your arsenal of eggs. Enjoy!!!

chuckytheegghead · December 2016

Thanks form the clarification. I'm sure you will love yours as much as I do mine.

YukonRon · December 2016

I really like the MM. It has worked so well for us. If anything should happen to it, I would definitely replace it, immediately.

Mikee · December 2016

500* in 20 minutes is long time. Waiting 30 minutes is an eternity. What brand of lump are you using?

Mattman3969 · December 2016

Can't be CB center cut.

Mikee · December 2016

Mattman3969 said:

Can't be CB center cut.

That's the same thing I was thinking.

HoustonEgger · December 2016

Mikee said:

500* in 20 minutes is long time. Waiting 30 minutes is an eternity. What brand of lump are you using?

I use Rockwood or Royal oak. I only lit these in one spot - hence the time to temp

smokeyw · December 2016

I have never timed my MM to see how long it takes to get to 500 degrees but I know it is less than 30 minutes. Probably more like 15. I have a small as well and it seems a little slower to get up to temp than the MM.

Jeffroe189 · December 2016

smokeyw said:

I have never timed my MM to see how long it takes to get to 500 degrees but I know it is less than 30 minutes. Probably more like 15. I have a small as well and it seems a little slower to get up to temp than the MM.

I agree. My Minimax gets hotter and to temp faster than my Small ever would have. I used a High Que fire grate and Rockwood in Both.

ColtsFan · December 2016

Thanks for the review! I'm adding another egg to my arsenal after the first of the year, and I've been torn between and MM and small. The more I read, the more conflicted I have become.

smokeyw · December 2016

I have both a small and a MM. If I had to get rid of one it would be the small. But then again, I also have a large.

Ladeback69 · December 2016

I thought 30 minutes was long to till I read @HoustonEgger only lit it in one place. My XL will be up to 500 in 20 to 30 minutes when I light it in 2 places using Rockwood.

northGAcock · December 2016

The time to get up to temp debate......When starting my egg(s)....I am seldom under a time constraint. I get them going with no real interest of time. I work from the "if you are in a hurry, you should have started sooner" school of thought. I am ready when they are ready. What I am trying to say, ..... so what if it takes 10 min longer to come up to temp? Is that really a valid reason to purchase or not? You and only you can make that decision....but would not bother me one way or the other. Enjoy your eggs.....what ever they may be.

Sethwvu · December 2016

How is the temp control on the mini max? Not just time, but have you been able to hold 225, 350, Consistently? Is it as responsive as other eggs when making adjustments?

HoustonEgger · December 2016

Sethwvu said:

How is the temp control on the mini max? Not just time, but have you been able to hold 225, 350, Consistently? Is it as responsive as other eggs when making adjustments?

Temp control is pretty standard. I've been able to hold it at 350 easily for 4-6 hours. Have not held it at 225 but I'm sure that it would be fine with the plate setter installed

YEMTrey · December 2016

Thanks for the effort and review. Good stuff.

Sethwvu · December 2016

HoustonEgger said:

Sethwvu said:

How is the temp control on the mini max? Not just time, but have you been able to hold 225, 350, Consistently? Is it as responsive as other eggs when making adjustments?

Temp control is pretty standard. I've been able to hold it at 350 easily for 4-6 hours. Have not held it at 225 but I'm sure that it would be fine with the plate setter installed

That's exactly what I wanted to hear. Sounds like the Mini max will be a perfect companion to my LBGE

Budaman5000 · December 2016

Nice

19Sunny45 · January 2017

I have the MiniMax and so far have found holding 225 impossible. I ran yet another trial the other day. I started a fire in the middle, set it proportionately to what I would do to hold 225 on the Large and within 2 Hours it climbed to 310 and held fine there. I don't believe I could stop it down any more without starving the fire. I think the issue has to do with the short depth of the charcoal in the firebox and the wide fire grate (only 1/2 inch less in diameter than the large) my friend has a Visions and the wide fire grate seems to give him trouble holding 225. My son-in-law has a Joe Junior and there is no problem holding 225. As to firing it up to 500 I haven't timed it. When grilling I light it with a map touch at 2, 4 and 8 o'clock positions. I doubt whether it takes 20 minutes to get to 500. I am still working with it, but at this point I wish had purchased the Small or Medium even though I have never cooked on them.

Photo Egg · January 2017

19Sunny45 said:

I have the MiniMax and so far have found holding 225 impossible. I ran yet another trial the other day. I started a fire in the middle, set it proportionately to what I would do to hold 225 on the Large and within 2 Hours it climbed to 310 and held fine there. I don't believe I could stop it down any more without starving the fire. I think the issue has to do with the short depth of the charcoal in the firebox and the wide fire grate (only 1/2 inch less in diameter than the large) my friend has a Visions and the wide fire grate seems to give him trouble holding 225. My son-in-law has a Joe Junior and there is no problem holding 225. As to firing it up to 500 I haven't timed it. When grilling I light it with a map touch at 2, 4 and 8 o'clock positions. I doubt whether it takes 20 minutes to get to 500. I am still working with it, but at this point I wish had purchased the Small or Medium even though I have never cooked on them.

The key to any ceramic grill is NOT to over shoot your target temp when getting started. You can not gauge and set your MM vent settings based on how you control your Large Egg. They are different. If I plan on keeping my dome open while I flip a bunch I wings I close the lower vent while I'm doing it. This also stops the fire/temp from spiking. And don't expect every cook to react the same. Lots of factors in play. Bring your Egg up to temp slowly as the ceramics need to heat up as well. Make changes in small increments and give the Egg time to adjust. Way different than a Weber Kettle or Gas Grill.
In the end, a 5-20 degree range is not a very big deal.
The more you cook on your Egg the better you will get and your Egg will gunk up and be easier to control.
And have fun...

19Sunny45 · January 2017

@Photo Egg Okay, tell me how you get you Egg to hold 225. I didn't overshot the temp to start. It was reading 200 when I set it. It held 225 for a while but slowly began to creep up to 305. See pics of settings below.

ep up to 305. I could' stop it down any further see pics below.

Image: https://us.v-cdn.net/5017260/uploads/editor/tf/9ztuytme9zcq.jpg

dgaddis1 · January 2017

19Sunny45 - you've just got to limit the air flow more. And start to limit it sooner, say, when it hits 150*F, not 200*F. On my large when holding 225*ish I have the bottom vent open about 1/16th to 1/8th of an inch. And when I had a daisy wheel I'd close the petals, and move the whole disc so the widest spot in the opening was no more than 1/8in. When I first started I was amazed that so little air could keep the fire going, but that's the whole idea with really low temps, you want a little fire.

Photo Egg · January 2017

19Sunny45 said:

@Photo Egg Okay, tell me how you get you Egg to hold 225. I didn't overshot the temp to start. It was reading 200 when I set it. It held 225 for a while but slowly began to creep up to 305. See pics of settings below.ep up to 305. I could' stop it down any further see pics below.

Close your bottom vent more.
You hit 200 and held 225 for a short time. As your ceramics started to warm up and your food started to warm up and the vents stayed the same the temp started to rise as the ceramics and food absorbed less heat.
I would not light 3 spots for a low and slow on my large egg let alone my small or MM. Harder to keep 3 spots cooking low compared to 2.
On a low temp cook on my small, the bottom vent is open only a sliver.
But I prefer to cook at 250-260 as it's a more reasonable temp to hold. I really can not find a benefit to cooking slower. Again, lots of factors play into vent settings on the Egg. I have 2 Small Eggs and side by side the vent settings are not the same. Never have been. My XL Egg vent settings are not the same as my Large. And depending on brand of lump and the sizes of the pieces of lump my airflow is different in the Egg so my vent setting are a little different every cook. Nothing is exact and the lower the temps you are trying to hold the harder it gets.

GrateEggspectations · January 2017

Good comparison. Thanks for the write up.

I agree that it takes longer to get up to temp. I recently resumed using my Large after I finally got it freed from ice (and this after having used the MM exclusively for several months) and I could swear the Large heats quite a bit faster.

The biggest issues I have with the MM occur during indirect cooks when employing the plate setter: (i) With the plate setter in place, the MM has a hard time achieving temps higher than 400-500 max, and (ii) the bottoms of items being cooked indirect often burn before the rest of the subject item is cooked (e.g., a loaf of bread will have a scorched bottom before the top is cooked, a pizza will have a burned bottom before the top has cooked, etc. Some have speculated that the cause is the heat source being in too close proximity to the grate.

19Sunny45 · January 2017

@GrateEggspectations putting your grill on top of the platesetter and a pizza stone in top of the grill could solve that.

ttony604 · January 2017

Try closing bottom vent when u hit 200

GrateEggspectations · January 2017

@19Sunny45: I didn't spell it out, but I have tried the way you have suggested many times - I get the scorched bottom on the MM when using the pizza stone, or even when simply using a DO on the grate. Thanks anyway!

YukonRon · January 2017

I have not had an issue with mine. I cook 23-250F dome. It is very important to catch on the way up, and vents need to be tight. Initially my lower vent was loose and rattled, but I made an adjustment or two, and the sub 300F is not an issue.
Sorry for your luck. I hope it gets better, my MM is one of my most favorite cookers ever.

Minimax Vs. Small Egg

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