Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Which would you perfer?

Small EGG
Mini EGG
MINImax EGG

I have a large but was thinking since it was just the wife and I, was thinking I could use a smaller for cooks during the week. I cook 3-4 times during the week.
«13

Comments

  • Gulfcoastguy
    Gulfcoastguy Posts: 6,286
    If you are not thinking about transporting it, I would recommend a medium.
  • I would prefer the MiniMax but as already stated the medium is a solid option as well. 
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,162
    Of the choices offered I am partial to the SBGE (I own one) as it can hold a good amount of lump (easily 9+ hour L&S cook) and has a good sized grid for hot&fast cooks.   That said, I landed there as the MM was still in the promised to be available land (and I thought the available lump volume was too small) and I thought the Mini too small overall.  
    The medium gets great reviews here but appears to have limited after-market options.
    Bottom line, you will get many opinions and likely all are valid.  
    A reality check here; if the only reason you want a second BGE is due to the size (and not another cooking surface to use at the same time) then I would think twice about the purchase.  FWIW-
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • thetrim
    thetrim Posts: 11,352
    MiniMax.
    =======================================
    XL 6/06, Mini 6/12, L 10/12, Mini #2 12/14 MiniMax 3/16 Large #2 11/20 Legacy from my FIL - RIP
    Tampa Bay, FL
    EIB 6 Oct 95
  • SSQUAL612
    SSQUAL612 Posts: 1,186
    Wait till Wal-Mart or Amazon has a sale on Akorn Jr for $90.   It’s easy on the budget & great for smaller cooks. 
    Tyler, TX   XL BGE 2016, KJ Classic 2019,  MES, 18.5 WSM,  Akorn Jr,  36"&17" Black Stone, Adj Rig, Woo, Grill Grates, SS Smokeware Cap, KAB,  FB 300, Thermapen 
  • WeberWho
    WeberWho Posts: 11,008
    Small all day. Especially if you're not traveling with it. Gives you everything the MM does and than some. I find the mini to be too small for most cooks. The small is my favorite egg to cook on for the wife and I. 
    "The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple and it makes bacon. Let's see Michael Phelps do that" - Jim Gaffigan

    Minnesota
  • smbishop
    smbishop Posts: 3,053
    Large and a Small, perfect combo for me.  If you do not need mobility, the small has more lump capacity.
    Southlake, TX and Cowhouse Creek - King, TX.  2 Large, 1 Small and a lot of Eggcessories.
  • smbishop
    smbishop Posts: 3,053

    Southlake, TX and Cowhouse Creek - King, TX.  2 Large, 1 Small and a lot of Eggcessories.
  • DoubleEgger
    DoubleEgger Posts: 17,125
    Another vote for the medium. I cook for two. It’s great especially if you grill veggies. 
  • PoppasGrill
    PoppasGrill Posts: 355
    I only have a medium, usually just me and my wife and sometimes Gbaby. There are a lot of accessories that they don’t make for the mbge , but most of them I don’t need anyway.
    saw the mini and xxl at the nature coast eggfeast. Made me drool just a little , but I’m good with mbge
  • cookingdude555
    cookingdude555 Posts: 3,188
    I have the three eggs you listed (sold the small last summer), as well as the medium. Of the three you listed I would not recommend any as a second egg. The medium uses less charcoal (if that is your goal). And it has the best draft performance of any egg in my opinion since it has the same inlet and exhaust of the large and xl, but the interior volume closer to a small. I recommend against the smaller eggs because so often they are justified with the intention of taking them with you on the road, personally I just don’t think they’re portable. 

    If my medium pitch didn’t work, I guess I would say the small. It holds more charcoal than the MM. I sold my small to buy the MM and that purpose was to just have it sit on my table setup. It cooks like the small, just for a smaller amount of time (smaller gas tank). I rarely use the mini, but it’s a good table ornament in my backyard. 
  • GregC
    GregC Posts: 91
    Another consideration.......

    small: $773 plus tax
    miniMax: $538 plus tax
  • blasting
    blasting Posts: 6,262

    It's kinda funny that most of us ignored your parameters.

    I'm gonna ignore them too, and vote for a medium.  For portability, I'd prefer a kettle.
    Phoenix 
  • WeberWho
    WeberWho Posts: 11,008
    GregC said:
    Another consideration.......

    small: $773 plus tax
    miniMax: $538 plus tax
    Any eggfests near you?
    "The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple and it makes bacon. Let's see Michael Phelps do that" - Jim Gaffigan

    Minnesota
  • lousubcap
    lousubcap Posts: 32,162
    blasting said:

    It's kinda funny that most of us ignored your parameters.

    I'm gonna ignore them too, and vote for a medium.  For portability, I'd prefer a kettle.
    I ATFQ and then offered more  =)
    Louisville; Rolling smoke in the neighbourhood. # 38 for the win.  Life is too short for light/lite beer!  Seems I'm livin in a transitional period.
  • Greeno55
    Greeno55 Posts: 635
    I have a large and minimax and love them both.  When I was in the market for a smaller Egg, I was just about to pull the trigger on a small and then they announced the MM.  I opted for that one for travel reasons, otherwise I would have gone with the small if it was staying put just because of the size of the firebox.
    LBGE (2012), MiniMax (2014), and too many Eggcessories to list.  - Sudbury, Ontario
  • RRP
    RRP Posts: 25,880
    GregC said:
    Another consideration.......

    small: $773 plus tax
    miniMax: $538 plus tax
    That really $urprise$ me that there is that much of a difference! In fact I would have thought the prices would have been just the reverse!
    Re-gasketing America one yard at a time.
  • Sammi
    Sammi Posts: 598
    L, S, Mini for me. Like others have said the small gets the majority of the cooks. I can still handle the weight of the small for portability but if it's just the two of us the mini gets the job for travel.
    Sudbury, Ontario
  • abtaylor260
    abtaylor260 Posts: 242
    I’d like a minimax. I think they were built for carrying around. Could be wrong. 
  • SSQUAL612
    SSQUAL612 Posts: 1,186
    With that price I’d invest in another XL...low n slow on one & appetizers on the other.  
    Tyler, TX   XL BGE 2016, KJ Classic 2019,  MES, 18.5 WSM,  Akorn Jr,  36"&17" Black Stone, Adj Rig, Woo, Grill Grates, SS Smokeware Cap, KAB,  FB 300, Thermapen 
  • Botch
    Botch Posts: 15,427
    I bought a Small to go with my Large the first year, and only use my Large now for briskets.  I considered the Mini, wasn't big enough for a dinner for two (say, 2 steaks) plus veggies.  In retrospect, I should've gotten the Mini for me and just used the Large for "date" nights (now as rare as solar eclipses).  For you and your wife, I'd never go with the Mini.
    And I'd still go with the Small over the MM, until @GregC pointed out the price difference, wow.  Not sure what I'd do; I do know my Small is great for 14" wok cooking....
    _____________

    "I mean, I don't just kill guys, I'm notorious for doing in houseplants."  - Maggie, Northern Exposure


  • PoppasGrill
    PoppasGrill Posts: 355
    Here is a size perspective.
    mini, mini max, small, and xl
  • foreground or background  =)
    Oh snap!
  • caliking
    caliking Posts: 18,727
    foreground or background  =)
     :rofl:

    Funniest post I've seen in a while.

    #1 LBGE December 2012 • #2 SBGE February  2013 • #3 Mini May 2013
    A happy BGE family in Houston, TX.
  • GregC
    GregC Posts: 91
    WeberWho said:
    GregC said:
    Another consideration.......

    small: $773 plus tax
    miniMax: $538 plus tax
    Any eggfests near you?
    None that I’ve seen 
  • GregC
    GregC Posts: 91

    The cost of the small alone is $512 but the additional costs is the nest ($145) and the side tables $116).

    RRP said:
    GregC said:
    Another consideration.......

    small: $773 plus tax
    miniMax: $538 plus tax
    That really $urprise$ me that there is that much of a difference! In fact I would have thought the prices would have been just the reverse!
    RRP said:
    GregC said:
    Another consideration.......

    small: $773 plus tax
    miniMax: $538 plus tax
    That really $urprise$ me that there is that much of a difference! In fact I would have thought the prices would have been just the reverse!

  • WeberWho
    WeberWho Posts: 11,008
    GregC said:
    WeberWho said:
    GregC said:
    Another consideration.......

    small: $773 plus tax
    miniMax: $538 plus tax
    Any eggfests near you?
    None that I’ve seen 
    Where you located? Maybe someone will know of one
    "The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple and it makes bacon. Let's see Michael Phelps do that" - Jim Gaffigan

    Minnesota
  • People keep mentioning lump capacity as a benefit of the small, but isn’t the point of the smaller eggs in general to save on start up time and save on lump usage? Lump usage seems to be my main factor in justifying a  mmx or small 
    Dallas, TX