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Hey XLowners...

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ShortRib
ShortRib Posts: 180
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I have a friend thinking of buying a XL or a Large. If you own an XL, what are the pro's and con's? Would you still buy a XL or would you rather have bought a Large? Are there any limitations to XL?
Thanks
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  • Ashman
    Ashman Posts: 375
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    ShortRib, I have had mine for 3 month
    and love it. We can put enough chicken and dogs on it to feed 11 people without any extra grates. Also can build the fire on one side and cook on the other.[p]When I was looking I got some good advice-
    If money isn't a concern get the mac daddy.[p]Gordon
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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 317
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    Up in Smoke,[p]I have a large and easily cook for 11 people. I can cook for 22 people on my large. Cooking for 16 or more on a large requires some planning.[p]I haven't tried offset cooking in the egg, I wonder if there is any reason to do that as the ceramics are very effecient and indirect cooking should accomplish the same effect.[p]There are a lot of things the XL will do over the large. I would think the main deciding factor would be what is the majority of your cooking needs.[p]Kent
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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    ShortRib,
    Cooking on a Megga Egga is great. I have never been to a party and been upset that I took too much beer. The XL is the same. You have the extra capacity if you wnat it.
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  • Fire Walker
    Fire Walker Posts: 241
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    ShortRib,
    Tell him to go for it. Theres nothing wrong with high capasity. I've cooked as little as two chicken breast to as much as 40lbs of ribs with no trouble at all, as far as lump use, you just shut the Egg down after use, lump goes out ready for another cook. The plate setter is alittle different than the LG the legs aren't as long and unlike the LG its positioned between the the fire box and the fire ring not good not bad just different. Last weekend I low and slowed two pork butts for 19 hours on one load of lump. There has been some claims that the position of the PS hampers even lump burn, I have never experienced this. Both the large and the XL are fine smokers either one would be the right choice, besides you can always buy the one you did'nt get this time next time.
    Happy Egging
    FW
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  • The Virginian
    The Virginian Posts: 275
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    ShortRib,
    I owned an XL for three years and it was great, but I just sold it to downsize to the Large. Several reasons. One, I am usually cooking for 4 max at home, and the Xl burns a lot more charcoal to get the same amount of cooking done. I like having a smaller carbon footprint as they say. Two, I used it at competitions, but I no longer need as much Egg capacity for comps as I used to because I bought a Tallboy last spring. The XL is heavy to lug around, and I can get along as well for comps with a large, which is a lot easier to haul. [p]If its his only grill and he often grills for 8+ People, the XL is worth it. Otherwise, I think the large is the way to go. He can't really lose in either case. [p]Brett
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  • Mike in Abita
    Mike in Abita Posts: 3,302
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    ShortRib,[p]One question? Have you ever seen a red blooded american heterosexual male ever say?[p]"You know, I think, I should have gotten a smaller one".[p]I didn't think so. Get the XL[p]Mike[p][p]
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  • Photo Egg
    Photo Egg Posts: 12,110
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    ShortRib,
    I'm with FireWalker.
    The XL is great. Have you seen the circus act where 15 clowns all pile into VW bug. Do you think they would have rather driven in a "Limo"?
    The large is no match for the XL when it comes to "grilling". The 24" surface area is a big advantage. You can cook way more steaks or burgers on the XL at one time. They are more comparable with pork butts and big a turkey.
    If you live in a place where lump is sold per pound at the same price as steaks then lump would be an issue.
    The other little quirks of the XL are well worth living with.
    Darian
    Thank you,
    Darian

    Galveston Texas
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  • California Sooner
    California Sooner Posts: 27
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    ShortRib,[p]I have had my XL for over a year now and love it. Can't have too much room sometimes. [p]But I did break down and buy a small for those times when I am only cooking a couple of steaks or burgers.[p]At least one of them gets used almost every night.[p]Jim
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  • Just Plain Mike
    Just Plain Mike Posts: 57
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    ShortRib,
    I'd probably get a large and use the cash savings to buy a 22.5" Weber Kettle. That way I'd have a lot more versatility for less money.
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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 317
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    Mike,[p]Now that if funny but true!!! It is pretty hard to convice myself to get something smaller or less features.[p]Kent

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  • Hammer
    Hammer Posts: 1,001
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    ShortRib,
    Not bragging but I have two XL's, and a couple of larges.
    I enjoy the XL's for a variety of reason's, but it is a learning curve as others have said re; place setter positioning; extra lump required; but I enjoy the convenience of capacity.
    I cook just as easy on the XL as I do on the large.
    Just my opinion!


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  • Mike in Abita
    Mike in Abita Posts: 3,302
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    Grandpas Grub,[p]Bigger, stronger, faster. Words we were brought up on. [p]Don't settle for anything. Get what you want.[p]Mike "Livin the XL" in Abita
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  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 317
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    Mike in Abita,[p]We have a large and mainly cook for two. I have read a ton of comments about the small being great for two people.[p]I look at the small then the medium, then the small. [p]Logically the small would probably be the best choice. However, the medium is bigger. I have no need for portability, so for me, mentally it is hard to accept the concept of a small.[p]I will most likely get a medium... so your statement had me laughing.[p]Kent
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  • Little Steven
    Little Steven Posts: 28,817
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    ShortRib,[p] I have both and use both. I use the large more frequently but the XL is great for ribs and large cooks. The extra lump is negligble IMHO[p]Stevi

    Steve 

    Caledon, ON

     

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  • Unknown
    Unknown
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    ShortRib,[p]There is one little XL quirk that I have found. The Large place setter has long legs so you can get a pan under the grate when cooking indirect. The XL place setter legs are almost exactly as long as the baking stone is thick. There is 3/4" to 1" under the cooking grate when the XL place setter is inverted. [p]Having said that there is no such thing as too much capacity when it comes to feeding the guests in the back yard in my experience.[p]Konrad[p]

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  • mr.b
    mr.b Posts: 75
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    ShortRib, can`t disagree with any of the aforementioned comments. i have an xl and a small now and use one or the other at least every other night. i gotta deal on a used small for basically nothing so i couldn`t pass it up. comes in handy for just a couple steaks or a smaller cook. i actually was going to get a large but the dealer was taking so long to get them back in stock and i got tired of waiting and i wanted an egg so i went with the xl. i am very happy with it. i must say though that i don`t use the plate setter between the fire box and the fire ring. works just fine on top of the fire ring.
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  • mb168
    mb168 Posts: 265
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    ShortRib,[p]I have an XL and I bought a Medium last month but I just traded it in on a large demo egg from eggtoberfest, and I love them both. I use them both for different things but the reason I started looking at eggs in the first place was because I wanted to be able to make awesome ribs, and the XL will hold three full length racks of baby backs, uncut, flat on the grid. Sure you can use racks and extenders with the LBGE, but that basically sucks compared to being able to lay them flat on the main grid. The extenders are ok but you have to remove them to access the ribs below and you have to rotate them throughout the cooking. The rib racks, aw man, if I hadn't bought the V rack I'd throw it away because they are a pain. Jamming ribs covered in dry rub into a rack rubs the rub all off and how do you sauce a vertical rib without removing it, and keep the sauce on the rib, so again you are removing them from the rack and sticking them back in, rubbing the sauce and rub off, plus you may have to rotate them during cooking.[p]With the XL I can lay 3 side by side and usually never touch them. The rub stays put, I can spritz and sauce them them easily, and if I do have to rotate due to uneven cooking I can grab an edge or bone and slide them around flat. 3 racks is more than my family can eat at one sitting so I usually have at least one full rack that I immediately wrap and enjoy later that week. [p]However, if it weren't for the ribs, and the fact that I bought it first, I'd be hard pressed not to buy two large demo eggs for basically what I paid for my XL by itself.[p]I guess if I knew for a fact I would only have 1 egg, XL would have to be it, but spreading the money around could get a new large and medium for about the same price if having that massive surface area isn't needed, it's nice though. Forget the "burns more lump" I don't think it burns much more and who cares, you don't compare a Expedition to a Beetle and say the beetle is beeter because it gets better mileage....
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  • UGAVET
    UGAVET Posts: 577
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    ShortRib,
    I have a xl, large and small. if i had to start with one i would definately get the large. it just seems, in my opinion, to be more efficient. it really depends on how many you are cooking for. You can cook alot of food on the large especially if you get the extended grid set up that allows multiple levels of cooking. Im glad i have the xl and have used it more recently to cook large quantities of food for some functions i have been involved in but i would personally go with the large.
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