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Multiple size owners ???

Petie
Petie Posts: 29
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I know this has been beat to death but want to get input from those of you whose Eggs have multiplied and now own several different sizes. I read posts and everyone seems happy with whatever single Egg they own. I read posts from some multiple Egg owners who say that the Small or Mini get the majority of their usage. I am really struggling with the old Large vs Medium or even Small choice. Looked at the 3 again today. Seems the Small would have enough surface to cook most anything the 2 of us would need but would possibly like a little bigger for pizza attempts. The more I look at the Small, the more I like it. Cute and cuddly! The Large just seems like overkill and the Medium just seems to be the best overall choice. 3 little bears anyone? :)

So - probably a minor issue - have any of you tried identical cooks on different sized Eggs and found any major lump consumption differences? I understand that you can shut the Egg down when done but seems the Large would use far more lump than the Small for the same cooking usage and possibly a real difference between Large and Medium. Maybe not due to the insulating effects of the ceramic but just don't know. Lump seems to sell for $1 per pound locally so if there is major consumption differences it could be fairly significant over a years burning. Not trying to be a cheap-skate as I can afford whatever Egg - just want to make a smart decision!

Tempted by the Medium or even a combo of a Small with a Mini for grilling. Bet the answers I get are - "GET THE LARGE"!!!!!! :laugh:
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Comments

  • FlaPoolman
    FlaPoolman Posts: 11,676
    You would win the bet :laugh: I have 2 larges and a small and while the small has been the go to egg if I had to keep only 1 it would be the large.
  • Ripnem
    Ripnem Posts: 5,511
    The small/large combo can do it all :) Well, anything I ask of them.

    If you start with a small, you'll want a large. But if you start with a large, then you'll only want a small ;)

    Jump in...the waters warm B)
  • Crimsongator
    Crimsongator Posts: 5,797
    I have 4 eggs. I like the portability of the small for camping, scouts, family travel and smaller cooks. I like the mini as a steak searing monster and the large/xl have been relegated to larger cooks for groups or overnight smoking.
  • Petie
    Petie Posts: 29
    I have never cooked for more than 4 and 95% or more would be for 2. Any lump consumption comments? Thanks.
  • Ripnem
    Ripnem Posts: 5,511
    That confirms the fact that I need a mini :):sick:
  • Hoss
    Hoss Posts: 14,600
    You win!LARGE,IT is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it!!! ;) Then buy a small! :woohoo:
  • Hoss
    Hoss Posts: 14,600
    Miniscule in the scheme of things,kinda like the cost of doing business. :)
  • "Sparky"
    "Sparky" Posts: 6,024
    Hey Petie,you're prolly right,most will say to get the large.The difference in lump consumption is minimal between the large/medium.I don't own a large(yet),but I have the other four sizes and love them all :woohoo:I started with a medium,then 6 months later,I got the small.A few years later I got the XL,then the mini.BTW,I feed a whole family of three :whistle: Now that's overkill :P :woohoo:
  • Crimsongator
    Crimsongator Posts: 5,797
    The lump use is less in the smaller sizes and the shorter cooks. I use very little ehn searing on the small or mini. The only times the small uses more is when I smoke or do longer cooks.
  • Crimsongator
    Crimsongator Posts: 5,797
    I have to admit, I thought it was a waste of money when I first decided to get one, but heck the peer pressure got to me. But that thing can cook a mean steak.

    We have had friends ask us to bring Wally over and have dinner with them. I can take the coals out when done cooking and leave it open. It is cool enough to hand carry back to the car when dinner and fellowship is over.
  • Bash
    Bash Posts: 1,011
    I started with an XL which I love, but realized that many cooks didn't need nearly the space of the XL. Plus, when doing high heat, you burn a LOT of lump in the XL. (Doing 4 or 5 pizzas at 700 would burn 8+ lbs of charcoal.

    I added a medium two weeks ago (or is it three now?). Since then I have done about 10 cooks on the medium and only 2 on the XL. I love the medium - and it it does use a lot less lump for the quick steak or fish, etc.

    For low and slow, you don't use any more lump on the bigger eggs. For high heat, you do. I'm doing a couple of butts Friday night, which I'll put on the XL, and do dinner Friday night on the medium.

    I just ordered a lump reducing ring for the XL, and I'm going to do some woking over that, plus plan to try some pizzas with lump outside of the lump reducing ring, so the top of the pie gets more heat than the bottom. Worth a try.

    I love them both, but end up using the medium more. I'll see what I end up doing once I get the lump reducing ring for the XL.

    Richard
  • TXTriker
    TXTriker Posts: 1,177
    The large small combination is the way we went. Got the large which is plenty, for the most part, large enough for what I want, but then for doing sides of a different temp, we needed the small.

    If you don't get both to start, get the large is my vote. Then later decide which is the second egg and there are just the two of us.
  • I started with a large, got a mini, then got another large. Still looking for good deals on the small and medium. The more the merrier.

    Only you know how much grid space you need for most of your cooks. Make your selection based on your needs and if you love it and think a different one would be beneficial, then buy that one. (Go to a fest and buy a gently used one.)

    After owning one for awhile, you will want a 2nd one anyway because it is so fun to have 2 going at once on two different temperatures.

    Faith
    Tampa
    Happily egging on my original large BGE since 1996... now the owner of 5 eggs. Call me crazy, everyone else does!
     
    3 Large, 1 Small, 1 well-used Mini
  • reelgem
    reelgem Posts: 4,256
    I have 5 eggs...3 large, 1 small and a mini. If I had to pick one it would be the large, if I had to narrow it down to 2 it would be the large and the small.
  • Little Chef
    Little Chef Posts: 4,725
    Petie...My husband and I started with a large. We now have 3 large and 2 mediums. We had a mini for a couple months, but it just didn't work for us (too small). Our medium is our "go to" egg for weeknight dinners, quick fire up,etc, but our Larges get their work outs on the weekends. ;) Regardless what you choose, you are going to love it, and wind up getting at least one more. My only concern....I would rather have more space than I need as opposed to not enough. We absolutely love our mediums!! But, we absolutely love our larges, too! :woohoo: I highly endorse both sizes! ;)
  • ric3677
    ric3677 Posts: 278
    First Egg was a large, after many months wondering why anyone needed more than one, got the small, and to top that off got the medium this last month so that when we go to the lake with the extended family we have enough grill space. Hard to cook a Pork Butt on a small, altho I have.

    If it had to be one....large all the way.

    Rick in Mt.
  • Hamilton
    Hamilton Posts: 115
    I've had all 5 sizes, sold the medium and small. I only cook for 2 and don't care about charcoal consumption, or global warming.
  • Hoss
    Hoss Posts: 14,600
    B) I must concur! B)
  • Well you got me pegged - I would say a Large. Actually am looking at another Large in the next month. I could see the real benefit of a med or small too if it is primarily two people. I am happy to say though that my egg draws people to the house so even if just wifey and I, we usually end up with a few others coming over and the Large is perfect.

    Also I cook 4 Pork Butts on my Large..

    wouldn't count out an XL either - I'll bet if I had one I would use the heck out of it...

    Welcome and wish you the best in your decision.
  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
     
    Haven't read the above responses so and I am sure there are a lot of opinions above.

    There are two of us most of the time and often 2 or 3 grand kids. Once a month or so 26 in all eating.

    I have a L, M, S, Mini

    If this were my first egg, without any hesitation I would get a Large. If nothing else just for the versatility and what I can cook. Anything from a 26 pound turkey to 1 hot dog. I would also order an adjustable righ & spider at the same time.

    If you are worried about burning too much lump, just put less lump in the egg. It isn't hard to get a 700° dome temperature with using a minimal amount of lump.

    Further, you are correct, when you get done cooking on any size egg put the ceramic cap on the egg, close the bottom vent and shut the egg down. With the next cook use what is left in the egg or add some new to the existing load and cook again.

    With one load of lump in the mini (about 1.5 hands full of lump) I can usually get about 4 meals cooked.

    If you think the large is too much money then get the medium (you will end up with a large at some point in time).

    Doing it all over again, with my wife and I and occasional family over, I would get a large, then a mini then another large or maybe and XL.

    I am not sure if I use the mini or the large the most. I have only used the small 3 times since getting the mini (over a year ago now).

    It is nice to have 2 different eggs for different temperature cooks and to get more cooking space. In that situation I usually use the large and medium.

    Good luck deciding - it is easier to cook less food than having to cook food in shifts because there isn't enough grid (grill) space. On the large I have cooked enough food in one cook for all 26 family members.

    GG
  • Ripnem
    Ripnem Posts: 5,511
    I use the heck out of my small and I'm wondering what will happen when I get the mini.

    Eggs are like guns to me...Once ya get one it's yours forever and it doesn't really matter how much they get used.

    The boys will get it all in the end.
  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
     
    I think that is why I haven't sold the small yet. However, I am thinking of selling the small and medium.

    Your new mini is going to be fun. I am used to dumping lump into the large or medium. Every time I load the mini I put too much in and have to take some out - makes me laugh how little lump goes in that thing.

    After using your mini for a while, remember to ping me I would really like to know how your small/mini usage changes - if it does.

    Don't think you have to load the lump to the top of the fire box. If you are doing burgers, dogs, brats, load to the top of the air holes in the fire box, have a little distance between the grate and the lump surface. The mini can cook quick.

    A few weeks ago I got a woo for the mini, I really like that accessory.

    It is always fun to get a new egg.

    GG
  • Bordello
    Bordello Posts: 5,926
    Welcome Petie,
    I have 4 Eggs, L,M,S & Mini, the Lg. was my first and my favorite. If I could only have one it would be the Lg. :woohoo:

    When I bought my Lg. there was only about a $75 difference between it and the Med. I don't know what it is now.

    Oh, and I'm a single guy at that. :) So I say Lg.

    Good Luck with whatever you decide & let us know which it is.

    Regards,
    Bordello
  • Garnerac
    Garnerac Posts: 134
    You are right, this has been beat to death but its still interesting to hear different points of view.
    I have a L and S.
    I like the S but it takes longer to heat up and get going than the L.
    It cooks good once going, but it just doesnt seem to get enough air through the bottom initially or something.
    The Large fires up quick, is easy to clean (you dont always have to clean from the top like the S)
    The L also has alot more eggsessories of course.
    I want to get an XL. I am used to cooking on a large 4 foot long pit on a trailer, so going to the Large egg was a little difficult.
    The word LARGE is somewhat deceiving. It isnt THAT big in comparison to what alot of us have been cooking on for years! Neither is the XL for that matter.

    So,,,,, I have a very nice professionally built trailer pit for sale!
  • Petie
    Petie Posts: 29
    THANK YOU all for your comments. This has been a really interesting series of posts to read. Yes, I did use the search function and found tons of info asking something similar many times before. My goal was to focus on the multi-Egg owners and it obviously has worked! Will let you know what I end up with. :)
  • They're all good. We started with a Small and I did everything with it from searing steaks to slow cooking ribs to baking pizza. Anything you can do on a Large you can do on a small, though admittedly the Large makes overnight cooks easier. We eventually added a Large so I could cook larger amounts of the same things I was cooking with the Small - bigger pizzas, more ribs, etc. Most recently we added a Mini for camping, but I also use it frequently at home for smaller cooks. Over time, I've settled into using the Large or the Small for indirect cooks, depending on the quantity of food, and the Small or the Mini for direct cooks, also depending on the quantity of food. If we had just one Egg it would be a Small.
  • Sooner Egg
    Sooner Egg Posts: 578
    I have a large and a small.....perfect for what we need, adding a mini as soon :P
  • Petie
    Petie Posts: 29
    Thanks for that reply Doug. How large of a pizza stone and pizza can you cook on the Small? Do you use the plate setter or just put a stone on the grid? I can eat pizza for all 3 meals every day! :laugh: The Small just seems like a great size for meat grilling which is about all I do now.
  • Hi Petie, My setup for cooking pizza in the Small is based on Chubby's GrateMates (link below). I put an 8.5" stainless pot lid on the GrateMates ring as a heat deflector and a 12" BGE pizza stone on the tall GrateMate extenders to get it up into the dome. I make the pizzas just under 12" in diameter. BGE sells the 12" pizza stone for the Medium but many here use it in the Small with good results.

    Based on my own unhappy experience, I would advise that no matter what setup you end up with, try to avoid having anything that deflects the heat in the vicinity of the gasket. My setup locates the pot lid well below the gasket and the pizza stone well above it.

    http://www.nakedwhiz.com/productreviews/gratemates/gratemates.htm