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? about med. sz egg - should I exchange for lg.?

SomedayMommy
SomedayMommy Posts: 199
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I got a medium sized egg for Christmas!! I've wanted an egg so badly! :woohoo: My question is - should I take it back and exchange it for a large egg? We are a family of four and don't do a whole lot of entertaining. But I worry about a small cooking surface. Is there any advantage to a medium egg over a large egg? What would be the price difference? Are the accesories as easy to get for a medium as they are a large? Anyone have a medium and wish they had a large? Anyone with a large feel it's overkill and think the medium would have done just fine? Thanks!!! I can't wait to learn more!

Comments

  • I got my medium as a gift last christmas and cook for two usually, but up to 4-6 on occasion. I wish I had a large and will probably get one eventually. Larger cooking surface, more accessories, but mostly the larger surface area is what I would like.
    Phil
  • smoky b
    smoky b Posts: 648
    i got the medium for Christmas last year and now have added a large and a mini!

    the benefits to the medium are that it uses a fraction of the lump used by the large and is big enough to do pretty much anything you want to cook for a family of 4. i have fit 3 slabs of spares on it before so you can load it up for a low and slow if you want too.

    i think most on here will tell you the large is far and away the most versatile of the eggs. so many more accessories are available for it and the increased dome space you have over the medium allows you to get more creative by cooking higher in the dome. it's probably worth the upgrade if you have the cash but you won't be disapointed either way. i love my medium.
  • Bonehead
    Bonehead Posts: 113
    The medium egg has pretty much the same accessories as far as from BGE but some of the aftermarket stuff like the woo3 and adjustable rig are only available for a large. This is the estimated cooking capacity of the medium egg by BGE
    The Medium EGG can cook:

    * 18-pound turkey
    * 6 burgers
    * 3 chickens vertically
    * 4 steaks
    * 4 racks of ribs vertically
  • Mainegg
    Mainegg Posts: 7,787
    What a great gift!! I almost think that if $$ is not a huge factor then I would get a small to go with it. with a family of four the large might be nice but the two temp zones would be better to me. You can have your main course going on the med and still have the small at another temp doing something else or your sides. we are just two adults now and use the min or the small most of the time if we have company then I have the med and sm going. we have a large egg but find we do use the smaller combos more than we do the large. I am doing 5 butts for pulled pork this week to freeze up extras and I will use the lg for that. and I used it for the turduckin this last weekend. but I can fit a 14lb turkey on my med no problem . with a med woo you can do about anything :) happy egging :) Julie
  • I would exchange it.We started with a large then added a med. later because we got a real good deal on one.I use the large every day and the medium every week or 10 days.In my experience the large does a much better job.
  • I would exchange it.We started with a large then added a med. later because we got a real good deal on one.I use the large every day and the medium every week or 10 days.In my experience the large does a much better job.
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,659
    you can get by with a medium, but the large makes a bigger pizza
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • Yeah, buying another one is simply out of the question. Too much $$$ for sure.

    Thanks for the responses thusfar! Seems like a very helpful group! Please keep them coming if you have some advice!
  • I mean to say buying another in a different size, i.e. also buying a small one.
  • fire egger
    fire egger Posts: 1,124
    you will probably end up with more than one egg, most of us have. Given your family size and cuurent cooking habits, I would say keep the medium. as you use the egg more you will be able to decide what size your next egg should be. the advantage to two eggs is the ability to do different temp cooks.
    have fun,
    kendell
  • I have had a medium for over two years and absolutely love it. It uses far less lump then the large and can easily cook for 5 to 6 people. It can cook an entire packer brisket or (2) 8 lb pork butts with ease. For about 5% of the time I wish I had a large but he other 95% I am glad I have a medium. I truly think it is one of the most under rated eggs there is. You can fill the medium up 4 times with the lump it takes to fill the large up once. I will say if I buy another it will probably be a large but would still use the medium for most of my cooks unless I was cooking for a small army.
  • Regardless of where you end up (med or lrg) you're going to be very very happy. We have a large and love it, but will be getting a small in the near future so they can keep each other company.

    Good luck
    Bryan
  • Ripnem
    Ripnem Posts: 5,511
    Alex,
    Here's 10 bone-in chops on a small. It's gotten to be kinda of a sport for me, to see what I can pack in the small,mini eggs.
    chopsonsmall.jpg

    A few tosses and turns and 14 people raved about it all.

    halibutonsmall.jpg

    The Halibut was not too shabby that night either. ;)

    I still say ya gotta start with a large.
  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 32,659
    once you have one, theres a pretty good chance youll talk yourself into a second one :whistle:
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
  • Keep your gift and use the money you would have spent to upgrade on accessories.

    Things like a thermapen, or a remote thermometer like a digi q or stoker, or just things you don't have now that would make you egging eggsperience more fun.
  •  
    I would in a heart beat and there is only 2 of us here.

    That is as long as the option is open and you have the money.

    I would also get an Adjustable Rig & Spider (also a wok) and a Thermapen. But, that's me...

    Congratulations on your new egg.

    GG
  • ...and we've decided to stick with the medium. To take it back and exchange for the large would have been an extra $200. And like thegrillster mentioned, I will use the savings toward some accessories. I just went to the local distributor and bought an electric starter. Of course, they didn't have any charcoal. Alas, I need to learn how to cook on it before I start to cook on it!
  • Congrats on your new BGE, and I think you made the right choice by keeping it, and using the money to buy the eggcessaries. I'm sure you'll want another one to accompany your medium soon, so its not so lonely ;)

    I live by myself and started off with a large earlier this year, which I love, and recently bought a small. I'm happy with both of them. As others have mentioned, its nice to have two, so you can cook at different temperatures at the same time. Also, the small allows me to cook small portions for myself, while the large lets me cook pizza's, stir fry's, and large portions of low and slow cooks.
  • Laker
    Laker Posts: 110
    Run, don't walk to your dealer and make the trade for the large. I am a single senior, but do a lot of entertaining in the summer as I live on a lake and family is there all summer.

    I bought my son a medium several years ago and he had it about a week and then moved to a large.

    I cook on the large for myself 3-5 times per week. It doesn't use anymore lump then the medium. The large surface and my new 3 tier grid allow me to do many foods at the same time. Example, chicken breasts, taters and cornbread all at the same time. Or we often to Oysters and shrimp and still have room for something for the young folks.

    When all the troops show up in the summer, the large provides all the space for many racks of ribs, butts for bbq, fish or whatever we do.

    Go big or go home!!
  • JLOCKHART29
    JLOCKHART29 Posts: 5,897
    Do a forum search for "some'en" It will bring up a bunch of my old post and all were done on my medium. A small as Main Egg said will finnish up my needs so I can cook at two differant temps.
  • NoVA Bill
    NoVA Bill Posts: 3,005
    Hey Stacie,

    I have a med egg and do just fine with it. We don't entertain and most times it's only two of us sometimes five when the kids are home.

    Get a woo2 and baking stone, a 13 inch webber grid and build yourself a raised grid (with three 4 inch bolts, nuts and washers) and you'll be off to the races.

    Good luck!
  • Congrats on the gift!
    There is no bad decision. I have a large and love it. I like to cook extra food so the large works for me. When i cook chicken i fill the egg up. I take most of the chicken and pull it 1/2 goes to my mom that does not cook much the other half i put in small freezer sections to grab for a pizza or toppings for a potato.

    I also think the larger cooking surface just makes it easier to cook.

    But, like i said, no bad decision. Welcome the egg is great and this site has some wonderful people. They have thought be much in the last couple of years.
    steve