New guy

Abe Froman · January 2010

hello everyone, new guy here, soon to be a bge owner.

my story;
i had a house where i built a bbq/grill out of stone. it was very large and inefficient, but i loved it. i had a new baby and my wife and i moved closer to family. i need to replace "area 51" and i have choosen an xl egg.

since money is an issue(it always is), i would like to pose this question to you experienced bge owners:

what accessories are considered mandatory to get, specifically for the bge? what are considered almost mandatory?

keep in mind that i already have the usual cooking accessories like theremometers, etc....

i plan on purchaseing an xl w/nest, and plan on using to it grill and indirect cook. i do not plan to do any baking.

i assume the xl comes with a plate setter. other than that, i was thinking a grill extender. maybe a cover? but also am considering using a generic cover to be less conspicuous to theives.

thanks for any advice you are willing to pass along!

AZRP · January 2010

You may want to consider a large, there are a lot more accessories available for it. -RP

Grandpas Grub · January 2010

I am not an XL owner so I will limit my comments as to accessories. However, make sure you check out member TJV's store http://www.ceramicgrillstore.com/ceramicgrillstore/ and browse around, lots of great stuff there.

What I can share with you is:

It doesn't matter how many thermometers or what you have now, if you don't have a Thermapen, buy one.

Calibrate your dome thermometer before using and once in a while as you use your egg.

Read the manual and watch the video.

After that any information you want is available here on the forum.

Welcome abord and early congratulations on getting an egg.

GG

FlaPoolman · January 2010

Plate setter is additional. Might want to consider a lump reducer ring if your going with just the XL

BBQMaven · January 2010

Agree with AZRP
- you need plate setter, ash tool, and grid lifter for starters!

Carolina Q · January 2010

If you are going to spend the money on an XL, you may want to consider a large and small instead. Many here have recommended that combo as it allows using a smaller unit when that's all you need. It also lets you cook at two different temps at the same time. Also, the large has more accessories available than any other size.

Grand Oeuf Vert · January 2010

Mr Food? As in Ohhhh sooooo goood Mr Food?

reelgem · January 2010

Welcome to the egg family! Hope to meet you at an eggfest sometime this year.
As for getting an egg, I would go with the large, it's the most versatile and there's a lot more accesorries for it.

gdenby · January 2010

As above, consider a large and small. I did 16.6 pounds of ham on Christmas day on one of my mediums. An XL will feed very many people. Once you start using the Egg, you will likely want to cook even small meals, like breakfast. Or just for searing a few steaks. The XL is well suited for a banquet.

While I too worry some about thievery, do understand that an Egg even just in a nest is not something that can be grabbed. I believe a large weighs about 120, and given its bulk, lifts more like 150.

Once you get into the Egg, and experience its versatility, you may want to do some baking. And extra platesetter and pizza stone reserved just for baking is nice to have.

2Fategghead · January 2010

Mr Food, I have a large and if I were to do it again I would get two large.

There are a lot of forum members who have a large and a small because then you would have the versatility of two cookers at different temp's.

Wish you well what ever you do.

Tim

Car Wash Mike · January 2010

Welcome and Happy New Year.

Mike

Lei'd-n-Egg · January 2010

Welcome Mr Food, I agree with the others that a Large-Small combo may offer you more flexibility at close to the same price. Although I have not picked up a small yet (key word "yet").

As for necessary eggcessories, you'll probably want a plate setter or a spider/pizza stone combo to cook indirect. I would also advise you to purchase or make a raised grid so you can cook direct, but further away from the fire.

Whatever you do XL or L/S, do it quick ... you'll love it.

Good Luck,
Bryan

Abe Froman · January 2010

first of all, thanks for the fast responses and the opinions w/reason being used to back them up!

secondly, i am shocked that the large gets so many votes. it makes me wonder if the xl performs as well as the large, which made the bge so famous. i realize that it may use more charcoal than a smaller size, but does it have cooking drawbacks?

anyway, my concerns w/the large is that it is too small for direct grilling, which i do often. i would compare it, grate size, to a medium weber charcoal grill. when i used to use a full size weber charcoal grill, i actually found that it was a bit small.

i usually cook enough meat to make several meals. i guess i am just too lazy to fire up coals and everything just for a couple steaks or whatever. maybe the bge will change that?

i think that if i indirect cook, a large is big enough. but i worry about direct grilling. maybe it is unfair to expect one cooker to do both?

also, is the egg in the nest prone to tipping over? would a table be better? i would think that the nest is better because then you can move it around to fight wind.

New guy

Comments

Categories