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Pro/Con -- Cast Iron vs Porc Grate?

BiggyDogBreath
BiggyDogBreath Posts: 14
edited November -0001 in EggHead Forum
Just a 3 month owner but continuing to figure out how to spend the wife's retirement money. Am interested in hearing why folks opt for cast iron grate for grillin vs the regular porcelin that comes with the egg.
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Comments

  • Grandpas Grub
    Grandpas Grub Posts: 14,226
     
    Grill marks look prettier. I can't tell any difference in the taste.

    However, since it's the wife's retirement money it is a must to have. Your retirement money, get some other egg stuff first. :)

    GG
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  • Turk
    Turk Posts: 114
    Grill marks are, as far as I am concerned the only difference. I wouldn't buy unless I had the extra cash. The setters etc are more important.
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  • h20egg
    h20egg Posts: 168
    Agree the main thing is the grill marks, but if you turn the ci with fat side of bars up, you can do things like shrimp and veggies (yes, I know you can skewer them) with less chance of losing them into the lump. But if you're limited in resources, I'd place it down below platesetter and even adjustable rig. Or even pizza stone.
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  • Rolling Egg
    Rolling Egg Posts: 1,995
    To me you get a better sear than you do with a porcelain grate. That cast iron is gonna hold more heat than a regular porcelain grid. I may be speaking out of my back side on this one but I truly believe I get a hotter cook. And yes, the grill marks are pretty. I'm kinda parcial to the grill marks.
    IMG_6640.jpg
    IMG_6644.jpg
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    What h2Oegg and rolling egg said. Do you NEED it? Of course not. But I always hated the wire grid on my Weber. Love my cast iron!!

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • SGT BBQ
    SGT BBQ Posts: 190
    The only time I use my cast iron grate is when I cook steaks or thick pork chops. It stays hot to give you great grill marks. But you could still use it for all your cooks but you probably wont notice any differnce especially on your low and slow cooks.
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  • Carolina Q
    Carolina Q Posts: 14,831
    Tru dat. Zero difference with a butt. - but I leave mine on all the time anyway.

    I hate it when I go to the kitchen for food and all I find are ingredients!                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

    Michael 
    Central Connecticut 

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  • NibbleMeThis
    NibbleMeThis Posts: 2,295
    I have to agree that the "sexy" part of using a cast iron is the sear marks.

    DSC_0244resized-2.jpg

    But one of the things that all of us ceramic cooker owners like to brag about is the thermal mass of our Egg. The ceramics soak up the heat and distribute it evenly.

    Well, IMHO cast iron does a good bit of that itself so I use it in my low an slow cooks too. It might not help but it certainly can't hurt and it keeps it seasoned well :woohoo:

    DSC_0066resized-1.jpg
    Knoxville, TN
    Nibble Me This
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  • fishlessman
    fishlessman Posts: 34,594
    i prefer the stainless to either and would save up for an adjustable rig or woo from the ceramic grill store. the porcelain ones fine but they only last a few years for me. the cast will crack early in life but is usually still usable
    fukahwee maine

    you can lead a fish to water but you can not make him drink it
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  • danny285
    danny285 Posts: 360
    $50 bucks for grill marks........You have to be kidding.
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  • milesofsmiles
    milesofsmiles Posts: 1,377
    IMHO, Foods that Do taste better cooked in CI vs. other skillets etc. Cornbread, fried tatters with onions, okra fried, grilled cheese sammies there must be others. No I have not cooked these on an Egg, but I can. I would cook them on a CI vs some other. I have a CI grill on both my lg. and med. CI rules on my Eggs. :):):) to all. Ronnie.
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  • Denbbq
    Denbbq Posts: 84
    I have both and did 40 chicken wings on a raised porcelain grid. Wing parts kept trying to fall between gaps, a pain. Next time will raise the CI.
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  • mike365365
    mike365365 Posts: 6
    I'm a brand new egg owner, and one of the reasons I got it, was because I was disappointed with results my friend got from his giant weber grill with the special sear burner. He got great black grill marks all right. But IMHO, brown tastes great, black tastes burnt. If I could suspend the steak in mid air over the coals, I'd do it. I'm going to try putting the porcelain grate in cold....so that it's being seared by the coals, not the grate.
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  • BiggyDogBreath
    BiggyDogBreath Posts: 14
    Thank you for all the comments. Think I'll invest in a few other things first. Looking forward to the Eggfest in October.
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