Max Weber

September 3, 2009 3:08 PM

Big Green Egg. Worth it?

I'm a Weber guy, cowboy charcoal. My Weber has rusted through. I need to replace it, probably with a 22.5" Gold or Silver. I'm sort of idly considering a Green Egg of similar size, but they are pricey.

Yes, the old one died because it was stored outdoors. It did have a cover, but the cover eventually got sunstruck and died and I never replaced it. I think what killed it is not emptying the ashes, which soak up moisture from the air and then rust the bottom. The cowboy coals also burn hotter than briquettes. One of the sockets that the legs fit into has rusted where it was spot welded.

So?

posted by fixedgear to food & drink (6 answers total)

The Big Green Egg is somewhat overrated. There are perfectly good alternatives that don't have the massive marketing push behind them. Grill Dome and Primo Grills are the first that come up.

Of course you could go for a bit more style for the same money as the BGE by looking into Kamado.com.

Or you could go the el Cheapo DIY route with modifications to Alton Brown's Flowerpot Smoker.

I think that any of these options will require a bit of relearning of established habits and skills, and I have always been one to stick with the devil I know. I vote Weber.
posted by EnsignLunchmeat at 3:51 PM on September 3, 2009 [3 favorites]

OH GOD YES!

I want you to imagine this: you have the BGE heated up to around 700°F. You carefully pat out your hamburgers, and throw them on the grill. They're instantly seared on the outside, and cooked in mere minutes. The outside is beautifully, perfectly caramelized, ever so slightly crispy, and the insides are perfectly cooked but juicy like no other. There is no better burger. And this extends to everything from steaks to whole chickens.

One of my biggest stuff-related regrets is that I let my dad take my BGE back home with him when I moved. Because, and I'm not exaggerating, I used my egg at least five times a week year 'round. Seriously. I have photos of me grilling in a blizzard, snow up to my thighs.

My wife and I are going to buy one the minute we're done moving back and forth across the country.

Buy it. And also buy a chimney charcoal starter. Also, you absolutely want the slotted/adjustable metal top vent cover for the egg--I think it's a little extra, but it works about a thousand times better than propping open the ceramic one.
posted by Netzapper at 3:54 PM on September 3, 2009

not on preview: EnsignLunchmeat has a point. There's no reason you need to buy Big Green Egg in particular.

But a high-quality ceramic kamado is radically superior to any metal-skinned grill.

He's also right that cooking on a kamado has basically nothing in common with cooking on a regular grill. You'll destroy your food, and perhaps the kamado, if you try to use a kamado like a regular grill.
posted by Netzapper at 3:56 PM on September 3, 2009

Before reading this thread, I had never heard of a "Kamado" before, so did a quick search... and came across this web-site that you might want to be aware of if you are considering purchasing one. Not a lot of happy customers there. It's obviously a one-sided conversation, but definitely something I'd want to be aware of before spending the kind of cash involved with these. I'd be interested to hear from satisfied customers.

Doing some more searching, I also came across this similar product available from costco. That really has me thinking. Looks like a BGE without the cost.

good luck.
posted by jimmereeno at 7:13 PM on September 3, 2009

jimmereeno, it appears to me that that forum is dedicated to a particular brand (Kamado Co.) and not the generic grill type.
posted by nanojath at 7:38 PM on September 3, 2009 [1 favorite]

IANAG (I Am Not A Griller) but I can say that the BGE is contagious in my family - my father and several aunts and uncles all have eggs and they all love them like crazy. Also, they have become a bit obsessed with perfecting their various recipes for use in the BGEs. I can attest to the deliciousness of a lot of what has come out of those kooky devices. Plus, they're very cool looking, if you care about that at all.
posted by Bergamot at 8:20 PM on September 3, 2009