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scott vroom
03-10-2012, 3:03 PM
I'm in the market for a outdoor cooker that works equally great as a BBQ and a smoker. Does anyone own the Giant Green Egg? I hear it's the best combo bar none. It's also very pricey...I believe around $800 for the large size. I've also read they last a lifetime so I'm willing to lay out the money knowing it will probably be the last cooker I buy. In addition to conventional BBQ (grilled steaks, chicken etc.) I want to get into smoking large pork shoulders and ribs. What do you guys think?

Mark Ashmeade
03-10-2012, 3:08 PM
Big Green Egg? Yes, I have two of the Large size. Your logic is the same as I used. Last one I'll buy. Had them a couple years, they've been fabulous.

scott vroom
03-10-2012, 3:15 PM
Mark, do you use your hardwood scrap for the smoker? I've been saving up a bunch of white oak scrap in anticipation of getting a smoker. I found this website which discusses the various species most often used for smoking. http://www.smoking-meat.com/barbecue-woods.html

Van Huskey
03-10-2012, 3:18 PM
The other one to look at is Primo. Many prefer the choice of an oval cooking surface. Both are excellent.

Mark Ashmeade
03-10-2012, 3:24 PM
Mark, do you use your hardwood scrap for the smoker? I've been saving up a bunch of white oak scrap in anticipation of getting a smoker. I found this website which discusses the various species most often used for smoking. http://www.smoking-meat.com/barbecue-woods.html

No, just the charcoal, occasionally some Jack Daniels smoking chips, or Applewood chips. I have a bin of scraps, but haven't used them yet.

Mike Ruggeri
03-10-2012, 3:26 PM
My sister has the Big Green Egg and it is very nice. I cook on it a bunch during and it is worth the money.

M

Jim Matthews
03-10-2012, 3:39 PM
I have better luck cooking things with little fat in my Big Green Egg.

Rendered fat from burgers sets off small grease fires, and causes scorching.
Fish, corn and chicken are cooked beautifully on mine.

Two things make a real difference for mine, as far as cooking speed and flavor are concerned;
well made hardwood charcoal and a fairly high heat level (around 325 degrees) - at lower temps, everything tastes like a house fire.

I got a 1/4 round ceramic wedge for cooking vegetables, but what worked best is a pizza pan with little holes in the bottom.

jim
wpt, ma

PS - Get the biggest one you can afford, you'll run out of grill space, fast.

scott vroom
03-10-2012, 4:06 PM
I hadn't heard about rendered fat being a problem. Don't people use these things for pork ribs and shoulders...both rich in fat?

Jerry Thompson
03-10-2012, 4:11 PM
The Big Green Egg. I bet I could even find one Easter morning.

Myk Rian
03-10-2012, 4:18 PM
I had to see what you were talking about.
http://www.biggreenegg.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/egg-floor-xlarge.jpg

David Hawxhurst
03-10-2012, 4:32 PM
i have a large and small. have been bbq and smoking on them for since '05 or so. use them on average 4-5 nights a week, rarely use my oven. i have use some scrape stuff (cherry, oak, maple) for flavor of the wood. not had a problem with short cookings like burgers causing any flare ups, but i do keep the lid shut while cooking. when doing long cooks like ribs, butts or some big like a turkey you'll use something between the heat and the meat, usually a ceramic plate.

Van Huskey
03-10-2012, 4:32 PM
Since we have an egg pic, here is a picture of the oval Primo, plus it is made in the US.

jonathan eagle
03-10-2012, 4:53 PM
Big Green Egg (BGE) Medium @ Costco for $579
Jonathan

Kurt Cady
03-10-2012, 5:29 PM
Rendered fat from burgers sets off small grease fires, and causes scorching.
Fish, corn and chicken are cooked beautifully on mine.

Two things make a real difference for mine, as far as cooking speed and flavor are concerned;
well made hardwood charcoal and a fairly high heat level (around 325 degrees) - at lower temps, everything tastes like a house fire.

Are you not using the ceramic heat/grease deflector under the cooking grate?

We cook pork butts (pulled pork - full of fat) for 24 hours at a constant 200-225 degrees. The pork literally melts in your mouth. Yes the ceramic plate gets disgusting after those drippings, but it is easily cleaned.

We also use it for steak, burgers, chicken, etc. Normal grill usage. Never had the problem of burning or charcoal/fire taste.

scott vroom
03-10-2012, 5:31 PM
I found a retailer in my area that has a sale going on both the Big Green Egg Large ($680) and the Primo Oval Junior ($654). I'm pulling the trigger this weekend on one of these. Made in America gives Primo the edge. I guess I'll start pouring through a couple hundred reviews tonight :)

Mark Ashmeade
03-10-2012, 5:39 PM
I use a disposable chafing dish to catch the fat off pork and chickens etc. They're pretty inexpensive from Costco, certainly less than $1 each.

Scott, I can't speak for Primo, but there's a huge user/fan base for the BGE, and that's spawned a mini industry in accessories for the Egg. The rib rack's a good one, as is the "plate setter". I also use a pizza stone in mine occasionally. It makes excellent pizzas. I'd want to make sure that there's a decent aftermarket for the odd-shaped Primo. In my case, BGE is based in ATL where I am, so it wasn't much of a decision.

Jim Matthews
03-10-2012, 5:42 PM
Are you not using the ceramic heat/grease deflector under the cooking grate?

Nope.
I just checked the EGGsessories - where can I find this?

David Hawxhurst
03-10-2012, 5:45 PM
if you looking on the bge site they call them pizza stones.

Van Huskey
03-10-2012, 5:45 PM
I use a disposable chafing dish to catch the fat off pork and chickens etc. They're pretty inexpensive from Costco, certainly less than $1 each.

Scott, I can't speak for Primo, but there's a huge user/fan base for the BGE, and that's spawned a mini industry in accessories for the Egg. The rib rack's a good one, as is the "plate setter". I also use a pizza stone in mine occasionally. It makes excellent pizzas. I'd want to make sure that there's a decent aftermarket for the odd-shaped Primo. In my case, BGE is based in ATL where I am, so it wasn't much of a decision.

Funny enough Primo is based in Norcross... ATL is the ceramic cooker capital of America.

BGE has a bigger following to be sure, Primo and BGE are very similar in OEM accessories but there is a bigger aftermarket for BGE, though some of the "BGE" aftermarket stuff will work with any ceramic cooker, just not all of them.

David Hawxhurst
03-10-2012, 5:48 PM
the only thing that really matters for the accessories are that they fit inside the cooker.

Mark Ashmeade
03-10-2012, 5:48 PM
Funny enough Primo is based in Norcross...

Well, I live and learn! Every day a school day, it seems.

Richard McComas
03-10-2012, 5:50 PM
Here's some comments about a grease fire on a big green egg. Seem to me anytime you have grease dripping on hot coals you have the possibly of a fire no matter who's cooker it is.

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/863737/my-grease-fire

Mark Ashmeade
03-10-2012, 5:52 PM
Nope.
I just checked the EGGsessories - where can I find this?

It's called the Plate Setter. (http://www.biggreenegg.com/eggcessories/plate-setters-baking-stones/plate-setter/) The Pizza Stone (http://www.biggreenegg.com/eggcessories/plate-setters-baking-stones/baking-stone-medium/) goes on top of it.

Steve Griffin
03-10-2012, 5:55 PM
And the reason this thread couldn't be put in the "off topic" section is????

Van Huskey
03-10-2012, 5:59 PM
I am sure the OP put it here by mistake, no mods have been around to move it I guess. Funny enough it is probably the most active thread in this sub-forum today!

Brent Romero
03-10-2012, 6:07 PM
Have owned a large BGE for about 10yrs. Would not go back to cooking with anything else. Love it!!

Look up the Digi Q from Barbequeguru.com....a nice addition to the BGE.

scott vroom
03-10-2012, 6:40 PM
And the reason this thread couldn't be put in the "off topic" section is????

Gee Steve didn't mean to annoy ya..:) To be honest I never looked to see if there was an Off Topic forum. Guess a mod will eventually come along and move it.

Jim Matthews
03-10-2012, 6:44 PM
Thank you!

This completes the basic tandoori design.
My charcoal of choice (Cowboy on a bronco logo - dunno the brand) quenches when I keep the thermometer below 300 degrees.

This would allow me to get the ceramic hot, and cook with less smoke.
The best part of these is keeping heat OUT of the house during the Summer.

Thanks for the lead, I was in the woods with this little problem.

Craig McCormick
03-10-2012, 7:12 PM
I have no chance to buy either of these but I sure have enjoyed the thread. Glad its not in another area like ot. I wouldnt have seen it.

AZCRAIG

scott vroom
03-10-2012, 7:22 PM
Craig, it's in OT now.....RIP.

Greg Portland
03-12-2012, 5:36 PM
I'm in the market for a outdoor cooker that works equally great as a BBQ and a smoker. Does anyone own the Giant Green Egg? I hear it's the best combo bar none. It's also very pricey...I believe around $800 for the large size. I've also read they last a lifetime so I'm willing to lay out the money knowing it will probably be the last cooker I buy. In addition to conventional BBQ (grilled steaks, chicken etc.) I want to get into smoking large pork shoulders and ribs. What do you guys think?Scott, IMO this "style" of cooker is definitely the best combo IF you are only going to have 1 cooker. I have a Komodo Kamado (http://www.komodokamado.com) which is similar in style. I have easily cooked BBQ in high winds + freezing rain with little to no heat loss. Previously I had a metal grill and BBQ and it was nearly impossible to maintain a good temp in those conditions. I have cooked everything from pizza @ 800 degrees down to smoking cheese (<100 degrees). In terms of usable grill area you are going to give up -some- space when compared to other $1k BBQs & grills. However, I'm still able to cook up 6-8 pork butts at a time (i.e. a LOT of food) on just 2 racks. The other downside is that it takes longer for the unit to come up to temperature due to the higher thermal mass. This isn't a problem as much as a planning issue.

Some suggestions and comments:
- Head over to the BGE forums, there are a lot of helpful tips and folks there
- IMO the BGE is your best option under $1k for this style of cooker (Ceramic, direct heat, capable of grilling as well as BBQ, etc.)
- Skip the gas attachment but get a leaf burner to rapidly get the charcoal ready when you want to grill (high temps).
- For BBQ (<350 deg) you will REQUIRE a small fire. The ceramics are so efficient that you will NOT be able to easily cool down the unit if most of the coals are lit. Google "Minion method" for tips on building a small fire. A good charcoal chimney really helps here... I am a big fan of Webber's chimney.
- Check out the Virtual Webber Bullet website for some excellent BBQ information and recipes. The Webber is another direct-heat style of cooker so the tips on how to adjust the various vents will hold true for the BGE.
- Skip the computerized stokers, temp sensors and fans. Once you get the hang of setting the vents the temperatures will be very steady.
- As I mentioned before, it takes awhile to move the temperatures in these units due to the high thermal mass. That means a vent settings change may take over 15m to stabilize.
- BGE and Royal Oak are 2 good brands of charcoal that can be found almost anywhere. Someone from the South is going to jump in here and bash me (there are cheaper options) but they don't understand how hard it is to find charcoal year-round out here.
- Cook a Pork shoulder as your 1st BBQ experiment. It's almost impossible to ruin. Brisket is very tricky... save that until you've mastered temp control.