I love smoking and grilling. I currently use my weber smoker and weber propane. I like them, but I have been itching for a BGE for a while. For those who have one, is it worth it? I am an avid steak griller and rib, salmon, brisket, pork but and chicken smoker. I have no doubt that I will get plenty of use with it. Thoughts? Thanks!
All Knowing Board...Big Green Egg
- Thread starter smealpsu2005
- Start date
I love mine. Living in Florida I can grill year round, so my worth it may not be your worth it.
Versaility.... Grill, BBQ, smoke, bake.... Fantastic pizza.
People complain about time to get started but I use a weed burning torch and I'm up to temp in 10 minutes.
If you're concerned about cost, I've heard great things about both the Akorn and the Chinese knock off they sell at Sams and Costco.
Versaility.... Grill, BBQ, smoke, bake.... Fantastic pizza.
People complain about time to get started but I use a weed burning torch and I'm up to temp in 10 minutes.
If you're concerned about cost, I've heard great things about both the Akorn and the Chinese knock off they sell at Sams and Costco.
I have one and like it. I like the Traeger better. Much easier to use, and can be controlled via your phone. Way better for cold smoked salmon and jerky, but also for brisket.
Yes, between this and the grass cutting thread, I am indeed this lazy.
Yes, between this and the grass cutting thread, I am indeed this lazy.
Thanks! The only concern I have about cost is justifying it to my better half. At the end, if I want it I will buy it. Just like to get her on board
We just bought an XL and used it for the first time this weekend. I have wanted one for a long time but those OOS tuition bills held me back. So far it's been awesome. We were tired of buying a new grill every few years and decided to go BGE. Although I dont have much time on it, here are my thoughts.
1. Get the biggest you can afford
2. It gets HOT! Easy to do steaks and pizza
3. Smoked a chuck roast Saturday and once I got it dialed in, temp was rock steady for 4 hours.
4. Dont overshoot temp, takes a long time to cool down. Biggest disadvantage I see is it will stay hot a long time after shut down it case you want to cover it.
5. It looks super cool.
6. Lifetime warranty on all ceramic parts from a company that should be around a long time.
Is it worth it? Only you can decide that. We grill a lot so if it's the last grill I buy it sure is worth it to me. I have had cabinet smokers previously and made some good BBQ. I doubt the food will be better but it will be easier and I can grill and smoke on one unit.
1. Get the biggest you can afford
2. It gets HOT! Easy to do steaks and pizza
3. Smoked a chuck roast Saturday and once I got it dialed in, temp was rock steady for 4 hours.
4. Dont overshoot temp, takes a long time to cool down. Biggest disadvantage I see is it will stay hot a long time after shut down it case you want to cover it.
5. It looks super cool.
6. Lifetime warranty on all ceramic parts from a company that should be around a long time.
Is it worth it? Only you can decide that. We grill a lot so if it's the last grill I buy it sure is worth it to me. I have had cabinet smokers previously and made some good BBQ. I doubt the food will be better but it will be easier and I can grill and smoke on one unit.
I bought the Pit Boss at Costco which is the equivalent of the BGE. The year I bought mine for $599, which includes side racks, diffuser, and nest, it was a black color. I wish I had waited until this year, as this year’s model is pretty close to Penn State blue.
https://m.costco.com/Pit-Boss-Ceramic-BBQ-Grill.product.100378747.html
https://m.costco.com/Pit-Boss-Ceramic-BBQ-Grill.product.100378747.html
Let me know when you're Traeger gets hot enough to properly cook a steak. Or neopolitan style pizza
For low and slow, sure, but your Traeger cannot match the versatility of the BGE.
Well, I have a Broil King (and potentially BGE) for the steak and the BGE for pizza. I will be sure to let you know when it gets hot enough, though.Let me know when you're Traeger gets hot enough to properly cook a steak. Or neopolitan style pizza
For low and slow, sure, but your Traeger cannot match the versatility of the BGE.
The cold smoked salmon was awesome on the Traeger. I was never able to get it anywhere close to that on the Egg.
Please don't take my posts as denigrating the Egg. It is high quality and I like it.
These are always fun conversations...
I have just about every type of grill out there. I have 2 Weber genesis gas grill’s, 2 Weber charcoal performer deluxe, 2 large BGE’s, and a Rec Tec pellet smoker (we have a place down the shore at a campground which would explain the doubling up). The BGE’s were the first real step for me into “luxury” grills/smokers. They are great and you won’t be sorry. I never really got into cooking everyday food on it. Just seemed like a waste of lump (keep in mind this was before I ditched the gas and went all charcoal).
They hold temps great and get blazing hot. All in all a great grill. Just make sure you know what you are going to be doing the majority of the time on it. For me, when it came to long smokes, I found myself getting frustrated with having to check the temp constantly and having to reload fuel and then regulate again. I know this is nit picking but the round shape takes some space away that I always felt a square surface added.
When I factored all that in I went with the rec Tec pellet smoker and haven’t looked back. As for cooking steaks and pizza...my rec Tec can hit over 500 and with the searing grates can cook a steak to perfection. Cooked a Chicago style deep dish last weekend. I have only done it once to try it, I still use my Weber preformer for the steaks though. Love the smell of coals and an open flame on a steak.
I still use my BGE during big Events when we have people over and I need the grill space.
As I said, you won’t be sad with the purchase. Go for it! Your wife will thank you when your pulling delicious food off that thing every night!
Good luck!!
I have just about every type of grill out there. I have 2 Weber genesis gas grill’s, 2 Weber charcoal performer deluxe, 2 large BGE’s, and a Rec Tec pellet smoker (we have a place down the shore at a campground which would explain the doubling up). The BGE’s were the first real step for me into “luxury” grills/smokers. They are great and you won’t be sorry. I never really got into cooking everyday food on it. Just seemed like a waste of lump (keep in mind this was before I ditched the gas and went all charcoal).
They hold temps great and get blazing hot. All in all a great grill. Just make sure you know what you are going to be doing the majority of the time on it. For me, when it came to long smokes, I found myself getting frustrated with having to check the temp constantly and having to reload fuel and then regulate again. I know this is nit picking but the round shape takes some space away that I always felt a square surface added.
When I factored all that in I went with the rec Tec pellet smoker and haven’t looked back. As for cooking steaks and pizza...my rec Tec can hit over 500 and with the searing grates can cook a steak to perfection. Cooked a Chicago style deep dish last weekend. I have only done it once to try it, I still use my Weber preformer for the steaks though. Love the smell of coals and an open flame on a steak.
I still use my BGE during big Events when we have people over and I need the grill space.
As I said, you won’t be sad with the purchase. Go for it! Your wife will thank you when your pulling delicious food off that thing every night!
Good luck!!
I got the Pit Boss from Costco last September for $500 and if the BGE is that much better I would be very surprised. I smoked a 20 pound brisket last weekend that was terrific. Started the brisket at 225 F at 7am and pulled it off 12 hours later without having to change the temp or add charcoal. I also grilled a rib eye last night at 750 F and had a medium rare beauty in less than 10 minutes that was seared to perfection. You won't be sorry. The most versatile grill you can get.
have a large BGE and love it. With a flame boss temperature control unit can really do nice long low cooking of pork butts and brisket as well as high temp grilling. Make spatchcock bricked chicken on it weekly at least
I love my big green egg...cooks everything perfectly. The food on it tastes so good. I highly recommend one. I have the large size and for my family it is plenty big.
I've had the Chargriller Akorn Kamado for over 6 years. Sealed it up tight when I first bought it and added a PartyQ for long (brisket) smokes. Hayneedle has it for $264 (delivered) and Walmart usually has it in the $285 range. I always do my Thanksgiving turkeys in it, and have the pizza stone as well. Absolutely no disrespect to the Egg, but if price is a factor, I have nothing but the best to say about this model.
I'm not a pro yet, but my wife bought me a large green egg for my 50th birthday last year. It's by far the best birthday present that I've ever received. I love it. I bought an electronic temperature controller over the winter and can't wait to try it out. It will help me maintain even temps on the long, slow cooks.
Researched and tried almost all of them. You’ll have the Primo XL the longest and enjoy it the most for cooking one steak properly or smoking a gazillion ribs. The heat control, size (go with oval shape- forget the circular BGE stuff), quality, and customer support beat everyone.
Fellow Akorn owner. Hard to beat for the price and performance. It's also much lighter than the BGE. You can also get a mini Akorn for smaller cooks or to try out.
I make grills for a living. Big Argentine wood-burning ones that get installed into counter-tops or chimney systems. For what its worth, I think the BGE are pretty good and very versatile. They do a lot of things decently. I also saw the Kamado Joe version and thought it was very nice. I may lean that direction if buying a kamado type grill.
The thing to keep in mind with all grills is the more well rounded they are the less likely they will excel in any one area. There's a give and take at play with grills and smokers. I don't think the kamado types or any gas grills hold a candle to our grill in terms of grilling. (I don't like the pellet grills for grilling at all) However we can only draw a slow cook out of our grills and not truly offer a smoking option.
Think about what you will do the most with your outdoor cooking options. If you primarily grill, look for a strong robust grilling frame that gives you the grilling space you need, minimizes flare ups and helps you to to burn wood and charcoal efficiently. If you will primarily smoke, get yourself a solidly made smoker and then a cheaper, smaller gas grill on the side when you want to fire up a couple burgers and dogs. If you will truly mix it up, than a kamado style grill is a pretty decent option.
And of course pricing will dictate a lot as well. You can spend a fortune or a couple hundred bucks. You mostly get what you pay for but sometimes you can find a decent deal. But when you are saving, no matter the quality, the lower the cost the more mass produced and likely sourced from China the grills are. We make high end robust grills, but our costs are primarily on the high end because they're built here in PA and every grill has some built-to- order aspect to it that makes it a one off construction instead of fabricating it in larger quantities. That drive up the costs and makes custom grill builders more susceptible to material price fluctuations. But we can build exactly what the customer wants. Hope some of this info helps.
The thing to keep in mind with all grills is the more well rounded they are the less likely they will excel in any one area. There's a give and take at play with grills and smokers. I don't think the kamado types or any gas grills hold a candle to our grill in terms of grilling. (I don't like the pellet grills for grilling at all) However we can only draw a slow cook out of our grills and not truly offer a smoking option.
Think about what you will do the most with your outdoor cooking options. If you primarily grill, look for a strong robust grilling frame that gives you the grilling space you need, minimizes flare ups and helps you to to burn wood and charcoal efficiently. If you will primarily smoke, get yourself a solidly made smoker and then a cheaper, smaller gas grill on the side when you want to fire up a couple burgers and dogs. If you will truly mix it up, than a kamado style grill is a pretty decent option.
And of course pricing will dictate a lot as well. You can spend a fortune or a couple hundred bucks. You mostly get what you pay for but sometimes you can find a decent deal. But when you are saving, no matter the quality, the lower the cost the more mass produced and likely sourced from China the grills are. We make high end robust grills, but our costs are primarily on the high end because they're built here in PA and every grill has some built-to- order aspect to it that makes it a one off construction instead of fabricating it in larger quantities. That drive up the costs and makes custom grill builders more susceptible to material price fluctuations. But we can build exactly what the customer wants. Hope some of this info helps.
Very helpful. Thanks! I would say that most of my use will be grilling and smoking. I would probably lean to smoking with this purchase as I still have a good functional weber genesis propane. But I do like the idea of being able to charcoal grill along with smoking. Thanks again!
How did you seal yours up? And is the PartyQ really worth it? I've had luck with the 2 briskets I have smoked on mine and they were really the first two I've ever done. I may have tried one in my old electric smoker but I didn't know what I was really doing back then and that smoker was a pain to get decent smoke with. The Akorn is very easy if you mix the wood and charcoal.
I'm definitely a fan of the charcoal kamado style now. It takes me a while to work though a big bag of lump charcoal and it's great to not have to periodically add wood for smoke even with a long cook.
Use a high temp sealant like the one below to be sure all "non-vent" seams/openings are closed. My main seals for both the ash pan and main dome are still fine, and can be replaced over time if needed.
The PartyQ is essential for me for (12 hour) brisket cooks. I tend to have persistent and variant wind on my deck, and the PartyQ seals the lower intake to precisely control airflow. Nice to put one on at night and have it cooked, rested, and ready to serve for lunch the next day.
Another indispensable item for me is the Maverick Remote Smoker Digital Meat Thermometer. Monitors both the grill and the meat, particularly impressive for poultry.
Love love LOVE the BGE. Have had mine for over 12 years sitting outside thru harsh winters. Still looks new.
Very versatile and a large BGE community out there with tips, recipes, etc. Good luck with whatever you choose.
