# Big Green Egg



## Billdolfski

I've been looking at these today.  I'm somewhat interested, though they are very, very pricey.

Anybody know anything about them?

Big Green Egg, World's Best Smoker and Grill


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## Andy M.

Ive heard lots of good things about them but believe you can get the job done well for a lot less.


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## Billdolfski

That wouldn't surprise me, as they aren't exactly selling for peanuts.  Very interesting concept though.


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## Uncle Bob

Never owned one....Have a couple of friends that do...They love them....What are you gonna say after tearing a hole in a $1000 bill? I hate this thing??? ~~~ I've eaten grilled steaks, and BBQed pork butt off of one...Both were delicious ~~~ .Some say they are over hyped, and over priced. ~~~ The full size ones are heavy...Buy locally...Shipping will eat your lunch....They will break/crack!! The seal on top may need replacing at some time...They have almost what one would call a "cult" following...A couple (maybe more) of websites devoted to nothing but BGE. Check out Egghead website.. They are used in competitions...Over all I think they do a good job...How serious of a pit master are you...how often will you use it...etc will help you determine if you wanna be an "Egg head" There are others...Primos is one...Check the Sq. inches of cooking space for you dollar...Some say the Primos offers more space for less $$$$....Do your homework!!

Have Fun and Enjoy!


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## Uncle Bob

That's Primo...Not Primos......Click HERE

Fun!


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## bobbleheadbob

*Big Green price tag*

I have be"Q"ing for 40 years and have a large collection of smokers and BBQ's
I have used the egg a few times at a friends house and it works but it is way overpriced, I can get the same results with and old Weber Kettle. The cult following t
thing is true and how can you fight with a guy that dumps a Grover Cleveland on a clay pot

Bobbleheadbob


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## licia

My bil has one and the food is great, but like the others I don't think the price is justified.  I've had food just as good cooked on something that cost a lot less.


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## Billdolfski

Uncle Bob said:


> Never owned one....Have a couple of friends that do...They love them....What are you gonna say after tearing a hole in a $1000 bill? I hate this thing??? ~~~ I've eaten grilled steaks, and BBQed pork butt off of one...Both were delicious ~~~ .Some say they are over hyped, and over priced. ~~~ The full size ones are heavy...Buy locally...Shipping will eat your lunch....They will break/crack!! The seal on top may need replacing at some time...They have almost what one would call a "cult" following...A couple (maybe more) of websites devoted to nothing but BGE. Check out Egghead website.. They are used in competitions...Over all I think they do a good job...How serious of a pit master are you...how often will you use it...etc will help you determine if you wanna be an "Egg head" There are others...Primos is one...Check the Sq. inches of cooking space for you dollar...Some say the Primos offers more space for less $$$$....Do your homework!!
> 
> Have Fun and Enjoy!



They say if you purchase and have it shipped over the net the warranty is null and void.  I picked up on the cult following quickly, decided it would be pretty pointless to ask them what they thought so that's why I figured I'd ask my "old friends" here at DC.


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## justplainbill

I have one my dad bought some 25-30 years ago.  Because it's heavy, if I had a covered masonry patio I'd use it year round; because I do not, it's in storage and I'm making do with a Weber.  Hope to get it back into service on the backyard lawn this summer to make some delish pizza.


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## BigAL

What I've found out is you need to buy a smoker for smoke'n, and a grill for grill'n.  Those green eggs get dang hot, from what I've heard, but I wonder about the low and slow at 225.

BGE would be great for pizza, though.  

You only live once, get it and if ya just don't like it you can sell it.  Might take a hit, but I think it would be fun to cook on one.  

OR, you could buy me one, Bill, and I'll tell ya if you made the right choice.  You could then thank me later.

Good luck.


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## Fnarf

BigAL said:


> What I've found out is you need to buy a smoker for smoke'n, and a grill for grill'n.  Those green eggs get dang hot, from what I've heard, but I wonder about the low and slow at 225.



Allow me to chime in here -- I own a large BGE, and while I'm no evangelist, I do love the thing a lot.

Low and slow is in fact where the Egg excels. It's true, you can crank it to 800 degrees, but it is first and foremost a smoker. There are several reasons for this -- the shape, the thick ceramic, the firebox design, but especially the very fine airflow controls on top and bottom. 

I've smoked on a Weber, and a barrel-style smoker, and you can get great results. But nothing is easier to maintain at a constant temperature than an Egg. And it's really efficient with fuel; this past weekend I smoked a pork butt for 14 hours and didn't even burn through half my load of lump.

Do you need it? No. A skilled pitmaster can get great results from a hole in the ground. But does it work? Yes. And it's a hell of a lot of fun to play with, and good-looking, besides. Worth it? Well....my battered '96 Tercel gets me to work and back, but some folks like to drive Cadillacs. Are they wrong?

One word of warning: if you get one, not only are you going to spend a ton on the Egg, but you will suffer for the rest of your life with the temptation to buy an almost unlimited supply of accessories. Right now I am trying to decide whether a computer-controlled temperature and fan system would get me divorced or not; and there's some very interesting cooking stones over at that website....


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## FrankZ

Fnarf said:


> Right now I am trying to decide whether a computer-controlled temperature and fan system would get me divorced or not; and there's some very interesting cooking stones over at that website....




When I was looking at grills/smokers I considered (heavily) the BGE.  It is probably good I didn't know about a computer controlled anything for it... that might have been too much temptation.


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## BigAL

Fnarf said:


> Allow me to chime in here -- I own a large BGE, and while I'm no evangelist, I do love the thing a lot.
> 
> Low and slow is in fact where the Egg excels. It's true, you can crank it to 800 degrees, but it is first and foremost a smoker. There are several reasons for this -- the shape, the thick ceramic, the firebox design, but especially the very fine airflow controls on top and bottom.
> 
> I've smoked on a Weber, and a barrel-style smoker, and you can get great results. But nothing is easier to maintain at a constant temperature than an Egg. And it's really efficient with fuel; this past weekend I smoked a pork butt for 14 hours and didn't even burn through half my load of lump.
> 
> Do you need it? No. A skilled pitmaster can get great results from a hole in the ground. But does it work? Yes. And it's a hell of a lot of fun to play with, and good-looking, besides. Worth it? Well....my battered '96 Tercel gets me to work and back, but some folks like to drive Cadillacs. Are they wrong?
> 
> One word of warning: if you get one, not only are you going to spend a ton on the Egg, but you will suffer for the rest of your life with the temptation to buy an almost unlimited supply of accessories. Right now I am trying to decide whether a computer-controlled temperature and fan system would get me divorced or not; and there's some very interesting cooking stones over at that website....


 
GREAT info!!!  Are you talk'n the stoker?  Nice units.

Thanks Fnarf, that was really good info.  Now tell us about pizza!!!  You better have done homemade pizza on there!

Remember, pix or it didn't happen!  

BTW, welcome to the site.  Glad your here!


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## Fnarf

BigAL said:


> GREAT info!!!  Are you talk'n the stoker?  Nice units.
> 
> Thanks Fnarf, that was really good info.  Now tell us about pizza!!!  You better have done homemade pizza on there!



Yep, I've done pizza, both using the plate setter and pizza stone combo, and directly on the grid. My technique is poor, though, so I've had mixed results -- some great, some burnt to a blackened husk. One thing about a 800 degree fire, it really doesn't matter what kind of gloves and tongs and paddles you have; you're going to get heated up. Some of my pizza and steaks have been lightly seasoned with bits of burning hair, which isn't too popular -- not on the food and not the next day at the office when my forehead seems larger and redder than usual.

When I get it in time, though, it's pretty wonderful. No pics, alas.

One of the things that pisses me off is that my friend cooks better on his hundred-year-old rusted-out Weber than I do on my Egg. And his brisket may beat mine, but my pork butt knows no equal.


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## FrankZ

Fnarf said:


> ...but my pork butt knows no equal.



Dem's may be fightin words round these here parts.


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## BigAL

Many times it's the cook and not the cooker, know what I mean.  Some people just "have it".  I'm not one of those, but I bet you are.

Here is one of my famous pizza cooks on the weber.  It was a frozen pizza and I got distracted.  







no, it's not a manhole cover!


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## sear

i recently purchased a smoker my self , i considered the EGG. 
but for the cost i decided to go with a pellet cooker which is controlled by a digital thermostat. the only negative is it doesnt do pizza at 700 + 
but its great for smoking/cooking 200-400 degrees


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## BigAL

sear said:


> i recently purchased a smoker my self , i considered the EGG.
> but for the cost i decided to go with a pellet cooker which is controlled by a digital thermostat. the only negative is it doesnt do pizza at 700 +
> but its great for smoking/cooking 200-400 degrees


 
Nice!  What kind did you get?  I have a traeger and a Louisiana Country Cooker, whole hog model.  Both have digital therms.

Gotta love a pellet smoker!


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## Joshatdot

holly cow! those green egg grills are H-E-A-V-Y-!  The medium egg is 95 lbs


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## LT72884

BGE's are eggcelent at low n slow. Go here Rick's Tropical Delight

he uses nothing but a BGE. He belongs to another forum im on and makes som AWESOME food. However. if you own a weber grill and an offset smoker. You can produce just as good results. hence why i never bought one. Low and slow on these things rock due to there damper controlls


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## 70chevelle

I bought my BGE over 2 years ago, and, yes, it was a big investment, but any outdoor cooking vessel that is going to last more than a few year is going to be.  You can't touch a decent gas grill for under $700-1000 and I believe the pellet smokers are in the same neighborhood as the Egg, and much less versatile.  Anyway, it's an incredible smoker and can maintain low and slow with little to no tending for very long periods of time.  It's extremely efficient.  I normally smoke while I sleep.  I'll get my fire started and the temp stabilized in the early evening, throw on the meat, and check it right before I go to bed.  I've not had a fire go out or any issues with temp controls.  I've had my large Egg go over 24 hours straight without reloading.  If you like tending your smoker every hour or two then this won't be your thing.  Someone else mentioned the Stoker or Guru.  One (or both) not only control the temp, but you can also access and control them thru the internet if you have a wifi/network system set up at your house.  I haven't pulled the trigger yet, but it's on my short list!  That takes care of smoking, on to grilling.  The geometry of the dome helps keep foods moist and cook evenly.  I've not had as good nor consistent results on any other grill. The ability to get the grill to 800* plus to seer and then shut the vents to finish a steak or roast is awesome.  My wife figured it was just an expensive grill, but she changed her tune the first few cooks, not only due to the results, but also due to how easy it was to start and cook on.   Also, it should last a lifetime and comes with a warranty to help that along.  

And, no, I'm not just an Egg fanatic.  I also have a JennAir natural gas grill that I also enjoy using and I built a wood fired pizza oven a few years ago.  

Here's a pic of my outdoor kitchen I built last year.  






Here's the WFO


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## pirate

My Brother in law got the BGE because he read it was the best and all his friends were getting them. The first few times he tried cooking on it were failures but after a while he was able to do a good job. Everything he does is fine but it really isn't better than other cookers and smokers. Way over priced and he at first was a true cult follower but now admits it does a good job but it isn't the greatest thing to grilling and smoking. But it took him awhile to admit that after he spent not only 1K on the grill but another 1K on a custom built holder for it. But it does make a great pizza. Like he says his friends still act as if they found the secret to meat.


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## roadfix

I don't have a BGE but wish to have one in the future.  But in the meantime I've been enjoying my near completed wood fired oven.


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## tmh425

*2 cents... the BGE*

In my experience BGE's are wonderful! Yes, they do have a cult following. My dad was a convert after being a Weber guy forever & I inherited mine from him. It been in use over 12+ years. We replaced the felt liner last year. I like grilled beef & chicken with a bit of smoking. It does an amazing job on both. I want my steak seared but still mooing – a true "black & blue", which is always perfect on the BGE. DH & family all like med. Rare – med which the Egg also does beautifully. They also do low & slow-225 for 14+ hours easily with a full firebox, which has been our longest smoking time so far. Yes, it does amazing pizza too! DH is learning the smoking thing when he has time. He brought a gas grill into our lives but we use the BGE 99% of time for the flavor. Have even had a couple of friends get them because they were so impressed with what ours did. Just my 2 cents for what they’re worth.


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## Rrmatt

I saved for many months and bought a bge 10 years 
ago.  Never regretted it. I'm tough on equipment, the egg
has say outside uncovered and the only replacement is the 
gasket. As long as it doesn't fall and crack it should be in the 
family a long time.


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