Big Green Egg

[scottiemom]

Anyone here have a BGE? I really want one but not sure how easy they are to use - what is the learning curve?

[DCP]

I went with the Weber Smoking Mountain Cooker

Great
Ribs- Brisket-Chicken-turkey-Fat boy- pork roast and chops

[archmaker]

I went with the Smokin-IT, all stainless and built to last. The only thing I have to be careful of is using to much wood (a 2" Dowel of Hardwood - 2" long is just right for 20lbs of ribs).

Learning curve is going to be dependent on how much experience you have before going to the BGE, I was on a team for a few years so I found the electric smoker that I have is just as good as the big pit we used to have, with a lot less hassle.

I like spre ribs and I set the thermostat to 225 and let them cook for about 4 hours and then rest wrapped up in tin foil for another 2, inside the smoker with the heat turned off.

[x101airborne]

I have a BGE. The deluxe package. You will wonder how you ever got along without it.
NEVER use any type of fire starters in it. EVER.
Warm it up slowly. Then it holds heat for a long time.
You actually need to season the egg with premium charcoal at first. Then you can kinda fudge a little.
Never use briquettes. Always natural charcoal.
Once you violate one of these rules, you will taste it forever. Pure fact.
The dang best brisket and beef you will ever eat will be cooked on it. I like to smoke meats on mine. 18 hours at 180 degrees is a magical thing. Season the meat at least 3 days prior and leave it in the fridge. The seasoning sets in and really gets into the meat. Try to use pure sea salt for your rubs. Iodized salt gives me a funny metallic taste and I dont care for it. Never had it with seasalt. The egg has the possibility of putting a bowl of water over the coals and under the meat. Use this carefully. If you steam the meat too much, it will turn to goo. Too little and it is like you did not do anything and washed all the seasoning off. Remember..... Finesse, not force.
I have told all my fam that if I ever see a piece of foil in my egg, pack your bags. And I aint kidding.
I love my egg.

[MOcaster]

They are extremely easy to use. The best ribs I ever had came off ours. We had a Trager before. It wouldn't hold a steady temperature and wouldn't get hot enough to grill steaks right. The BGE will do everything, but is at its best smoking. Put on the pork steaks before you go to bed, set the temperature right, check it in the morning, take the of in time for supper, and you the best pork steaks, right after Strawberry's that is.

[oldscool]

Natural charcoal and briquettes both taste like poo to me, and make whats left of my teeth black I also kinda like to be foiled by the tin taste I will take mine over easy please.

[gmsharps]

I have a BGE and until you have used one you do not know what you are missing. I cook a Sunday Roaster chicken for about 6 hrs and it comes out so moist it's ubelievable. You can adjust the heat on these things about as fast as you can on an oven by adjusting the vents on top and bottom. They are not cheap but will last a life time. The 1in thick ceramic will be warm to the touch but will not burn you. I also have a fairly heavy Oklahoma Joe smoker that works well also just different aplications.

[Rockchucker]

I have a BGE and until you have used one you do not know what you are missing. I cook a Sunday Roaster chicken for about 6 hrs and it comes out so moist it's ubelievable. You can adjust the heat on these things about as fast as you can on an oven by adjusting the vents on top and bottom. They are not cheap but will last a life time. The 1in thick ceramic will be warm to the touch but will not burn you. I also have a fairly heavy Oklahoma Joe smoker that works well also just different aplications.

+1 on the BGE, Mines the Medium size. Never had a grill that will do the things it will and it has a lifetime warranty.

[Rick N Bama]

I’ve been using a KamadoJoe (http://www.kamadojoe.com/index.php) for about 3 years now which I have to highly recommend. I’ve just checked and there’s a dealer near you in Pilot Mt, NC. The KJ is somewhat cheaper than the BGE & comes with more accessories than the BGE does (or so I'm told).

I use mine, not only for gilling & smoking my own BBQ, but also for baking Pizzas & Breads. I've also used it for cooking a pot of Chili.

[JeffinNZ]

Janet, I had to Google BGE as I thought you might have been talking aliens!

[scottiemom]

Janet, I had to Google BGE as I thought you might have been talking aliens!

I know, I had to pull up a picture to adequately explain to Jim what it was. come to think of it, it does kind of look like some alien spacecraft!

thanks to everyone for their input - now I really want one!!

Do you know if you could make your own bacon in it?

[Rick N Bama]

Do you know if you could make your own bacon in it?

Doesn't Bacon require a cold smoke? The lowest I've been able to maintain in my kamadoJoe has been 190 using the BBQ Guru Temp Controller

http://www.thebbqguru.com/

If you're planning on doing much in the way of low & slow BBQ then a controller sure will make life easier! My last session was 2 Boston Butts that were in the Grill for some 18 hours. By using the controller the temp never varied more than a few deg from the 225 I had it set for. It's a somewhat expensive accessory, but well worth it in my opinion.

Whether you get the BGE or the KJ or other unit you're in for a great grilling experience!

Rick

[Beagle333]

I got a medium BGE about 6 years ago, and after using many different smokers for over 25 years, it is by far the best one I have ever used, and you really will wonder how you got along without one.

[birdadly]

I don't have one, but I've eaten from one a few times and it's always been a great treat. A good friend LOVES his BGE and uses it quite often even during winter. I believe he even can control the temperature on a computer via the internet!! I snagged a pic from his Facebook page of some ribbies.... -Brad

[Rick N Bama]

Coke Can Chicken on the KamadoJoe.



The pictures are making you hungry, right?

[Shiloh]

Food from a friends was great. They are spendy, and I can't currently justify the expense. I am on the lookout for a new smoker/grill combo.

Shiloh

[Rick N Bama]

They are spendy, and I can't currently justify the expense. I am on the lookout for a new smoker/grill combo.

Shiloh

No way I could have afforded or justified the KamadoJoe on my own. The Grill was a Birthday/Christmas gift from my Daughter & her family.

Rick

[DCP]

Besides the cost. The ceramics weigh a ton.

[archmaker]

The smokin-it has a tempature range of 100-250F so you can do bacon in it. It uses your standard water tank element for the heat, and with the walls being insulated it holds the heat well. Seriously this thing is built like a mini stainless steel refrigerator. Welded seams. Easy to transport also.

It also has a small vent hole on the top and if you have one of those tempature probs that have an extension for going into the oven, you just thread it through the top of the hole and set it on the top of the smoker. No need to open to see what the tempature of your meat is.

[fresch]

I have a Primo XL made in the U.S.A, also a BBQ Guru best you can get and you will love it.
Look at primo grill forum.