The Big Green Egg Grill

[kmaggy]

I’m thinking about getting one as a Xmas present to myself. Is it worth the hype? Is the Green Egg a lifestyle upgrade? I’ve had my Weber classic grill for almost 20 years and looking to “upgrade”. Anyone own one? How you like it?

 

[GAJ]

I’m thinking about getting one as a Xmas present to myself. Is it worth the hype? I’ve had my Weber classic grill for almost 20 years and looking to “upgrade”. Anyone own one? How you like it?

No idea but Consumer Reports says "yes" with a caveat that there are actually better Kamado grills on the market.

https://www.consumerreports.org/kamado-grills/big-green-egg-grill-review/

 

[HappyHighwayman]

No. It's overpriced. Sure, it's great, but my Akorn cost $300 and does the same thing.

If you're into spending that kind of money get a really good pellet grill like a Yoder

 

[berth]

Alton Brown (of course) has a "build your own" version I think with a hot plate and a clay flower pot.

The pellet grills are very tempting.

If I could actually consume the amount if meat I'd likely make on such a thing, I'd consider it.

 

[kmaggy]

No. It's overpriced. Sure, it's great, but my Akorn cost $300 and does the same thing.

If you're into spending that kind of money get a really good pellet grill like a Yoder

I’ll check out the Akorn, I feel like $300 is a good price point if I just want to see what this is all about.

 

[HappyHighwayman]

You need to buy the diffusr stone separately (rolls eyes), but it's a really good piece of kit.

I built the alton brown ghetto brown egg years ago, it works but it's a huge pain in the ass

 

[mikev]

Yeah they're not cheap. I love mine though.

The Akorn is alright. All the ones I've seen tend to creep up in temp after a couple of hours because the stainless build doesn't insulate/retain heat as well as the ceramic kamados.

 

[Agent Orange]

Love my Traeger. There's a BF deal going for them right now.

 

[Cali]

My Traeger was money well spent. Didn't want to spend the $$$ but found a 40% off scratch and dent sale and couldn't pass it up.

 

[HappyHighwayman]

You know what sometimes I feel like giving in to the dark side and just getting a high end pellet grill.

 

[Tally Whacker]

No pellet grill!

BGE or Kamado Joe with a smobot. Absolutely get the smobot.

 

[berth]

No pellet grill!

BGE or Kamado Joe with a smobot. Absolutely get the smobot.

Wow. What a spectacularly awful website. It has some rotating image that reflows the page every few seconds so you can't read it.

 

[NorCalAthlete]

Found out about Green Mountain Grills lately - they seem like a solid alternative / competitor to Traeger

 

[Kornholio]

If you want to babysit your smoker all day/night, get a Green Egg or any of the cheaper alternatives. If you just want a smoker that doesn't require a ton of hassle, has the automation of a crock pot in terms of temperature control and you don't really care about making your friends think you're cool because you use lump charcoal, just get a pellet smoker. Many people, myself included, have beaten lump charcoal smoker users in competitions with a pellet smoker. There's an old saying that applies in life and certainly with regards to smoking foods..."Work smarter, not harder."

 

[kmaggy]

This pellet thing is intriguing... hmm, I’m debating between charcoal or pellets. Traeger looks like it’s easy to use and can control temps more precisely. But can Traeger do brick oven pizza (BOP) like the BGE?

 

[Tally Whacker]

Wow. What a spectacularly awful website. It has some rotating image that reflows the page every few seconds so you can't read it.

Odd. It doesn't have the effect on my browser.

In any case, the smobot makes the BGE (or equivalent) a set-and-forget procedure.

 

[mikev]

If you want to babysit your smoker all day/night, get a Green Egg or any of the cheaper alternatives. If you just want a smoker that doesn't require a ton of hassle, has the automation of a crock pot in terms of temperature control and you don't really care about making your friends think you're cool because you use lump charcoal, just get a pellet smoker. Many people, myself included, have beaten lump charcoal smoker users in competitions with a pellet smoker. There's an old saying that applies in life and certainly with regards to smoking foods..."Work smarter, not harder."

this is such a terrible take :laughing

 

[Abacinator]

My friend calls his Traeger the Easy Bake Oven :laughing

 

[GAJ]

This pellet thing is intriguing... hmm, I’m debating between charcoal or pellets. Traeger looks like it’s easy to use and can control temps more precisely. But can Traeger do brick oven pizza (BOP) like the BGE?

I do Pizza on a heavy pizza stone on my Weber Genesis hooked up to the home nat gas supply.

Comes out great even though it maxes out at 550 degrees.

I use my old Weber charcoal smoker for smoking salmon/ribs/brisket etc and is more finicky than my friend's Traeger but he prefers the salmon that I smoke to his oddly enough.

Get apple or cherry chunks at Home Depot.

For most folks the Traeger or Traeger clones make more sense.

The only thing they don't do that well is sear.

 

[HappyHighwayman]

For searing I now use a chimney starter with a small grate on it.