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Anyone have a Big Green Egg?

qprhooligan

qprhooligan

Well-Known Member
We love to smoke and have a side firebox smoker that works ok. But the thing isn't very efficient and uses a lot of fuel and takes a lot of tending to for long smokes. We are thinking of getting a Big Green Egg ceramic cooker. Do any of you have one, if so what are your thoughts on them?
 
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I'd like an egg for grilling and longer cooking meats, to me it's not the same as smoking with a side box, that's part of smoking meats in my eyes.. constantly tending the fire and making sure it's just right.. like an art.. Seems the egg is a little more direct heat than I'd like.

Something you might look at, is one of the new pellet smokers... feed electronically and watched temp wise electronically... Just fill it, and sit back and drink beer and wait..

Those look interesting to me, but still not the classic way to smoke meat..
 
Tending the fire is ok when doing things like ribs and turkeys where they are done in less than 6 hours. We recently did a whole brisket and that thing took 19 hours. It wasn't much fun getting up in the middle of the night to feed the fire. The end result was fantastic though. It really is food of the gods when you cook a brisket low and slow.

What Webber model do you recommend Stereocuuple? If it is a bullet type, I had one of those and they are a pain to use. My side firebox smoker I have now is much better than those.
 
I did the same a couple years ago for a get together for this area.. Set the alarm for every two hours. Man did it suck the next day trying to talk to everyone and move and hook-up stereo all day.. I hear ya

I've never cared for weber. Had a few. I'd do an egg way before one of those. I've known a couple people that had eggs, and that's why I'd like one too after watching them cook, but not for the long smokes. More like for fish and bird.. grilling steaks, burgers..
 
I have a large BGE. You definitely wouldn't be disappointed with it. Very, very fuel efficient and turns out great food!
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I've smoked a pork shoulder at 225 for 16 hours on one load of Royal Oak lump. It holds temps rock steady...
 
BmWr75 said:
I recommend an electric smoker if you want easy. They cook great too. I use a Brinkmann Gourmet smoker that has two racks.
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+1 on these. I don't own one personally, but I can vouch for the results.


I had the same efficiency/temp. chasing problems with a flimsy smoker. A used Pitts & Spitts unit replaced it for less than the raw material would cost. It takes time to find the right deal.

Prepare for sticker shock on a new one.
http://pittsandspitts.com/SmokerPits.htm
 
I would love to try a BGE but they are too rich for this wallet. I do more grilling than long smoking. I currently use a Weber kettle grill. I used to have a New Braunsfel smoker with a side smoke box that would hold a bunch of meat and it did a nice job after sealing up the door better, but it got blown away. It was about 10 years old and about worn out anyway, but it sure smelled good.
 
Consider a Treager Pellet Smoker. Some may feel that it is cheating because it is so easy and the results so consistent, but if good smoked food is what you want without the labor of love good smoking requires... the Treager is hard to beat.

My brother gave me a hard time when I first bought the pellet grill because he is more a more traditional grillmaster. He had to eat a little crow (unsmoked) when his wife sent him over with a turkey that she wanted smoked. She was having important company and did not want to risk the results. (it may have been less embarrassing for him if she had slept with me... boy that was a good day!)

Some people grill on the Treager but I don't personally think it is very good for high heat grilling. However for smoking anything it is unbeatable. When I bought it the wife thought it was a waste since I already had two grills and a smoker, til I cooked something on it for her... she has been the biggest fan ever since.
 
pdbjc said:
However for smoking anything it is unbeatable.
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We'll just have to agree to disagree on this particular statement. I can name many smokers I would purchase before a pellet pooper! Two being a BGE or a
Weber Smokey Mountain. The WSM just isn't as versatile as a BGE. Another consideration would be to build a UDS (upright drum smoker) out of a 55gal food grade drum. I built one of these but it's collecting dust since I got my Egg.
 
When it comes to smoked BBQs, my friend swears by them. It's endless... have to admit, ribs, salmon, chicken comes out real nice and juicy. But if you now what your doing a Weber would suffice.

Eggs looks cooler though. :)
 
stereocuuple said:
total waste of money. go WEBER.
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There is NOTHING that a drafty uninsulated tinbox can do that ANY ceramic cooker can't do better.

I've been using a Kamado for 13 years. The Green Egg is a scaled-back imitator with thinner walls but still a very nice cooker.
 
similost said:
I'd like an egg for grilling and longer cooking meats, to me it's not the same as smoking with a side box, that's part of smoking meats in my eyes.. constantly tending the fire and making sure it's just right.. like an art.. Seems the egg is a little more direct heat than I'd like.

Something you might look at, is one of the new pellet smokers... feed electronically and watched temp wise electronically... Just fill it, and sit back and drink beer and wait..

Those look interesting to me, but still not the classic way to smoke meat..
Click to expand...

The real classic way to smoke meat is in a brick cooker like they do in East N. Carolina. Keep in mind that a brick cooker is, in fact, a ceramic cooker.
 
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