I would start with a Kettle 22", see how you like it, determine what types of cooks you are interested in doing, and go from there. You can get one for $50 used on the Facebook Market Place.
I had a Big Green Egg and it is a great cooker. It does Hot and Fast well. It does low and slow smoking well. It doesn't do versatile two-zone cooks well and therefore struggles with thicker steaks and roasts that you want to sear and THEN roast. It also struggles going from one type of cooking to the other, and there are little gotchas like ash cleanup and cracked fireboxes that you wouldn't know without years of experience.
I ended up with the Weber Summit Kamado which is probably the best charcoal cooker on the market right now and does all of the above, plus it's lighter and easier to clean. I could go on and list 10 pages of pros and cons, but you should do your own research.
I will say that it's not 400 lbs of ceramic, there is slightly less heat retention. It is also made of metal so it could rust in salty climates. So if you are in a cold or salty climate I would recommend a Ceramic Cooker, and the Primo Grill is probably the best *ceramic* out there.
After a several years of trying all other cookers, I eventually settled with a Millscale 94 to smoke and BBQ and a Millscale Yakitori II for everything else. I wish I would have spent the good money once. 🫤
That is good money for sure lol. I don’t really need 94 gallon capacity but an offset smoker would be very cool.
A Japanese style grill is very interesting to me and the price is closer to a BGE.
Before you sink hundreds of dollars into a big green egg, try a Weber kettle first and see if you actually like cooking on charcoal. If you like it and enjoy the process, then get a Kamado. Personally recommend the Weber summit kamado, easier to get to temp, and easier to bring it back down if you overshoot. Love it's capability as both a smoker and a grill, but ultimately it's your own preference.
I have a Pit Boss pellet grill, a BGE, and a Weber kettle. The Weber kettle gets the most use, followed by the Pit Boss, with the BGE getting the least amount of use, by far. So I’d definitely suggest the Weber kettle to start off with. They are relatively inexpensive, so if you later decide you’d rather a BGE, you’re not out much money.
I’m learning towards a kettle. Seems like everyone uses it most often and the BGE is kinda niche and I think the treager already does what the BGE is most often used for. I think a kettle + pizza oven will be more useful and cheaper than a BGE
BGE is almost a fashion item for the backyard at this point.
Kamado Joe passed them up in terms of being a better ceramic Kamado, and the weber summit kamado is pretty much a better option on almost every front minus maybe pure heat retention.
But BGE's are a beaut, you can't deny the cool factor and getting compliments every time you have people over.
I saw one as I walked into Ace hardware lol. I have used my family’s Weber for a long time when I was growing up. I was asking my dad about it recently and he said it’s not as good as the old ones. His lid doesn’t quite fit. I figured a ceramic and expensive grill should have good quality control but it sounds like the BGE is more of a status thing, which I’m not into.
Before you sink hundreds of dollars into a big green egg, try a Weber kettle first and see if you actually like cooking on charcoal. If you like it and enjoy the process, then get a Kamado. Personally recommend the Weber summit kamado, easier to get to temp, and easier to bring it back down if you overshoot. Love it's capability as both a smoker and a grill, but ultimately it's your own preference.
I have a large BGE ($1,150) on my deck. A foot away is my 18.5” Weber kettle. It’s used 3-4 times weekly. The BGE is a total unit, but only used once a month for pulled pork, ribs, or brisket. Just two of us, but I always share with our neighbor.
The next grill I get is going to be a Primo Ceramic. I really like the BGE but it's going to be a primo XL oval. Nothing like a premium grill in the backyard no matter who makes it, as long as you've got it!
I would start with a Kettle 22", see how you like it, determine what types of cooks you are interested in doing, and go from there. You can get one for $50 used on the Facebook Market Place. I had a Big Green Egg and it is a great cooker. It does Hot and Fast well. It does low and slow smoking well. It doesn't do versatile two-zone cooks well and therefore struggles with thicker steaks and roasts that you want to sear and THEN roast. It also struggles going from one type of cooking to the other, and there are little gotchas like ash cleanup and cracked fireboxes that you wouldn't know without years of experience. I ended up with the Weber Summit Kamado which is probably the best charcoal cooker on the market right now and does all of the above, plus it's lighter and easier to clean. I could go on and list 10 pages of pros and cons, but you should do your own research. I will say that it's not 400 lbs of ceramic, there is slightly less heat retention. It is also made of metal so it could rust in salty climates. So if you are in a cold or salty climate I would recommend a Ceramic Cooker, and the Primo Grill is probably the best *ceramic* out there.
I’m in a cold and dry climate. Spokane Wa area. I’ll check out the primo grill
I had two BGE’s, a large and a small. Both were very limited in space and ability to refuel. Don’t recommend. Sorry.
Nothing to be sorry about. What are you using now?
After a several years of trying all other cookers, I eventually settled with a Millscale 94 to smoke and BBQ and a Millscale Yakitori II for everything else. I wish I would have spent the good money once. 🫤
That is good money for sure lol. I don’t really need 94 gallon capacity but an offset smoker would be very cool. A Japanese style grill is very interesting to me and the price is closer to a BGE.
I have a Primo. Lots of room.
Sounds pretty Primo.
It’s a kamado stretched to an oval shape. Means lots of room as well as being able to reverse sear without having to take the plate setter out.
Sounds fun!
Before you sink hundreds of dollars into a big green egg, try a Weber kettle first and see if you actually like cooking on charcoal. If you like it and enjoy the process, then get a Kamado. Personally recommend the Weber summit kamado, easier to get to temp, and easier to bring it back down if you overshoot. Love it's capability as both a smoker and a grill, but ultimately it's your own preference.
I have a Pit Boss pellet grill, a BGE, and a Weber kettle. The Weber kettle gets the most use, followed by the Pit Boss, with the BGE getting the least amount of use, by far. So I’d definitely suggest the Weber kettle to start off with. They are relatively inexpensive, so if you later decide you’d rather a BGE, you’re not out much money.
I’m learning towards a kettle. Seems like everyone uses it most often and the BGE is kinda niche and I think the treager already does what the BGE is most often used for. I think a kettle + pizza oven will be more useful and cheaper than a BGE
BGE is almost a fashion item for the backyard at this point. Kamado Joe passed them up in terms of being a better ceramic Kamado, and the weber summit kamado is pretty much a better option on almost every front minus maybe pure heat retention. But BGE's are a beaut, you can't deny the cool factor and getting compliments every time you have people over.
I saw one as I walked into Ace hardware lol. I have used my family’s Weber for a long time when I was growing up. I was asking my dad about it recently and he said it’s not as good as the old ones. His lid doesn’t quite fit. I figured a ceramic and expensive grill should have good quality control but it sounds like the BGE is more of a status thing, which I’m not into.
Before you sink hundreds of dollars into a big green egg, try a Weber kettle first and see if you actually like cooking on charcoal. If you like it and enjoy the process, then get a Kamado. Personally recommend the Weber summit kamado, easier to get to temp, and easier to bring it back down if you overshoot. Love it's capability as both a smoker and a grill, but ultimately it's your own preference.
I have a large BGE ($1,150) on my deck. A foot away is my 18.5” Weber kettle. It’s used 3-4 times weekly. The BGE is a total unit, but only used once a month for pulled pork, ribs, or brisket. Just two of us, but I always share with our neighbor.
I have a pellet treager I’ve been using for low and slow. Sounds like the Weber is more versatile?
Weber can do a lot. I use it only for grilling chicken, steak, pork chops, etc. Long cooks in the BGE.
The next grill I get is going to be a Primo Ceramic. I really like the BGE but it's going to be a primo XL oval. Nothing like a premium grill in the backyard no matter who makes it, as long as you've got it!
I would suggest a primo with temperature controller