The Texas BBQ Forum

Hey guys, just sold my big pit on wheels. Thinking about jumping the fence to the BGE. Can someone give me some feedback whether it be good, or bad on smoking on a BGE. I have never used one, but it is intriguing me. I like that you can smoke and grill with 1 device. Thanks.

The worst person to ask about owning a BGE is a BGE owner - like me. I don't have just one. I have three - XL, Small, and Mini. In addition to grilling and smoking, I have baked and fried on my eggs. Excellent smoker but versatile to handle all sorts of cooking. Pizzas are outstanding - BGE behaves just like a pizza oven. Baked items like brownies, cheesecake, cookies, pancakes, fritattas on the egg keep you from heating up the kitchen. Pull out your wok and toss in some shrimp or chicken with some rice and veggies for a quick stir fry. Fry up some catfish or oysters in a deep sided CI skillet (deep sided because you have a lot of fuel over a hot fire and need to proceed with caution).

I bought my XL first and like it a lot but if I were starting over I would buy a large. IMHO one of the smoke important attributes are the ability to hold a steady temperature and the fact that you can cold smoke, fire it up to nuclear temps, or stop any where in between.

Dave may chime in as well. He has a BGE and a Primo - can't go wrong with a Primo.

BTW - Eggfest all day Saturday at Camp Ben McCulloch in Driftwood. Bunch of Eggers cooking from 9:00 to 3:00.

I'll be cooking:
Crab and crawfish fritatta
Taco stuffed Fritos
Mahi mahi with a meneuire sauce
Blackened Drum
Hoochie Mama Bacon wrapped dates stuffed with pineapple
help yourself to a big bowl of smoked peanuts

If you are in the neighborhood, ask for Frank Smith

egghead wrote:The worst person to ask about owning a BGE is a BGE owner - like me. I don't have just one. I have three - XL, Small, and Mini. In addition to grilling and smoking, I have baked and fried on my eggs. Excellent smoker but versatile to handle all sorts of cooking. Pizzas are outstanding - BGE behaves just like a pizza oven. Baked items like brownies, cheesecake, cookies, pancakes, fritattas on the egg keep you from heating up the kitchen. Pull out your wok and toss in some shrimp or chicken with some rice and veggies for a quick stir fry. Fry up some catfish or oysters in a deep sided CI skillet (deep sided because you have a lot of fuel over a hot fire and need to proceed with caution).

I bought my XL first and like it a lot but if I were starting over I would buy a large. IMHO one of the smoke important attributes are the ability to hold a steady temperature and the fact that you can cold smoke, fire it up to nuclear temps, or stop any where in between.

Dave may chime in as well. He has a BGE and a Primo - can't go wrong with a Primo.

BTW - Eggfest all day Saturday at Camp Ben McCulloch in Driftwood. Bunch of Eggers cooking from 9:00 to 3:00.

I'll be cooking:
Crab and crawfish fritatta
Taco stuffed Fritos
Mahi mahi with a meneuire sauce
Blackened Drum
Hoochie Mama Bacon wrapped dates stuffed with pineapple
help yourself to a big bowl of smoked peanuts

If you are in the neighborhood, ask for Frank Smith

SuckleBusters will be in the house Frank!

I do have a Primo, at one time had an Imperial, but have never had a BGE. But I wouldn't mind having a BGE too. These things are pricy, but compare them to the prices of decent major kitchen appliances- they are a good deal. Go to Eggfest and you can buy a slightly used egg for a good discount.

Sucklebusters at Texas Eggfest? Eggcelent!!

I got a large BGE with a CyberQ wifi set up. I love it. Best pulled pork and ribs!

I love my Primo Oval XL like nature! My only regret was pondering it for two years before pulling the trigger. I missed out on two years of happy cooking on it...lol.

only thing you may regret is the downsizing. cant cook
16 briskets and 150 lbs of ribs at a crack. it is nice to
run from 150F to 1500F and anywhere inbetween.

This is my first post on this forum, so I understand that it doesn't come with much credence.

I've been a BGE owner and frequent (3x week) user for a few years. I have a large and my dad has an XL. I've cooked easily 100 times on them. BGE's are amazing because of their versatility, as I'm sure you're quite aware. They can't be beat in that sphere and are world-class for cooking a steak or making a pizza, etc.

Here's my thing: if you want a world-class smoker, look elsewhere. BGE's cannot compete with a great offset when it comes to smoking. BGE owners will say they can, but they cannot simply due to their design. They cannot create/generate the necessary airflow for a great smoke - plus, even with the plate setter the radiant heat is an issue and will cause you to cook your meats too fast, regardless of temp. I've smoked good briskets and pork butts on my BGE, but they cannot compare to the one's smoked on my offset. Not even close.

So, it depends on your needs. If you want pure versatility, go BGE. If you simply want to smoke, invest your money elsewhere. I cannot justify spending $800 on a large BGE for smoking when you look at what that amount can get you in a Lyfe Tyme or another great smoker. Plus, $800 is just for the BGE itself. You'll spend $125 on a plate setter, $150 on a nest, or $600+ on a table. The costs add up quickly.

I'm thinking of selling my BGE because I primarily smoke briskets, plate ribs, pork, etc. No need to have a toy that expensive just sitting around.

What was the outcome? Did you get a ceramic egg?

I'm late to this thread, but my quick story is that I had a super nice Klose smoker with the side fire box. I determined that for me, it was way too much trouble. The things i cooked were not all that great. The heavy and expensive thing sat in the backyard and began to rust. Just finding wood that was suitable for use, and having a way to store it, was a pain. I had clearly made a mistake, so after a few more years of it sitting, I got rid of it.

I was content for the next 5 years to enjoy my propane grill and my basic charcoal Weber kettle. Both are great to cook on.

I was favored with a ceramic egg as a Christmas gift last Friday, and have only used it once, on Sunday. It was easy to get it going, and it held temp of 250-deg F for 4-1/2 hours with no effort at all. The ribs I did on it for that first use were simply fantastic.

Thanks to my wife buying the Kamado Joe, I am really pleased to once again have a way to do some really slow cooking, and mild smoking, and still not have the huge, difficult-for-me, offset unit taking up a lot of patio space.
.

I absolutely love my Egg. Simple, fast and very efficient.

I am a new user of the BGE myself. I have the large. So far it has been wonderful. Its like any smoker you have to learn what it will do. The best lesson I have learned is, it heats up fast but takes a long time to cool down. So anything you want to sear do a reverse sear. CF