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Ok I am in the market for a new grill and I love grilling. Wait a minute on Saturday the News Observer has a great article on the Big Green Egg ceramic smoker.
The Egg and I - Lifestyles - News & Observer (http://www.newsobserver.com/105/story/1538447.html - broken link)
Wow oh wow I went and off to do my research I went. Wow hours later and I am now in the middle of the really significant debate of our time:
The Great Green Egg vs The Weber Smoke Master. Big Green Egg, World's Best Smoker and Grill
Thus I am seeking local feedback from smokers in the Triangle who can help me. I have been to forum after forum and if I lived in Vermont or Buffalo the BGE is a plus. However with milder winters and at a lower cost the Weber Smoke Master has a great upside. I current have a Weber Performer grill and just can't bring myself to going gas. Any out there in the great debate?
Upon the advice of some local "smoker" buds of mine I recently bought a Weber Smokey Mountain Grill. They say it's the way to go for the money. I'll get back with you when I get around to using it
Upon the advice of some local "smoker" buds of mine I recently bought a Weber Smokey Mountain Grill. They say it's the way to go for the money. I'll get back with you when I get around to using it
Thanks and thats my current level of thinking. I am close to ordering from Amazon which actually has them discounted but with them you never how long that price will be.
As long as you have fire and meat, you are already headed in the right direction! I haven't heard or read much on the Weber Smoke Master. I do have a basic weber charcoal grill and love it.
The Big Green Egg however, is the pinnacle of grills for many. It is on my wish list. I haven't read of anyone who has owned one and didn't love it. It is expensive though. There have been many similar types of ceramic cookers pop up as of late that offer a cheaper alternative on the same concept. Someone mentioned that one of the large home improvement stores in the area were selling a ceramic style cooker.
Check out this website for tons of info on the BGE, including recipes and reviews on various lump charcoal.
It is also worthy to note that if price is a concern, The Big Green Egg hosts a grilling event every year called the Eggtoberfest where they fire up several grills. At the end of the event these once used grills are sold at a discount. I believe you can sign up for one at a discount ahead of time. They are based out of and hold the event in Tucker near Atlanta, GA. Several other "eggfests" have also popped up in various cities in the past few years.
A Ceramic Smoker, Grill, Barbecue. The ancient oriental kamado cooker re-born. (http://www.biggreenegg.com/eggtober.html - broken link)
I have a BGE love it, love it, love it!! I use mine at least 4 times pr week!! Year round! But i was wondering, since i use mune so often, it is really getting a "build up of smoke /residue/suit... wondering how i can safely remove the build up?Please send your suggestions to me [mod]not a good idea to include your e-mail on an open forum[/mod] Thanks in advance! Holly
Last edited by Green Irish Eyes; 10-18-2009 at 02:45 PM..
I'm on my second CharGriller Pro and love it. It's an offset smoker that works great. I've had one for years and have smoked a ton of meat on it. I've never tried a BGE, but from everything I've read and heard, they work great. I don't think you can go wrong with what ever you end up with.
You can pick up a CharGriller at Lowes for about $200. And even less if you catch a sale.
I just smoked 14 lbs of pork shoulder this weekend in my BGE. I initially filled the grill with about 5lbs of 'chunky' hickory and another 5lbs of lump charcoal. That lasted for the entire 14 hour cooking process. That's the greatest part about the egg. It retains heat very well, so it takes very little thermal energy to maintain a temperature.
It's great for hot smoking (bacon, barbecue, even salmon is good). I can run mine as low as about 175F. And it's good for anything that takes a while or can go dry: ribs, chicken, pork loin, that kind of thing.
It works fine for hamburgers and steaks but it doesn't do anything for you in that capacity that a Weber wouldn't do.
I just smoked 14 lbs of pork shoulder this weekend in my BGE. I initially filled the grill with about 5lbs of 'chunky' hickory and another 5lbs of lump charcoal. That lasted for the entire 14 hour cooking process. That's the greatest part about the egg. It retains heat very well, so it takes very little thermal energy to maintain a temperature.
It's great for hot smoking (bacon, barbecue, even salmon is good). I can run mine as low as about 175F. And it's good for anything that takes a while or can go dry: ribs, chicken, pork loin, that kind of thing.
It works fine for hamburgers and steaks but it doesn't do anything for you in that capacity that a Weber wouldn't do.
It is far better for steaks compared to my Weber. I can take my BGE up to 600-750 and do a steak house grill. No comparison. Egg sales in the Triangle have taken off since I started this thread. The News Observer article had a big impact.
My FIL has a BGE, for decades, he LOVES it, LOVES it. Does the best ribs, and they have smoked a turkey on the egg for as long as I can remember. Now, lets see, I've been married for 20+ years. He must be using the dinosaur egg then, right? LOL. We no longer live in the same state, but I do know that he has made an upgrade purchase with all the latest bells & whistles within the time I've known him. I can not vision him grilling with one. It would upset karma.
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