Kettle vs BGE?


 
JimK

JimK

TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
For burgers and dogs? Really? I won't argue that the BGE is an amazing cooker, but to a large extent, the quality is in the chef. And considering you could still buy a kettle pizza, and all sorts of other accessories along with the kettle for less than half of the BGE, it's hard to justify the higher price of the BGE. That's not saying I don't want one, but I love my Weber. :p

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/video/charcoal-face-off-weber-kettle-141031068.html
 
JimK said:
For burgers and dogs? Really? I won't argue that the BGE is an amazing cooker, but to a large extent, the quality is in the chef. And considering you could still buy a kettle pizza, and all sorts of other accessories along with the kettle for less than half of the BGE, it's hard to justify the higher price of the BGE. That's not saying I don't want one, but I love my Weber. :p

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/video/charcoal-face-off-weber-kettle-141031068.html
Click to expand...

I read about BGEs before I heard of the WSM, I'm sure I'd have been happy with one other than the cost, I still don't think I could justify it. I think the Komodo Kamado's look even better if price is no object (LarryR has a nice looking blue)

Check this out - it compares the Kamado cookers & includes the Weber Summit Charcoal:

http://www.seriouseats.com/2016/06/...ernatives-smoker-grill-equipment-reviews.html
 
The BGE is my least used grill. The kettle does virtually anything that I need it to cook with no problems. The best thing that I can say about
the BGE is that it has never fallen over in a wind storm. YMMV.
 
Shoot, My WSM has been going on vacation to our family reunion/beer fests, also known as Beercation, for several years now. Hard to do that with a BGE!
 
Operation of the BGE, Kamado, and even the Weber Summit CG seem fiddly to me for frequent grilling/barbecuing.
I could be wrong, it wouldn't be the first time, nor the last.
 
Weber is my first love, and I have several (just picked up another 26" OTG for $100). But I use my medium BGE more than any other cooker. Perfect size for my family of five. Temp control is crazy easy and it will hold any temp I need. Generally I grill around 500 and regulate what I am cooking by how high it is from the charcoal.
 
When I first joined this forum I was on the verge of buying a Grill Dome Kamado. I had two Weber Kettles which I've used all my life. When I saw the dedication and loyalty of all you fine members to Weber, it convinced me to keep my focus on Weber for my smoking needs. I bought my WSM's and haven't looked back since. I did do a lot of research at the time and if I were to consider a Kamado Ceramic style cooker, which I won't, I'd go with either the Grill Dome or the Kamado Joe over the BGE.
 
This is how it's done: You somehow justify spending $$$$ on one of these bad boys. Once that's done, go crazy buying a 26" Kettle, a WSM, a Jumbo Joe, etc. I've used this method many times.
 
I bought the WSM after watching tons of videos on YouTube of folks using them. I like it a lot but actually prefer the simple kettle OTS to barbecue with because of the savings on charcoal and cleanup. Once you learn to control the temp they are golden. I do like my WSM for big jobs though. I can't even imagine putting out that kind of cash for a BGE.
 
Consumer Reports recall should that publication. Total BS.
Yes, it p*sses me off they would even CONSIDER putting a simple Weber kettle against the egg.

Did they compare the Ford Pinto to the Chevy Nova?
How about comparing broccoli to a Snickers candy bar?
Or Jordan Nikes to Crocs?

Lost ANY respect I had for CR. Screw them!
 
In terms of searing, I don't see how the egg is possibly superior. The food is even further from the charcoal than on the weber. Sure the top end temp of the egg is hotter but radiant heat is what sears. Hotter ambient temp in the egg is just going to cook the inside faster.
 
Bob H. said:
The BGE is my least used grill. The kettle does virtually anything that I need it to cook with no problems. The best thing that I can say about
the BGE is that it has never fallen over in a wind storm. YMMV.
Click to expand...
I could have written that response. I seldom use my BGE (my wife found it for $300 on CL), there is just too much farting around to get it ready to cook.
 
Jim Lampe said:
Consumer Reports recall should that publication. Total BS.
Yes, it p*sses me off they would even CONSIDER putting a simple Weber kettle against the egg.

Did they compare the Ford Pinto to the Chevy Nova?
How about comparing broccoli to a Snickers candy bar?
Or Jordan Nikes to Crocs?

Lost ANY respect I had for CR. Screw them!
Click to expand...

I hear ya, Jim. Too often, it seems they are writing positive things for the highest bidder.
 
Cliff Bartlett said:
When I first joined this forum I was on the verge of buying a Grill Dome Kamado. I had two Weber Kettles which I've used all my life. When I saw the dedication and loyalty of all you fine members to Weber, it convinced me to keep my focus on Weber for my smoking needs. I bought my WSM's and haven't looked back since. I did do a lot of research at the time and if I were to consider a Kamado Ceramic style cooker, which I won't, I'd go with either the Grill Dome or the Kamado Joe over the BGE.
Click to expand...

I had an 18" WSM. I found it too small for me. While looking for something bigger, I came across an Akorn Kamado on Craigslist. It's advertised as 22". But, it's only 20" of cooking surface and 22" OD. I haven't had it long enough to render a verdict. But, I'm impressed so far. It is very efficient. I put charcoal in it once and have cooked several times on that same load.

I found a few advantages of the Akorn the over the WSM:
1. Akorn has a hinged lid (yes, I know you can buy one for the kettle, but it makes me a little nervous that it could separate between the lower 2 versions, plus you have to pay extra for it and drill holes)
2. Akorn can cook in a broader range of temps
3. Akorn is more efficient
4. Akorn has wheels
5. The one I got has a table

I think the Akorn even has advantages over the ceramic kamados:
1. lighter weight
2. this could be a pro or a con, but while insulated well, the container walls themselves don't act like a heat sink so easier to cool (this is a little bit of speculation)
3. can use Kingsford
4. costs less

The biggest advantage of the WSM over the Akorn is that the WSM is made to last forever.

Don't get me wrong, I have 3 kettles that I love. They do 90% or more of what I want. That's why I didn't want to spend $1500 to fill that 10%. Weber's got excellent customer service, too. But, I think I'm going to enjoy the Akorn. I wish Weber would make one like the Akorn. I don't think the charcoal summit qualifies. It's a premium product. I wish Weber could make a WSM priced product like the Akorn.
 
Darren C. said:
I had an 18" WSM. I found it too small for me. While looking for something bigger, I came across an Akorn Kamado on Craigslist. It's advertised as 22". But, it's only 20" of cooking surface and 22" OD. I haven't had it long enough to render a verdict. But, I'm impressed so far. It is very efficient. I put charcoal in it once and have cooked several times on that same load.

I found a few advantages of the Akorn the over the WSM:
1. Akorn has a hinged lid (yes, I know you can buy one for the kettle, but it makes me a little nervous that it could separate between the lower 2 versions, plus you have to pay extra for it and drill holes)
2. Akorn can cook in a broader range of temps
3. Akorn is more efficient
4. Akorn has wheels
5. The one I got has a table

I think the Akorn even has advantages over the ceramic kamados:
1. lighter weight
2. this could be a pro or a con, but while insulated well, the container walls themselves don't act like a heat sink so easier to cool (this is a little bit of speculation)
3. can use Kingsford
4. costs less

The biggest advantage of the WSM over the Akorn is that the WSM is made to last forever.

Don't get me wrong, I have 3 kettles that I love. They do 90% or more of what I want. That's why I didn't want to spend $1500 to fill that 10%. Weber's got excellent customer service, too. But, I think I'm going to enjoy the Akorn. I wish Weber would make one like the Akorn. I don't think the charcoal summit qualifies. It's a premium product. I wish Weber could make a WSM priced product like the Akorn.
Click to expand...


fine, ceramic cooks are nice, BUT TO BUTT HEADS WITH A SIMPLE KETTLE GRILL IS BS.

Here, let me drive my M1A2 SEP TANK over your 10 speed Schwinn bicycle.

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The Akorn is not a ceramic. And, it's priced comparable to Weber products. I can tell you I'll be comparing grilling duties between my kettles and my Akorn. After all, I want to use the best tool for the job. I think it's perfectly fair to compare them for grilling. Why not? For smoking, well, that's a different story. At that point, I think you have to compare a WSM (or the charcoal summit) to the Akorn.

My reply was to Cliff because he was looking at the same realm of products that I was shopping for.
 
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