What's the deal with the Big Green Egg?

Everywhere I go (retail stores) I see BGE for sale, yet when I chat up local folks into doing their own smoking I find hardly nobody owns one (they almost all own a WSM!). I know there is a huge price difference but a lot of the folks I talk to seem to like barbecue enough that I think they would spend the money if they thought the BGE would do well. I don't know anything about them - is it more like a passing fad with just a good marketing effort behind it?

There is a lot to be said for the ceramic BBQ's. I'm not so sure the BGE is all that, there's some really nice Ceramics out there these days: Primo, Pitt-Boss, heck even the Char-Griller (I have the Jr) You can spend < $200 or > $2,000 and have a BBQ that very well could last a life time (like Weber BBQ's)

I love my Weber kettles (22 & 26) I love my Weber WSM's (SJ Mini, 18 & 22) but there's no discounting that the Ceramics are fine BBQ's too. Since BBQ is an obsession for me, I like having all kinds of different BBQ's. The problem is, deciding which one I'm going to cook on, LOL

They have plenty of devoted fans. I would say the price difference is a big thing. It's a lot easier to get into a WSM. I can't see myself ever buying a ceramic. I'd probably go with the weber charcoal summit if I was just itching to spend that kind of coin.

I've got an Akorn, but would like to eventually "trade-up" to a ceramic, hopefully find one used. I put trade-up in quotes, because as far as cooking goes, I truly believe the Akorn does and will continue to cook just as well as a ceramic for quite some time. However, I don't believe it will be a lifetime grill, like a good ceramic would be. What I like, a lot, about the Akorn (or this style cooker, in general) is it does it ALL. Maybe not "the best" at any one thing, but just in the past 10 days I have done a low-n-slow pork shoulder & sirloin tip roast, "baked" a sausage fatty, seared steaks & cooked up pizzas at 800+ degrees. I am sure there are other grills that can do that, also, but I am sold on the "egg style" and will always have one available.

I can only speak for myself. I would like a BGE or other ceramic cooker, but two factors bring me back to the WSM. The cost and weight of a BGE are too much for me and I think that is why you don't see as many of them as WSM's - cost being likely the #1 reason.

I'm completely content with my Weber's. When I bought my 18.5 WSM from a neighbor a few years ago he had just purchased a BGE, he really liked it but when he moved the movers wouldn't touch it. They told him that they had to many bad experiences with them cracking and their company policy was not to move them.
He tried to get it shipped with other company's but the cost was much more than he wanted to spend, it was a cross country move. So he just left it here.
I wasn't familiar with them and if I knew then what I know now I would have bought it from him, he offered it to me for $100.

I'll add my opinion.
I think the BGE, at first, was sort of a status symbol purchased mostly by upscale gas grill owners.
They discovered not only is grilling great on one, but also low and slow barbecue, or anything in between. With the bonus of charcoal cooked flavor added to their food.
Word got around, and others wanted a Kamado type grill without the very high price tag.
A market full of these grills was born.

I've been so happy with my Weber kettles and smokers that I'd never really given thought to buying one, until a Walmart manager offered me a Pit Boss ceramic for half the normal price of $600.
I've only used it a few times, I really like it as an addition to my Weber cooking choices.
Having a new learning curve is a big part of the fun.

I bought a small BGE at an estate sale about 10 years ago to see what all the talk was about. It has been fine to use and I have made some fine meals on it. With that being said, my WSM and kettle are still my first choice.

I started out using a kettle. Then the WSM. Upgraded to a Performer. Bought a Large BGE. Then a Primo XL.

Wait I think I have a problem.

I really do like my ceramics for cooking everything. Just think of it as an oven and cook at same temps. I can grill, wok, high temp pizzas, bake .....

My favorite Weber to use is my Performer.

Actually just picked up a Stainless Red last weekend I’m cleaning up.

I like them all. Even give one away every once in a while. http://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_1417971

My brother has a BGE. I think it is a status symbol for him because I think he rarely uses it. I have either the kettle or WSM fired up two to three times a week. I can’t see spending the money.

I built a crate and take my WSM on beercation. Can't see doing that with a BGE.

I have a BGE that was given to me new with the proviso that I use it to "cook for others". Since I love to do that, this was not a problem. I also have several kettles and now 2 Peformers (one is still a project), although I have never owned or used a WSM.

I admit that I vacillate between my affection for most everything Weber (at least older, real Weber) and an appreciation for the Egg I was gifted. My personal take is that the BGE excels in low, slow cooks. It reliably churns out wonderful BBQ pork shoulder where its ability to hold temperature for hours with minimal intervention make it a first class cooker. It can go 14 hours or more on one load of fuel (no opening lid necessary).

One downside of the BGE, as has been observed, is that it is very heavy and pretty delicate. This pretty much means for me that it is anchored in my backyard grill area and not available to take to cookoffs, etc. I did move it once for a BBQ contest, but we had a truck with a lift gate and the whole process was pretty scary. The other downside is that for the money you don't get a whole lot of grill space. The BGE so-called Large is about the equivalent of an 18" Weber Kettle in grill space. If you jump up to the XL or the really wild XXL BGE you now have a super heavy monster that is even harder and more dangerous to move - not to mention very expensive. My limited experience with an XL also leads me to believe that bigger is not better in quality. I think the Large is probably the best size for the kamado style of cooker.

I suppose this is where the Summit Charcoal comes in by giving bigger space and relatively light weight and ability to move. I can't believe that Weber needs to charge as much as they do for these, but in comparison they do offer some advantages. On the other hand, the ceramic Egg will last almost forever, although you will probably have to replace the straps and spring hinges after a number of years. Not so sure about how the Summit will fare in a place like my South Florida salt air environment. I rehab Weber grills and can tell you all about rusted out Webers...

I personally think a 26" Weber kettle with a Slow-N-SearXL would be a much lower cost way to get a huge amount of grilling space, excellent results and versatility. I don't have one, but I wish I did!

Jon Tofte said:

I rehab Weber grills and can tell you all about rusted out Webers...

Click to expand...

I'm curious to know if you're talking about Weber kettles, if so, how long before they rust out, and in what areas?
A member on a Kamado forum claimed Weber kettles rust out in a year in the salty areas of Florida, I doubted the person's statement.