Smokey Mountain vs Green Egg


 
S

ScottWB

New member
So I've been researching smokers and am at the point where I am pretty close to getting a Weber Smokey Mountain- that is until my wife came home the other day with a story. From my research and from the feedback in this forum, the Smokey Mountain is great. But, my wife came home the other day and advised me that her co-worker (who has a Smokey Mountain) said she likes but if she could do it over she'd get a Big Green Egg. I'm not sure of the specifics as to why, and I had really not even considered the big green egg until she told me this. With that, I wanted to get some feedback as to whether it's worth considering. It may be trying to compare apples to oranges as the green egg is not a true smoker, but wanted to see what general consensus was. It also appears to be significantly more expensive....

Thanks!
 
BGE is promoted heavily by NASCAR.
They are popular in the "NASCAR Belt".
Too bad that they didn't choose Weber....I imagine there's a nice markup with the BGE.
 
For me, two reasons behind the WSM: 1. BGE(s) are too expensive. 2. You can't tend the fire or add smoke wood without opening the cooker, removing the food, and reaching into the cooker.

True enough I can't get the WSM to 600*F to cook a steak but I have kettle for steaks.

My brother has a BGE and loves it.
 
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The BGE and ceramic cookers like it are great grills, and I have friends that have them. However, it's worth noting that many of the same folks also have wsm's, and a couple of my friends actually bought their wsm's AFTER first having one or more BGE or Primo ceramic cookers. Just saying. Main reason in both of their cases is cooking capacity. (An 18.5" WSM will hold four 10 lb pork butts, for instance.)

Anyhow, I'm not going to go down the list and compare everything, but in addition to cooking capacity, just consider ease of portability. For instance, a BGE wouldn't have been much help for me on a recent trip to a family get together. My 18.5" wsm rides great, and while down in Mississippi, the first night I smoked a couple 10lb pork butts. The next day I smoked three chickens for my mom's chicken salad...Couple days later it was SIX slabs of Kansas City cut spares. These wsm's sure are handy.
 
The bge is a good product. It is however very heavy. If mobility is an issue, you might want steer clear. Cost is another consideration. You will easily spend $1000 depending on the model and accessories you choose. Also consider the capacity. The bge can't come close to the cooking capacity of a 22 inch wsm. The bge does do double duty as a high heat grill. It does a great job on steaks, pizza, etc. In the smoking dept, they both can turn out good bbq. Hope this helps. Keep in mind your in a wsm web site and I'm a weber lovin guy. For the price of a green egg I own a 18in wsm, 22in wsm, and a performer grill......
 
Alan F said:
I have no idea why people get BGE's other than for cooking in really, really cold weather.
Click to expand...

They've been around for thousands of years: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamado

I first started shopping them (BGE) sometime around 2002 but they were too expensive, then I found out about the WSM sometime around 2005/2006 & got in.

There are a lot of options out there, and people, once invested can become very pro (their choice).

I don't think the Kamodo's have as much capacity. I've been very happy w/ my Weber smokers/grills, all except the Go Anywhere Gas - I should set that out on the curb for someone to recycle (I cheaped out, wanted a Q1XX but figured since I'm always cooking w/ charcoal...whoops)

http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=...g=tvwb-20&linkId=2B43KL56FEFGSKCL?tag=TVWB-20

https://www.google.com/search?q=kamodo+cooker
 
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The main differences have been discussed. In my order of priority, I got a WSM because of 1. Cost 2. Portability 3. Dedicated smoker. I have a friend with a BGE and what I wish I had one for in my order of priority is 1. High heat grill 2. Making bread 3. Smoking in the wind/cold.

In the end, I'm happy with my set-up of a WSM and a gas grill. I have a patio set up for a wind break and can smoke (and grill) in any weather. At the end of the day, even though I could afford a BGE, I'm still a value shopper and I think the WSM with a dedicated grill is the best value for the money.
 
This is what I think. The BGE, is extremely fuel efficient and will burn quite a while on a little lump, some swear the food is moister, never tried anything cooked on one but if you pay that much for a grill/smoker I wouldn't want to say anything negative about it either. I'm sure it is a very good grill and once again for that kind of money it better be. It's already been said just how heavy they are and I have read to many stories in other forums about how the tiny casters caught a pebble or crack and down Humpty Dumpty goes. Never have to worry about someone picking it up and walking away with it. IF I could afford a ceramic I'd go Primo buts that's just personal preference. The WSM is light and easy to move which can also be a strike against it because it can be knocked over easily but the good thing is it won't break, it burns charcoal which is pretty cheap, I can control spikes in temps easier than you can with a BGE if you accidentally let the temp get away with you. No it won't get as hot as a ceramic bit I hear it's easy to burn the gasket out doing it to much and the cracking the area where the fire is. Here's is a suggestion, get an 18 WSM and a small egg because once your friends get a taste of your Q from the WSM you may need the extra capacity.
 
I have never cooked with or tried anything cooked on a BGE but I am extremely happy with my kettle and WSM. There is nothing I can think of that a BGE would do better except maybe a pizza due to a higher heat. I do have a Chargriller Akorn kamado but I rarely use it and I do want to try a pizza on that since the temp on that can get higher than my kettle
 
I don't have a BGE but I do have an Akorn to draw some comparisons. As stated above a kamado gives you some high heat great grilling capabilities that a WSM or even a kettle does not. Nothing else I own can touch it for making pizzas. But as far as smoking goes, IMO its efficiency at producing LNS or BBQ temps with very little fuel is also its disadvantage as a smoker compared to the WSM. You have to be careful where you place your wood chunks and how much you use because on shorter cooks on something like ribs it may not even consume your wood chunks if you don't put them in the right place. Not bad mouthing a BGE by any means. I'm just saying that is one area that is significantly different.
 
I've had many WSMs (3-22.5s & 4 18.5s - sold them all), still have quite a few Weber kettles (everything from the 14.5 SJ silver to a 26.75" OTG), and a large Big Green Egg. For me the WSM is a great cooker, but I don't do enough volume of BBQ to justify even an 18.5, let alone a 22.5. I'm a "3 rack max" guy when it comes to ribs, and would do no more than one pork butt or brisket at a time. So I've sold every WSM I've had and still have my BGE. The Egg covers all my outdoor cooking needs (capacity, flexibility & fuel efficiency). So I really could get by with just one cooker.

If routine large cooks (lots of ribs, pulled pork, etc.) are likely then forget the Egg and go with a WSM. I personally think the best grill buy of all time, that meets the needs of most homeowners, is the Performer. Good capacity, side table, propane starter, can smoke for 15 hrs+ on one load of charcoal, smoke 3 full racks of ribs or a full packer brisket, and yes a SOLID pizza cooker.
 
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I have a few friends that have BGE's and I know they wouldn't trade them in for anything. I also know that they enjoy the "finer" things in life and wouldn't buy a WSM because it's not a BGE. If that makes sense. I have a 18.5" WSM and love it. I would also really enjoy a BGE as well, but they are really expensive and we have other things to spend our money on.
 
I have thoroughly enjoyed reading all the debate on the BGE & WMS'rs. As a owner of both a 18.5 Weber & a medium egg. I can say both smokers do fantastic jobs. that being said the green egg cost $850 as it sits on my deck. $300 for the Weber. I gave $300 for my egg from a rich guy who only used it twice. For that price the egg really rocks. Superior heat control and insulation against weather. Wind, rain & cold. after becoming good at using lump charcoal in the egg it has become my favorite charcoal by far. If loaded properly an egg can smoke 18-20 hrs w/o re-loading the charcoal. So having to pull it apart to re-load is a non issue as far as I'm concerned. It's better than the Weber at searing steaks, higher temps, pizza's & breads. So if you find a cheap one like I did do not pass it up. Whether it being a BGE, Kamodo or whatever type of ceramic cooker. If not spend the money on the Weber and be happy. The food is identical coming off either one. In my humble opinion. Neither one is made in the US which I give them a knock down for. So spend your money wisely and enjoy. It is all guud in the end.
 
I found this site because I'm shopping for a small gas grill to add to my outdoor cooking arsenal. I currently have two Big Green Eggs (medium and large) and a 22.5" Bar-B-Kettle. I had a Performer years ago, but sold it after I got my first BGE. My Weber is currently disassembled and in its original shipping carton, where it has been for at least 10 years. That said, I love cooking on a Weber Kettle...I just love cooking on BGEs more. The heat retention, fuel efficiency and temperature efficiency really make it a dream to work with. However, it is easier to set up an indirect cook on a Weber. The BGE relies on placing a barrier between the fire and the food...you can't corral all the charcoal to one side like you can with a Weber.

I will say this for my BGEs... While expensive, they don't depreciate at all. In fact, I've been offered more than I paid for my 1999 Medium many times. With virtually no maintenance at all, no cover, being outside 365 days a year in a brutal climate (both summer and winter), and being used an average of 3 times a week, it looks like a brand new one.

After 20 years of exclusive charcoal use, I've decided I can allow myself to use a gasser for weekday burgers, brats and wings. So I am about the pull the trigger on a Q3200.
 
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Scott... The posters ahead of me have covered most of the pros and cons. I'll try not to be redundant. I nearly bought a Kamado style cooker last year. I really fell in love with them. I did quite a bit of research. What I liked was the capacity for super high heat. They can easily exceed 700 degrees. I also liked the fact that the temperature in the dome can rapidly be increased or decreased in a matter of a few minutes. You can go from 550 degrees down to 300 in a very short time span. They are super for pizza's. I finally decided to back off however, mainly due to the cost and the weight of the kamados themselves. I had recently got my WSM and was having great fun with it. I now have two WSM's, I liked them so much. My thinking is that I'll wait and see if Weber ever decides to enter the Kamado market. I know if they do, it will be high quality and I can remain loyal to the company that has brought me so much grilling pleasure. This site also cooled my jets for a Kamado cooker. I only joined in January of this year and I have "met" a ton of great people who were having a blast on their Weber grills and were producing cooks that were out of this world. How can you improve on that? Well, good luck with your decision.
 
Thank you all for the feedback....very much appreciated!!!

I'm now leaning back towards the Smokey Mountain....spending $1000 on a outdoor cooking device just isn't in the budget!

Thanks!
 
I have a WSM and a Primo. Primo is the oval version and direct competitor of the BGE. The two are not even close in comparison. The WSM is a smoker. The ceramics are lump,fired ovens. The Primo is so versatile it's ridiculous. I even put two on my competition trailer. I can do indirect 150degree cold smokes to 600degree pizza's. I can make any type of pasta's and breads to small 40-60lb pigs. Ceramics are just plain cool

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I own a Big Steel Keg kamado and a WSM 18.5". I owned a performer.

To me it comes down to this: Kamado's are awesome grills the WSM not so much. You can grill on it but it's not really meant for that. As far as the results are concerned I think my WSM is a better smoker than my Keg particularly if I want to keep it low. I can run my keg at 215ºF if I want but I have to run it so lean I get little in the way of smoke production and smoke flavor (echoing Don Fry's comment). I'm not the only keg owner to complain of lacking smoke flavor in typical smoking temps. I imagine this is somewhat relevant to the egg but I don't know how much. Broil king claims the keg is twice as thermally efficient as the egg (holding heat) and I believe it. Get an egg up over about 300ºF and forget about holding your hand on it. I can hold my hand on my keg at 800ºF.

One of the main benefits of a kamado is supposed to be superior moisture retention in the product. Because they hold heat so well and so evenly moisture in the meat stays put instead of running away only to be dumped off on the flip. You really see this on say a big round steak on a hot gasser ... with all the air ripping around in there it's blazing hot underneath but not so above. Put the steak on, see tons of juice pool on the top flip it and it's gone. This is because moisture in the meat runs away from the heat to where it's cooler as muscle tissue contracts. I believe it to be true to some extent, perhaps not to the extent with which the zealot Egg Rep sold me that line.
 
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