Big Green Egg Large or XL

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ajstrider

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I have read the past posts on this topic, but they are years outdated and wondered what the opinions are now.

I am interested in venturing into the kamado cookers and think the Big Green Egg is the one, but which size is difficult. I really wish there was something between the Large and XL. I like to cook packer briskets, which a 15 lber will push the limits of the large, and I read that you don't want the meat going all the way to the edge of the grate, because of the way the platesetter is with its gaps on the edge. I also like to cook up to three 10 lb butts for pulled pork on occasions. Everything else will certainly work on the large I think.

Do I need to step it up the XL then?

Thanks
 
I have two larges. With the packer go Xl. For the butts no problem, I've put 7 8lbers on at once with extender.
 
Yep, I've got a Kamado Joe Classic and will soon have a Kamado Joe Big Joe, so we are talking same sizes here. The Classic works great for grilling and a lot of smoking jobs, but there are a few cooks that the Big Joe will do so much easier and not cramming the meat in the cooker.

As usual, get the biggest cooker your budget allows. Many people wish they had got a bigger cooker, very few wish they had got a smaller cooker.
 
I personally love my large and get 2 8-9 lb butts on it You can buy accessories that will allow you to cook more than 2 butts at a time. DFor the full packer you can put foil under the ends to prevent burning I have heard that the X Large uses a lot of charcoal but you can get a divider that allows you to cook with less I belive fingerlicken has an X Large Egg
 
Big George's BBQ said:
I personally love my large and get 2 8-9 lb butts on it You can buy accessories that will allow you to cook more than 2 butts at a time. DFor the full packer you can put foil under the ends to prevent burning I have heard that the X Large uses a lot of charcoal but you can get a divider that allows you to cook with less I belive fingerlicken has an X Large Egg
Click to expand...

That's kinda like chicken little yelling "The sky is falling" I keep hearing this but it is not true. Also you do not have to have a divider, just move the lump to one side if that's what you want to do. I do that for a reverse sear on stuff.

I would go with the XL and never look back.
 
If money is an issue at all look at the Kamado Joe Big Joe. Should be a couple hundred bucks less and the same size as the BGE XL.

I have a KJ Classic and love it. Look up Man Cave Meals on youtube for several reviews of Kamado Joe.
 
Go BIG. Can always cook a small amount in a big cooker, but not the reverse.
 
I had the same dilemma three weeks ago. Within two weeks I had put enough food on it to need the XL. I cooked one huge meal but I also cooked for three and needed the XL. I had four ears of corn, two hot dogs and a skillet for burgers. I needed the grill grate space of an XL to put all of that on there at once.

It's a lifetime purchase so if you can't see yourself EVER cooking a bunch of food go with the large. I'm extremely glad I went with the XL.
 
One potential consideration is whether or not you intend to move the egg around frequently. I have to move my large in and out of the garage, down a sloped driveway, each time I use it. I can't imagine wanting to do that with an XL, brisket room or not.
 
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I would go with the XL, I have cooked on both and just prefer all of the characteristics of the XL. In particular, I have noticed that ribs, when I do 3 to 4 racks, cook a lot more evenly on the XL. Admittedly, I am convinced that air circulation around the meat is a very good thing, so I want a little more room than many want.
 
I have a large BGE and a medium, they are very good cookers but have the disadvantage of having small cook spaces. I would recommend that you take a look at the Spicewine , Backwoods, Stumps etc., I just picked up a medium Spicewine and the versatility and cooking area are much larger. One other thing i find as a shortcoming is that on the Kamado style smokers, you have to remove the platesetter,grates, meat etc. to add more wood. Because of the very small fuel consumption rate, coals impinging on wood may or may not happen. At the very least you need to have a long prod to stir up the coals. I am not trying to knock kamado smokers, but just give my observations i have made over many cooks.
 
I have cooked 18lbers on my large multiple times. I drape it over a roasting rack which solves two problems:
1. It makes it fit.
2. It creates a rounded top to the packer so that there is no chance for puddling of juices. Puddling means no bark.
 
I have a Medium, Large, and XL Egg.
The Large gets used more then the others by far and I cook for 7 people.
If I were to only have one Egg it would probably be the XL in case I needed the larger space. You can get a charcoal reducing ring from the ceramic grill store which will help you save on fuel costs if you go with the XL. I have never used one but have read good things about them. The XL is a beast to move around and weighs much more then the Large. I believe it is about 205 lbs. Which ever BGE you choose, you will be happy with its versatility.
 
You could look into the Adjustable Rig R&B (ribs & brisket) combo instead of the platesetter. It comes with an oval stone to provide better indirect coverage for long cuts like packer briskets and ribs. It can also be set up for a two tier cook so you can do your 3 10 lb butts cook (might need to add a rig extender).

Lots of things to consider in making the decision:
-how many do you typically cook for
-is portability a need
-budget (try to consider & price accessories you'll need)
-are you ok possibly splitting larger cooks with another cooker (see a UDS in your signature)

I have both sizes and if I could only have one it would be the XL.
 
@ OP - just my 2 cents....I looked at multiple models when deciding on my kamado grill..BGE, kamado joe, bayou classic, & the Vision grill from Costco... I ended up getting the Vision..It saved me HUNDREDS of $s from the BGE and KJ, came with a great nest, comes standard with 2 tiered racks, and both racks are hinged so you can add or adjust lump as necessary during cooks... Best part is Costco's very generous return policy,..Try it out for 30-60-90 days doesnt matter, if you're not 100% satisfied, take it back...Best part is that they even told me to hang onto my receipt and if I see it go from the $545 price to $399 end of yr price, they'll even do a price adjustment!!!

All that said, how does it cook? Freaking awesome..I've cooked 4 8-9 lb'ers low & slow for 14+ hrs with lump to spare...I've also seared steaks at 600+ degrees, and baked pizzas at over 700+....Mine holds temps amazing, came with a heavy duty cover, CS has been great so far, & all I've had to add is the lava stone for $50 from Home Depot...
 
I am in the same boat - but pretty sure I am going large with the Adjustable Rig R&B. For me, I think it will be more useful more of the time. I keep needing to tell myself a BGE is not a smoker. It can smoke, but it really is not primarily a smoker. When I need to smoke for 30-50, I have and offset and a UDS that are designed to hold more meat.

fwiw, the Adjustable Rig can do 6 St. Luise racks flat - 2 flat per grid. My UDS does 3 flat per grid (2 whole, 2 1/2's). Ultimately If you want to do a LOT of ribs, they need to be rolled or racked.

I probably would be leaning to an XL if it was my only grill/smoker. But I have 3 other grills and 3 other smokers (3 webers, 2 drums, and an offset). I think the large will be a better go to size, and I can always use other stuff those extremely rare occasions I need more space.
 
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I own a chargiller - about the same sapce as the large BGE and I am kicking around a lang 60 because sometimes 4 racks of St. Loui Spares isn't enough.
 
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