Big Steel Keg vs. Big Green Egg..anyone cooked on BOTH?

[tortaboy]

I've seen the BGE and the BSK, but have never cooked on either.

There is a big price difference between the two, but wondering if there
is a big quality difference between the two.

I'm assuming "You get what you pay for" and there is a big quality difference...but you know what happens when I assume.

[Boshizzle]

One thing you don't have to worry about with the BSK is it shattering if it falls over. I have a Bubba Keg which is the first generation of the BSK and it's built like a tank. It has fell over on concrete (won't go into details) and it survived without damage. You won't see that with a BGE.

I love my keg and, infact, am smoking two butts on it right now.

Now, a BGE is a great cooker too and I will get one at some point. But, for the money, my keg is a great cooker that does a great job with grilling and smoking.

[deepsouth]

i haven't cooked on both, but i i've seen excellent results on both. i'd imagine you can't go wrong either way.

[BBQ Bandit]

Agree with Bo... the keg is as versatile but is more durable, lighter, transportable... and less expensive.
However... there is one limitation... comes in one size only... same size grate as a Large BGE.

[And yes... a keg went down a set of stairs... a few scratches and one big dent... still in one piece.]



Also ran head to head... no noticeable difference in finished product.
http://www.bbq-brethren.com/forum/sh...ad.php?t=89597

[BillywannaQ]

I like the fact that you can hook up the BSK to your trailer hitch and be in your way. You don't have to worry about it falling over and it shattering into pieces either.

[deepsouth]

i haven't had any problems with any eggs shattering or falling over and i have to move my bge's in and out of my garage every time i use them. i'm not a big guy, but don't have even the slightest problem moving my large one. they are all just in the regular bge bases with wheels.

[BBQ Bandit]

In the background... are (2) Bubba Kegs in the bed of a Chevy Avalanche... loaded/unloaded by one person.

[Boshizzle]

Originally Posted by BBQ Bandit

In the background... are (2) Bubba Kegs in the bed of a Chevy Avalanche... loaded/unloaded by one person.

Now, that's a great feature!

[bbqbull]

I own one of each, both awesome smokers.
My Big Steel Keg is much easier to load in the back end of my F-250 4x4 diesel truck. It has been to comps and fish camp 2 times and cooked an awful lot of fine food.
If I give it a bear hug I can lift it up easily by myself.
Me lg BGE I would not dare to try and load by mysefl. I did open my BGE lid about a month ago and the top lid fell out and shattered on the concrete.
The company did warranty it, will pick it up next week.
I bought my BSK 2 yrs ago at 100 dollars of listed price.

[Smoothsmoke]

Is portability the only advantage the BSK offers over a ceramic? How much does it weigh?

[hogsfan]

Originally Posted by Smoothsmoke

Is portability the only advantage the BSK offers over a ceramic? How much does it weigh?

I think mine is about 65 pounds. It's a bubba keg however which is the predecessor to the BSK.

It also comes with a really nice cast iron grate that can sit closer or further from the fire depending on what you need as well as a swivel grate on top that works very very well for such a simple design (perhaps my favorite feature about the whole grill). Additionally, it comes with a better gasket...at least better than the one's offered on the eggs 2 years ago. I'm not sure what BGE is offering now.

It's also more efficient than the eggs but that's has it's good and bad points. You can touch the outside when it's 700 degrees on the inside and it won't burn you and it uses less charcoal, but the downside to that is it is REALLY hard to bring the temperature down if you overshoot the target temp because it does not diffuse heat well. Mine cools off at a rate of about 1 degree per minute...so you could see how that could get annoying if I over shoot by just 50 degrees.

I agree with everybody else though. The biggest advantage is portability. Sits on a hitch if you need to take it somewhere but also works great for moving around the house. It's not just "on wheels", the cart is pretty much a furniture dolly and you can drag the sucker across the yard with no issues whatsoever. I keep mine on the patio when I'm cooking and then move it around behind the house when I'm done just because its easy to do and makes the patio look less cluttered.

[tortaboy]

Originally Posted by hogsfan

I think mine is about 65 pounds. It's a bubba keg however which is the predecessor to the BSK.

It also comes with a really nice cast iron grate that can sit closer or further from the fire depending on what you need as well as a swivel grate on top that works very very well for such a simple design (perhaps my favorite feature about the whole grill). Additionally, it comes with a better gasket...at least better than the one's offered on the eggs 2 years ago. I'm not sure what BGE is offering now.

It's also more efficient than the eggs but that's has it's good and bad points. You can touch the outside when it's 700 degrees on the inside and it won't burn you and it uses less charcoal, but the downside to that is it is REALLY hard to bring the temperature down if you overshoot the target temp because it does not diffuse heat well. Mine cools off at a rate of about 1 degree per minute...so you could see how that could get annoying if I over shoot by just 50 degrees.

I agree with everybody else though. The biggest advantage is portability. Sits on a hitch if you need to take it somewhere but also works great for moving around the house. It's not just "on wheels", the cart is pretty much a furniture dolly and you can drag the sucker across the yard with no issues whatsoever. I keep mine on the patio when I'm cooking and then move it around behind the house when I'm done just because its easy to do and makes the patio look less cluttered.

Really interesting feedback. I had no idea that it was more efficient than the clay cookers.

The company that makes the BSK seems to be in shambles (Or is it just my imagination)?. They have few points of distribution, they seem to have little in the way of accessories....wondering if they are just selling off inventory and coming out with something new?

[hogsfan]

Yeah, the clay cooker diffuse heat out the walls better. That makes them less efficient but like I said, that's not all bad.

BSK is owned by Onward Manufacturing Company. It's just fine. They just bought the patents from the original owners last year. THAT company was not doing so well.

[buccaneer]

hogsfan, when you overshoot temps, open the lid and close top and bottom vents.
Let the heat dissipate and close the lid, open the bottom vent just a crack and the top also.
Watch the temps and if they are going over again open and wait, repeat.
It doesn't take long to gain control back at a low temperature.
Just smoked some aromatic bacon and overshot.
It works.
I have used both and prefer the BSK by a margin.
It gets REALLY hot here 4 months of the year and that thermal insulation is a great thing.

[cookingdude555]

I have both and love both (1 bubba keg, 4 bge's). The keg is more efficient, but just barely. The keg can be touched when it's 700, but give it 10-15 minutes and that touching stops. I have measured my keg at 400 on the outside with an IR gun when doing pizza. That's the same external temp as an egg at that temp. The egg is easier to cook on. Can the keg do what the egg can, I think so. The egg is just easier to do it with because of the thermal mass. If you forced me to pick one, it would be green. But I do like the portability of my keg, that's really the reason I bought it.