I Went for the Lg. Egg: Mistake?

[OneHump]

I went today to a nearby BGE dealer and bought a large Egg, the nest and plate holder. Now, I'm wondering if I'll regret not having chosen the XL Egg.

The large has 255 sq. inches of cooking space on an 18 inch diameter rack. The XL is 452 sq. in on a 24 inch rack.

Most of the time it's just me, my wife and son having some steaks, burgers, chicken, etc. Not an army. But sometimes we do have a lot of people over.

Does anyone here regret not getting the XL egg after they got the large? If I had the XL and just wanted to cook a steak, would it be impractical, would I use a lot more charwood?

Thanks very, very much.

Absolutely not. I have an XL and wish I had gone with a large instead. I would have gone with 2 larges if I needed the capacity. The XL is a beast to ramp up/down.

 

[Mass. Wine Guy]

Thanks, all. I feel a lot better now, and very eager with anticipation. Good idea about rescuing a Weber.

What do people do to the hardware to prevent rust, if anything?

 

[OakPit]

You'll love it. The XL is a behemoth that unless you need it - is too big. The Large has the widest selection of accessories designed to maximize the grill space.

 

[aquablue22]

Dude, enjoy your purchase, you own an Egg! Nice addition!

 

[chad]

As has been said, don't get buyers remorse before you've even cooked on it!! It'll meet 99% of your needs. Don't sweat the 1%.

 

[R2Egg2Q]

Based on your family size and how it sounds like you'll use it, it sounds like you made the right decision on size.

I'm giving another recommendation for the Adjustable Rig from the Ceramic Grill Store (fellow brethren member tjv). It has more levels of adjustments than the extra tiers from BGE.

 

[Dallas Dan]

Thanks, all. I feel a lot better now, and very eager with anticipation. Good idea about rescuing a Weber.

What do people do to the hardware to prevent rust, if anything?

I have a BGE cover and store the cast iron top vent in the house. It comes with a ceramic cap for the top opening.

 

[OneHump]

You'll love it. The XL is a behemoth that unless you need it - is too big. The Large has the widest selection of accessories designed to maximize the grill space.

Now you tell me! :doh:

 

[NewEnglandQ]

I bought the XL as my first egg and then bought a medium and a mini. I use the medium and mini 90% of the time. The XL is mostly used for entertaining which I do a lot of, so the three eggs work perfect for me, wouldn't give up any of them.

 

[BradB41]

I love my large BGE. Get you a Smokey Mountain if you need another smoker. The BGE rocks as either a grill or a smoker. You made a good choice IMO. I have a barrel smoker as a back up. I'd like a WSM for larger parties, but the Egg handles the load for most everything I need it for.

 

[bigfootinindiana]

Good idea about rescuing a Weber.

Hey just yesterday you were trash talking Weber's...why the sudden change of heart? I still want to know what you did to your previous Weber/Webers.... but I guess you'll never answer. Congrats on the BGE.

 

[Mass. Wine Guy]

Hey just yesterday you were trash talking Weber's...why the sudden change of heart? I still want to know what you did to your previous Weber/Webers.... but I guess you'll never answer. Congrats on the BGE.

I don't know what I did to them, but things just began rusting, corroding or otherwise falling apart. Maybe a cover is essential. I think Weber has a wonderful PR department. If I can find a used Weber, great. But no way am I buying new.

 

[cookingdude555]

The XL is the one I don't have. I bought the large first, and I regret that my large is not the XL. I use the smaller eggs the most, so I wish when it was time to use the big one it was an XL. I don't buy the more accessories argument for the large, the XL has them now too. And the large accessories are just there to give you the room the XL already has. Check all the boxes on that adjustable rig, and you just spent the difference between the large and XL anyway.

 

[redvert05]

UDS?

UDS = Ugly Drum Smoker

Do a search on it and you will get a ton a reading material. But, if your Weber's rusted and that was a problem for you, you may find a UDS will be a bit "crude" for your use / ownership.

Also, you mentioned yesterday you had a bullet looking thing you thought was a Weber that you had never used/unboxed.......if thats the case, you may have a WSM and your capacity issues would be solved.

Enjoy the BGE.

 

[BBQ_MAFIA]

You will be fine with the Large BGE.

Enjoy your new toy.

 

[Mass. Wine Guy]

The bullet looking smoker thing I have turns out to be a Char Broil electric smoker, which from reviews I gather is pretty mediocre. I'm trying to sell it.

 

[tjv]

I own and cook on both. I'm the guy with the ceramic grill store. If you want to talk through both cookers, feel free to give me a call. My favorite cooker is the xl and only three in my family. Here are a couple key comparisons from my experiences.

Long meat cuts, brisket and ribs, fit better on the xl's 24 inch wide grid. It's the square peg, round hole issue. Ribs can get 18" long and big briskets can get over 18" long.

By using some type of reducer with the xl, you can shrink the firebox for small grilling cooks. It's like grilling on a large or medium cooker.

One xl drawback is hot grilling cooks, steaks and such, with the dome mostly open. The handle being above the lump can get hot to the touch. I won't fire up the entire firebox for hot (searing) temp cooks. Cooker gets almost to hot to handle.

Managing lump with each cooker is a little different. It's no big deal, as you'll learn your cooker and not think twice on how you are doing it.

Cooking on a gird that is sitting on the fire ring is easier in the xl. The one inch shorter drop from the felt line (4" large vs. 3" xl) in the xl and the xl's wider diameter grid make it easier.

For long cooks (butts, brisket, ribs) the xl burns more fuel. Bigger cooker to heat. So if you're mostly smoking one or two meats, the large is a more fuel (lump) efficient choice. Same for searing inside the fire ring.

For the wife, the xl dome is cumbersome to open and close because of its weight. Same for her using some bge accessories.

My xl lump grate bows because of the heat. Not a big deal, more curious side affect than anything.

The drop from the top of the fire ring to the lump grate is shallower in the xl (approx. 7.5" xl vs. 9.5" large). Less room for lump on super long cooks but most of my cooks don't go over 15 hours. I've yet to run out of lump. Benefit of the shallower xl drop is with searing, closer to the lump, so can manage searing temps better.

In the xl, I can get three grids at or above the felt line. In the large, I can only get two at or above the felt line. I do ribs using the foil method, so more grids above the felt line make for bigger and easier cooks.

I don't wheel the eggs in a nest, so can't comment on movability. Broke the large in transport one time, so quit moving them.

Again, if you or anyone wants to talk, large vs. xl, feel free to contact me.


t

 

[Braddog]

I've own and cook on both. I'm the guy with the ceramic grill store. If you want to talk through both cookers, feel free to give me a call. My favorite cooker is the xl and only three in my family. Here are a couple key comparisons from my experiences.

t

Great post! It's awesome to have resources like you as part of the brotherhood. I just may have to go and get me a adjustable rig for my large.

Cheers,
Braddog

 

[Mass. Wine Guy]

Thanks t. Very helpful. I decided to stick with the large. The xl looks wonderful, but man, it is very big. I don't think I'd be using its full potential much of the time. If I get a brisket longer than 18 inches, 1) I'll cut it in half to cook, and 2) I'll need to know what the entire 101st Airborne division likes for dessert.

Brad, tell me about your Bubba Keg. Is it easy for low and slow?

 

[Churrasqueiro Bob]

I don't know what I did to them, but things just began rusting, corroding or otherwise falling apart. Maybe a cover is essential. I think Weber has a wonderful PR department. If I can find a used Weber, great. But no way am I buying new.

How close are you to the ocean? Perhaps the salt air accelerated the corrosion? Just a thought. And enjoy your new egg! Nice purchase.