Clarification on BGE XL and Primo XL

[Fiddy/Fiddy]

I realize this is a dead horse comparison. I don't want to open up a can of worms. They are both great grills. I just want to clarify some information I have been given by both sides to do some fact checking. My intent is not to say one is better than the other. This is more about choosing the right grill for me.

I want to cook Pizzas, steak, Briskets, Hamburger, use Woks, bake breads, beer can chickens, Turkey and fish. I don't mind ribs but I am not a huge fan of them. I have found them to be too fatty. Maybe the right grill will change my mind. I am over my sticker shock. Either way, it's a lot of money and a one time purchase. I need to focus on my needs.

Here are a few things I have been told by dealers I want to clear up fact from fiction. A danger when you get information overload from multiple sources.

- Round Shapes cook more even than Oval shapes? Is this true?
- Does the split in the Fire box in of the new BGE work to prevent the firebox from splitting? (This is a big one for me. Who wants to replace fireboxes all the time?)
- Does the plate setter do a better job cooking Pizza? On the Oval it appears you have to set the stone on the grate.
- Does the shape of the Oval make it hotter on the sides than the front and back when cooking pizzas?
- Does glaze on a Pizza stone defeat the purpose of the stone absorbing moisture from the pizza dough as it cooks.
- Does the screen on the BGE do a good job of preventing small pieces of hot lump from hitting the deck.
- Does the Oval XL have a screen on it's bottom vent too.
- Has anyone figure how to put a wok on an Oval XL. I can't find a spider for this.
- The angle L brackets from the ceramic superstore seem to offer a split fire box for the XL BGE.
- I love the Crayton Cast Iron grates. They only seem to be made for BGE.
- If my company moves me to an office in the US, will my Canadian egg still have warranty?

I think both grills are of equal quality. This is about making the right decision for my needs and not about the Primo or BGE being better than one or the other.

 

[Big Bears BBQ]

A close friend of mine has the Primo and it does everything you have listed. Briskets and pork butts,ribs,chicken turn out great. Before he bought his he had a chance to see both in action and he went with Primo.

But the Egg does a good job also. If you have the chance you might try and go to a contest and check them out. I've seen them both and if I was going to pick one it would be the Primo. Their both great, set it for get it and on long cooks temps hold very well..............

Good luck

 

[Gore]

Wow! That's a long list. You're pretty thorough in your thinking. When you have the placesetter in, there is a heat gradient and the very edges around the placesetter are hot. This would be true in the BGE as well. I don't think the oval shape is much of an issue in heat distribution. I have cooked pizzas and have not noticed the sides cooking faster or slower. If the coals are not evenly distributed, you can get a hotspot where the most coals are piled, but this is true with any pit. I also have their pizza stone. We've made pizzas many times before. I think this is our fourth pizza stone and I must admit that we were disappointed when we got it and found that it was glazed. That said, we have used it a few times and we were quite impressed with its performance. Yes, we put the stone on the grate, and we also put in the placesetter (this probably is not necessary). You can use a regular pizza stone directly on the grate if you like. The oval does not have a screen on the bottom vent. I've never had any small pieces of anything come out except when I use the ash tool to pull the ash out. Also, while I do have the piece to make a split firebox, I only used that a few times. For me it was a waste of money as I normally fill it up with food and it doesn't use that much fuel anyway. Hope that helps.

 

[BBQJack]

I have a medium Egg and just bought an XL Oval

- Round Shapes cook more even than Oval shapes? Is this true?

rumour has it

- Does the split in the Fire box in of the new BGE work to prevent the firebox from splitting? (This is a big one for me. Who wants to replace fireboxes all the time?)

a designed split or a natural split will result in the same thing - no more splitting

- Does the plate setter do a better job cooking Pizza? On the Oval it appears you have to set the stone on the grate.

on the oval you could always get a square pizza stone in there. BGE does make a stone and that one can also go directly on the grill.

- Does the shape of the Oval make it hotter on the sides than the front and back when cooking pizzas?

- like your local pizzeria, you would need to rotate the pie once in a while to get the crust even.

- Does glaze on a Pizza stone defeat the purpose of the stone absorbing moisture from the pizza dough as it cooks.

don't know, but you could always use the BGE stone if it bothers you

- Does the screen on the BGE do a good job of preventing small pieces of hot lump from hitting the deck.

I guess it would

- Does the Oval XL have a screen on it's bottom vent too.

I don't think so

- Has anyone figure how to put a wok on an Oval XL. I can't find a spider for this.

no

- The angle L brackets from the ceramic superstore seem to offer a split fire box for the XL BGE.

- I love the Crayton Cast Iron grates. They only seem to be made for BGE.

write them to ask them to add the Primos - there are enough out there

- If my company moves me to an office in the US, will my Canadian egg still have warranty?

not sure, but I believe the warranty is to the original owner


I debated back and forth between the XL Egg and the Primo Oval XL. At the end of the day the versatility of the Oval XL won out. I already have a medium egg too, so I will have best of both worlds.

 

[Fiddy/Fiddy]

A close friend of mine has the Primo and it does everything you have listed. Briskets and pork butts,ribs,chicken turn out great. Before he bought his he had a chance to see both in action and he went with Primo.

But the Egg does a good job also. If you have the chance you might try and go to a contest and check them out. I've seen them both and if I was going to pick one it would be the Primo. Their both great, set it for get it and on long cooks temps hold very well..............

Good luck

Thanks for the input. The danger in doing a lot of research is information overload. The BGE people and the Primo people are both great. The BGE customer support says they can ship a firebox to a local dealer for less or free depending on the order. Primo always has to ship theirs from the US. BGE has a warehouse in Ontario they can ship them from.

I can buy a fully loaded Primo with D-Plates, drip pan plates, pizza stone, fire box divider, including the GST for the same price that I would be paying for a green egg XL.

Firebox cracks are my biggest concern with Primo. Even with the free replacement part, it would still hit me up for 100 dollars to ship one to Western Canada. Have you had any issue with your Primo firebox?

 

[Braddog]

'

- Round Shapes cook more even than Oval shapes? Is this true? No idea, but I'll tell you that every fire burns differently and easy to get hot spots in even in the round BGE.

- Does the split in the Fire box in of the new BGE work to prevent the firebox from splitting? (This is a big one for me. Who wants to replace fireboxes all the time?)
Not sure I get this one. I know the new Egg's have a notched firebox. However, my 5 year old Egg with the old firebox design is perfect and I've never replaced it. Not buying an Egg because of a belief that you'll have to replace the firebox "all the time" is misguided.

- Does the plate setter do a better job cooking Pizza? On the Oval it appears you have to set the stone on the grate. You don't don't cook pizza directly on the platesetter. You should still use a pizza stone, even on the BGE.


- Does the screen on the BGE do a good job of preventing small pieces of hot lump from hitting the deck. Yes

Just my stab at answering the BGE specific questions. Can't speak to the Primo.

Cheers,
Braddog

 

[Gore]

I've had my Primo a couple years and had no issues with anything. We debated between the two also, but the extra room in the Oval won out. My wife wanted a bread oven and wanted the extra clearance. That, ... and it's black. :icon_blush:

 

[Fiddy/Fiddy]

Just my stab at answering the BGE specific questions. Can't speak to the Primo.

Cheers,
Braddog

I was taking about using the Pizza stone on the grate vs. using the pizza stone directly on top of the plate setter like Fred Music and BBQ video.

Here's a price break down between the Primo and the Egg

Primo

Primo Oval: $1199.99
D-Plates: $99.99
Drip Pan Racks: $99.99
16 inch Pizza Stone: $59.99
2 Elevated Racks: $89.00
Fire Box Divider: $39.99

- Under $1600 with Dealer incentives

Special order: All sales final
- No service depot in Canada: You need to get service parts from the US
- No display units where I live
- better hinge and handle design than BGE
- It has a daisy wheel now: no longer a BGE advantage
shipping on all service parts if I need a part
- 20 years warranty: Good until 2031

BGE:

- Big Green Egg XL: $1499.99 (Price of living in Canada)
- Plate Setter: $99.99
- Half Moon Grates $99.99 for the pair
- L- Brackets to Split fire: $50 if you Inc. Shipping
- Pizza Stone: $50 dollars from Ceramic grill store

$1800 before tax match Primo

- BGE has a Canadian service depot, parts are warehoused in Canada and can ship to a dealer at no cost or minimal cost
- 4 Egg dealers in my city, all have demo and cooking demo every second week
- lifetime warranty: Good as long as you are.
- accessories for a wok

I have no bias towards either company. They are both great. If I had enough money and space on my deck, I'd buy one of each. I need a car and other things so I can't afford both. Sadly, I have to make a choice. My decision is going to come down to warranty, user experience and customer support.

 

[mbshop]

i have the feeling you already know what you are gonna get. i will be getting an oval primo when its time. but yer dealership warranty issues will lead you towards the egg.

 

[Bigfoot21075]

I have had my round Large BGE for 12 years. The one thing I will add - GET A SCREEN for the lower section. Eventually, you WILL get a hot coal that somehow makes it out of the opening unless you run a Guru all the time. I was doing a hot cook for pizza using Cowboy lump, got a pop while it was heating and a pretty big burn on my deck.

GET A SCREEN

 

[BBQJack]

Next question: Do you NEED all that space? Why don't you start with a large Egg?

Also, as far as the split firebox goes - its an issue in the Primo XL apparently. I think they have figured out the problem now - but haven't addressed it yet. The theory is the metal fire grate expands faster than the ceramic firebox and stresses out the box and it cracks.

When I get mine, I'll jimmy up some stand offs so its not resting on the firebox or use a piece of expandable metal screen in it's place.

 

[Fiddy/Fiddy]

My biggest Concerns with Primo:

I called BGE and Primo service to discuss warranty concerns with both products. I also spoke with my local dealers to find out why the Primo's are special order only.

Primo has a few issues that bug me:

- No Canadian service center or parts warehouse, every service part required over the years is going to cost me $100-$150 to ship from Atlanta. That can add to the cost of ownership. Crap happens and life happens. BGE ships for free to dealerships if there is a problem. BBQ country stocks everything but the fire box for the egg.

- Primo is not doing well in Edmonton. (This has nothing to do with quality. It has to do with band recognition) Barbecue County and Trail Appliances do not stock or take refunds on Primo's. All sales are final on special orders. Neither store will ship service parts to the store. The BGE outsells Primo in Canada by a significant number. Barbecue country says they only sold 6 Primo's in two years. The reason they are special order. Barbecue's Galore in Calgary told me they don't carry Primo at all.

The unit is going up on my plywood rolled vinyl deck. The screen is important. I will have to mod the table or build a brick patio if I go with a primo. The screen on the egg is a nice touch.

I don't want to risk a Mod on the charcoal grate on a wood deck. The split fire box seems like a better solution.

It I need a part for the BGE, it's stocked in Ontario and BC. If I need a part for the Primo, I have to wait for it to clear customs from the US.

It I can overcome these some of these issues. I will buy a Primo. All other things being equal, the difference between an Egg and a Primo comes down to warranty and the recent improvements the EGG has made to the XL. The LG egg is too small. I have a limited space to work with so I only want to buy one grill. This means the XL oval or BGE XL.

From overall design stand point, I prefer the Primo's shape. From a warranty and thoughtful features and accessories stand point, I prefer the Egg. Beyond that point they are both equal in my mind.

I plan to speak with 3rd party Primo distributor in BC to find out if they stock and ship service parts. If they do then I will buy a Primo. If they don't, I will buy an Egg.

 

[PCFisher66]

I have a XL BGE and I have cooked pizza with and with out the platesetter, much better with the platesetter and a few nuts (bolt and nut type) between the setter and pizza stone. With this setup the heat seemed to be more even.

 

[BBQJack]

FWIW, I've owned my Medium BGE for 7 years and it's remained outside, uncovered for the most part. It moved from Eastern Ontario to Western PA in 2009. The movers broke the firebox. I got a few fire box.

In the 7 years, that is the only thing that broke. I've changed other wear and tear items like the gasket and thermometer, but got those mail order.

Bottom line - this is a dumb device here. I don't see anything requiring the level of service and parts you're expecting - I could be wrong or lucky.

My Egg dealer is 20 miles from me and my Primo dealer is 40.

When it came down to choosing between the two, parts and service were not even on my list. It came down to versatility of the Oval XL over the huge round dome of the BGE. But, I already have an egg, so maybe that also influenced my decision.

Which ever one you choose will be the best for you. My brother has an XL BGE and loves it.

Now go get that BGE!!

 

[Fiddy/Fiddy]

The biggest problem for me is geography rather than quality and the dealers in my city are all hardcore eggheads. No matter what point you bring up, their sales people will push an egg benefit on you. I tired my hardest to give Primo a brownie point but they just woudn't have it.

The second Primo dealer in my city has to be informed that they carry the product as a special order item. That is uses charcoal. You have to describe it to them and tell the salesperson what color it is and that it's made out of ceramic.

Primo needs to find a dealer in my city that will give it the love it deserves. Nothing helps like hearing your local dealer tell you if you go Egg and something goes wrong, "we'll work with BGE to resolve an issue". "If you buy a Primo, after 30 days, "it your problem"

The dealers in Ontario and BC love their Primo's and work with them to help customers with issues. I honesty think that leaves a customer dropping 2k for a BBQ feeling better about their purchase.

 

[Zippylip]

I will comment only about the firebox in the BGE & your concern about replacing them. My first egg went into service in 04 & I immediately began hammering (with high heat) that thing repeatedly. The original box began showing a series of cracks within a couple years as did the fire ring. The cracks got worse over time but I addressed the problem by doing nothing (i.e., not removing anything from the egg), rather, as long as they retain their structure, broken or not they are as useful as fully intact parts. Finally, the box caved in & had to be replaced after year 6. The box and ring were replaced for free under the warranty (more on that in a minute). My new box is one of the split versions & it's my understanding that this is BGE's attempt to lengthen their life by allowing for expansion of the box. While I haven't had it in long enough to observe the propriety of this, that's the theory. I am however aware of one user that had the new split version crack within a few months. Of course it could've been a defective one, but who knows. For now the jury is out on the new design as only time will tell the real story. All that aside, if, big if, you have a good dealer, you're golden. If you need to pop a new box in every few years it's no big deal. On the flip-side, if you're dealer is a horse's ass like mine, getting a new box or a new anything will be a giagantic pain in the ass. My advice, pay very close attention to the dealer you choose regardless of which brand you go with as a warranty (whether it's 20 years or lifetime) will be either worthless or worth its weight in gold depending on the dealer...

 

[Fiddy/Fiddy]

Good News for Primo!

I spoke with my local dealer and and the manager and they said they will support the product after sale. As a special order item all sales are final but they will order in a service part on a regular shipment.

So the only obstacles left are how important a split fire box is, the ash screen and the accessories.

 

[Braddog]

I spoke with my local dealer and and the manager and they said they will support the product after sale.

Of course he did......

 

[Big Bears BBQ]

My buddy has had his for 3yrs now and uses it in the winter time so far no cracks but its stored in his heated garage.

In a perfect world it would be nice to have one of each. If you can afford it go with the XL on which ever one you pick. Their both great smokers.....

 

[BBQJack]

Apparently, Egg dealers are not allowed to carry any other Kamado style BBQ's or they lose their dealership. At least, that's what I've heard.

I bought my Oval XL on Amazon because 1. the dealer is too far away 2. that dealer knows he's the only Primo dealer in the areas and over charges by 15%. eg. Amazon $1099, Dealer $1349 for the same thing.