Talk me into buying a mini big green egg

[tenpenny_05]

Hey all,
I have an opportunity to buy a mini big green egg for $80. The fire ring is cracked, it needs a top vent (had the ceramic cap though) and could use a good cleaning.
I know these things last a lifetime and people seem to love them. But I just can't justify spending that kind of money on something that only has a 9" round cooking surface. With the money I have in buying and fixing it, I could buy a new weber kettle.

Thoughts?

 

[cookingdude555]

I have one and don't use it much. Its more of a toy than a real grill. This will offend many, and they will show up with amazing pictures of how they were able to cook impossible meals on it. The bigger mini max or kamado joe jr have more purpose.

Having said that, I would buy it at $80. Worth the money to play with.

 

[Gore]

For $80 you could have a lot of fun, like set that in the middle of the table and have people grill their own kebabs, like fondue but for real men. :hungry:

 

[CopyNPaste]

Maybe it's me but I would rather have a blackstone flattop for half the cost?

 

[K.W.]

There are a lot of people running an egg with a cracked fire ring without any problems. As far as the top vent, you could pick up an aftermarket if you find you need one. I run a small and find most cooks for this size grate (mines 13") run from 325*f. and up and don't last more than a couple hours. You might try offering a little less considering its condition but even at $80 I think you could find enough use for it to justify the cost.

 

[hurricanedavid]

Agreed a toy, but I'd definitely buy it for $80.

 

[tjv]

if you are looking for small grill to do a couple steaks, burgers and such, it's a cool toy. I'd have the guy (seller) submit a claim for the fire ring. the mini damper cap is about $25. Item code: TDT or 401328

t

 

[Jason TQ]

Did you buy it yet?? :becky:

 

[Demosthenes]

I can't. Sorry. As others have stated.....at that size it's more or less a toy/novelty. The only way I personally could justify even owning one that size, is if I lived in an apartment where my patio /balcony area was limited in space (and I only had to cook for myself). For $20 more I put it on a Weber Kettle.

 

[Nuco59]

80 bux is not a lot of money and you get to be part of the Big Green Egg family. Course not having a big one means you have to sit at the kiddie table - but still..... :-D

buy it- cook on it- enjoy it -life is short.

 

[Cook]

There are only two of us in my household, and a Weber Little Smokey has served us well for over 10 years (and looks to be good for at least another 10 more)...but for $80 I might would just have to buy that little Egg.

 

[EdF]

if you are looking for small grill to do a couple steaks, burgers and such, it's a cool toy. I'd have the guy (seller) submit a claim for the fire ring. the mini damper cap is about $25. Item code: TDT or 401328

t

Could get a pretty good-sized chicken or duck in there too.

 

[IXL]

We have one and use it constantly. The lack of a top vent wouldn't faze us, as the temps for most all grilling can be controlled with the bottom vent. These things get hot...they get hot fast. We keep a ten-inch dia. plate in the kitchen to gauge what will fit on the grill, as the actual diameter of the newer grates is ten inches (the original ones were 9.500").

We even grill kabobs on it by using it as something akin to an Armenian tonir: the cooking grate AND the top vent are removed, and the kabobed skewers are inserted straight down through the top hole. It's kinda cool and they grill fast, too.

A couple of "normal-sized" steaks will fit at one time but one might have to be inverted, or indexed end-for-end, in the beginning, if they happen to be a bit larger. They can grill so fast, and at such high heat, that even if they were grilled separately it wouldn't be much of a deal.

Also, the darn things only require about three Dixie cups worth of lump to peg 650°F-750°F, and for much longer than we ever cook. The Mini can be ready to cook before our Large BGE is even thinking about warming up.

What it isn't all that groovy for, is using as a smoker. While it can be done, with some inventiveness required, to do so seems to us to be more of a novelty. Smoking a ham on one is similar to putting a model ship in a bottle: hopefully no real need, but it does confer bragging rights.

That the fire ring is broken is of almost no importance unless it is so smashed up as to be unusable, which would be fairly rare in our experience with BGEs. If the pieces of the ring will still fit together, then the ring will still function as intended, In fact, we manufactured a steel ring for ours that will allow a pie-plate to be used as an indirect barrier piece below the cooking-grid, for those times when we've lost our minds and just want to use the Mini as a smoker.

They will allow one to grill a handful of wieners or a couple-or-three burgers in no time. And.......it's really, truly portable, for those times you might want to run down to the park and become the envy of all the other picnickers while you prepare a feast.

 

[hachi-roku_fan]

It's 80 bucks. I would jump on it at that price just to scratch the ceramic cooker itch

 

[Eujamfh]

Im a fan of cooking for leftovers but I also never had a mini egg for $80. Would I buy - yes. Would I use it this year - yes. Would I use it long term...who knows but for $80 I would pass it on to the next griller for a try if I didn't.

 

[offshore_SoLA]

its $80 who cares. Most of us spend more money than that with one load of cooked meat.

 

[wbzipf]

Is the seller the original owner? If so, tell him you will take it at $80 if he were to use the warranty to have BGE replace the fire box (for free).

 

[BBQ_MAFIA]

For $80 I would buy it.

I love the toys.

 

[effinUker]

Maybe it's me but I would rather have a blackstone flattop for half the cost?

If you're getting blackstones at $40 per, get a truckload of them and ship me one.

 

[Jason TQ]

Did you buy it yet??? :-D