Why I wont Buy a Big Green Egg. . .

[Brauma]

"Had" a crack or "hit' a crack? Sorry about your friend's Egg. Being that they are ceramic you have to be careful when moving them. But I love mine and wouldn't take anything for them.

 

[Zippylip]

My friend works at a winery and he was moving his BGE today, the wheel had a crack in it and gave way. This was the result.

He is getting one as a gift and I warned him to not knock it over. The BGE is a great BBQ, but This is why I am happy with my Webers.

- G

Makes about as much sense as saying I won’t buy a Mercedes because someone might crash into it. And I’m happy with my Weber because it’s a good cooker, not because the egg sitting next to it might break if I drop it

 

[CarolinaQue]

Makes about as much sense as saying I won’t buy a Mercedes because someone might crash into it. And I’m happy with my Weber because it’s a good cooker, not because the egg sitting next to it might break if I drop it

Yeah, but a car can be repaired or replaced at the insurance companies expense. A BGE has to be replaced because it can't be repaired, at your expense!


Tim

 

[h20loo]

For all of us BGE owners- that is a heart wrenching photo!!
S**t happens and I hope your friend handles it better than I would.

 

[Zippylip]

Yeah, but a car can be repaired or replaced at the insurance companies expense. A BGE has to be replaced because it can't be repaired, at your expense!


Tim

Tim, with all due respect, if the fate suffered by the egg here is accurate (a cracked wheel caused it to fall), I do believe that would be a warranty claim which I have not seen mentioned by anyone.

And there’s no need to get upset, all I’m saying is that there are plenty of legitimate reasons not to buy an egg (or any other ceramic smoker):

- Too expensive;
- Too heavy;
- Take too long to heat up;
- Not enough smoke flavor;
- Don’t like the way they cook;
- Insufficient capacity…

But to say I’m not buying one because I don’t trust my own ability to prevent an act of sheer stupidity on my own part??? I dunno, just sounds a bit contrived to me is all

 

[HawgNationBBQ]

Looks like he was pushing it instead of pulling it.
So when he hit the lip in the concrete he tipped it over.
Common sense and the manual says to pull it, it won't tip over that way.
It's really not that complicated.

^^^^My thoughts excatly..Common sense.

 

[Big Kahuna]

I realize hindsight is always 20/20 but the Centre of Gravity doesn't care how sturdy the base is. That's why I put mine in a table. That is one sad photo. My condolences.

 

[CarolinaQue]

Tim, with all due respect, if the fate suffered by the egg here is accurate (a cracked wheel caused it to fall), I do believe that would be a warranty claim which I have not seen mentioned by anyone.

And there’s no need to get upset, all I’m saying is that there are plenty of legitimate reasons not to buy an egg (or any other ceramic smoker):

- Too expensive;
- Too heavy;
- Take too long to heat up;
- Not enough smoke flavor;
- Don’t like the way they cook;
- Insufficient capacity…

But to say I’m not buying one because I don’t trust my own ability to prevent an act of sheer stupidity on my own part??? I dunno, just sounds a bit contrived to me is all

Oh, I'm not upset. I apologize if it seems that way. I don't disagree with your assesment, or opinion, just the analogy. And I agree that he may have a claim. However, I don't think that I would offer the photo's that were posted here to BGE for such a claim. I think that the lip of the concrete had more to do with this incident than a cracked wheel. Maybe the wheel cracked because the cooker was "forced" into an off center position and the weight of the cooker cracked it as it was falling? But the reasons you listed above is why I wouldn't buy a BGE. I have nothing against those that own them. But I see people that have 3 or 4 at a comp just to be able to do all categories. I just think that they are to limited, even for home use for me.

 

[drbbq]

So I assume you only buy your wine in a box and drink it out of a plastic glass? And of course you eat off of plastic dishes.

Or maybe you just take care of your stuff and it doesn't break like I do.

 

[davet54]

It can be put back together, just a bummer to have to do it. If I lived nearby I would clean up the mess for your friend at no charge.:-D

 

[timzcardz]

One good thing to come out of this thread is that I am reminded that I need to see the eye doctor about a new prescription for my glasses, because I can't see the cracked wheel in the photo.

 

[h20loo]

So this is Humpty and where's his buddy Dumpty?

 

[CarolinaQue]

It can be put back together, just a bummer to have to do it. If I lived nearby I would clean up the mess for your friend at no charge.:-D

I thought you couldn't repair these types of cookers?

Tim

 

[Zippylip]

Oh, I'm not upset. I apologize if it seems that way. I don't disagree with your assesment, or opinion, just the analogy. And I agree that he may have a claim. However, I don't think that I would offer the photo's that were posted here to BGE for such a claim. I think that the lip of the concrete had more to do with this incident than a cracked wheel. Maybe the wheel cracked because the cooker was "forced" into an off center position and the weight of the cooker cracked it as it was falling? But the reasons you listed above is why I wouldn't buy a BGE. I have nothing against those that own them. But I see people that have 3 or 4 at a comp just to be able to do all categories. I just think that they are to limited, even for home use for me.

On the cause of accident we agree. It seems to me at least from the photos that it is a classic loss of balance from a sudden stop, & if so, certainly not a warranty claim. I’ve had eggs for years and I am well aware of their limitations in addition to their broad versatility. I’m not a competitive cooker, just a back yard guy. I haven’t had the need to cook more than 5 butts at once thus for my purposes I haven’t suffered from the limited space issue of a large size egg. However, I’ve been to competitions & I’ve observed what you’re talking about & tend to think I’d opt for a different type of cooker if I were to compete. The thought of loading, hauling & unloading multiple eggs is daunting to say the least. In the end, if someone were considering buying a ceramic cooker of any make (they’re all the same in my book), research & educating him/herself on all of the ups & downs is certainly warranted given the high price tag. I just find it hard to accept ‘I might do something stupid & break it’ as the reason to end the analysis when it is so (speaking from experience) easily avoided.

 

[CarolinaQue]

On the cause of accident we agree. It seems to me at least from the photos that it is a classic loss of balance from a sudden stop, & if so, certainly not a warranty claim. I’ve had eggs for years and I am well aware of their limitations in addition to their broad versatility. I’m not a competitive cooker, just a back yard guy. I haven’t had the need to cook more than 5 butts at once thus for my purposes I haven’t suffered from the limited space issue of a large size egg. However, I’ve been to competitions & I’ve observed what you’re talking about & tend to think I’d opt for a different type of cooker if I were to compete. The thought of loading, hauling & unloading multiple eggs is daunting to say the least. In the end, if someone were considering buying a ceramic cooker of any make (they’re all the same in my book), research & educating him/herself on all of the ups & downs is certainly warranted given the high price tag. I just find it hard to accept ‘I might do something stupid & break it’ as the reason to end the analysis when it is so (speaking from experience) easily avoided.

Can't say I disagree at all!!!

 

[Norm]

The nest my Xl sits is kind of tippy and fragile too so I'm really careful moving it. My large just sits on a paver on concrete.

 

[JD08]

You probably shouldn't buy scissors either because you might be tempted to run with them.

 

[Smokin Turkey]

I'll trade metal fab for one but I can't buy one and sleep in my bed with my wife. It has been decreed. I do agree sometimes alcohol and BBQ mix and with something that fragile, I would not trust myself. If I had one, It would be relegated to Pizza oven only but that is just me. At my place I could see the dogs knocking it over, kids, tree falling on it, me slipping on icy patio and knocking it over, meteor falling from the sky (dont think I have that in my homeowners insurance) So like I said, I probably wont have one soon unless some egghead here sees my post and says to himself, "I'd love some of that guy's fabrication! I'll trade him my BGE (or larger) for something SWEET!" :becky:

 

[JS-TX]

Maybe he was so hysterical he meant to say the wheel hit a crack and the egg fell over. To be honest those little wheels look like a joke for something so heavy and fragile, chit, you couldn't even wheel that thing through a yard. IF I ever own a heavy ceramic cooker like that, it's going in a table with proper pneumatic wheels.

 

[JD08]

I honestly believe there is a market for ceramic grill "nests" that are more attractive, mobile, and stable than the one single design that BGE provides.

It would seem that someone with metal fab skills could design and build these and there are more than a few people here who would gladly buy them, myself included.