WSM vs. BGE

[HeSmellsLikeSmoke]

Money being no object (it ain't me I'm talking about here), what is the better choice? Weber Smokey Mountain or Big Green Egg?

I have a friend asking me for advice, but my experience is limited to the offset SnP and the old PK.

He is a very good cook, and has a gas grill for grilling and is just interested in fairly low volume, backyard type of smoking for this unit.

I would welcome your comments to pass on to him.

Thanks

 

[Grumpy's Q]

WSM easy to use, long burn times, my .02.

 

[Bigmista]

Never used a BGE but you see WSM at almost every comp site despite whatever else they might be cooking with.

 

[icemn62]

WSM easy to use, long burn times, my .02.

i agree

 

[thirdeye]

That's easy.... One of them is fantastic cooker, loved by everyone that owns one, easy to operate, has a dedicated internet forum, can be used for barbecuing, grilling or baking, is Guru compatible, is right at home at competitions and is an excellent value for the price.

The other one is green, has all the attributes of the first one plus a few more like thermal mass, better fuel efficiency and no problem cooking in foul weather.

Since your buddy is already a good cook, he should be able to fit into either cooker like an old pair of boots.

 

[JohnMcD348]

I would say that if he wants pretty much no hassle, Que, go with the Egg. The WSM is great and can probably cook more volume than the egg depending on the size bought. You say price is no object so he'll probably be happier with the egg if he has a permanent spot to stick it.

Just my opinion. I don't use one. But, if I could afford the X-Lg BGE, I would.

 

[chinesebob]

Never used either but I have a friend that swears by the BGE. He loves it. Personally I like my offsets but it's what he wants.

 

[Kirk]

He is a very good cook, and has a gas grill for grilling and is just interested in fairly low volume, backyard type of smoking for this unit.

If volume and price are truly non-issues, then what the hey? Why not go with the BGE? For guys like me, money and volume are both big issues so the WSM was the way to go. I didn't think that volume would be that important but as my obsession with bbq grew, so did my desire for more capacity. I got creative and I can now put 4 racks in the WSM but I still had no option but to eventually buy a 2nd and then a 3rd (I have since sold one). All 3 cost me less than 600 bucks though. How much does a large egg go for again? :wink:

 

[QansasjayhawQ]

Money being no object (it ain't me I'm talking about here), what is the better choice? Weber Smokey Mountain or Big Green Egg?

I have a friend asking me for advice, but my experience is limited to the offset SnP and the old PK.

He is a very good cook, and has a gas grill for grilling and is just interested in fairly low volume, backyard type of smoking for this unit.

I would welcome your comments to pass on to him.

Thanks

Well, if money truly honestly is NOT a barrier . . . why not go for both?

It seems that they both have their place and attributes.

How about a small Spicewine?

 

[Brauma]

If you're never going to be moving it around a lot to say, competitions, camping or where ever, go BGE.

You've started a good debate.

 

[HeSmellsLikeSmoke]

Some really helpful observations and suggestions everyone -- thanks.

I like the idea of him buying three WSMs for the price of the one large BGE and then giving me one or two of them. :mrgreen:

Since we do have a pretty short summer here, the idea that the BGE would be better in cold weather might end up being the deciding factor.

I will have him come to the site and check out this thread. He will prolly get hooked on it.

 

[swamprb]

Have him check out the WSM and BGE Forums also, he may be a bit overwhelmed at first, but you may run into some familiar faces!

Brian

 

[DeanC]

I own three WSM's, but if money is not option, I would buy the largest egg I could (or a FEC).

 

[HeSmellsLikeSmoke]

Well, the WSM won out. Thanks for all the comments -- I showed him this thread which was very helpful.

The good news is that the wife and I are invited over to his house tonight for his second try at smoking -- pork butts. His first smoke turned out so well that he is inviting over three couples to show off his new found Q skills. You oughta see the grin on his face when he talks about the WSM now.

The bad news is that he doesn't want me to bring over any smoked meat -- he wants to have ALL the fun. :mrgreen:

So I am bringing him a copy of the good Doctor's Big-Time BBQ Cookbook as a host gift -- I think we are gonna create another monster.

 

[Westexbbq]

Yes, the monster is created; nice touch with the cookbook, great idea.

 

[HeSmellsLikeSmoke]

Yes, the monster is created; nice touch with the cookbook, great idea.

Thanks. I like the cookbook idea too. It is the paperback so it costs about the same as a reasonable bottle of wine. He is a good cook and will use it.

 

[nmayeux]

I realize that you have made your choice, but in the future, a BGE would be a nice addition to your stable... BGE is out of Atlanta, and I had the pleasure of cooking next to one of the distributors last year at a local contest. They loaded the damn things on Friday about noon, and when they were done on Saturday, they still had unburned lump left after 24 hours! Now they did cook at 225 the whole time, but that is the beauty of this cooker. You can cold smoke bacon, but also pittsburgh a steak.

The WSM has the advantage of being much easier to transport, plus more durable if dropped, but it has nowhere near the versitility or heat retention as the BGE. This is why one day I will own both.