AFKitchenknivesguy is out of pocket right now or he would have answered you. I mentioned your question to him and he said "tell him to buy once, cry once".
There is a thread about the BGE here somewhere.
Keith
Thanks Keith. I have been in the field for the last month and rarely get internet service. Let me try to give my experience. I love my egg for so many reasons. I've done just about everything on it except for baking sweets. Here is my answers to your questions:
Best uses - Steaks are probably better than anyplace you can get, and it will cost you mucho less yet taste better. Pizza was very good and rivals my favorite pizza shop; different since it had a smoky flavor. My favorite thing to cook on it is a halved chicken. I can direct cook it, turn it every 30 mins, for three hours and not burn it. No Weber will ever be able to do that. It comes with a crispy skin, pink/smoky meat and falling apart tender. It's simply amazing. Brisket is amazingly simple with the plate setter. I have some extra tools to make it a no brainer and it's drool worthy. Smoking is average, not as simple as one may think. Since the meat is over the plate setter or coals, you have a hard time adding wood chips after the meat is on the grill.
Differences - I still keep my Weber, it's good for steak and indirect cooking but I rarely use it anymore. Webers are cool, but don't hold a flame to BGE's. You get what you pay for.
Usability/cleanup - Simple simple simple. I buy the pretreated wood composite cubes and they light right away. Open the bottom vent, keep the top open, and in 20 mins you are ready to grill. It's self cleaning, though you will have to brush the rack and do minor ash cleanup. I actually use the ash tool and find it easy to use. I put a garbage bag underneath and sweep the ashes after it's cool, normally before I start the next grill session - many days later.
Which size - I say large for your needs. It's not that big compared to a large Weber, but it is very heavy, I mean 200lbs like heavy. Not something you can easily move...over course get a nest with wheels and that helps a whole lot. I wish I bought the extra large, as I think it would be better for my needs. Large is the most popular model, for good reason. I'm a more than average griller though.
BGE versus conventional oven - umm flavor times 100
Regularly cook on it - as I said I love chicken on it, by far my favorite thing. Steak is unbelievable but I don't cook many steaks to be eaten later, for obvious reasons. To sell the chicken some more, I sponsor a cadet from Ecuador at the USAF Academy and I made the chicken for him last week. He said it was the best thing he ever ate. I wish I could take the credit.
BTW I move mine all the time on my deck, it's heavy but even when it's hot you can still touch it due to the insulation. Tips I've learned:
Keep it full with charcoal, keep the ashes clean after every use. I clean the ashes before the next time I use it.
Buy some gadgets like a remote time and something to keep the temp stable. It's amazingly stable, but it adds peace of mind. I sleep with my remote and haven't been woken once; ok just once.
I don't use the plate setter as much as I thought I would. It's a must tool, but you can keep the temp so low you can direct cook and still have an awesome product afterwards.
I don't smoke as much as I thought I would. The natural juices/drippings provide a robust flavor for anything you are cooking. It's pretty cool.
Buy a high heat gasket if you plan on making steaks and pizza. I busted my gasket the first time I made steaks, but the small investment is worth it. No issues since.
Most BGE's come as a package. Be sure to get a nest, side tables for extra room, ash tool, plate setter, and pizza stone. The grid lifter is handy and worth the $15. Other than that, don't buy the other BGE crap/accessories. They are overpriced and you can get much better for less.