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I'd suggest going with the large for sure. Buy one at an eggfest if you can to save some $$$. IIR eggs by the bay participates in the SFO eggfest. When it come to accessories skip the BBQ Guru at least until you get familiar with the BGE. A lot of people buy controllers way too soon and they really don't need them.
Charcoal varies quite a lot and the data base at the NakedWhiz is awesome. Sadly Wally World has cut the RO bags down in size and jacked the price so it's not much of a deal buying Royal Oak at Wally World any more. My last four bags have been loaded with small pieces and dust as well. BGE branded Royal Oak is now a lot more competitive on the pricing with the WW price hike and it's really more like a premium Royal Oak as you don't get a bag of dust and bits.
For lighting I buy fireplace lighter squares at TSC. I grab big boxes of them in the fireplace section every year when they put them on spring clearance. Saves a bunch of $$ and they work like a charm.
I spent over 30 years in professional kitchens and IMO the BGE may be the single best cooking tool for a home cook that I've ever seen.
Buy one and never look back.

Dave
 
Check out Eggs By the Bay. I know they're an authorized dealer. If you can get one of the once-used eggs at an Eggfest. You'll save up to 40% off.

Instead of the platesetter, I'd look here. http://www.ceramicgrillstore.com/ I haven't used these products, but I think the design is a LOT better.

Ditch the ash tool and buy a small wet vac to vacuum the ash. Definitely get some kind of thermometer - a thermapen is great.

A remote thermometer is good for long cooks when you do your first few long cooks. CHECK your thermometer that comes with the BGE to make sure it's accurately calibrated. If you're doing pizza, I'd also recommend a laser thermometer - I don't have one but almost every serious wood burning pizza place uses one to make sure the floor is up to temp.

The hardwood charcoal from Barbeques Galore is ok. Since you're in the Bay Area, look for a company that supplies restaurants with charcoal and wood. There have got to be places where you could buy charcoal in bulk.

But, to start with, I would actually recommend using natural briquettes because they provide a predictable burn. But, if you're going to use hardwood, you will have natural fluctuations in temperature. Don't forget a chimney starter or a propane torch (I use an Iwatani torch) or some product to light the charcoal. Also, be sure to start with chunks of wood or small logs of wood if you want to add smoke (or fire) to whatever you're cooking.

Lastly, invest in a comfortable patio chair with a cup holder. You'll be spending longer periods of time just sitting and sipping on a beverage watching the steady smoke plume coming from the top of your BGE.
 
Duckfat said:
I'd suggest going with the large for sure. Buy one at an eggfest if you can to save some $$$. IIR eggs by the bay participates in the SFO eggfest. When it come to accessories skip the BBQ Guru at least until you get familiar with the BGE. A lot of people buy controllers way too soon and they really don't need them.
Charcoal varies quite a lot and the data base at the NakedWhiz is awesome. Sadly Wally World has cut the RO bags down in size and jacked the price so it's not much of a deal buying Royal Oak at Wally World any more. My last four bags have been loaded with small pieces and dust as well. BGE branded Royal Oak is now a lot more competitive on the pricing with the WW price hike and it's really more like a premium Royal Oak as you don't get a bag of dust and bits.
For lighting I buy fireplace lighter squares at TSC. I grab big boxes of them in the fireplace section every year when they put them on spring clearance. Saves a bunch of $$ and they work like a charm.
I spent over 30 years in professional kitchens and IMO the BGE may be the single best cooking tool for a home cook that I've ever seen.
Buy one and never look back.

Dave
Click to expand...

i agree with dave on all but the guru,, since you indicated that bbq [pulled pork, brisket , ribs ] were very high on your list and you are not a novice cook i think the guru is a good thing to add to the shipment. getting up in the middle of the night to check your fire is fun .... once.
oh and one more thing,, dave is wrong about the buy "one" most of us have 2 or 3 :rofl2:
 
Guru's are nice for sure but I find if I start my burn in the early evening and tweak the vents in the first hour I never have to check in the night at all. In five years my fire has gone out ounce so the cost of a controller is really un-necessary for most unless you plan on competition cooking or have some elevation or wind exposure issue that can cause temperature swings. I think it makes a better cook to learn the unit before adding gadgets but amongst egg heads I'd be in the minority with that opinion. I found using the BGE second nature but others may have some learning curve and a controller can help make that curve easier, albeit with a price increase to match. I just hate to see any one get turned off to ceramic cookers based on price point thinking a controller is a must have.
I'll second the idea to ditch the ash tool. I just scoop most of the ash out and blow the rest out from the bottom up with the yard blower......POOOF!:lol2::wink:
Pretty cool that there are so many EggHeads here. I like this forum format a lot better than the BGE forums.

Dave
 
you are absolutley right, i got into using the guru while competing.. and i start my long cooks later in the evening..set the guru and my alarm for an hour later .. get up throw the meat on and go back to bed. for those considering you do not need a guru the egg will do the job perfectly and with out gadgets .. also i know the guru guys and had the pleasure of spending some time with shotgun fred at many competitions .. sad that he has passed away.
gadgets ha ha i have ond of those 6ft.stainless racks in my garage piled high with gadgets, wood chunks and STUFF lots and lots of STUFF... i'd post a pic but then everyone would realize how really nutz i am .. all this egg talk .. i am off today and now i have to go get ribs.
 
I'll add to the group and say I've NEVER felt the need to use any gadgets on the Egg either. Once you get the hang of it it's practically set it and forget it. I put meat on at the end of the night, go to bed and wake up in the morning with no issues whatsoever.
 
What are you guys using to scoop the ashes out with I haven't been able to find anything I like? I have been taking the whole thing apart to scoop the ashes from the bottom ever couple of months. I am going to try that leablower trick thanks Duckfat.
 
Would a dyson home vac die? :D

I've stated that I would get a medium. Homes here are just not that large sadly. Sigh... I did however give my pal a veto to go large if he felt the necessity when he saw the size in person.

I'm going to load up on a few accessories. Given that I can't access america often, so might as well buy once and buy well
 
I use a cheap wet/dry vac. I am not a vacuum specialist, but I had a dyson
before I switched flooring because of my four kids. I don't see why the dyson would have a problem. They work great. I would just empty after and spray the plastic filter insert off with the hose. I used to do that all the time with
my dyson filter and filter housing anyway.
 
I clean the ash out with a piece of metal with a 90º bend in the end, about 4 or 5 inches worth. It is a 3 foot long strip about 3/4 inch wide and maybe 1/4 inch thick.
 
rahimlee54 said:
What are you guys using to scoop the ashes out with I haven't been able to find anything I like? I have been taking the whole thing apart to scoop the ashes from the bottom ever couple of months. I am going to try that leablower trick thanks Duckfat.
Click to expand...
cheap shop vac , remove the attachement adaptor and then it will slide in between the base and the firebox and you will never have to remove the innards for cleaning .
leaf blower is fun but messy.. cloud of dust and a hearty hi ho silver and then blow it all towards the neighbors .:D
 
Spike is talking about something like this.
http://www.biggreenegg.com/eggcessories/tools-thermometers-and-cleaners/ash-tools/
They are popular. Many are homemade.There are many brands and models and custom ones from the lawn ranger on the egg forums. Leaf blowers,vacuums, ash tools. Lots of different ways to handle it. Same with how to light an egg. MAPP torch, electric starter, vegetable oil and paper towels, starter cubes, etc.
 
Ya I have seen the ash tools but wasn't sure how well they worked. I personally use a weed burner and propane tank to light mine. That is pretty fun.
 
Has anyone seen a Kamado? Costco has the "Phase 2 Ceramic Kamado grill" for $579, including trays and legs and stuff. It looks like a close copy of the large BGE. Any reports?
 
Keith Neal said:
Has anyone seen a Kamado? Costco has the "Phase 2 Ceramic Kamado grill" for $579, including trays and legs and stuff. It looks like a close copy of the large BGE. Any reports?
Click to expand...

My take on these cheaper knock off is that you have no idea what they're made of. One would hope that they don't contain asbestos, lead or other harmful products or chemicals, but you never know.

According to the regional rep that I spoke with when I bought mine (at an Eggfest), the company that makes the ceramics for the BGE is Daltile, one of the largest manufacturers of tile products. And, according to him, the ceramics used in the BGE do not contain any asbestos. The only other company that I know of that is willing to represent that their cooker doesn't contain any asbestos is the Komodo Kamado - roughly 3 times the price of a BGE.
 
Ya, the price of a BGE doesn't sound so bad after you look at one of those Komodos!
 
Anyone planning to come to Carolina Eggfest I just bought my tickets today.
 
Personally, I'd be pretty comfortable with kamado offered thru Costco - their gauntlet for sourcing product is pretty brutal, not perfect, but I'd be comfortable with the health, safety and quality of their offerings. FWIW, I'm pretty sure I've seen Primo branded kamados at Costco as well.

I've owned my 'KAMADO' brand kamado for 16-17 years (?) and at the timeI'm pretty sure it was the only variant available with the mosaic tile exterior. It cost me $500 cash (for a #7 which I think is about the same size as a X-lrg BGE), and was delivered free by an employee driving from Sacramento to Anaheim to pick up supplies...from DalTile.

In those days there was a bit of a blood feud between the owner of KAMADO and BGE over who first invented vs. imported the kamados. Pretty sure some of that hasn't changed, although BGE clearly won the war.

Fortunately for me, my #7 is running strong, never had a tile fall off or anything like that. Had a bit of degredation to the firebox, but that actually improves air flow and makes clean out easier

Keith Neal said:
Has anyone seen a Kamado? Costco has the "Phase 2 Ceramic Kamado grill" for $579, including trays and legs and stuff. It looks like a close copy of the large BGE. Any reports?
Click to expand...
 
I'm on the fence right now about getting a Kamado. If I do get one, it will be the Vision Classic from Costco. From what I've read, Vision's CS is pretty damn good and if all else fails, Costco will make good on the lifetime warranty of the ceramics. I checked it out a couple weeks ago and was pretty impressed with the build quality.
 
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