Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Food, Cooking, and Game Preparation Weber Kettle vrs. Big Green Egg

A friend told me after looking at the big green egg and the premium weber kettle he had a hard time justifying the extra money for the EGG. He says he doesn't do any low and slow cooking or smoking and for 5 hour cooks or less he thinks his weber does just fine. What say you? Buckfever1

If you friend has no desire to do low and slow cooking the webber will be fine. The BGE shines in ability to do it all, low and slow and high heat. On the subject of high heat, I believe you can obtain higher temps with the BGE.

I haven't tried my new Weber (not the first I've owned) in the low and slow dept...but will. I've been wanting to ask the same question too. The Weber will do low and slow. I'm not sure how you can obtain higher heat really...but you only really need 500 to sear meat...and you can go much hotter with the right charcoal on a Weber.

First off I believe you can almost do the same with one as you can the other. However, controlling temps on the Weber would likely be the challenge versus the BGE.

I have both and view one as a grill and the other as an oven. If the Weber Kettle did the same as the BGE then there would likely be no need for the Weber bullet smoker.

The Weber I have is a monster Ranch model grill (shown below) and works well as such. But temps are difficult to maintain for more than grilling steaks and chicken. Never tried a low and slow for butts on the Rancher but I might just do so this weekend and report back.

BTW the little ole Smokey Joe is my favorite all-purpose grill!!! And it fits in the trunk for tail gating.

The Weber Smokey Joe and the Smokey Joe Platinum are what I use for hunting camp. Been trying to cook low and slow on a charcoal and gas grill for years. My BGE gets delivered Saturday!

Yer gittin wunna them...? I didn't know that..??!! LOL

Low and slow is doable on a weber, just much much easier on the BGE. On the weber just build a good fire on one side, a water pan on the other. Place the meat over the water pan and the top with the vent holes over the meat. You will end up doing a lot of turning/flipping of the meat, and adding coal will be needed at some point, plus you are controling temp by air inlets. Doable, but not nearly as easy as with the BGE.

Exactly---HUGE difference! Just adding coal is a big deal.

You been on Mars or something? Too much mar-gar-ine I suspect. It will do that too you!

I've been cooking on Weber kettles for the past thirty odd years and you can cook low and slow to a point. An hour and half to two hours is doable without much problem or having to add charcoal. Longer than that and you run out of coals. The trick is to start off with a lot of charcoal, get it fired up, put the lid on and turn the vents down to drop the temperature. After a bit you have gradually open the vents up to keep the temps constant. The vents work great to regulate temperatures with the lid on.

I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir on this one but for me, it's as adjustable as the oven inside my house. I know just how much to open the vents to get whatever temp I want.

I have two Weber kettles. The big one and the smaller size and I love em both.

Cooking at altitude does throw in different twist. I lived at or near sea level my entire life and after moving to Colorado, at 5000 feet, I had to readjust my skills with the Weber. It requires that the vents be opened up a little more to get the same temps and cooking for a long duration becomes more difficult due to the lack of oxygen.

The BGE is tempting but I just haven't felt the need or had the desire to get one. From everything I've read about em they do sound awesome. Some day I'd like to see one in action and of course, a little taste test too.

On the Weber, for longer cooks I usually get some additional coals going on the side in either the Smoky Joe or a chimney. For shorter cooks lasting up to two hours, I will keep the temp up by adjusting the vents, as mentioned.

It goes without saying you'll have to add coals to a Weber for a long cook. It can be done.

First let me say that I think Weber makes a good product, in fact I own a Weber gas grill. That said, there a couple reasons that swayed me towards buying a BGE not long ago.

I really liked the idea that you can sear off steaks at 900-1000 degrees and easily cool it back down to finish them off. I also like the ability to do pizzas and easily maintain 550-600 degrees or do a low and slow cook for eighteen hours on one load of charcoal and no water pan.

The biggest thing though is the insulation that the ceramic provides. I live in Nebraska and I'd say it would be nearly impossible to do a low and slow cook on a Weber (or most other metal cookers) with the winds howling in the middle of winter.

Mike

Hey Elk, when's that thing arriving, anyway...???!!! LOL

Didn't u get it last Tuesday...???> LOL

My wife has followed a lot of the BGE threads with some interest after her favouurite chef extolled its virtues.bOne may be in my future sooner than anticipated.
Randy

Here's a 10 lb butt i put on last night, set the vents to stabalize temps and woke up ot things still cruising along with a grate temp of 225. Ceramic is definately the way to go if you like both grilling and "Low and Slowing" (BBQ).

RBH

That is a fine way to wake up in the morning for sure.

Randy

Tomorrow finally! By waiting until they were having a booth at an event here in town, I saved a bunch of $$$ on delivery.

I think I see a couple of temperature probes.

Is the temp info just for your information, or can the Egg control its vents on its own to maintain a set temperature?

Just curious...

John

Nice butt!!

I did 2 yesterday that came out amazing. For you butt lovers I suggest asking the butcher for the untrimmed cryovac packers versus the ones that are trimmed and sitting in the meat counter. Costco has nice butts but they are boneless, which is a turn-off for me. Sam's always has the double packers as well as Angus packer briskets, which to me are better than the flats they sell at Costco.

Happy cooking!

Hoop