Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Big Green Egg Smokers

I have 3 plus a gas grill.

Go to the BGE website and there is a good forum there. Very helpful and engaged community.

BGE Strengths
-versatile. you can cook any on it because of the usable, controllable heat range.
-225-275 is easy to hold for hours unattended with no gizmos or futzing. Very spartan 2 vents and your judgement.
-cooks slow ribs, brisket, pork butt are outstanding.
-cooks steaks fast unreal. You can get 6-700 degress and put a steakhouse char on it
-no better way to cook salmon. dry wood chips over lump. 250
-chicken is moist. there is a signature spatchcock method for the BGE that some swear by
-you can set a wok on it and do true stirfry at home with proper heat required
-smash burgers on a cast iron

very economical with charcoal as you snuff it out by shutting off the oxygen after a cook. Reuse for next cook.
ash is less with lump.
lots of accessories and after market if you want to explore the perfect options

well made with good customer support. you are now in say gen 5 and they have perfected any early kinks since 1970 or so

weaknesses
-pizza is very good but a bit finicky and uses a lot of charcoal.
-for baking i do not recommend unlesss you like everything smoky

Is it worth 700-1000. Yes, absolutely. My advice is a Large, even if you are just a couple.

4 pages and no mention of a PK grill....

Now that's one I never saw the allure to - seems to be important to dudes who only grill steaks tho.

Checking on it and drinking beer all night is the fun part.

I'm with you. You apparently have "no chance" in a SCA (Steak Cookoff Association) competition unless you're cooking on a PK.
OG PK = $375 and 305 sq in.
PK 360 = $800 and 360 sq in.
Weber 22 Kettle Premium = $175 and 363 sq in. (and much better ash mgmt system)

Aaron Franklin came out with a book a couple years ago where he dissed kamados and kettles for steak, and touted the PK's. He has a cult following, and I'm sure that generated some of the buzz.

trick to a great steak is a good cut of meat, salt and pepper, and a hot fire. Shouldn't matter what it is cooked on, heck, its not on there for 10min at most depending on the cut.

Don't need one !

Bases covered !

Options !

You're welcome !

I beer-canned a chicken on the egg last night. Got the coals going good then threw in the diffuser and put the chicken on the grate. Cut the air down to keep temp under 300 making copious smoke for ~45min or so. Took ~90min for a 5# bird. The skin was caramelized and crisp, the meat was juicy, tender, and delicious. When I pulled the chicken off, I opened the air back up and burned off the drippings.

Whole muscle venison roasts on the egg are a real treat. Coat the roast in either melted butter or olive oil and your favorite seasonings. Sear @ 550-600 for ~2Min/side then cut the air down to almost nil. Add a meat thermometer. Now, leave the damned top shut. Let the meat bathe in smoke until it's ~120 on the temp-probe. Pull it off, tent it under foil for ~10Min, slice and enjoy.

How hot has anyone gotten an egg?

Over-ranged my thermometer but I’d say at least 900.

LOL! The best goose I ever had was chunks of breast meat cooked by throwing it on top of a pile of hay and lighting it!