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here's the base model grill dome in action at a Birmingham BBQ competition
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here's the first place trophy for "BEEF", a beef brisket took the prize.
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Go with a ceramic dome cooker and never look back. You will only consider price at the time you purchase. After you get it and learn how to cook with it, you'll never think about how much you paid for it but rather how great the food is every time you cook with it.

Actually, they're pretty cheap......about 1/3 of a real pit.

They beat gas grills.

Congrats guys! Winning makes it all worthwhile. Maybe we'll see on the circuit!

All BGE's have a gasket. There are two types. A standard gasket and a high temp nomex gasket which AFAIK is standard now. I burned up the first standard gasket in about a year with a lot of high temp (1,000 degree) burns for steaks. They are very easy to replace and cheap. A year seems to be about the norm for that type of gasket for those who use them a LOT. You can get parts for BGE on eBay and there are about a bazillion dealers. Be careful with other brands as some have very few dealers. I replaced my gasket with a Nomex one and after several months it still looks new. In the end how long a gasket will last is going to depend on how well you take care of it by keeping down flash backs and how many high temp burns you have.
OTOH some folks just take the gasket right out and never use one.
I know BYC put up that Kamado picture because it looks cool but that is a brand you need to avoid like the plague. AFAIK Kamado just means stove so don't confuse all Kamado style ceramic cookers with the Kamado brand. The Kamado brand product in that photo is an example of exactly what you don't want. They have been investigated for fraud, have a ton of problems (tiles pop off etc) and the company refuses warranty work. They even have a dedicated fraud form.

http://www.kamadofraudforum.org/

They should not be confused the Komodo kamado with is an excellent cooker but about 3x as much as a BGE.

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/productreviews/komodokamado/kk.htm

You have to appreciate the humor of putting Miss piggy's ankles up over her ears!

Stetson,

I'm assuming by "uber high" you're talking 850 degrees plus? How long does it take to cook say a 1 1/2" thick rib-eye to rare or medium rare? It can't be long?

Mike

Bowhunr

We typically sear at between 750 and 800 for about 1.5 minutes per side them pull them and finish off at 400F to desired doneness which for me is medium rare and takes about an additional 4-5 minutes. Check out this link for a step-by-step with pics

http://nakedwhiz.com/trexsteak.htm

Thanx dux.

Mike

OK Dux----The piggly wiggly on the BGE is just down right silly sick. Gonna' have to try that. Been using a La Caja China for whole hog but I have to say that is very creative. I'm impressed!!

For you cookers worried about torching the gasket I suggest the Rutland industrial gasket. That's what I have on all of mine. Just like the one around your oven door. I removed the tension springs on all XL's as it lets in air thus fueling the fire and getting too hot. The heavy duty gasket breaks the fall of the top and on the XL's, which can be some serious up and down weight.

I also trashed the small wheels on the XL nest and went with heavy duty inflatables. Required a little welding of the nest but well worth it as we off-load ours every other week or so. I'll try and dig up some pics.

I don't think I've ever gone over 550F, but your flame and steak look good

Here are some of my pics:
http://hubpages.com/hub/Real-Big-Green-Egg-review

Frankly, no need to. Just get a smaller rack and place it closer to the fire at 500-550. Same result and you don't torch the gasket. You can also remove the fire ring to move closer to the flame. If you are looking for some aftermarket accessories this fellow makes some neat stuff.

Ceramic Grill Store

I rarely do rib eyes but with their fat content it would be lickity split (5 minutes give or take) plus time to rest. When I do 3 pound dry aged Porterhouses they take about 10-15 minutes. After they are seared I close the vents and the lid to let a little smoke penetrate them for another ten minutes. When you use this method you have to be careful to buuuuurp the egg when you open it back up or you can get a flashback. The good news is once you make that error you probably won't do it again!
You need a high temperature to sear a steak and develop a nice char crust on a steak. The difference is night and day in the end product. As others said there are after market products like the spyder that allows you to use a smaller grate and get your product very close to the charcoal. For steaks dome temperature is irrelevant. What you want to focus on is the grate temperature. In a professional kitchen we use infra-red broilers that can hit 1850 in about two minutes flat and that is what you are trying to mimick. Not ever burning at a high temp on a BGE is like owning a Ferrari and never going over 25 mph. Lump charcoal burns between 900-1200 degrees depending on the brand. High temperature cooking is one of the primary benefits of using a ceramic cooker and lump charcoal.
No need to sweat the gasket bit. They are easy to replace and the nomex gasket is holding up well. I would use caution with some of the other gaskets out there as they may be made from fiberglass. I'm not sure I would want to take the chance of getting any fibers on food I would serve to a guest.



http://www.ceramicgrillstore.com/ce...mp;view=article&id=45&Itemid=229

If you are going to take a ceramic cooker to those kinds of "uber" temperatures then PLEASE PLEASE become familiar with the dangers of flashback. It will torch your whole head. I've seen pictures of folks whose entire hair was burned completely off.

Seriously. Learn how to avoid this costly error before going there.

FLASHBACK-WHIZ

And watch this video as evidence.

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/flash.htm#movie

Bottom line be careful and learn how to work the air vents before opening the dome. Open both vents for at least 10 seconds before lifting the dome and even then do NOT stand over the fire.

wow, you are right... thanks for this video! i usually let it burp, but at way smaller temperature. This is insane for us, regular users. I think I got a much smaller ceramic plate and that's why I never put it on the fire. Will have to go and buy the XL stone.

Btw, what temperature you have for burgers (lo or high), and any good juicy burger recipe?

'nother for teasin purposes.......




George

How come there's no mudd buggs on that plate?

I know these things have to be in a cradle of some kind but are they safe on a wood deck or should they be used on a patio only?

Thanks,

Elwood

You can safely use them on a deck but wind can mean blowing embers with any charcoal grill. When you buy a BGE you have a few options. Get the nest or use a bench etc to hold the egg off the ground or use it on three little ceramic feet that come with the egg. The feet only lift it about 1/2" off the ground. I would never use a BGE on a wood deck with just the feet. Most dealers put together a kit that has the Nest, tables, Egg, etc so you walk out the door with every thing you need. Mine is on a wood deck in the nest. I'm more comfortable with it than I was with my old gas grill.

The 3 little feet will last about as long as you would expect them to. I agree with the table. You can even customize to your needs and wants. About a gazillion examples shown here:

http://www.nakedwhiz.com/TableGallery/tables.htm?I1

I use a large landscaping brick stone underneath mine.

Need plans for the build?
http://www.nakedwhiz.com/cart.htm

I'm telling you guys. This style of cooking and being a true Egghead is as much a cult as anything you've encountered. Just take a look at their forums.

Lowe's is selling Big Green Eggs for $699. Was just wandering through this morning, noticed a huge one, on wheels, etc.