Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Food, Cooking, and Game Preparation Big Green Egg

I am in the market for a new grill. This ones promises the ability to cook low and slow as well as sear at high temps.
Does anyone own one?

Several of the members here own them, I would also like to join that group someday. Not going to happen right now though. Be patient and I am sure they will join in..

Yup. I love mine. After many years in professional kitchens I would call it the single greatest cooking tool I have ever used.
Period.
It's that good.
Depending on where you live there are other ceramic cookers to consider as well.
I can't imagine ever not having one again. I can grill in ten degree weather with the wind whipping. Smoke low and slow for 24 hours straight with out hardly touching the egg.
You can also sear a steak at uber high temps and get a real char crust just like a top quality steak house.

BWalker,
I wrote a bit about my Big Green Egg, and really can recommend it, no matter the price. If interested, see the review here:
http://hubpages.com/hub/Real-Big-Green-Egg-review

and also, there is a site with whole bunch of great pictures and recipes from Big T:
http://bigtsbge.blogspot.com/

Take a look how much effort and cooking Big T put over there

Cheers,
Rocco

how long does it take to heat that thing up to cooking temp?

B, check out the egg's forum. It is a great website. I looked long and hard before getting a new grill a few years back. At the time I had no interest in a "charcoal Grill". I googled "best grill" and came across the BGE. I was impressed by all the raving reviews from people who have owned them for years. I then researched "ceramic grills" and found primarily 3 similarly priced brands. 1. Big Green Egg, 2. Primo, 3. Grill Dome. After a lot of research I chose the Grill Dome (comes in different colors, stainless steel standard, and thicker ceramic and about $150 less than than the other two. Plus I live an hour from Atlanta so I could go get my hands on one and just picked it up.
Bottom line is that you will not go wrong with any of the big 3 ceramics. I can easily smoke a 9lb butt and 12 lb beef brisket at the same time and won't have to open it once till they're individually done. Can easily slow smoke (BBQ) for 20+ hours on one load of lump charcoal (about 4Lbs). Look at all the options and go with what works for you. They all use the same principles of smoking grilling, etc. It will be one purchase that you will NEVER regret. It will make you a "master Q'er, griller, baker (Pizza and breads, baked potatoes etc all can be done on the ceramics). I guarantee it will lead to the best food you've ever eaten. Going out for a steak will soon be, more often than not, disappointing. I can't recommend the ceramic dome grill concept highly enough. I only wish I had another one, but that will be coming before too long no doubt. There are very few things I would highly recommend as much as the Green Egg type grill. They are not cheap but worth every penny. No buyers remorse from people who get one of these, for sure.

GB In normal temps with a fresh pot of charcoal you can go from zero to 400+ in about ten minutes. The great thing about the ceramic cookers is that you can cook on them, shut them down and they go right out. You get a lot of burns from a single load of charcoal. They also reach mighty high temps if you want them to.
Fair warning. Once you eat food cooked on a ceramic cooker there is no going back.
There is a ton of info available on the forums at the BGE web site but the format is kinda odd.
You may also want to wonder around this site and check it out. Lots of great info about ceramic cookers and some great info about cooking pulled pig etc.


http://www.nakedwhiz.com/ceramic.htm

As Stetson said, it takes up to 10 minutes to bring it up to a higher temperature. May be a bit longer than a gas bbq, but if you are planning to do lot of cooking, like 4 hours run, with turkey, bread, veggies etc, you don't have to worry about reloading the charcoal. One load will go a long way.

Also, what I really like is cooking in winter. I cook even at -15C (Toronto, ON) and it works perfect.

I've got one and I LOVE it. Would recommend them very highly. Be sure to shop around on the BGE though, prices varied by as much as $300 for the same model at a couple of shops within 30 miles of each other.

I don't know about any one else but I never had a home gas grill that was up to 400 degrees plus ten minutes after lighting it on any thing but a perfect summer day. Really there is just no comparison to gas. I agree with shopping around. Prices varied by about $100 here dealer to dealer for a Large. My gas grill wouldn't even burn this time of year.

Haven't cooked in the kitchen since we got a lg BGE, except for soup and a coupla canned veggies....






Just a coupla pix to gitcha to lick yer lips!!!!!!


George

You haven't even wore the new off your egg yet and your cookin like that?
Welcome to the club but don't say I didn't warn ya.
You may never want to go to a restaurant again.

O wait. I don't want to tell people that. Don't buy buy a BGE.....They Suck.....Honest.

good pics! i don't have a bge, but would like to own one. some of them have gaskets, don't they?? how do the gaskets hold up when one is cooking steaks and such. heh, i'm a novice.

are replacement parts easy to obtain?? i know we're speaking of brand-names here, are there good clones on the market, at a fair price??

looks like a great product, for sure.

LOVE my egg!!! We cook on it several times a week, rain or shine. I start it with a 30 second blast from a MAPP gas torch and I'm cooking in 10 minutes. You will be amazed how versatile they are, you can cook anything on them. Go to the "Big Green Egg" website and find an eggtoberfest near you and put it on your calendar, lots of great food, great people and new ideas.

I just got a pizza stone and love it, pizzas and breads are out of this world!!

Starting it



30 + lbs of pig butt on a Large


crown roast


wings, bacon wrapped water melon rind & tomato pie on an XL


makes GREAT bread


Ever see a whole hog cooked on an egg???

what is the weight of that ugly beast, with his eyes open, looking around??

Gus
I've had Big Green eggs for several years now and no issues with gaskets. I sear steaks at 800F and I've run them up to over 1100F. Gaskets are readily available and I understand they are easy to change.

There are other brands out there but I can't speak to their quality or lack of. Do a search on warranty service, I hear a lot of displeasure with the warranty service on a few of the knock-offs. We do competition cook-offs and quite a few years ago I started noticing a lot of eggs showing up at events and I liked what I saw. I shopped around before I bought mine but ended up with the original Big Green Egg and have no regrets. Sure I could have saved a few bucks but the support you get from BGE and the new family (or cult :-) that you become a part of gives you instant access to 1000's of people who have "been there done that" and all are willing to share their knowledge and experience. Also accessories are endless for the BGE and if you live near an eggfest you can sign up prior to the event and get a new (cooked on once) egg with a bag of lump and an ash tool at a huge savings.

If I remember correct that beast was 62lbs, cooked at Atlanta Eggtober fest

OK you guys all offically suck because you didn't invite me over for those feasts! Very nice! That whole pig is the greatest pic yet!

good to know. i've cooked on a few Hibachi's of various flavors. and of course the old standby, a Weber, but it's quite old. newer ones are out there, just haven't visited them recently.

i like the concept of the bge. back in the day, we saw komoto? advertising. seemed good, saw it displayed at some of the home & garden shows, i beleive?

i lke the product, the price might skeer me a little? the fact it can roast a whole pig is good to know. we're overrun with pigs.

Short Answer:

All BYC competitions entered and won have been with ceramic cookers.

The BYC competition team cook trailer consists of:

5-XL BGE's
2-LG BGE's
1-MD BGE
2-Primo Oval's

Only problem with the current market offerings of ceramic cookers is that I cannot do whole hog. But then the whole hog turn in, which is what matters, will fit in a take out container. Therefore, I can cut up the whole hog before cooking and still maintain. Frankly, I believe the blind judging of whole hog is a waste. Therein remains my biggest rant with competition involving whole hog---and garnish. I mean who eats raw kelp?

All of my personal outdoor cooking is done using ceramic cookers. You name it and I can cook it using a ceramic cooker.

Should you move to a ceramic cooker? IMO yes! However, it does require a short learning curve and some patience.

Regardless of the brand----if I could only have one outdoor cooker it would be the very proven Kamado aka BGE and others.

David
Team: Backyard Club
a.k.a byc
---------------

PS--

The below is the big dog and originator of the line from thousands of years ago. Not the ones we use but definitely cool.

The Kamado.

here's the base model grill dome in action at a Birmingham BBQ competition
[img:left][/img]

here's the first place trophy for "BEEF", a beef brisket took the prize.
[img:left][/img]


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.

Which size? Guessing at that price LG or Medium. If large that's a good price for the entire package to include nest, slide top, thermometer etc. Although, you can do a little better at one of the EggFests. I do not recommend the nest but it works if you need it..

The one at Lowes was large (above the waist level for the top), on base with wheels, had a top vent in the lid, spring assisted lid hinge, and I think it had a thermometer (not well versed in these).

That's a good price then..Again I think EggFest might be a hundred or so less..

Wish there was an eggfest close to me. I want a ceramic cooker in the worst way....might have to look into what ever is available close by.

Bubba check whatever Lowes is close by. They may have bought a bunch of them from Egghead Ed and are conducting a fire sale. That Lowes $699 tag is not a bad price for the Large.

If I were closer to you I'd sell you one of mine at cost as I do not need all the ones I have. We are cutting back on competitions due to corporate responsibilities.

I am going to go have a look at this Bubba Keg tomorrow. I'll send you a PM with my thoughts..

Cool! Closest Lowes is 135 miles away! Nada!

Then dig a hole, fill it with wood, build a fire and throw on a hog. Or get one of them bubba keg things shipped to ya.

Don't know what to tell ya.

I think home Depot had the Bubba Kegs. Will check there. Thought you were talking about the BGE.......

Check on the Primo Grill dealers in your area. That's just as good a product and made in good ole Atlanta. I actually like the Oval better then the BGE.

www.primogrill.com

nada

you're a hard man to please...

The primogrills are nice looking. How do the differ from GreenEgg?

They make one that's exactly like the BGE. But they also make an oval design, which to me provides a better cooking dynamic. Otherwise, pretty much the same product with the same result.

Primo is made in the US. Atlanta to be exact. Used to be Pinehurst, NC.

Just my .02.

When you take a close look there is a pretty fair difference between the Primos oval and a BGE that extends beyond the obvious. There is a heckuva lot less dealers so they suffer the same fate as Grill Dome in that regard. Make sure you read the warranty. Primos only guaruntees the gasket for 30 days and then they have a staggered warranty. One year for the cast iron parts and five years for the metal parts. They are explicit that you pay for the freight on warranty items. No biggie on a gasket but try freighting a fire bowl.
BGE is lifetime warranty and they just ship larger items under warranty to a local dealer to save you the freight. Theres about a bazillion BGE dealers because they have been selling them since the 70's.
The other notable difference is that Primos warns against cooking with the lid open. Why does that matter? For most high temperature burns (steaks) you want the lid open.
The heat deflector plate for slow cooking is a two piece unit so probably not nearly as efficient. I considered one of these when I bought mine but it really is an odd unit with a lot less dealer support. There's a reason you see scads of eggs at competitions but only a scattering of the others.
What ever brand you choose a ceramic cooker will change the way you cook.

The BGE warranty also carries a limited warranty. Both do in fact. And BTW buying off the net voids all warranties. Important to note--

http://www.biggreenegg.com/warranty.html

First off the true value of BOTH warranties are only for the insides and not the outer domes or base. In all my years, I've replaced several BGE fire rings and fire boxes. I've had NO Primo fireboxes break, which is ONE piece versus TWO on the BGE. In all fairness, I know Primo had some problems in the beginning but once they moved manufacturing from Pinehurst to Atlanta--probems solved. Better QC before going GA.

Primo just changed their warranty to read The warranty for the Primo covers the ceramic portion of your grill for 20 years and metal parts for 5 years. Please refer to your owners manual for full details. I have not asked George but that may now include the outer parts as well, which is a good thing.

BGE has NO warranty on the Gasket and same as Primo with 5 years on band and metal parts. And if high heats are involved it's discretionary for the BGE. If you are using BGE in competitions all warranties are off. Again, I've had Primos for 8 years and never been forced to replace any parts. However George (the owner) did provide me with back-up insides in the event of breakage at a competition.


Your local BGE dealer will likely only replace a defective part ONLY if you bought from that dealer who is required to buy all parts in lots of five. Thus, rarely does he stock all parts for all sizes. Otherwise as the factory warranty states you pay freight and it is FOB manufacturer.

The indirect heat deflector works great on the Primo. I actually find it works a little better because the plate setters are farther away from the meat so thus, less dryness. But then you'd have to own one to know that. The plate setter on the XL drives me nuts because there is NO grate clearance.

Said it before if you want "uber high" temps for steaks just move the grate closer to the fire and save your investment.

Guys, I have several of both and visit both corporate stores on average every couple of months. At the very least every time I go to Atlanta as both are there. Having said this I've had NO Customer Sat issues from either. If anything I get more push back from field BGE dealers than Primo field dealers. Simply put there stance is if you did not buy it here then call corporate. Go ask Lowe's for a replacement fire ring for the BGE. I'd be curious to know the outcome.

Bottom line -- I am sold on both products. They cook the same so go for design because customer service will provide about the same experience. BGE does have have more dealers BUT it does mean better field service.

Lastly, there are forums for both products and companies. BGE will NOT allow you to ask about competition. Primo welcomes it.

http://www.thesmokering.com/forum/index.php is also a great place to take an independent poll.

Primo is made in the USA---BGE Mexico.

Go USA!

I agree! BGE has a LOT more dealers and as you say that can equal better field service. Like any product service is only as good as the individual dealer. BGE is at nearly every competition and available all across the country. One things for sure. No local dealer = limited service. As I said earlier I think all ceramic cookers are pretty darn sweet. It's just a matter of sorting out which brand is best for you.
The Ceramic on the BGE is made in Mexico. The ceramic on a Grill Dome is made in India. Whoopie. There is a difference between made in the USA and assembled in the USA. Some companies get real sneaky with their marketing.
My John Deere says made in the USA but the simple truth is that it was "made" in Japan and assembled in GA. However JD, BGE, GD and Primos are all American companies. We live in a Global society and just about any product today has parts made in some other country irrespective of the marketing sound bytes.
I like to buy American as much as the next guy but quality comes in to play as well. In that regard GD ceramic would get my nod. Why? India has been making ceramic Tandoori ovens for eons. They are experts at it.
The BGE has a lifetime warranty except the metal bands.
That includes the dome and base as it should. Any ceramic cooker can warp. The Primos warranty excludes high heat cooking and cooking with the lid open at any temperature! BGE does not void the warranty for high temperature burns or cooking with the lid open. That's a major difference. IMO the Primos warranty negates one of THE best features of most ceramic cookers.
What you can't do with any ceramic cooker is run a high temperature then spray the outside of the ceramic with chemicals (grill cleaner, oven cleaner etc) or water and get it replaced because the paint is crazed.







My experience is a bit different. If you need a large item like a firebox replaced from BGE they send it to any local dealer where you can pick it up. No freight charge. Small items like gaskets are shipped direct and there is no charge but I'm sure that BGE does a little CYA in their warranty just like every one else. You do not have to get warranty service from the same dealer you purchased your BGE from. Your warranty is not voided if you happen to move to another state. (LOL) For any of this to be an option with Primos or GD you actually have to have a local dealer.
Any one considering one of these brands may want to give that some careful thought. I know some folks have things never fail or need warranty parts but think about it;





If Primos fire boxes didn't break just like every other brand from time to time then they wouldn't be sending out back up parts. The firebowl on the BGE is one piece. The fire ring sets on top. Primos has multiple pieces as well but they call the fire box itself one piece. That's just slick marketing.
BGE does replace the gaskets irrespective of the written warranty. I can tell you that from personal experience. Mine was replaced after it was over a year old and I was even given the choice between a standard or a high temperature nomex gasket. Yup, you read that right.....a high temperature gasket for searing steaks with an OEM blessing instead of a warning that I would void my warranty! Primos explicitly excludes their gasket after 30 days.
Spend some time in the BGE forums. No they don't allow talk about the competition which is unfortunate considering the mileage GD got out of that but many forums don't allow OT chatter.

http://www.eggheadforum.com/index.p...;Itemid=112&func=showcat&catid=1






Lowes is not an authorized BGE dealer nor is any big box store. AFAIK Lowes does not sell BGE. Lowes sells some no name knock off cooker that runs around $800. That's about $100 less than a BGE of the same size depending on how you set it up. So no, I don't think Lowes will be getting you a replacement BGE fire ring any time soon.

As stated I own, use and like both the Primo as well as the BGE. As for Grill Dome or Bubba Keg I have NO first-hand knowledge of either.

High praise for both Primo and BGE as it relates to customer satisfaction and the integrity of both BGE and Primo Limited Warranties. And no issues here with open grilling using the Primo or the BGE.

As for where they are made. I've seen the Primo production line to include the numerous kilns they use to fire up the products. They are made, manufactured and assembled in the US. Much due diligence was performed on my part around both companies for reasons that I will not disclose. But I have seen the insides of BOTH companies.

And yes visit both forums and if lucky you might just find a unbiased side-by-side comparison like the one below. You may have to register to use the forum but no biggie. You will also learn that many people like me, have both designs giving them the first hand knowledge to speak intelligently towards the pros and cons of both companies and their respective products.

http://primogrillforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5548&highlight=warranty

You cannot go wrong with either cooker or company. Pick the design (Oval versus Round) that works best for whomever and get on-board.

Happy Cooking!

David

"You cannot go wrong with either cooker or company"

Yup. Once you get past any of the nit picking nuances between BGE, Primos or GD you would be hard pressed to make a poor choice. At some point ya just gotta take the plunge. Once you do you won't ever look back except to wonder how you ever got by with out one.

You will also learn that many people like me, have both designs giving them the first hand knowledge to speak intelligently towards the pros and cons of both companies and their respective products.

byc,

Thanks for sharing your first hand with BOTH grills! Opened my eyes to the Primo. I'm a buy American type, and the fact that BGE cheaps out by producing what is basically the heart of their product in Mexico, puts me off. There's actually a Primo dealer in Anchorage, and I'll be looking them up.

Thanks,

Jeff

I am not saying that Lowe's is not carrying the BGE BUT I'd be sure before I made the leap. I'm seeing on other forums that the product Lowe's is carrying may NOT in fact be a BGE but rather a cooker that simply resembles the BGE. It's also posted that the first batch were bad and that the cooker may contain some questionable lead ingredients. Seems to be The Bayou Classic version of the BGE.

http://www.thesmokering.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=366668&sid=ad37d5eeeaad6b9170c83b4eb9a20862

Lastly, I just noticed that the BGE now has a LIMITED Lifetime Warranty. I'm not a Lawyer but I believe that in most states that only limits the warranty to a 7.5 year term. I was informed that this is why Primo actually went to and publicly states that their warranty is 20 years. Primo believes their 20 Warranty is the best offered. Having said this I doubt BGE would cut folks off after 7.5 years but it's worth the ask. I know it's something that I'm now curious to learn more about.

Just more info to help you along with whatever cooker you decide on. Again, I've had no customer sat issues with either company.

"Primo believes their 20 Warranty is the best offered"


Well of course they do. Do you expect them to say their warranty sucks? BGE and others will say the same about their warranty as well.
All of these companies offer LIMITED warranties.
BGE is Lifetime.
Primos is 20 years.
AFAIK a limited warranty is one with restrictions. IE no gasket replacement. No warranty on Primos if you grill with it
(cook with the lid open at any temperature). No warranty on crazing etc.
BGE has been around for over 30 years and they still honor their warranty and even replace gaskets.
IMO a long proven track record is hard to beat but I have heard some pretty out standing examples of customer service from Grill Dome as well.

BGE is LIMITED Lifetime.

I'm told that once they post that then they can use the term lifetime but always fall back on the limited lifetime if so desired. Again, in most states that's 7.5 years.

http://www.biggreenegg.com/warranty.html

I will be in Atlanta next week and will find out firsthand from the Mothership herself.

"Again, in most states that's 7.5 years"

Not sure where the confusion is but all of these companies have limied warranties. However the BGE warranty is excplicit;

"Big Green Egg carries a lifetime Warranty to the original purchaser"


http://www.biggreenegg.com/warranty.html

That's lifetime. Not 7.5 years. Since Primos for some reason doesn't post their warranty on their website like GD and BGE here is a copy from the owners manual and you will find the words limited lifetime in it just like BGE.




Primo Grills and Smokers Warranty
Creative Ceramic Technologies, Inc. (CCT) warrants to the original purchaser of this
Primo grill and smoker that it is free of defects in material and workmanship at the date of
purchase for the following periods:
� Twenty (20) years for all ceramic parts
� Five (5) years for all metal parts (excluding cast-iron parts)
� One (1) year for all cast-iron parts
� Thirty (30) days on thermometers and felt gaskets
This warranty shall be limited to the repair or replacement of any part(s) which, under
normal use, Primo determines, after reasonable examination, to be defective. In order to
invoke this Warranty, Purchaser shall ship all defective parts at his/her expense to:Primo Grills and Smokers
Primo shall replace parts found defective as provided above with equivalent parts and
shall ship such parts at the Purchaser�s expense to the Purchaser�s designated shipping
address.
THIS LIMITED WARRANTY SHALL NOT COVER THE FOLLOWING:
Any damage, failure, or operating difficulties caused by accident, abuse, misuse,
alteration, misapplication, vandalism, improper installation or improper maintenance;
cracks or chips in the exterior glazing after delivery to an authorized Primo dealer or
distributor; damage or failure caused by tampering with or altering the original Primo
design, except when directed or authorized by CCT; damage or failure caused by
Purchaser�s failure to follow federal, national, state, city or county building and fire codes.
TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PROVIDED BY STATE AND FEDERAL LAW, THIS
LIMITED LIFETIME WARRANTY IS IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES,
EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AND SPECIFICALLY EXCLUDES THE FOLLOWING:
� WARRANTY TO ANYONE OTHER THAN THE ORIGINAL
PURCHASER;
� WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A
PARTICULAR PURPOSE;
� ANY AND ALL LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL OR
CONSEQUENCIAL DAMAGES, EXCEPT WHERE SUCH EXCLUSION
IS EXPRESSLY PROHIBITED BY LAWS OF THE STATE OR THE
ORIGINAL PURCHASER�S RESIDENCE.

I'll get back to you with a VERY definitive description of what is fact.

Frankly, I've more to lose here than you so I will be accurate versus second guessing.

Regards---David

"I will be accurate versus second guessing"
"I have several of both and visit both corporate stores on average every couple of months"
"I just noticed that the BGE now has a LIMITED Lifetime Warranty"

Your starting to show your true colors Amigo. Your "facts" have been a lot less than accurate so far.
Suggesting a company sucks because you can't get warranty parts from Lowes when all they sell is some defective no-name knock off is a classic example.
Any one can plainly see both companies use the words Limited warranty. That's not subject to interpretation nor is the fact that any one can contact these companies directly and ask for themselves.
I would suggest any one interested in a ceramic cooker go to the respective brand forums for feed back from other owners who have had actually had warranty service.
Ask how long each company has been around and if they have ever changed their warranty.
Putting the thread back on topic there is a BIG difference between GD or BGE VS Primos in the fact that one brand can not be used to grill with the dome open with out voiding the warranty.
Opining about another brand won't change that.

"the whole hog turn in, which is what matters, will fit in a take out container. Therefore, I can cut up the whole hog before cooking and still maintain."

Just out of idle curiosity what sanctioned event are you cooking in that allows you to cut up a whole hog before cooking?



"I've more to lose here than you"

Really? I rather doubt you have any idea about what I have to lose, or gain.
In either event according to you BGE warranties are voided if you use their product to compete.
If we take you at your word then it appears that you really have nothing to lose at all.


"If you are using BGE in competitions all warranties are off."

Well, none of these ovens are gonna be a warranty problem for me......

"If you are using BGE in competitions all warranties are off."

News to me!! They KNOW I compete and encorage it, same with lots of my cooking buddies. Never heard of anyone who competes having any issues with warranties

Party pooper.

News to you and I both. Especially when BGE attends just about every major event and even supplies some teams with loaners etc. All I can say is BGE has treated me right.

On edit; I just pulled a plate of Porterhouse Berkshire chops from the BGE. It's over 40 here today. Now I just gotta wait till dinner time......maybe.

Man, you guys are sure passionate about this high-falutin' barbecue!

Makes me want to get one -- gotta be a basis for that kind of feeling! I can't find any reports of folks who tried one and did not like it... a lot.

On my next trip to the US, I may try to find one of these Eggfests to taste what all the fuss is about!

John (in Sweden, where I do not think BGE's are to be found)

John
Let me know when you come and where you are going to be, shouldn't be hard to tap into the network and arrange a taste for you. I know there use to be an eggfest in the Netherlands (if I remember my geography that's quite a few miles south of you) there may be one in Sweden, go to the BGE forum and type in your location for closest dealer.

John,

They're over there. Just hit the classifieds. Although, they do look a little nukish so your Customs might be blocking entry.

Call the Mother Ship in Atlanta. (770) 938-9394. Good guys!!

Also, I've seen You Tube clips from across the pond. EMEA Eggers know what they're doing!

Happy Cookin'

David

duxndogs and byc:

Many thanks! This thread (and a few others) has really piqued my curiosity. Heck, before this I did not even know that there were such cooking competitions (I guess I have lead a sheltered life!).

...and, byc, from the pictures, I can see what you mean about looking like some sort of nuke. I am picturing Swen the custom's guy trying to figure it out!

John

Really? A pissing match over the warranty on a bbq? Time to push away boys.

I dunno...

It is at least up there with debating the importance of 0.024 of an inch (.308 vs 7mm)...

John

I don't care which one at this point but I just have to have me a ceramic cooker!

Any one catch the BGE's in the newest Dizzy Pig Newsletter? I've got a couple of Berkshire shoulders thawing in the sink now. Nothing butt clear skies and temps over 40 for the next few days!

Just to validate your desire here's the last boston butt I smoked, great pulled pork for dinner and left overs for a week.
[img:left]http://[/img]

Not fair!

Sandwich time!

What is that? Brisket?

Berkshire pork shoulder that's about 2B pulled pig.

1/2 of a 13.5 lb brisket on and smoking at 220 for tomorrow night's dinner. The whole brisket was just way too much meat for my family of 6 (inlaws in town). Just cooking most of the flat. We'll see how it turns out. Hopefully pics to follow

If it's a flat you may want to consider foil wrap at or around 160 internal temp. Packers I never wrap but a flat will go dry on you during that final temp climb.

Thinking I need to run to Sam's and grab a packer----perfect weather for it!

Sorry, forgot to get pics before eating. Put it on at 1 am and pulled it off at 5:30 pm. Smoked at 220, but had an interesting experience. It seemed to get to 195 and stay there for about 3 hours till I finally pulled it off. I did foil once it hit about 170 and added some beef broth, injecting some into the meat itself and adding about 1/4th can inside the foil. Turned out very moist and relatively tender. It was a "select" black angus brisket, so I could have gone for a better quality meat. I'm just wondering if the broth injected kept it from climbing to the 200 degree mark. Wife thought it was just a little too smokey on the thinner end of the flat. Wondering how it would turn out if I didn't add any wood for smoke. Overall it turned out to be an "8.5" out of 10 in comparison to the best I've done. Still very good, just not "perfect".

8.5 is respectable. I would likely have pulled it at the 190-195 mark. Some will say pull at 185 and others 200. Mostly, I go with the fork twist test.

I'm doing one tonight..