Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Food, Cooking, and Game Preparation big green egg vs. primo

are there any pros or cons when comparing these two grills
and where is the bge made as it looks like the primo is an american made product


gene

pro's their green and black...con's they cost alot....that leaves the WSM

The BGE has a lifetime guarantee not sure about the Primos. BGE was available in my area and Primos wasn't ergo I have a BGE.

BGE has been around for roughly 30 years and customer service is top notch. The most noteable difference will be dealer newtwork with BGE should you need warranty service etc.
Primos is famous for their Oval but they do make a round as well.
No matter what brand you decide once you cook on a ceramic cooker there's no going back.
You may want to look at Grill Dome also depending on where you live.

Stetson and others have pretty much nailed it. The ceramic part of BGE's are made in Mexico, last I heard metal parts were still made in the US but that could have changed by now. Both will cook very well and serve you for a long time BUT if you ever have a problem you will wish you went with the BGE

If you want a solid steel cooker try a Big steel Keg 1/2 the price and will do anything a ceramic will do . You can use and not worry about cracks, The are about 1/2 the price. Low and slow to 800 degrees. Some times they are over looked because of half price. You can go on Big steel Keg forum and see the cooks on Keg. Some cooks 18 + hours with lump left over. Something to look into.

+1 on the BIG STEEL KEG......have cooked on BGE and own a keg. Mainly due to $$$.

It's pretty much no secret on this forum that I'm a BGE fan/addict. I also will not bash or down talk the other brands as there are many cookers, ceramic and steel, lump or charcoal that will and have produced wonderful food time and time again.

I spent about six months researching cookers after having owned a Cookshack electric smoker and a really nice Weber gasser. My final choice was the BGE and after buying my first large it was clear that I had made the right choice for me.

You know where my vote goes in your quest, but I suggest you try and research a bunch of cookers on your own before buying. Good luck!!

Mike

Your right BOWNHUNR no body is saying anything about our cookers. We all have our favorites, Mine is Big Steel Keg and I just love the value , with all the extra attachments Plate setter, IQ 110, Maverick etc Its a bargon. Which one is the best will be determined to each individual.

Not baggin on steel cookers but that's simply not accurate. Ceramic cookers retain moisture and that's something that just can't be replicated in a steel cooker. There is a reason that so many who cook competitively with large metal cookers also use ceramic cookers. If you want to save $$$ the WSM's with a little extra effort can do an amazing job.

I don't know about rest of steel cookers but Big Steel Keg does retain moister. When opening the BSK caution is open about 2 " hold for few seconds before opening all the way because of steam burns. BSK holds very much moisture.

Irrespective of brand steel does not retain moisture as it is clearly non-porus. Many steel cookers can utilize different methods of retaining moisture but the result is never the same as ceramic.
If you have so much steam in any cooker you have to stand back because of "steam burns" then you are no longer smoking or slow cooking you are steaming your food. Not really what I'd want but some cookers do utilize steam to expedite the cooking process. In either event water or other liquid is often added to those units.
Ceramic and steel are simply two very different beasts that yield different results.
FWIW when you start with a fresh batch of lump charcoal in any closed cooker it's wise to burp the unit to avoid flash back but that has nothing to do with moisture retention.