Mike, you need this one.

I saw that last night while doing some research on this stuff.

My concern was with temperature control, which is done by opening and closing a lower vent and one at the top. While it can fluctuate a bit, maybe 25 degrees, apparently it does not effect the finished product. Maybe you can ask your friends whether that has been an issue.

Mike, he says that temperature control is not an issue. Once you have the vents set temperature is constant unless there is a change in conditions, ie. the wind begins gusting or stops, then the vents would need to be adjusted.

I guess it's like most things, you need to get used to it and once you do, it's not a problem. Even my gas smoker fluctuates from time to time depending on weather conditions and I have to adjust.

I emailed my friend about controlling temperature precisely using the vents, and he responded:

'Yes it can be done but it takes some attention...there is now also an

attachment for the main vent that you can purchase that makes this

practically a hands-off procedure, fanning the flames as necessary for a

stable cooking temp...hands off will cost you about $200-250'

Edit: Googled a bit, and it must be this:

http://www.thebbqguru.com/pages/Recommended-Smoker%7B47%7DGrill-Packages.html

But it sounds like you can do fine without it.

+1

Edited January 17, 201115 yr by stevieo

the egg is the tits! any other cooking device makes a mockery of the sport of cooking out of doors. it works year round rain or snow. i have been using mine for 15 years & i bought my son one when he got married & he has one he has used every night for about 10 years. it is highly recommended. turkey, slow cooked brisket, pizza with fire bricks, stone & peel. it hold moisture. steaks rule on the egg. i cook peter luger steaks in a cast iron skillet. the temp gets close to 800 degrees or more for a black & blue steak. it is easy to control temperature. just use the natural briquettes from qreen egg & an electric fire starter. get the large with a wheel set. do not get the extra large which has 50% more grilling surface. it is way too big for every night use. cheers,

Aside from the bizarre posting fail, it is good to hear from you steveio!

I love the first sentence:

"the egg is the tits"

Pro reviewers beware!

Pizza in an Egg? That's a new one on me...

stevieo! Where you been, man? Thanks for dropping by. So you like the Egg, huh?

I've seen one in the flesh at my local BBQ store and it gave me a stiffy.

I've had a Weber Smokey Mountain for a few years. This is a cheaper option. It does superb smoked pork, but takes about 20 hours to slow cook it.

The materials, quality and finish of the egg are far superior, but the Weber is an excellent entry point.

stevieo! Where you been, man? Thanks for dropping by. So you like the Egg, huh?

agile, the egg is the only way to go if you are serious about the sport of cooking out of doors. it is a worthwhile investment. it is cheap amortized over a lifetime. buy a pos every couple of years & get crap results or buy an egg for a lifetime. it is so simple to operate that the food cooks itself. put it on take it off. it even has remote control thermometer that wakes you when you are snoozing. the temperature control is simple & the food quality is beyond compare. it is a much better oven than the one in my house due to the moisture retention. cherriO

speaking of moisture retention, have you tried cooking bread in it?

speaking of moisture retention, have you tried cooking bread in it?

i have only made pizza because i detest shitty pizza. wood oven bread should be good too due to the moisture factor. i used to use three tan fire bricks from a local brickyard to make a pizza stone level with the rim so i could just use a peal to get the pizza off the stone. now, egg makes a plate lifter for plates that severs the same purpose. buy an egg baking stone & set it on top of the lifter thing & it will be at a peal off level. the temperature is easy enough to set by controlling the daisy wheel on the chimney & the damper slide at the bottom. be sure to calibrate the dial thermometer that sets in the pin hole in the front before you use it.

Smoking and wood based grilling isn't a precise thing, it's a feel thing. You control the temperature by adding more or less wood

grawk, that too. but, if you start with enough natural briquettes in an egg you can dampen the chimney daisy wheel & the bottom damper & go for a good many hours before having to add more coals & readjust the two dampers. if i need to add more coals i use one of those cans with a handle & fill it with natural briquettes & put newspaper under the coals to start them up & add from there as needed. it is not precise as you say and it is a feel thing. good smoking is an act of love & a little practice. it is not too difficult to master in short order. for me it is a lot easier than using a webber. cheers, O

Edited January 18, 201115 yr by stevieo

Hi, stevieo. Nice to see you here

Shh, if we all just stay real quiet he might not realize we're here. If he comes any closer be sure to play dead.

Shh, if we all just stay real quiet he might not realize we're here. If he comes any closer be sure to play dead.

thanks viki. nightwounds, nevermind.

Love ya, Steve.

I've been considering the Big Green Egg. What's the smallest one I should get for cooking for a family of 3? Mostly steaks and chicken.

the biggest one

I live in a shoebox. Balcony space not much better. And not to mention, I'd like to spend a wee bit less money and back pain on moving a lighter weight egg. What's the smallest usable one?

Remember, I'm only cooking for 2.5 people usually.

in that case you want the biggest one.

I think I would try not to go smaller than medium. If you go to the site and under the specs for each size egg it shows the amount of food you can cook on it at one time.