Why buy an egg?

[Ross812]

I think the advantage of a kamado is being able to retain heat for long cooks. In my opinion, unless you are smoking something for more than 4 hours regularly, a Weber 22" kettle with a slow'n sear will produce the same result. Pellet grills are nice because they take the guess work/skill out of grilling and let you easily set an maintain a temperature.  

[Paarslaars]

20 minutes ago, Castanza said:

Do you prefer your carcinogens in liquid or solid form 

 

If you're smoking, they'll always be there.  

[rkbabang]

On 7/22/2023 at 3:38 PM, Gamecock-YT said:

a sous vide will get you 80% of the the way there for 5-10% of the cost depending how fancy a setup you want

 

 

Absolutely.

 

I use my sous vide circulator 1-3x per week.  After I'm done getting it to the correct internal temperature I either sear it in a hot pan with a little bacon grease, or with my torch ( https://www.etsy.com/listing/918859663/culinary-cooking-torch-searing-sous-vide ), or my 1500 degree F infrared searer (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089Y1HXSF).

 

 

[CassiusKing1]

I'll be they odd guy out here.  I own both an XL Egg and a Mini Max Egg and enjoy both of them.

XL Egg was my first and is perfect for big smokes.  Smoked six pork shoulders overnight for a family graduation party.  Brisket, ribs, etc.  It's really stupid easy to use once you get used to it.  Once it's going, doesn't have to be touched, holds temp all day.

I got the Mini Max for quick steak/chicken cooks for the wife and I.  Plus I can take it to the lake with us.

It's easy to cook and smoke on and the food turns out moist and very good.

It's not for the cook with no patience though.  If you're used to turning a propane knob and pushing a button to get a grill started this is completely different.  Takes a little time for it to come to temp before it's ready to go.

I thoroughly enjoy mine and would replace them if needed.  YMMV.

[John Hjorth]

Thank you very much to all participants so far in this topic for your contributions. Your posts are the contrary to scaring me away from these products! 

 

Interesting read across cultures, I think!

 

-Please keep them coming, thank you!

Edited July 24, 2023 by John Hjorth

[bizaro86]

2 hours ago, Castanza said:

 

One of the biggest things people do wrong with any meat (steak, ribs, brisket etc.) is not letting them come to room temp before cooking. You can make solid ribs in your oven in about 2 hours.

 

 

 

 

There is plenty of science based evidence that the above doesn't matter. Meat at fridge temp is fine.

 

See:

https://www.seriouseats.com/old-wives-tales-about-cooking-steak#toc-myth-1-you-should-let-a-thick-steak-rest-at-room-temperature-before-you-cook-it

 

And

 

https://amazingribs.com/technique-and-science/myths/let-meat-come-to-room-temp/

 

 

[LC]

I hate clutter so I try to use the same device for as many things as possible. I make montreal smoked meat one or twice per year and just smoke it in my grill...wood on the burner, pan of water next to it, and meat next to that. This is the recipe I used this past time:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZuCr-YxfGSY

 

 

I use the same torch for searing food as I do for sweating copper pipes

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Bernzomatic-Trigger-Ignition-Start-Blow-Torch-Kit-with-14-1-oz-Handheld-Propane-Gas-Cylinder-and-Adjustable-Flame-333084/202539561

 

 

[Saluki]

If you love grilling, get it, you can afford it.  My dad has a "quincho" which is like a covered gazebo with a special large charcoal pit for grilling, where the grill can go up and down with a winch (?).  I'm sure it costs more than an Egg, and he loves it.  

 

I'm sure the people who buy these, are in two camps.  People who love old school grilling and people who want to show off.  I see the same phenomenom everywhere.  In jiu jitsu, a common brand of uniform is Fuji (like the Honda Civic of BJJ Gis). It's $80, and people usually have several because they take a couple of days to air dry.  There are several "high end" brands like Shoyoroll which are $350.  And there are some minor things that people love about them (the inside of the collar is foam, not cotton, so it dries faster; it has a liner on the inside which makes it less harsh on your skin etc.). And the people who buy them either train everyday and are really good, or they are the people who have a lot of money. If you have ten Shoyorolls, that's the price of a used car.  

 

When I sold cameras, a lot of people bought Nikon SLR cameras. Some where professionals who appreciated that it had metal everywhere vs brands like Canon where the flange that attaches to lens is plastic. Other people had no business buying an SLR but they bought it because it was a signaling device.  

 

So I don't know which camp everyone is in, but if it makes your grilling experience more enjoyable, even if you are grilling alone, then go for it.  I'm not the ideal customer. I used to have a charcoal BBQ and I enjoyed the process but eventually switched to propane b/c it's just so much easier. But I have friends who have smokers and will cook something for hours and I love being invited over when they do. 

[Castanza]

46 minutes ago, bizaro86 said:

 

There is plenty of science based evidence that the above doesn't matter. Meat at fridge temp is fine.

 

See:

https://www.seriouseats.com/old-wives-tales-about-cooking-steak#toc-myth-1-you-should-let-a-thick-steak-rest-at-room-temperature-before-you-cook-it

 

And

 

https://amazingribs.com/technique-and-science/myths/let-meat-come-to-room-temp/

 

 

 

That SeriousEats article It says searing steaks doesn't actually hold in juice, also says you can cut right into them without letting them rest....Hell even the test kitchen did a cooked from frozen steak and it had less gray banding than one at fridge temp. But the reality is, you don't see any chefs not searing theirs steaks and you definitely don't see them cooking steaks from frozen.....idk about that haha

 

I consider fully thawed and in the fridge to be basically "room temp" from a food safety standpoint. Usually I get it out of the fridge and let it sit about 20min which brings the temp down maybe a handful of degrees. It is an interesting discussion though and you can certainly find articles justifying either or! Different strokes for different folks!  

 

I'd rather copy Bourdain, Weissman, Ramsay or Alton  than AmericasTestKitchen though....

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmC9SmCBUj4

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdHE2zgSaxU

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4aI_O8kcN8

 

Edited July 24, 2023 by Castanza

[bizaro86]

2 hours ago, Castanza said:

 

That SeriousEats article It says searing steaks doesn't actually hold in juice, also says you can cut right into them without letting them rest....Hell even the test kitchen did a cooked from frozen steak and it had less gray banding than one at fridge temp. But the reality is, you don't see any chefs not searing theirs steaks and you definitely don't see them cooking steaks from frozen.....idk about that haha

 

I consider fully thawed and in the fridge to be basically "room temp" from a food safety standpoint. Usually I get it out of the fridge and let it sit about 20min which brings the temp down maybe a handful of degrees. It is an interesting discussion though and you can certainly find articles justifying either or! Different strokes for different folks!  

 

I'd rather copy Bourdain, Weissman, Ramsay or Alton  than AmericasTestKitchen though....

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmC9SmCBUj4

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SdHE2zgSaxU

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4aI_O8kcN8

 

 

If you're talking frozen meat I agree it needs to be thawed before you cook it. But if you're looking for top quality food I also recommend cooking from fresh, un-frozen meat.

 

If you are storing fresh meat in the fridge letting it rest at room temperature makes no appreciable difference. It's one of those things people do because that's how they were taught, not because it helps.

 

On searing: serious eats is correct that it doesn't hold in juices. You can prove it by cooking 2 steaks, searing one and seeing the mass % shrinkage on both. It won't make a difference. That doesn't mean searing isn't awesome though. You need the high temp Maillard reactions for top quality grilled food. 

 

I read the piece again - it doesn't say not to rest meat after cooking (which you should do to let the juice reincorporate back into the meat as it cools) it says there's no need to rest BEFORE cooking.

 

There are a few bits about how you only lose juices around the cut area when you cut a steak, which is true but silly. Check doneness with a thermometer not a knife and your eyes. We're dealing with science here!

 

[bizaro86]

3 hours ago, Saluki said:

If you love grilling, get it, you can afford it.  My dad has a "quincho" which is like a covered gazebo with a special large charcoal pit for grilling, where the grill can go up and down with a winch (?).  I'm sure it costs more than an Egg, and he loves it.  

 

I'm sure the people who buy these, are in two camps.  People who love old school grilling and people who want to show off.  I see the same phenomenom everywhere.  In jiu jitsu, a common brand of uniform is Fuji (like the Honda Civic of BJJ Gis). It's $80, and people usually have several because they take a couple of days to air dry.  There are several "high end" brands like Shoyoroll which are $350.  And there are some minor things that people love about them (the inside of the collar is foam, not cotton, so it dries faster; it has a liner on the inside which makes it less harsh on your skin etc.). And the people who buy them either train everyday and are really good, or they are the people who have a lot of money. If you have ten Shoyorolls, that's the price of a used car.  

 

When I sold cameras, a lot of people bought Nikon SLR cameras. Some where professionals who appreciated that it had metal everywhere vs brands like Canon where the flange that attaches to lens is plastic. Other people had no business buying an SLR but they bought it because it was a signaling device.  

 

So I don't know which camp everyone is in, but if it makes your grilling experience more enjoyable, even if you are grilling alone, then go for it.  I'm not the ideal customer. I used to have a charcoal BBQ and I enjoyed the process but eventually switched to propane b/c it's just so much easier. But I have friends who have smokers and will cook something for hours and I love being invited over when they do. 

 

Great post. If you're truly going to use it and love grilling stuff, then definitely get it.

 

I love cooking outdoors. I smoke pork shoulders in the winter here even if it's -15C. I have multiple a searing nat gas grill and a pellet smoker, plus a charcoal smoker at my father-in-laws cabin. 

 

But I take pictures for functional memory making reasons, and my phone is fine for that. And I exercise for not-dying purposes, so the gym shorts I bought at Ross 10 years ago are fine for that. 

 

You need to decide whether this is something that's important to you or not. The egg is a perfectly excellent product- but in and of itself it won't make you enjoy grilling/smoking if you don't already. 

[Parsad]

8 hours ago, Castanza said:

 

One of the biggest things people do wrong with any meat (steak, ribs, brisket etc.) is not letting them come to room temp before cooking. You can make solid ribs in your oven in about 2 hours.

 

I do this all winter long if it's crappy outside and don't want to deal with the grill.

 

Baby Back Ribs

- Pre-heat oven 350

- Dab ribs dry with paper towels

- Lightly rub with honey, mustard, or olive oil

- Dry rub seasoning

- Put on cookie sheet lined with foil and bake for 1:45-2hrs pending rack size

 

- Pull ribs out and up the temp to 450

- Move ribs to a fresh cookie sheet with new foil

- Sauce the ribs

- 5-10min

 

- Broil 2-3

 

Less time is better and minimal sauce is better for oven ribs. Not a true sub for a smoker, but sometimes good enough is better.

 

 

 

Beautiful ribs!  You know what you are doing.  Cheers!

[Parsad]

5 hours ago, bizaro86 said:

 

There is plenty of science based evidence that the above doesn't matter. Meat at fridge temp is fine.

 

See:

https://www.seriouseats.com/old-wives-tales-about-cooking-steak#toc-myth-1-you-should-let-a-thick-steak-rest-at-room-temperature-before-you-cook-it

 

And

 

https://amazingribs.com/technique-and-science/myths/let-meat-come-to-room-temp/

 

 

 

It's not so much how they cook, but how the seasoning adheres to the meat.  If you apply any seasoning or rub to half-frozen ribs, it won't stick or penetrate the surface to create the lovely bark.  Same with plain old salt and pepper on a steak.  

 

Now letting meat rest after cooking?  That's an absolute.  Tent foil and tea towels should cover the turkey, roast, rack of ribs, whatever.  That reduces the amount of juices that would be lost if you cut into the protein right away.  Cheers!

[Parsad]

2 hours ago, bizaro86 said:

 

If you're talking frozen meat I agree it needs to be thawed before you cook it. But if you're looking for top quality food I also recommend cooking from fresh, un-frozen meat.

 

If you are storing fresh meat in the fridge letting it rest at room temperature makes no appreciable difference. It's one of those things people do because that's how they were taught, not because it helps.

 

On searing: serious eats is correct that it doesn't hold in juices. You can prove it by cooking 2 steaks, searing one and seeing the mass % shrinkage on both. It won't make a difference. That doesn't mean searing isn't awesome though. You need the high temp Maillard reactions for top quality grilled food. 

 

I read the piece again - it doesn't say not to rest meat after cooking (which you should do to let the juice reincorporate back into the meat as it cools) it says there's no need to rest BEFORE cooking.

 

There are a few bits about how you only lose juices around the cut area when you cut a steak, which is true but silly. Check doneness with a thermometer not a knife and your eyes. We're dealing with science here!

 

 

Searing won't stop the juices from coming out, but it does reduce the amount of juice lost.  The caramelization from searing is what provides that fantastic flavor in a good steak, hamburger, roast, whatever.  Grilling at high temperature then reducing the heat has a similar effect.  If you've ever had meat seared and unseared, the flavor profile difference is huge!  Cheers! 

[Gamecock-YT]

20 hours ago, rkbabang said:

 

 

Absolutely.

 

I use my sous vide circulator 1-3x per week.  After I'm done getting it to the correct internal temperature I either sear it in a hot pan with a little bacon grease, or with my torch ( https://www.etsy.com/listing/918859663/culinary-cooking-torch-searing-sous-vide ), or my 1500 degree F infrared searer (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B089Y1HXSF).

 

 

 

during the pandemic I was using it every day. Still when I'm at home I sous vide some boiled eggs for breakfast and usually sous vide some salmon for dinner. Easy.

[John Hjorth]

Then there is the Copycat Contender and Competitor :

 

_{Kamado Joe.}

 

_{- - - o 0 o - - -}

 

_{Any comments from my fellow CoBF members? -A big thank you so far to all CoBF contributors in this topic.}

[crs223]

Consumer Reports says Kamado Joe is clearly better… (forget the details, but I think it was related to build quality: Springs, seals, etc)

 

I resolved to get a Kamado Joe (and not Green Egg) when I find a good value on Craigslist.

 

sometimes Costco sells Kamado Joe

Edited July 25, 2023 by crs223

[John Hjorth]

To me, the horizon widening effect of the discussion in this topic so far has been amazing to me, with regard to both products and BBQ activities. Thank you. Please continue with your contributions in this topic.

 

Great to read your stuff here.

[cameronfen]

I don't have any idea what is this egg people are talking about, but I first thought it was about EGG.AU.  Trading at 3.5x FCF, 7% dividend, 10% buyback.  Management is on record saying it's cheap at $1.75 and cheap even at $3.  Insider buying.  Business is marketing consulting (and advertising arbitrage) so not really a growth business, but not going away soon.  Sorry for derailing this conversation to the topic of equities.  I'm sure @John Hjorth will give me a tongue-lashing for being off topic

[John Hjorth]

@cameronfen,

 

Certainly not! 

 

Talk about food, cooking, BBQ, weather, drought, grill types and brands, accessories, CoBF members BBQ experiences, preferences and habits - I like reading all the stuff in this topic, and actually feel I learn something from it. So slapping a listed company on top of all that I think that is just fine for all of us!

 

To me, the topic has got a cultural shade and dimension by all that, which I personally appreciate much.

 

- - - o 0 o - - -

 

Now talking about businesses, pricing of these products - the seven versions of Big Green Eggs - has been mentioned as being steep. It must be a fantastic family owned business, looked at through our lens as investors!

[Xerxes]

I use the Vision Grill BBQ now for about 7-8 years or so. Similar to he Green Egg.

 

I made this on it last night after a 15 Km run. Grilled chicken marinated in saffron.

 

I do lobsters in it in June, which is lobster season, steak etc. the salmon is delicious as well. 
 

the one thing that needs to be done for all the Eggs, is to ensure clear ventilation so that air flows, otherwise it won’t heat up in a fast manner with all the charcoal 

Edited July 26, 2023 by Xerxes

[John Hjorth]

Awesome!, thank you for sharing, @Xerxes,

 

Just by a quick glance at the website for VisionGrill, have I understood it correctly, that a part of the product palette are 'convertibles', where you are able to swich energy souce between gas and charcoal? - Thank you in advance.

[Xerxes]

Hi John

mine only uses charcoal. (No gas connection). So I always go with charcoal

 

the one quibble I have is that it’s stands rusted after a few years of being exposed to Canadian winters and the elements. But looks like surface rust only, in any case when I contacted them, they sent me new stands. Which I have not bothered to install as it is heavy. 

[John Hjorth]

@Xerxes,

 

Pretty hard to compete with a customer assessment as yours!

Edited July 27, 2023 by John Hjorth

[bizaro86]

On 7/24/2023 at 3:28 PM, Parsad said:

 

Searing won't stop the juices from coming out, but it does reduce the amount of juice lost.  The caramelization from searing is what provides that fantastic flavor in a good steak, hamburger, roast, whatever.  Grilling at high temperature then reducing the heat has a similar effect.  If you've ever had meat seared and unseared, the flavor profile difference is huge!  Cheers! 

 

Seared food tasted better because of the flavours from the Maillard reaction (the carmelization you mentioned). 

 

You're also correct that it won't stop the juices from coming out, which is why it doesn't reduce the amount of juices lost. That can be demonstrated experimentally, it's definitely true. 

 

Again, not saying you shouldn't sear food, but imo knowing the reason something is a good idea is often useful. Especially when you're trying to generalize a mental model from one area to another.