re: BGE owners....

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I do pretty much the same thing. Mine will slide open if I have it turned the wrong way. It has a stopper that keeps it from sliding open when you open the lid.

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I crack mine because I like the smoke coming out of the top and I can smell it cooking when I'm around the yard. It does open completely when I lift my lid but I just shut it back.

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Do the meats cooked on the egg taste better than those cooked on other "grills", that is arguable, but it certainly is better that the dry tasteless, lighter fluid infused, meat produce by someone that is using an inferior "grill" .

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why do you have the word grill in quotation marks? Just because something is not a BGE, it is not a real grill? Per the definition on Merriam-Webster, a grill is a cooking utensil of parallel bars on which food is exposed to heat.

Although I've had my BGE (lg) for over a year I consider myself a novice at grilling/smoking as well. That said, I really enjoy my BGE.

From my experiences:
a) Always leave the lid open/up when getting your fire going. You want to get a clean burn from your lump charcoal (LC). Else, you'll trap the creosote smoke impart a really yucky taste to whatever you're cooking. I guess this is common knowledge to the seasoned vets but having never cooked with LC before it was news to me.

b) I've used 4 different types of LC. BGE and Royal Oak (RO) are supposedly from the same conveyor belt - just taken from it at different times. They'll be very similar. I've tried Publix brand and it too is good but is different from BGE/RO brand. Just note that when you change brands there will be some differences. Nakedwhiz.com has an extensive database of LC reviews.

c) My tastes are simple and run north-n-south, i.e., what I like I really like and it's usually very simple. And I really like grilled/smoked stuff. Hence, my recipes are usually salt (garlic salt), pepper, olive oil, some wood chips in the LC and voila!

d) There are a lot of different wood chips/chunks out there and some go better with different meats/pork/fish/etc than others. If you're familiar with them then nevermind. If not, I would recommend you start with pecan (very smooth flavor). Apple is also smooth. Hickory and mesquite are strong.

e) The BGE does a great job of not drying out stuff.

f) I cook on mind usually 1-2X a week in bulk - meaning in addition to what we're eating for that night, we'll cook a batch of chicken breasts and use in sandwiches, soups, etc.

Enjoy!

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Cognitive dissonance. You really think people that spend a frick load of money on unnecessary shite are going to say "Welp, that was a waste. I could've done the same thing on a $50 grill from Walmart." No, they're going to claim how much better it is than what everyone else is using. It's the reason there are so many threads started on it and why these BGE narcissists organize themselves into a little clan and are in your face about how great it is. It's their way of justifying being sheep.

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Here we go again...

I've been grilling on gas and charcoal for 10+ years and have used every different kind of grill/smoker you can think of. When I decided it was time for a new grill I researched for months. I knew I wanted something I could do both with as to not have smokers and grills everywhere on the patio. BGE is what I decided on because it fit my needs. How is that cognitive dissonance? I woke up yesterday and baked a quiche on the egg then a few hours later I had ribs and sausage smoking at 250. Can you do that on your $50 walmart grill?

I'll say this, the cook makes the food good, not the grill.

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It does open completely when I lift my lid but I just shut it back.

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spin the cast iron cap 180 degrees so that your looking at what was the "back" of it. There is a stopper that keeps it from swinging open when you lift the lid but it has to be facing that way..

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Well slap my arse and call me Sally. I just went and did that. I've been cooking on it for five years and never knew that. I also think I threw that cover away or put it in the attic.

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Yep is was relatively expensive

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You know as far as prices goes though... Your gonna pay $1500+ for a higher end gas grill. Why is $1000 so unheard of for a high end charcoal grill? Go look up kamodo kamado if you wanna see an expensive charcoal grill...

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I'll say this, the cook makes the food good, not the grill.

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Yep is was relatively expensive but at present it seems like a good ROI and novices like me can cook some awesome stuff on it.

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So which one is it?

I've cooked Boston Butts that i've been really happy with on both my Dad's BGE and my really really cheap Barrel type smoker. It is a hell of a lot less involved to cook on the BGE though. There is no way I could get that thing to regulate temp on one load up of charcoal for hours on end like I can the Egg. I think that's something that makes it a better product than those cheap ones. Worth the total amount extra? who knows, up to the buyer.

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So which one is it?

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I'll relieve some of the tension between 'the cook, not the grill makes the food good' and "novices like me can cook some awesome stuff."

For the straightforward stuff I attempt the BGE is more versatile and forgiving (why I refer to myself as a novice). For more complex stuff, more credit should go to the cook.

BY analogy, some golf clubs are more forgiving than others yet it's ultimately the golfer that makes the shot.

Just think of the BGE as a tool.

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why do you have the word grill in quotation marks? Just because something is not a BGE, it is not a real grill? Per the definition on Merriam-Webster, a grill is a cooking utensil of parallel bars on which food is exposed to heat.

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Like my adoration for the Big Green Egg, I also happen to really like quotation marks.

Really the quotes were for some jackass BGE hater that knows who he is. That's all.