re: Weber Gas Grill vs. Green Egg

You have hit upon an excellent grill. I have had mine for several years. Best grill I have ever purchased.

[quote]Can hold 250 for 10 hours with a couple turns of the damper.[/quotee]


I'll be happpy to show you a smoker that can hold any temp, in 5 degree increments, from 175-400 for 24 hours with no adjustments, and no addition of fuel, and, if you need to add fuel, you can quickly do that without affecting the temperature of the cooking chamber. It can also cook 21 full racks of spareribs at once and has a footprint no bigger than your Green Egg.

I can also show you charcoal grills that can grill at different temperatures with a quick adjustment of grill height above the coals. No need to fool with the fire, damp the air intake, or close the lid - and they are significantly lighter and not subject to breaking when moving.

It's not a question strictly of good results. You can get good results from just about anything if you know what you are doing and put in the effort, including an electric oven. The question is the capabilities of the smoker. A Green Egg is a good compromise (maybe the best one out there) and you can get good, and even competition quality, results with it, but it is a compromise.

Egg

I was anti charcoal (in any form) before I got my primo xl. Now there's no way I'd go back to gas. You can have it lit and ready to cook in the same time it takes a gas grill to come up to temp. And when you're done you just shut the air baffles and your charcoal will be ready for your next cook.

For cooking for 5, I'd say look towards a xl version (primo xl, bge xl, kamado big joe).

I love my Genesis. It has been the best gas grill I've owned. 6 years old and stil looks damn near new in spite of weekly use

My BIL can get his Egg fully fired in ten minutes using the Map gas torch, it's super handy with a BGE.

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It isn't a compromise at all

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It is. You just don't want to admit it. You don't have to remove and wrap if you can control temperature correctly. It's not that you can't get excellent results by removing and wrapping, and shorten cook times, but if you can control the temp precisely and don't have to worry about high radiant heat, you don't have to.

As to electricity, you don't need it for any smoker that allows adjustment of air intake. A guru makes things easier, even in an Egg.

I have Weber Genesis (recent upgrade after yrs with 3-burner Spirit), charcoal kettle, and Smoky Mountain smoker, and I use them all.

If you just want one item to grill some dogs and burgers, not smoke brisket or pork butt, just get the Genesis. You can add the others later for cheap if you want to do some true BBQ.

Note: Weber has updated its Genesis line of gas grills for 2017. The new Genesis II lid is shorter, warranty shorter, and price is higher. They offer everything from 2 to 6 burners, fuzzing the lines between Genesis, the cheaper Spirit, and the top dog Summit.

I went to Lowes and got a deal on an "old" Genesis. They marked it down a couple hundred to move them out. I saw a couple more still at my local Lowes last week. You may want to hit Lowes and Home Depot and see what's out there before it's too late.

Or you may prefer the new models. They are in stores now.

New ones are "iGrill ready" if you are into the tech/phone assisted grilling.

The Virtual Weber board has a long thread about the new models. LINK Another article. LINK

Someone mentioned the Spirit line being made in China. Well, many if not most of the Genesis and Summit parts are also "globally sourced". There has been a class action lawsuit about Weber's claims that certain grills were Made in America. It's complicated.

I had a Spirit sit outside for 8 years. It worked great, but I decided to upgrade to Genesis. The guy I gave the Spirit to says it still works like new. So I would not be scared of one if that fits your bill.

I've never removed and wrapped on my egg. I smoked two butts for 16 hours after injecting them and ended up with BBQ that was better than a local shop around the corner with trophies all over the walls.

I enjoy the slightly.....I mean slightly ..... longer wait of charcoal. I use an electric starter and sit outside and have a beer while it heats up. Just don't put the damper top on until you are within 20 degrees or so of target.