[2011CrazE89]

Originally Posted by ShopVac

I have a 1992 Weber Charcoal grill that I used religiously - 3 or 4 times a week, and a Weber Bullet charcoal smoker. I've had the internals replaced 4 times over the years...welded the handle, modified some items, yet...never replaced the cooking grate. Food just slides off it.



You want to use gas...put your food in the oven, it's the same thing.

My wife did by me this for my birthday last year...a Weber charcoal grill with a gas ignite for the charcoal. Takes a little fuss out of using the chimney starter...and you still get the great flavor.

The Weber I was looking at was their Performer Platinum series. Looks like yours above. A bit pricey at $349.00 but well worth it.

[2011CrazE89]

Originally Posted by chumley

Completely agree. During the week, the ease and consistency of the gas grill is best but nothing tastes better than charcoal. I use lump. For any smoking you have to use charcoal, gas is not an option in my opinion.

Best cooking purchase I've ever made...can heat to 700+ for awesome pizzas or maintain 225 or so all day long for the low-n-slow.

What model is this??

[KingOfJericho]

Originally Posted by 2011CrazE89

What model is this??

It's a Big Green Egg. http://www.biggreenegg.com/

[2011CrazE89]

Originally Posted by KingOfJericho

It's a Big Green Egg. http://www.biggreenegg.com/

Interesting design. Looks more like a big green avocado. Just checked them out. They're not cheap at $400.00+ and that's their smallest model. I would need the medium which starts at $649.00.

[ShopVac]

Originally Posted by 2011CrazE89

The Weber I was looking at was their Performer Platinum series. Looks like yours above. A bit pricey at $349.00 but well worth it.

If you're a fan of charcoal, I highly recommend. I buy these tiny gas canisters for $3.50 each...and they last a couple months. You only run them for about 5 minutes to get the coals hot.



This is the 3rd cooker in my arsenal. The Weber Virtual Bullet Excellent for ribbies, pulled pork, smoked salmon, or beef brisket. Holds a perfect 225 all day long.









I have various cherry, apple, apricot, and pear trees in my yard to add to an old whiskey barrel that I cut up for smoking.

Weber makes the best products in my opinion.

[Never Convicted]

Originally Posted by Mr Tonka

I don't get what everyone is saying about clean up with the charcoal? My clean up is no different than the clean up on my parents propane grill.

The biggest difference between my webber kettle charcoal grill and a propane grill is that the charcoal grill can get much hotter than the propane. I have an infrared thermometer and my charcoal grill gets about 400 degrees hotter than my parents brand new $1000 propane grill. The difference in that 400 degrees is what sears the each side of the steak. Thus keeping more moisture inside ma steak.

Clean up is easy. Start up is easy. I just light the charcoal about 20 min before i'm ready to cook. I feel like i can control the hotspots better with the charcoal by pushing the coals around where i want them.

As far as taste, my parents will always opt for buying the steaks if they can come over and have them at my place. I don't think there is that much of a taste difference, but i know that i've been to several steak houses and my steak is on par with most and better than several. Whether or not that's because of charcoal is up for debate. However, most of the ones that i would consider better or on par with mine use wood burning grills for their steaks.

I had this explained to me, about the higher heat sealing the juices inside a steak, by a friend of mine the other night. He has a state of the art gas grill, which he uses to put steaks on so he can blowtorch them at 3600 degrees until they carmelize on the outside, then puts them in the regular oven until the temp is 121 for rare, or 126 for med rare. It's insane science to me, but it was the best steak I've ever had.

He also told me that the Green Egg is better than a standard grill because it cooks at a higher temp, but his next project is to jailbreak his Egg by cutting a hole in the bottom and taping a hair dryer to it. The extra air circulation is supposed to increase cooking temp by 3-400 degrees. You can't make this stuff up.

[Its_lobelt]

Originally Posted by Never Convicted

I had this explained to me, about the higher heat sealing the juices inside a steak, by a friend of mine the other night. He has a state of the art gas grill, which he uses to put steaks on so he can blowtorch them at 3600 degrees until they carmelize on the outside, then puts them in the regular oven until the temp is 121 for rare, or 126 for med rare. It's insane science to me, but it was the best steak I've ever had.

He also told me that the Green Egg is better than a standard grill because it cooks at a higher temp, but his next project is to jailbreak his Egg by cutting a hole in the bottom and taping a hair dryer to it. The extra air circulation is supposed to increase cooking temp by 3-400 degrees. You can't make this stuff up.

Lmao jailbreak.

[chumley]

Originally Posted by Never Convicted

I had this explained to me, about the higher heat sealing the juices inside a steak, by a friend of mine the other night. He has a state of the art gas grill, which he uses to put steaks on so he can blowtorch them at 3600 degrees until they carmelize on the outside, then puts them in the regular oven until the temp is 121 for rare, or 126 for med rare. It's insane science to me, but it was the best steak I've ever had.

He also told me that the Green Egg is better than a standard grill because it cooks at a higher temp, but his next project is to jailbreak his Egg by cutting a hole in the bottom and taping a hair dryer to it. The extra air circulation is supposed to increase cooking temp by 3-400 degrees. You can't make this stuff up.

A couple companies make these controllers where fan speed regulates the temp and egg temp and food temp are monitored through thermocouples. Neat stuff if you smoke often because the egg is so efficient that you can cook all day on a couple generous handfuls of lump charcoal.
Green Egg Controller


There are vents at the bottom and top of the egg and if you introduce air flow at the bottom and open the top I swear you can forge metal it gets so hot! Your friend should just get one of these unless he's more of a DIY kinda guy.
Blower

[2011CrazE89]

Did a little window shopping today. Decided to stick with a charcoal Weber again. Now if I can only decide on a color.

[ShopVac]

Obviously, I went green...but that copper one looks really cool. I don't think it was an option when I got mine. Those Coleman canisters are green...and they match the top (kinda why I went that way).

BTW, just made some blue cheese prime rib burgers with some prime rib seasoning. Oh so good.

[x6Hawkeye]

Neighbor has a $150k pool/patio with a sweet outdoor kitchen/bar - easily has $10,000+ in Viking grills, fridges, etc.

We see him grilling by his garage with an old $50 Weber charcoal grill.... Hilarious! He loves the flavor...

[Marsden]

Originally Posted by Never Convicted

I had this explained to me, about the higher heat sealing the juices inside a steak, by a friend of mine the other night. He has a state of the art gas grill, which he uses to put steaks on so he can blowtorch them at 3600 degrees until they carmelize on the outside, then puts them in the regular oven until the temp is 121 for rare, or 126 for med rare. It's insane science to me, but it was the best steak I've ever had.

He also told me that the Green Egg is better than a standard grill because it cooks at a higher temp, but his next project is to jailbreak his Egg by cutting a hole in the bottom and taping a hair dryer to it. The extra air circulation is supposed to increase cooking temp by 3-400 degrees. You can't make this stuff up.

You ramped this already great thread up to a new level with that one

[2011CrazE89]

Maybe I'm missing something, but why would I need one of those Coleman propane fuel tanks if I go charcoal? Is this for the self ignite option?

[Mr Tonka]

Originally Posted by 2011CrazE89

Maybe I'm missing something, but why would I need one of those Coleman propane fuel tanks if I go charcoal? Is this for the self ignite option?

Pretty much the idea. It just speeds up the process of turning charcoal into hot cooking coals. If you let the charcoal heat up on it's own, (with lighter fluid if not match light) it will take about 15 min. With a propane kick start it'll take about 5 mins.

[ShopVac]

Originally Posted by Mr Tonka

Pretty much the idea. It just speeds up the process of turning charcoal into hot cooking coals. If you let the charcoal heat up on it's own, (with lighter fluid if not match light) it will take about 15 min. With a propane kick start it'll take about 5 mins.

No respected grill chef would ever use match light...lighter fluid is bad too. Takes too long to burn off.

[DSB335d]

I would love to own a Kalamazoo Hybrid Fire grill... Charcoal, wood or gas!

[dreamingat30fps]

Originally Posted by ShopVac

No respected grill chef would ever use match light...lighter fluid is bad too. Takes too long to burn off.

Thank god I'm not a chef, let alone a respected one. Aint no one got time fo dat.

[Never Convicted]

Originally Posted by chumley

A couple companies make these controllers where fan speed regulates the temp and egg temp and food temp are monitored through thermocouples. Neat stuff if you smoke often because the egg is so efficient that you can cook all day on a couple generous handfuls of lump charcoal.
Green Egg Controller


There are vents at the bottom and top of the egg and if you introduce air flow at the bottom and open the top I swear you can forge metal it gets so hot! Your friend should just get one of these unless he's more of a DIY kinda guy.
Blower

LMAO! I should have known that technology existed that could enable the Egg to cook, blow glass, and melt gold bars. Do you think that on the Green Egg forums there are guys complaining that the BBQGURU should have been included as standard equipment on the Egg?

I'm going to pass your info on to my friend. Thanks. It might mean I get another great steak.

[2011CrazE89]

Going Weber shopping in a few. Hopefully they have the copper one in stock. And I have the day off tomorrow! Maybe pick up a rib eye and break it in Although the ribs Shopvac posted have me salivating!

[Nkc]

[2011CrazE89]

^^LOL that's great. I'll never knock propane. I just don't know enough about them and just feel more comfortable with what I'm familiar with.

[2011CrazE89]

Two hours and four stores later I'm still grill less. No one had the Weber copper one in stock. So just a few clicks away and Amazon to the rescue! It's gonna be a long 5 to 8 business days.