Big Green Egg Large Heavy Duty (w/ Spring Band) 18.25'' Grid - LHDA

"I have been cooking BBQ for over 30 years. I bought my BGE over 4 years ago and now own one other ceramic grill brand. BGE has done a great job marketing, but they are far from the best ceramic cooker on the market. Compare with other brands before buying a BGE. The gaskets burn out every two years, I have had to change my firebox about 3 times, and my hinges rusted already and I now I have to go buy some new ones. They are definitely a few brands that are built better with Stainless Steel hardware and are cheaper as well. Don't simply buy the HYPE!"

"I bought this for my parents and they LOVE it. They are inviting friends over to play with it. We do a lot of slow cooking (ribs, roasts), have done a few steaks. The instructional DVD was really helpful... It takes a little time getting used to tuning the temperature, etc, but it's well worth it.



My only complaint is that the top vent moves when I open the lid, so I have to pay attention to all the details every time. I hear there's a good after-market vent that stays in place. My first mistake was with a steak. Had the temperature up high to 500 degrees, but after the first flip, I forgot to reopen the vent, and the fire was smothered. Luckily it was on a "practice steak" vs. a nice cut.



Also, many other retailers sell just the body and you have to buy the stand and trays separately...which is why the prices vary so much. This one came complete...which was nice and easy."

"Frankly it took me too long to pull the trigger to drop the dime for this pricey grill. I wanted one of these for 18 years, my wife got me one for my 50th, I love that woman.



The main reason you buy a grill is to cook outside. This grill does the job of a conventional grill and a smoker, and oddly is better at either task than units designed for a single task. Frankly I have not seen the cooking device, either in door or out, that makes better tasting food, and I have been eating a long time.



I would like to say a few things about the price however. This grill takes the place of both a smoker and a conventional grill, so comparing it to the price of a grill or smoker alone is not really fair. Also I have never had a smoker that lasted more than three or four years tops, at that replacement rate the Big Green Egg seems almost a bargain.



You want a BGE, ask the man that has one. Get it you'll love it."

"I gave this to my husband for our 30th anniversary and his is on cloud nine. It is everything that the vidio said it would be. He has made a smoked turkey with the hard wood chips which was great. A steak done perfect in under 5 minutes. Quick to start. We live in MN and it is cold now and he is in awe how it holds the heat even in zero degree temps. We could never grill in the winter due to the cold with such ease. He now wants the plate setter for indirect cooking"

"I've been a BBQ geek for years now. I live and breathe smoked meats, so I was a little leery about a big, heavy contraption that claimed all it claims. I'll tell you what, I am NOT disappointed. I decided to cook a brisket to test the BGE out, and I served it to RAVE reviews at a party. I was convinced...



The only negative I can find with it so far? If you're hosting a large party, you'll be cooking ALL day due to the smaller cooking surface than, say, an offset firebox type smoker."

"If my husband can do it, so can you! You can throw just about any meat on that grill and it tastes like something you would order in a restaurant. Fiddle a bit with the cooking temps, that took about 3-4 times of grilling. We're just a family of 3 and it does small meals easily. It also heats up just as quickly as our old propane grill. I have no clue why I ever hesitated getting this."

"There's one negative to this grill. It's HEAVY. But, that's overcome with the rolling stand, so it's essentially the best grill I've ever seen. I haven't used it much and have only cooked twice on it, but it's exactly as advertised. Heated up to 500 degrees in about 10 minutes, so I had to cool it down for the burgers. It cooled down in a matter of seconds. Easy to use, outside stays cool to the touch, amazing grill and I am getting rid of my water smoker and my large weber. This one does both, better than either of those."

"The grill heats up quickly and you only use a small amount of charcoal. We've cooked chicken, steaks and pork on it and all has turned out great. We've also cooked salmon on cedar planks and it was delicious as well. Everyone needs a green egg."

"I've grilled and smoked and incinerated a pizza. Once I figure out the temp regulation I'm sure everything will be fine."

"We love our Big Green Egg. We were the last ones in our family to convert and we wonder what took us so long."