ottawa foodies

Just wondering if any BBQers here have heard anything about theses grills. I did a bit of reading and the weak points were high temp sear and the cost of pellets. Some reviewers are comparing these units to the BGE. Thinking of getting one to replace the Bradley smoker and charcoal grill.

My friends dad has a Traeger Pellet Pooper and he can put out some good product with it when he's doing low and slow type cooks with smoke...but Traeger also says they can get to 500 which I can tell you from trying they cannot. This system appears to be a Traeger knockoff with a bit more "intelligence", but I'd trust a Treager over one of these based on how long they have been around.

I can do everything he says in that video on a 22.5 Weber Kettle for allot less initial cost and lower heat source cost. I can also sear steaks at 650-700 degrees which the pellet poopers can't do.

Would I buy one?

I think not.

hey Ken - as Stuart mentioned they're akin to a Traeger. i wouldn't even put it in the same category as a charcoal kamado/charcoal kettle. i own a Traeger Lil Tex and would not recommend it for "grilling" in any way. you just can't get it to the screaming hot temperature required for a good steak, burger, etc.

think of it more like an oven that smokes. that's the best way i can describe it. you can set it low (<180-200F) and get up to about 425F. i use mine primarily for ribs, pork butts, brisket, and chicken thighs. i do thin crust pizza once in awhile too.

it's a great step up from a Bradley for the items above. note that it's a really clean smoke - there's less smoke depth/flavour than a Bradley, charcoal w/ wood chunks, or a stick burner.

personally i think you can't have too many grills/smokers and i would consider the holy trinity a Bradley (charcuterie), Traeger (ribs, etc), and a BGE/kamado (grilling)! just need an Egg to round out my collection but i might settle on a Weber kettle...

I was wondering how you would do a steak or burger properly on indirect heat. My Bradley really has a hard time after loaded up getting up to temp in our colder climate so I want something to replace it but I don't want to keep changing coals. Can anyone chime in on how long coals last in a BGE or Big Steel Keg at low temps and how easy it is to keep a constant temperature without fiddling with dampers?

BGE is easy hold temp without fiddling and load it and it will last 5 or 6 hours easily on a low burn. That's only the longest I've tried - I'm sure it will go longer.

EDIT: Costco has the knockoffs in again ...

So that would mean for a pork but I would have to change the coals once in the BGE. Zym how hard is it to change coals on BGE with something on the grill?

I dunno, see if fresh food chimes in because I"m certain he's done 12 hour runs in his egg.

Yup, I did a giant pork shoulder on my BGE in January 2012. Started a full load of charcoal around midnight (210ºF) and the fire died out at 1pm the next day, after which I moved it to the oven for the last 3 hours of cooking.

Ambient outdoor temperature was -12ºC to -25ºC, so I was pretty pleased to get 13 hours of burn time. In the summer, I'd expect low-slow stamina of more than 15 hours.

Also, I have added coals to a live fire due to poor planning. The process isn't too difficult if you have welder's gloves. You take the meat and grill off, lift out the plate setter (using the gloves), and then chuck in the charcoal. The only hard part is doing it all fast enough so that the heat can get back down quickly once you close the lid again.

Think I will stay with my current process. I will just have to pick warmer days to smoke. I usually switch to the oven after the meat gets enough smoke anyways. That slow cook feature on the gas oven is great to have especially in winter.

FF, how big was the pork shoulder? I too have had to add coals to a lit fire after some poor planning. I use cheap gardening gloves and it is relatively easy but I did feel like Red Adair.

I just checked my notes... it was a 14 lb shoulder. And the *real* numbers were:

Time over charcoal: 16 hours
Time in oven: 3.5 hours
Ambient temperature: -10ºC to -19ºC

So I must have started the shoulder at 9pm, not midnight. I've done overnight smokes a few times and got them confused. I use a PID controller/thermostat because I value sleep. :-)

I just checked some notes I kept on my last overnight cook on the weber smokey mountain for comparison purposes on a non-BGE charcoal setup. I also use a PID on my rig, for the same reason as FF :) so burn times without the PID would be a bit lower. This was done on an 18.5 WSM with a full ring of Maple Leaf Briquettes.

Meat: Pork Shoulder (qty 2, total weight 39 lbs)
Cook time: 17 hours
Ambient Temperature: 10C to 15C

For what it's worth, there was around 1/4 of the charcoal left in the ring at the end of the cook, but the temperatures tend to be harder to maintain as the charcoal burns down and the density of the coals decreases.

I love the BGE, and its ability to hold steady temps over long periods of time with a fairly small charcoal load, but its really not a feasible solution for me while we're living in a townhouse.

Nice video on Green Mountain Grills.
www.saffronmartonline.com

Spent well over a couple years researching different grill options. I have bbq envy, as my highrise condo doesn't permit them. (arse backwards)

The most versatile grill is a Primo XL. It's similar to a BGE but with many advantages. It's oval, so more stuff naturally fits. Can goto extremly high temps for searing, you flip the grill on the left, it's dropped right above the coals. Get your sear, and then put steak/meat up high on the right grill and let it cook indirectly. Kind of hard to explain, but taking a quick look online will show you that the grill is split, and can support different levels.

I wanted a bge, but the primo is a better buy. It's not cheaper. I'd spend the money in a heartbeat. Bge/Primo allow you to smoke, sear, and get up and going almost as quick as gas. Just either use a torch to get lit, or a electric starter, a charcoal chimey starter works as well.

If you want the taste of wood smoke, add wood chips. Both bge/primo will do long smokes and not run out of fuel as quick as some cheap smokers. The thick walls are good for that.

Figure at least $1,000 on the grill. Seems high, but it'll be something reliable that you'll own for a decade plus.

I was going to have a custom granite table built for mine, the stand though works no issue. I point this out as with a bge/primo everything is extra, stand, and side tables. If you shop retail here in Ottawa. You're up at 2k for a primo xl with stand/table/taxes.

Damn you Ravi. Now I'll have to get a Primo Oval. I think this is going to get expensive. Will have to wait till our next trip U.S side and see if any deals are to be had. That is one impressive grill.

Ken, If you want to make a run by Norcross, GA. You can get a primo "2nd" direct from the factory, for 900 or so from my recollection. These are sold as factory 2nds but in most cases aren't. It's just to not piss off the retail channel. Full warranty etc, you can also pickup a 2 day used one from bbq events in the states.

There's a fellow in Florida who I found willing to sell one well below market. He owns a pool store and sells bbqs and other related knicknacks. He can ship to the border, but you'll have to lug it across (ideally not on your back, it's close to 200lbs) His price to me was 779 + 100 shipping. Message me if interested in his business info.

Of note. I just checked and Amazon now sells them direct. Albiet for 1200, but my prime membership gets me free shipping (to US address at border).

Just remembered, Grateful Griller (he does many of the home shows) quoted me 975 delivered to my door for a demo unit. Which he uses for a full season.

Accessories to buy,
D plate (at least 1 for indirect cooking)
Extended cooking racks (1 at least for indirect and for additional cooking space)
Divider -lets you put fuel only on one side of the firebox

Thanks for the info Ravi. We have a Prime membership also. Grill will have to wait a bit till we head down late summer.I did see the XL you mentioned for $1200 on Amazon.