Big green egg

[Meat P]

thanks again for all your help! So aside from the "eggcessories" already recommended does anyone have any more suggestions? Meatheads review says a plate setter is a must to be able to turn it into a smoker, did everyone get the BGE brand one or are there others that work just as well? thanks!

[SmokeyGator]

Absolutely get the heat deflector. That is a must have accessory. You can get the BGE branded one, but the third party plates are really the same thing. Just make sure to get one for the size cooker you have.

I would also highly recommend a heat plate handling tool. Those things get HOT. Insane hot. So hot that even with welding gloves you have about 5 seconds before you need to set the thing down. 7 seconds is pushing it. More than 7 seconds and you will be burned. Adding more wood chunks is easier and safer with a plate tool. A good grate lifter is also useful.

I use this grate lifter

https://www.amazon.com/Charcoal-Companion-CC1089-Grill-Lifter/dp/B00QCDI57E/ref=mp_s_a_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1543851351&sr=8-6&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=grill+grate+tool&dpPl=1&dpID=31TslN8ZNjL&ref=plSrch

and this plate lifter

https://www.amazon.com/WRKAMA-Barbecue-Accessories-Deflector-Charcoal/dp/B07DN6847R/ref=mp_s_a_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1543851454&sr=8-7&pi=AC_SX236_SY340_QL65&keywords=ceramic+heat+plate+lifter&dpPl=1&dpID=31YBgjU1amL&ref=plSrch

and of course might as well get a pizza stone if you don’t already have one. And a contactless (laser) thermometer. You can put the stone on the racks without the heat plate, and make great pizza. I would hold off on extrneded cooking racks unless you know you will use them. Thermostat controllers are also nice to have, but by no means necessary. I good digital thermometer and practice setting the vents accomplishes the same result.

[EdF]

I like the incremental, figure out what you need, approach too!

[Meat P]

awesome, this was another question, from reading the "taming your kamodo" i cant work out if the built in thermometer can be trusted or stick with the trusty digital thermometer? would the prob wires break the lid seal? thanks

[Chuck in Charlotte]

The new style plate setter/rack integration is nice, being able to lift it all out at once makes it easier to add wood chunks or check the charcoal level. But after I broke two of the BGE plate setters I went with the Ceramic Grill Store heat deflector. It's too easy to lean the BGE plate setter up on edge, and even easier to knock it over.

[LA Pork Butt]

I have the BGE platesetter and the Ceramic Grill Store Woo which holds the platesetter and makes it easy to lift out and set down flat. The BGE system seems to be a knock off of Ceramic Grill Store accessories.

[Black99vette]

Meat P very cool! Don't have an egg and always wondered what I was missing out on! Have fun!

[SmokeyGator]

Meat P the thermometer on my Primo is reasonably accurate. The advice to not trust lid thermometers is valid in a general sense, but there are exceptions. I would call a kamado an exception. With the heat deflector in place, I can’t find any significant temperature differences. My digital thermometer generally agrees with the lid thermoneter. When the digital controller probe at the grate reads 225, the lid thermometer is 1/2 way between the 200 and 250 mark. Or thereabouts. Certainly above 200 but below 250.

I dont see why BGE would cheap out horribly on their lid thermometer, so I would expect the same to hold true.

Of course still use a digital thermometer. The lid won’t damage the metal probe cables. The seal is quite soft and will cushion it from the hard ceramic.

I use my controller when I have the heat deflectors in place and am cooking indirectly. Both for the pit and food. However my controller came with a warning against exposing the probes to high heat (500 or more). So for direct grilling I do not use the digital probes, I go by the lid. I have run it to 400 indirectly for cornbread and the probes survived, much above that and I wouldn’t risk it.