I'm having nearly the converse quandary at the moment. I have a 26 with the SnS XL and have loved it. But I just got a Primo XL, and I'm wondering how much overlap these cookers will have. What advantages does the Weber hold over the Primo?
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haha, funny enough I was gunning for a Primo XL for the longest time when I ended up compromising and getting the Keg - it was strictly a numbers thing, the keg was less than half the price. I had convinced myself it'd be fine for two-zone, but it's just too small to do both simultaneously. In terms of how the Kettle and Primo measure up I'd be interested to hear that as well! -
Well your Primo XL has more capacity. And it looks impressive when guests come over. The Primo also accepts the BBQ Guru (and similar) stuff easily. And if it rains or gets cold at night the Primo is less likely to have a big temp drop. But is it "better"? That can’t really be said. It’s all opinion.
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If I were not who I am, and not limited by local regulations and condo board squish... I would probably have a 22" kettle. If I entertained more often, or had kids, maybe a 26" kettle. SNS definitely... Dial the temp in, charcoal, wood, convenience, broadest user base there is, so most accessories (SNS) and most help.
I am who I am, though, so if freed from local regs and whatnot, it'd be a big ass kamado, like a Primo XL or a Komodo Kamado (what I want for retirement). Given the limitation of your current kamado, and your general setup, Get the 26", whatever SNS the folks familiar with it suggest, and enjoy. And dream of the day when current bills aren't stacking up and you can trade that in towards the big ass kamado you really wanted. MCS never sleeps.Comment
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Add a Smokey Joe Silver for searing. $29, or you can find one on CL for $15.
I have a LBGE (18") and a 22" Weber, and I still use the BGE for almost everything. The little Joe sits on the table next to the BGE. Egg to Joe, to plate. It will hold four steaks on a 12" grate.Last edited by Mosca; May 16, 2018, 12:13 PM.Comment
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SpaceCoyote Weber doesn't have anything, but you BigGreenEgg.com has estimates that you might be able to adjust. Here is what they say on the XL
Specifications- Grid Diameter: 24 in / 61 cm
- Cooking Area: 452 sq in / 2919 sq cm
- Weight: 219 lbs / 99 kgs
The XLarge EGG can cook: 2 20-pound turkeys, 24 burgers, 11 whole chickens, 12 steaks, or 12 racks of ribs vertically
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You’ll be happy with the 26â€. If you rig it with a thermostatic controller it will be very stable for 4-7 hours. You should be able to do ribs without adding fuel. It easily swallows a 20lb brisket.
If if you do need to add fuel you just cover the food to protect from flying ash, run the sweepers to clean and toss in more fuel.
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SpaceCoyote I have a 22†and this past Christmas added a 26†with SNS for the reasons you’re considering. There’s only 3 in my immediate family, but if I wanted to toss corn on with ribs or have neighbors over, the 22†felt too tight. Here are a couple of pics for reference including one of 2 spatchcocked chickens on my 26â€.Attached FilesComment
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lol - yeah the exact thing that happened on the weekend was my wife showed up with a bunch of corn while I was doing the ribs... we ended up steaming it. which is fine, but is also kind of a letdown! these pictures help a lot, thanks so much for the post! how do you find the SnS XL does as far as unattended cook times at 225? -
SpaceCoyote I love it, it makes a big difference as far as evening out the temps. Barring big weather changes I might only tweak vents once or twice for 4-5 hours. Cook time depends on briquette brand and outdoor temp but 8 hours is pretty easy to achieve. Refueling is much easier with an Easy Spin grate.
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Even when cooking for just 4 I sometimes have had to fill the 26 to capacity.
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I would sell the KEG and get BGE or a Kamado Joe. But that is just me......oh wait I already did that. (But I do still have the KEG)Comment
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you saw the part about budgetary constraints right? haha!
if i WAS going back to a kamado it'd either be the weber summit charcoal or the extra large kamado joe.
do you even use the keg any more? what made you go for the bge/kj instead? -
Quality. My KEG was starting to rust out. I couldn't seal it anymore because it was rusted right through in places. The quality of BGE and KJ is far superior to the KEG. I use the KEG to hold my Lodge Hibachi grill, but that is about it. SpaceCoyote
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FishTalesNC & JeffJ seemed to have addressed your situation. Also, that you tube thing was Baby Back Maniac. Your desire is a whole dinner cook with leftovers for a second dinner, which is what I’m after, since I don’t have time to cook every night. I am going to trade my 22 for a 26 instead of using multiple cookers.Comment
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As far as capacity, two spatchcocked chickens (5 pound birds) will fit on the 22" kettle with the standard SNS, in the indirect zone. You won't have room for much else. I have a full set of Grillgrates on my Performer, and just direct grill most of my chicken, as the grillgrates act as a shield to prevent flareups. I routinely cook 3-4 spatchcocked chickens on the 22" with the Grillgrates. On a 26" you will have a good bit more room. That 530 versus 380 sq inches helps. Of course, both those numbers don't account for the handle area where you lose room...
This cook is not with the SNS, but should give you an idea of how much space a spatchcocked 5# chicken takes on the 22" grate. Probably about 1/4 the grate per chicken.
Last edited by jfmorris; May 16, 2018, 08:42 PM.Comment
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SpaceCoyote At this point this issue has kind of been beaten to death. The Keg is nice but it obviously has shortcomings that the 26+ SnS solve, and in a cost effective manner. I recommend getting the 26 + SnS and you can always become afflicted with MCS later on, as your circumstances change. Maybe as a Christmas gift ask for a Jumbo Joe, so that you have a travel grill. It cooks great and has deceptive capacity. Plus, it's a charcoal miser and when you are doing a smaller cook it's a great accompaniment to the 26 - over time the charcoal savings alone will justify the $60 spent on it. It's a fantastic 1-2 duo that provides tremendous versatility.Comment
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yeah, it has been a terrifically helpful thread - much thanks to yourself and others! I think I know what direction to head - can't wait to get the new toy and learn all about it! -
Please post pics and bring this thread to it's proper conclusion, SpaceCoyote.
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I've never cooked on a kamado...but if I had to choose one (and only one) combo, it would be the weber/SnS combo. You can do everything you need with it...Comment
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I bought the 22 with an SnS about a year ago, and I have had very little in the way of MCS. I have not found myself thinking "I wish I had gotten this or that grill/smoker instead of the one I got." Sometimes I find myself daydreaming about a PBC, but that would be more of an auxiliary device than an "instead of". Occasionally I wish I had gotten the 26 instead of the 22, but it hasn't been an issue yet. I think in terms of versatility and bang for your buck, you can't beat a Kettle with an SnS.
I have a three day weekend this week and will be putting the Kettle through some paces.Comment
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I'm in the same boat as you. I find myself wanting a PBC, mostly for being able to hang 8 racks of ribs at once or smoke 2 Boston butts or a brisket while I cook something else on my kettle. I've got a big offset to do that with, but it requires pretty much hourly messing with the fire. And uses about 4x the fuel of the kettle or a PBC to do the same thing.
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I also have a 26 inch kettle and SNS and so far it has performed its mission quite well for my family of 5. There are other grills/smokers I dream about and would no doubt love having on my patio, but I honestly doubt they would cook noticeably better BBQ than the kettle. But this is a hobby, so having MCS is just a function of obsession. Maybe I could cook more meat for a party or something if I had a bigger unit, but that would be a rare need.
The kettle is priced right and the SNS really does add a great level of versatility to the grill. You can also add a BBQ Guru or some other fan and an ATC such as a Fireboard and you’ll have yourself a world class setup. Not that those are needed, of course.Comment
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Yeah I can't wait to try one of those, will probably trade all my bank card points in for an Amazon gift card to buy the DigiQ!Originally posted by ColonialDawg View PostComment
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