Why is the Green Egg better than a plain charcoal grill like a Weber?
Dont get me wrong, I'm not knocking the Weber or any other grill, I have had several and loved them all (kind of like Wifes..
)
But since you asked...
Let me count the ways... :devil:
- Fast lighting -- ready to cook in 10 minutes with no lighter fluid
- Ceramic walls retain heat with accurate temperature control and no hot spots
- Fuel efficient so there is no need to add more charcoal while cooking; unburned charcoal can be reused
- Constant tending not required; with enclosed cooking there are no
grease flare-ups
- Withstands temperature extremes from below 0° to 1800°F
- Can be used year around, even in freezing temperatures and rain
- Surface stays cooler and is safer around children than metal grills
- Weatherproof ceramics won't rust
- Handsome, decorative and unique design
- Produces the juiciest, most succulent food you'll ever taste
To list a few... Basically its based on the Kamado design from Japan that dates back over 3000 years ago. Then it was used as a steamer (wiki source). Skip to modern days and you basically have a ceramic wood fired oven (hence the great pizza) that can be used as a grill, smoker, or oven. I also find that it maintains the moisture better on hard to grill items like boneless chicken breast and pork tender loin, both of which I have never been able to cook well on a standard gas/charcoal grill. When using it as a smoker I have gone over 12 hours on one load of lump charcoal burning at about 230deg.
Grilling steak, I usually heat it up to around 700 deg sear the steak, remove the steak, wrap it, and cool the grill down to 400 deg (only takes a few min) then finish...
Weber, although a great made in the USA product ( the Egg is made in Georgia by the way ) is like all others, stamped from thin steel, which due to the heat and exposure eventually rusts out and ends up in the land fill. The egg on the other hand, being ceramic will last years and years, the few metal parts are very solid and not exposed to the heat will and will likely last years as well.
Thats just my take, in my dealings with charcoal and gas grills over the past 15 years I figure I have sent at least 5 to the land fill, figure a average price of say $200 (some gassers are expensive) and there you have the price of a egg which should last at least that long or longer.
YMMV
Brian