Big Green Egg vs Traeger Lil Texas Elite

[Fishersjohn48]

I know there are some smoking/BBQ experts here and I need your help. My wonderful wife wants to get me a smoker for Christmas and let me pick it out. I've narrowed it down to the following

1) Big Green Egg Large

2) Traeger Lil Texas Elite

This will be used mainly for true BBQ style cooking and not direct heat grilling. I have a very nice large gas grill and a Weber kettle to fill those requirements.

Big Green Egg:
Pros:
Easy to control heat
cooks with readily available lump charcoal
Versatile, can bake, grill direct

Cons:
Expensive. Need nest, plate, etc pushing well over $1000
Small cooking area
The thing looks fragile, may be perceived by me

Lil Texas Elite:
Pros
Larger cooking area
quality electronic heat control
less expensive
Easy to use, push the lighter and let it cook
All metal construction

Cons:
Made in Asia somewhere
Reports of metal warping making parts not fit together properly
Need to use only wood pellets.

I'm sure there are more pros and cons for both and would love to hear what you have to say.

 

[phylodog]

I'm sure the Traeger is nice and would do the job just fine but I'm more of a hands on kind of guy. I enjoy the process of lighting the coals, adding wood for smoke and babysitting (not that there is much required) my BGE. I do a lot of direct cooking on it, have used it to make pizza and have also used it with a 12q cast iron Dutch oven to cook chili and pot roasts. I don't consider the BGE to be fragile but it'll certainly break easier than the Traeger if knocked over. I built a table around mine so it isn't going anywhere.

I think the BGE is more versatile but if you're only concerned with low and slow BBQ I'm betting you'd be pleased with the Trager.

 

[IndyDave1776]

I bought the smaller Traeger and retrofitted the electronic control. I have been very happy with it (although I had a hopper extension made in order to load enough pellets to smoke overnight). I also bought a Saffire (similar to the Egg, only with all stainless hardware) which I have not used yet as I am holding out for making my own charcoal (as well has having time which has been critically short). I bought both because they are two very different devices and seem suitable for entirely different purposes.

The egg will allow higher temperatures and is suitable for such specialty functions as doubling as a pizza oven.

If the Chinese sourcing of the Traeger is an issue, you may look here with the caveat that it will be about double the money if I remember correctly (individual retailers may vary).

Smokin Brothers - Home

 

[pack-indy]

I have an Egg and honestly can't see myself with another cooking system in the future should mine for some reason become inoperable. We have made some of the best meals I have ever eaten on the egg. While the price is up there, it is certainly worth while. I enjoy many traditional ways of doing things and for me the Traegers didn't fit the bill. I am by no means a chef, but I find that my family and friends will want me to cook on the Egg whenever possible. I'm in Noblesville and would be glad to show you first hand how awesome they are.

 

[bmwguru]

Check out the Primo Oval XL. More cooking area with the additional racks and made in America.

 

[snapping turtle]

The egg is easier to control the heat with all the insulation. Can be used now when it is 0 degrees out the other will be harder to control the heat in strong wind and cooler cold temps. Other than that the end product will be the same.

 

[Naptown]

BGE. Most accessories, more common, easier to find parts. I have a Large and couldn't imagine needing anything larger. I can get 2 large butts on there (~20-24 lbs total), 3 racks of babyback ribs with simple v-rack, 12 burgers, 5 steaks, etc... Only reason to go larger is if you are constantly feeding groups of 20 or more. I only cook that way once a year and just do 2 runs if that is the case.

Get the BGE - you will not be disappointed.

 

[wtburnette]

BGE is awesome, but don't forget WSM as an option as well

 

[Fishersjohn48]

BGE is awesome, but don't forget WSM as an option as well

?????

 

[chezuki]

?????

Weber Smokey Mountain...

Which is a $400 version of a UDS you could build for less than $100.

 

[chezuki]

Are you wanting to primarily smoke, or grill? I wouldn't want a BGE as my only smoker, but they are nice for super hot grilling or baking.

 

[Fishersjohn48]

This will be used mainly for true BBQ style cooking and not direct heat grilling. I have a very nice large gas grill and a Weber kettle to fill those requirements.

 

[chezuki]

This will be used mainly for true BBQ style cooking and not direct heat grilling. I have a very nice large gas grill and a Weber kettle to fill those requirements.

In that case, of the 2 you mentioned, I'd go with the Traeger. I personally don't prefer pellet smokers, but as a deticated BBQ pit, they're hard to beat as far as ease of use. Whenever it's time to upgrade my UDS, I'll be looking for a nice offset wood/charcoal smoker.

I've had my eyes on this for a while...

Yoder Smokers | Competition Grade BBQ Grills And Smokers

 

[Naptown]

BGE is awesome, but don't forget WSM as an option as well

I had both WSMs (18" and 22") before I bought my egg. While they are nice, you cannot compare them to a BGE. You can make nice food with a WSM, but there is a LOT more cleanup, temperature fluctuations, vent adjustments, etc... Oh yeah, and they will eventually be completely rusted out compared to a ceramic smoker. Lastly, BGE has a lifetime warranty.

 

[forgop]

I've had the WSM for my first smoker and it was pretty simple to operate. I replaced it with a used Traeger Texan (bigger version and old enough to be made in the USA). It's easier to use than the WSM. Never understood the fascination with the BGE myself-it seems like a high end WSM at 3-4 times the price.

If you go with the Traeger, let me know and we'll do a group buy on pellets. Puts the bags down to around half the price if we order a pallet worth and you'll go through it faster than you think when you like it enough.

Search around Craigslist/ebay-I had a search alert for a Traeger set up and found a steal on my Traeger in Cincinnati for $300. It had barely even been used.

 

[phylodog]

Never understood the fascination with the BGE myself-it seems like a high end WSM at 3-4 times the price.

Thats like saying a Rolls Royce is a high end golf cart, literally. I had a WSM and it was capable of smoking but it never produced anything near the quality of the BGE, wasn't nearly as controllable or anywhere near as versatile.

 

[forgop]

Thats like saying a Rolls Royce is a high end golf cart, literally. I had a WSM and it was capable of smoking but it never produced anything near the quality of the BGE, wasn't nearly as controllable or anywhere near as versatile.

Depends on what you want to do with it. I never had any issues controlling temps in my WSM when I had it. As far as versatility goes, you're not going to cook at high temps, but that's not what I intended to use it for. For the price, I prefer to cook more than 2 butts at a time though.

 

[Fishersjohn48]

Great info so far guys and I truly appreciate it. Since it's mainly just the 2 of us at home most of the time now, I guess the need for a very large cooking surface may not be as important as I had thought. Of course I want it big enough to have folks over from time to time but if you can do a whole brisket or a whole butt or as has been said even 2 than maybe that's all I need. I do like to do my rib racks whole without cutting them in half.

What about any of the other Kamado type cookers? Any yays or nays on those? Just went to Sam's Club and what do you know they had one on the floor for much less then the BGE. Was in a hurry and didn't look closely but seemed well built with a cart and 2 side tables for about $600.00 No heat deflector for indirect cooking though.

 

[bobbittle]

If you're only going to be doing smoking, get the Traeger. Or a different purpose built smoker. Direct and indirect smoke/heat options would be best so if you ever wanted to you could cold smoke.

Many true Q fanatics will kill me for saying so, but the ease of operation of an electric smoker is a huge benefit. Depends on whether you're the type who wants to fiddle with the fire, etc, or set it and forget it.

 

[phylodog]

Depends on what you want to do with it. I never had any issues controlling temps in my WSM when I had it. As far as versatility goes, you're not going to cook at high temps, but that's not what I intended to use it for. For the price, I prefer to cook more than 2 butts at a time though.

I cook pizza at 500*. I was able to control temps on the WSM but it required being watched pretty regularly, especially if the wind was blowing.