I got a product that exceeded expectations today... Big Green Egg Table (PICS INSIDE)

I ordered a cypress table on eBay from "bge_tables4less"; $250 + $60 shipping. The factory tables are about $600. Today I unpacked it and assembled it, and WOW. If ever a product exceeded my expectations, this one did. Assembly took about 45 minutes, with me taking my time; I'm sure I could have knocked it off in half an hour. He still has small tables; $200 + shipping. Not affiliated, etc, just glad to see good ol' American craftsmanship in action, and I think that it should be noticed.

It came as 4 pieces with hardware. Notice the beveled edges and the heavy bracing:







Fully assembled. I KNOW THE DECK LOOKS LIKE CRAP, WE'RE TEARING IT DOWN AND REPLACING IT! So back off.

It's always nice to receive something that exceeds expectations. Looks to be a very nicely made table. What size is your BGE? I almost bought one last year, but went with a WSM instead.

How do you like your BGE?

My husband has been eye balling these things for awhile but I just can't give in to that price. What is your opinion on them? Worth the $ or not?

Well, I've only had it a couple weeks, so it's too soon to tell. I will say that I've purchased two expensive gas grills in the last 10 years, and this one costs less than those two added together, and the egg reputedly lasts a lifetime; people will them to their kids, etc.

What I like best is that it gets up to 650* easily, and the first steaks I did on it tasted like top steakhouse steaks; seared on the outside, super juicy and very meaty/savory. 3/4 inch ribeyes, 2 minutes on each side then 2 minutes with the fire closed off, then a 5 minute rest on the plate. And that 650* means it does pizzas, too.

At 400* internal temp, you can rest your hand on the outside comfortably. At 650*, you can put your palm flat on it, but you can't leave it there. The outside is cooler than gas.

It heats up in about the same amount of time a gas grill does. So far it looks like the cost of lump charcoal is comparable to that of gas; it costs less, but uses more. The difference in cost of fuel per season is probably negligible.

In the end it's like any purchase made with discretionary income, I think. If there's something else you need the $750 (cost of large egg) for, or something else you'd rather have, then get that and don't look back. But if you like to cook out, and use your deck a lot, and your grill needs to be replaced anyhow, you can justify the incremental cost over the gas grill the same way I did.

It does look very nice. Does it have any type of finish on it? If not, I'd suggest an easy to apply exterior oil coating, (Watco brand comes to mind). If you just rub some on every year, it should last indefinitely ~ Ron

Thanks for the suggestion, Ron. There was a brochure for sealing stain, but it said to wait 6 months before applying. I was thinking of using linseed oil, but I will definitely look into the Watco.

Mosca said:

Thanks for the suggestion, Ron. There was a brochure for sealing stain, but it said to wait 6 months before applying. I was thinking of using linseed oil, but I will definitely look into the Watco.

Click to expand...

It's been years since I've used this stuff, but here's a link to Watco Teak Oil ~ Ron

I have been looking at these, also.

I am curious about whether there is an improvement in flavor? The steaks sound delicious!

elaine

We had a Kamado while I was growing up. http://www.kamado.com/history.htm These were the Japanese predecessor of the BGE. I have no memory of how our middle-class family acquired this thing. I DO remember the food that it produced. Wonderfully tasty- the adjustable damper and vent allowed for infinite temp control. You could even choke the fire out to save charcoal after use.

My brother bought one for himself even though at the time he was a condo dweller and had it on his entry porch.

I found these a little harder to use than a gas grill, and have a wood pellet fired smoker for my longer cooking creations.

That said, if I lived where the climate was a bit more friendly to year-round outdoor living, an outdoor kitchen, including a BGE would be part of it.

Mosca, I await the invite to the new deck and eats from the BGE. Oh, nice carrier/dolly.

Jim Ricks

How can I get in touch with this guy?

Nice table! Congrats!

I'd love to get one as well, but live in Canada. I know he's on ebay but I can't seem to contact him. Do you know how I can get in touch with him?...thanks and happy Q'n

We've had one for years!

We've had a Big Green Egg for several years and find that it's one of the most wonderful things ever! We didn't get the table; we got the simple stand on rollers. We also have one of the larger Kamato grills (the Japanese version, predecessor of the BGE).

If you live in Canada, there might be a dealer locally; try going to www.biggreenegg.com and see if they have one for you. There are dealers all over the US. We bought ours at our local coal and charcoal dealer (believe it or not) in Middlefield, Ohio, a center of the Amish community; we found a sign for another dealer in Middlefield as we were driving down the street. If they have dealers in Middlefield, they should have dealers all over the place.

In any case, this is a grill, a smoker, a baker -- you name it. It is fantastic.

John_k41 said:

Nice table! Congrats!

I'd love to get one as well, but live in Canada. I know he's on ebay but I can't seem to contact him. Do you know how I can get in touch with him?...thanks and happy Q'n

Click to expand...

John, try reaching him through the ebay contact feature; "bge_tables4less" is the user name.