Green Egg vs Kamado Joe vs BBQ bastard

I use a huge (420kg) steel Lang, fired mainly with fruit woods from local farmers, the trees that have fallen in my yard in the recent storms (black locust is awesome, and can burn even while still a bit green), and a combo of alder and oak from nearby dealers.

I also have a large Weber kettle for when the other one is too big or I just want to grill quicker (grilling, barbecue, and smoking are different methods - if you think its all "barbecue" grab a Steven Raichlen book, or read his website a little, even half an hour there will make you a better outdoor cook).

I was at my daughter's friend's house recently, and I watched as the dad was assembling a gas Weber that he'd gotten on line. Of course I offered help, but didn't push when he preferred to take a break and have some tea. Still I felt really bad for him, gas seems simpler, at first, but it doesn't do as good a job, unless you really play with it, and it winds up taking longer to get better quality cooking. A Weber kettle, a chimney starter, lump charcoal, and some wood chunks (not chips or dust, chunks) are really all most folks need to make great food.

That said, we are talking Kamado styles, which are trying generally to do too much or show off that someone can have more than a Weber, the Primo is by far the best design. Most people really don't need a Kamado though, if going for the high heat temperatures of 300oC+ that they can achieve, it's likely for pizza or bread, it's rare to cook meats at that temperature, so get a decent wood pizza oven instead. If using to cook long and slow, which is better for most barbecue, the Weber will generally work if you know what you are doing and it's not dead of winter. If just using to grill food, the Weber is a better machine, due to size, speed, access, cleaning, and control.

Many folks buy more barbecue than they need with out doing the research first, leading to less enjoyment and use. Unless you fairly frequently have eight or more hours to dedicate to your barbecuing, or just have money to burn, get the Weber.

My big machine: https://langbbqsmokers.com/smoker-co...-deluxe-patio/

My recommended reading: http://barbecuebible.com/techniques/

My dream machine: https://www.grillworksusa.com/#home-1-section

I actually came across this thread and revived it, because I was looking for lump charcoal, and came across the Bastard Brand... so I poked around their website as well as checked reviews and this thread popped up.

The Bastard certainly seem to have a great marketing department and sales pitch.

Anyway, before I cross the border for some more affordable lump charcoal, any suggestions of sales at Hornbach, Landi, COOP, or so on that I may have missed?We've grilled or barbecued for twelve of the past fourteen days, so, I will buy a large amount if quality/price are there.

Have you been reading how make friends and influence people. You've essentially come on here and told the people contributing that they don't know what they're doing or buying them to show off.

I have a 57cm Weber kettle and 57cm Monolith Kamado that I bought a 5 years after the Weber. I can say that you are categorically wrong about speed, cleaning and control. It is ready to go just as quickly as the Weber, cleaning it is easier and due to the insulation, temperature control is easier too. It doesn't care what season it is - if we are in Switzerland for Christmas I barbecue the turkey on it. I'll give you that it is bigger, but space isn't an issue for me.

From what I remember the Primo wasn't available in Switzerland when I was doing my research. Why do you think it's better? Because of the shape? For me the innovations of the Monolith make it the best (and no I don't care that it's made in China).

In case you aren't aware of it, I would also recommend www.amazingribs.com and the Meathead book. I have Raichlen's Project Smoke book and do like some of the recipes in it, but from an educational standpoint I like Meathead's scientific and empirical myth busting.

For lump wood I've found that the Hornbach quality has decreased substantially in the last couple of year and only use the likes of Coop in an emergency. My goto place in Switzerland at the moment is Aligro. Cheaper (I think) than Hornbach and much better wood.

I go to the neighbor's, for BBQ, far easier

I have a weber gas grill and it is great to get a quick grill on busy days. come home from the office and grill a few steaks, or burgers or whatever. It is also great for weekend grills - really happy with... having said that I would like to get a 2nd grill and been looking at ceramic options. Better for low-slow and of course holds temperature better

Friends recommend the green big egg. it doesn't look like that came up in this discussion. anybody have one and any thoughts?

a second question. are there any good in-person "how to grill? how to take advantage of your grill? etc?" courses in Vaud ? I couldn't find anything

I prefer the mini Lotusgrill for that. It produces full heat in 5mins, pretty much no smoke provided the coal is dry, and burns nicely little coal.

Perhaps I wasn't clear, or my wording was off, apologies.

As for the speed and convenience aspects, I was comparing a kettle (or most other charcoal grills, including Kamado) to gas. I was feeling bad for the fellow putting together his gas grill, as he told me that "gas is quicker." Weber kettles are the simplest best put together grills for the price.

As for Kamado in general, many folks (not all) buy them and don't use them, from what I've seen, anecdotal, but my experience. I also mentioned that the Kamado is better in winter than a kettle. The folks who cook outdoors all year are going to get proper use out of it, especially as they are barbecuing, the guy who is grilling a few sausages and hot dogs four or five times during the summer isn't. It's why I say "most" but not "all."

As for Primo versus the rest, not all Kamado have a two zone cooking area, which is huge, by far the most important difference between the Primo and many of the competition. After that we can get into the rotisserie which works well (I've seen an egg with one, and it didn't work well - perhaps better now. I also like the quality of their grate system and they seem to be better at doing a cold smoke. It's a more versatile Kamado than most. Perhaps BGE have upped their game, but I was surprised at the differences. I've only been here a short time, but have seen two Primos here, not sure where they got them.

I agree about the lack of quality of the lump at Hornbach/COOP. I'll check out Alligro, thanks for that. I got four bags of decent quality at Jardiland near Ornex yesterday, I was much happier with the fire yesterday. I also picked up a bag at Savoie Volailles Pernoud, as it was dirt cheap (6 Euros) and I'll see how it is. Their meat was excellent... best pork I've found recently. Still need a bit of courage for their whole chickens as the feet are still on! LOL

I recommend Raichlen to folks who are brand new, I find that the introductions he makes make people much better right off the bat (I like eating at other's homes, but I am sad to have half burnt and half raw improperly grilled foods, that could have been fine, if the person had the knowledge - I have two decades of bad barbecue and two of very good personally). I'll look for the meathead book, I've got a dozen or so smoking, grilling, and barbecue books, and overall my favorite food book currently is Michael Twitty's The Cooking Gene - his concept of the Souther Discomfort Tour was an eye opener. For recipes and myth busting overall, I'm a fan of Kenji Alt Lopez and his writings, especially as he updates with new science.

In general, I want people to enjoy barbecue/grilling/smoking more. I find that two many try to go for "convenience" with gas, and to properly cook on a gas grill is generally harder than the Weber (or most charcoal grills) and the clean up is harder, as is the prep to properly smoke or slow barbecue something.

Cheers - enjoy this great outdoors weather. Oh, and where are you getting good ribs? I have had trouble finding decent quality ones so far, I miss Costco Japan for that.

Where in Vaud? - I think you messaged me once, but I lost it. Sorry! I'll gladly sit and talk fire and meats. I'll also recommend working with a kettle before going for the ceramic, mainly, because you get a lot of value and education on the kettle, and then you can figure out which ceramic you want and pounce when there's a sale or even better, get one only lightly used as they come up for sale occasionally. But in the summer, that Weber charcoal kettle, is generally great. If you get a chance, the Jardiland mentioned before has a really good selection of grills, smokers, and barbecues. Even a few Tragers (the pellet smokers) for real set and forget. I like wood and offset barbecues best, but I certainly see the value of a pellet smoker.

Goes off to google the lotus... I am completely unfamiliar but curious.

I'd agree, but I like the way I cook!

So, cook at the neighbours, where's the problem ?

One reason a lot of people have gas here is the neighbours get pissy about wood smoke, particularly in apartment blocks. After our first experience in an apartment where we got in trouble for a charcoal barbecue, I made it a criteria of our next rental and the place we bought that it was possible to barbecue. In the first place they did offer us the compromise of running the barbecue right by the boundary fence, but that meant on the communal grass rather than our patio, so would have caused even more problems if the grass was damaged. Agree that gas doesn‘t deliver the quality, but for a lot of people it‘s good enough. That said once they’ve been before, there‘s a reason that people rarely turn down an invite to ours when I‘m lighting the barbecue and it isn‘t (just) the copious amounts of alcohol.

I understand what you mean now about underutilisation of the Kamado. Yes that would be a waste. I only know of one other guy here with one (a BGE). I assume as a Saffa he knows what he‘s doing with it.

I‘m not a great fan of the BGE either. All of the innovations you mention about the Primo are there on the Monolith and more. Perhaps it‘s not a brand you are familiar with www.monolith-grill.eu It looks like Primo are sold in Switzerland now, but I don‘t think I could get away with a second one! I can‘t speak for the rotisserie attachment, as although I really would like to buy it and it looks like a serious bit of kit with separate ‚spinners‘ for kebab skewers, I struggle to justify the €400 price for something that would only be used occasionally.

My introduction to barbecuing properly came from a friend buying me Fred Thompson‘s Grillmaster for my birthday as she didn‘t enjoy my cremated sausages when we went camping. I was a bit offended a first, as I actually quite like them that way, but it sparked a deeper interest. I‘ll take a look at the authors you suggested. Thanks for the steer. I generally buy books now for the interesting recipes.

Ribs I normally just buy from Aldi. They‘re good enough, but nothing special. Www.meat4you.ch has St. Louis cut ribs, but they are super expensive. I’ve had all sorts of American cuts from them too. As a Brit I can’t compare it to the US, but the brisket has been good and a proper size, pork belly is excellent too. On the steak side their aged Irish cuts are excellent as is their SRF Wagyu. I get a lot of meat from Aligro too. They have decent US Prime ribeye, cheap lumps of pork shoulder, flat iron steak, pork belly, ribs, duck breast, lamb legs, shoulders, chops etc. The fish section is normally a bit more interesting than the supermarket and well priced and it‘s the only place I know here to get live lobster and crab.

Yeah, Meat4You must dip their meat in gold! I saw the ribs at Aldi yesterday... triple what I paid in Japan and at least five times the US price... I left them.

On the other hand, I ventured to Aligro in Lausanne this morning. I am a believer, especially the fish department. Thanks for mentioning it!

As for smoke and where to live... yeah, we chose this house partially for barbecueability... no smoke to the neighbors!

Don’t look here then! https://luma-delikatessen.ch/de/catalog/

Aligro are also good for wine. They quite often have top end wine cheaper than I can find it on Wine Searcher, including a Super Tuscan that I bought a case of en primeur for more than the case I bought from Aligro. Miraval rose is cheaper than I can find elsewhere and that’s before the frequent 20% discount on rose. Also very well priced champagne during their pre-Christmas sale.

Their website also tell you what special offers they have on this week and the following week.

not only in apartments

https://www.20min.ch/fr/video/reglem...r-276628455443

That was like vikings!

Ya di da di da, quick question, is it worth buying a Kamado Joe or not ?

I have a Weber, a Plancha & a Rotisseire (all gas fired)

What is it here with the cheaper cuts of meat being charged at a premium.

Spare ribs is one example (when you can get them without them being coated in that orange sludge that the locals seem to favour).

I saw lamb shanks the other day in Lidl. They are a cheap cut of meat and they need a long time to cook to tenderise.

I expected to pay more than I had at my butcher in the UK (a couple of quid each) but they were 25 CHF each!

https://www.carnaexpress.ch/

In Lausanne near Prilly ice hockey stadium

I picked up six Costine from Aldi last weekend at half price. The sixth I got after it was placed back in the fridge because eine Hausfrau chastised her man, and told him to get the orange sludge variety. 8 kilos for ~60 bucks.