Anyone have any experience with the Outdoor Gourmet grills at Academy? I saw them the other day and was curious as to how they compare with the BGE, Primo, etc. It's time for a new grill/smoker as both of mine are just about to fall apart and I'm thinking about getting a ceramic one and be done with it.

Outdoor Gourmet Kamado Charcoal/Wood Smoker

Can't say, no experience with them. I know money is tight for everyone these days. That being said, I am fixing to invest in a ceramic smoker and I am going to go with what has the best warranty and reputation for a quality product. One of these is something you will keep for a long long time. Don't get some cheap knockoff that may crack in the next year or two. Get the best.

I was just going through some of the previous threads here and found a little bit on them. I tried searching for Academy in the ALDEER Buffet forum but it didn't pull anything up. I finally found a couple of posts about them, though. Looks like I'll be saving up for a Primo/BGE/KJ/Bayou Classic, etc. Plus, I'd rather have a nice wooden table instead of some cheap, sheet metal tubing cart that's gonna rust out in a couple of years like the one at Academy comes with.

I don't know alot about all the different brands, but the Primo is the most versatile because it has a split firebox. You can cook over direct heat on one side and indirect on the other, and since there are separate cooking surfaces, you can adjust the height individually....basically allows you to have 2 different grills going at the same time.
Also with the split firebox, you can get away with alot less charcoal. You'll probably actually end up saving enough money on charcoal to get back your money on your initial investment if you cook alot.
The oval shape usually allows you to get more food on the grill without as much wasted space also.

Welcome the egghead family!

Counting it down, hope to everything done and in by the 2nd or 3rd week of the season. Starting on tearing down and replacing the deck this Wednesday, and it's a biggun.

I saw them a month ago compared to my KJ cheaper ceramic and cheap quality..

I saw some kind of kamado grill at homedepot this weekend up in TN. It looked cool, had some kind of electric starter on it, but when I opened it up the hinges were really wobbly and it looked thin and cheap on the inside.

I just looked at the one Academy sells tonight. Ceramic is ALOT thinner than a BGE or KJ and the hinges and hardware is rickety. Not what you want.

What he said. I looked at one at Academy on Sunday and I don't feel it is as thick and sturdy as the Primo or BGE (can't compare to the KJ as I've never saw one in person).

I've never seen any of them up close and checked them out, so I didn't know what to compare it to. Since the wife and I are the only ones that usually eat something grilled, I've been grilling on a portable George Foreman propane grill that uses the propane bottles like a propane lantern.

Its just 2 of Us and we cook the grill most of the time.Save up and get a nice one you'll be glad you did.This past thanksgiving I cooked 80% of the dinner on mine.And it was GOOD.

I looked at KJ, but was convinced that I would get the Egg, till I discovered the Primo... you get what you pay for.