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Cult Grill: The Big Green Egg

Michael Wodchis

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Insurance executive Michael Wodchis serves as vice president of Windsor Insurance Associates, Inc. based in Woodland Hills, California. In addition to his consistently strong business performances, Michael Wodchis enjoys cooking outdoors on his Big Green Egg ceramic grill.

After its 1970s debut, the Big Green Egg acquired a cult following. Priced at over $1,000, the grill has won devoted followers who call themselves Eggheads.

The Big Green Egg has little in common with ordinary metal grills. The ceramic walls, with their characteristic oval shape, manage heat at low temperatures over long periods of time and high temps for shorter durations. Rather than an open tray where you arrange charcoal briquets, the Egg draws its energy from a ceramic chamber which holds lump hardwood charcoal. Dampers allow heat to migrate from the bottom to the area enclosed by the top lid. The dampers permit precise temperature control.
Consumer Reports testers noted that no damper adjustments or addition of coals were required; the Egg produced consistent heat at low and high temperatures. The magazine concluded that while not needed by summer-only grillers, the Big Green Egg is a good value for year-round cooking of steaks and oven-baked pizzas.