Review Of Primo Oval XL Grill

This is a review of the Primo Oval XL grill and smoker.  I have been pondering this purchase for some time and I thank all of you for your comments and suggestions.  I purchased the Primo to replace my Medium Big Green Egg (BGE).  I was not replacing my BGE because I was not satisfied with it.  To the contrary, the BGE was the best grill and smoker I have ever used, and I will continue to keep my BGE recipes listed here.  I replaced it only because I needed a bigger grill.  That being said, here are my experiences with my new Primo.

• Receiving The Primo
  • To begin with, the weight of the Primo was over 350 lbs when shipped.  This shipment included:
    • Primo Oval Smoker Ceramic Charcoal Grill – Extra Large
    • Primo Oval Cradle – Extra Large With Casters
    • Primo Cast Iron Divider for XL Oval Firebox
    • Primo Pizza Stone – For Round & XL Oval
  • This is one of the down sides to the Primo, that is, there are fewer Primo dealers than BGE dealers.  Thus, it may be necessary to order the Primo and have it shipped.  I could not find a Primo dealer in the D.C. area.

• Assembling The Primo
  • First I assembled the cradle.  This took about an hour.  The included instructions are not that great, but with a little trial and error you can get it done.
    1. Assemble the long crossbars.
    2. Attach the wheels.
    3. Attach the raising bars.
    4. Attach the upper support crossbars.
    5. Attach the ring to the raising bars.
    6. Note: Do not fully tighten any of the screws and nuts, as you may need to make some adjustments.  You can fully tighten everything after you have placed the Primo into the cradle.
  • Attach the Side Table
    1. Before attaching the side table you may want to take the wood slats off and coat them with a wood sealant.  I learned this lesson from by BGE, where my wood tables were both worn by the wether and stained by foods.  I have coated the slats for my Primo with Behr Premium Transparent Deck, Fence & Siding Weatherproofing Wood Finish.
    2. Attach the brackets before adjusting the cradle.
  • Unpacking the Primo
    • A note to everyone with an ounce of common scene: you may not want to follow my directions.  I  assembled the Primo alone.  It is much safer to have a friend or two help you, as the Primo is very heavy.
      1. The Primo comes well packed.  Remove the crate and plastic wrap.
      2. Remove the firebox, ceramic bottom plate, and bottom grate.  This makes the unit lighter. 
      3. I then removed the top.  Note: I did this because the entire unit was too heavy to lift, but the manufacturer recommends not removing the top.
      4. Place the base in the cradle.
      5. Attach the top and tighten the screws on the band assembly. 
      6. Now replace the firebox.
      7. Insert the ceramic bottom plate.
      8. Place the bottom grate with slots facing up.
      9. Insert the firebox divider. (the divider is an accessory, but I purchased it to allow cooking with only half the charcoal)
      10. Load the firebox with some charcoal and fire it up.  It is best to heat the Primo for the first time without cooking anything.  This allows you to make any adjustments without worrying about your food.
      11. The finished Primo

I light the Primo and brought it up to 500 without cooking any food.  This allowed me to make any adjustments to the cradle and to burn off anything that remained in the grill or on the grates without worrying about cooking anything.  One thing I noticed from the beginning is that it takes much more charcoal to get the XL Primo to 500 than it did for my medium BGE.  As I use the Primo I will keep you updated on its performance.

Now go do some grilling.

Here are some recipes to get you started:

• North Carolina Pulled Pork On A Big Green Egg
• Grilling Corn On The Cob On A Big Green Egg
• Grilling Tri Tip On A Big Green Egg
• Beef Ribs On A Big Green Egg
• Twice Baked Potatoes On A Big Green Egg
• Prime Rib On A Big Green Egg
• Baby Back Ribs On A Big Green Egg

yojoe out

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