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Things to Consider: Today, there are various methods and equipment available to accomplish a raised or multi-level cook. Fire bricks, bolts, or metal legs are just some of the equipment. To help you evaluate equipment, ours and others, we offer these nine questions to consider.

1. Does the equipment have multi-level capabilities -  big enough to handle large cooks?
2. If the equipment is multi-level, does it also accomplish single grid, direct grilling?  Is it multi-dimensional?
3. Can the equipment store easily?  The best place is in the egg, where you use it.  Then, there is no need to go hunting for it.
4. Is the set up process hassle free? Most of us run late on a cook, so quick and easy on the front end of a cook is a good thing.
5. Is it easy to use?  The faster you can make changes during the cook,  the better the finished product will be.
6. Other than the indirect piece, does the equipment limit air movement?  Limiting air movement increases the potential for hot or cold spots during the cook, not a good thing.
7. Does it need to be cleaned?  Most of the time, we are too busy or not inspired to clean after cooking.
8.  How is the equipment made?  If it is built to last, then the cost per cook can be pennies.
9. Is it priced competitively for the quality and abilities?

Our goal is for you to have the best grilling and barbequing experience possible.  Hopefully, the Adjustable Rig or Woo2 and Spider will fit your style and make outdoor cooking more enjoyable.

So, you’ve wandered around the site and just can’t make up your mind which set-up best fits your cooking style. Well, here are a couple key differences that may help you decide.

• The main cooking grid height for the Woo2 is a smidge below the felt line. For the Adjustable Rig, it’s two inches above the felt line. For direct grilling purposes, both are an improvement over grilling at the fire ring. Some prefer the felt line, as it is a break point with the base and dome. Others prefer the higher dome location as it provides slightly better temperature control.
• The Adjustable Rig offers more set up options for multi-level cooking. So if you plan to do big cooks, it’s a better choice.
• The Adjustable Rig offers the slide out grid as a tiered option. With the Woo2, you can get a slide out set-up, but it’s not as clean a set-up. It’s grid-on-grid.
• Both the Woo2 and Adjustable Rig are not difficult to use. The learning curve on each is quick.
• Both offer options to go higher in the dome.
• The Adjustable Rig has the greatest potential for grid surface, over 1000 square inches. Not sure what you’d do with all that space, but it’s worth mentioning.
• The Spider works best with the Adjustable Rig, as they were designed together.
• Since the Adjustable Rig’s main grid is above the felt line on a raised grid cook, it is easier to add wood chunks and chips to the lump.

Let it be said, you don’t need both the Adjustable Rig and Woo2, unless you have multiple eggs and want to play.  If you are still in doubt on which one to order, then we recommend:

1. If you plan on doing traditional grilling and barbequing on a small scale, the Woo2 is all you need.  Maybe add the extender for a little diversity.
2. If you are a grilling or barbequing enthusiast or plan on getting creative with your cooking, the Adjustable Rig and Spider are for you.  The set-up is more versatile than the Woo2.  Plus, the cost differential over the life of the equipment is minimal.

Every so often, there is talk about a “sweet spot” – the ultimate grid height. If you find the “sweet spot,” please let us know. We’ve been looking but it’s as elusive as a “sure thing!”

The best “sweet spot” is the one that gets your desired results. From our experiences, we find it’s not so much about an actual “sweet spot” but more about having the proper set up and a basic understanding of how ceramics work. Here are a couple of concepts that work for us:

• To develop that perfect steak, sear close to the lump and finish to the desired doneness in the dome. By searing close to the lump, you can get the same char results but with less intense temperatures than if searing at the fire ring.  When you move the food into the dome, you stop the searing process and basically roast the meat to the desired doneness.  This method is akin to a chef searing on a stove top and sliding the pan in the oven to finish.
• To develop uniform temperatures on low-&-slows, try to equalize the space between the indirect piece, grid(s) and dome. If you need to skew the set-up in one direction, go vertical into the dome.
• To grill, it’s easier to cook high in the dome with slightly hotter temps than closer to the lump with lower temps.  Higher in the dome just reduces the chances of burning something when you run for a beverage or your significant other distracts you with a quick task. It happens!  The worst thing that typically happens is the food is over cooked, but generally not burned.
• If you cook indirect, the more of the food you can keep over the indirect piece, the better the end product will be.  That being said, don’t go overboard the other way either: a 16-inch pizza pan to slow cook one brat is overkill, don’t you think.
• With indirect cooks, the more uniform you can make the airflow up the ceramic walls, the more consistent the inner temps will be across the grid(s).  When airflow is disrupted, temperature gradients are created.  More times than not, this affects the temperature(s) across the grid. 
• No matter how hard you try, the cooker can develop hot spots. Lump does not always burn in a circular pattern. So, when prepping for a long cook, have a plan to move grids or food should a hot spot develop.  Hot spots do not always develop at the back of the cooker.  The fix can be as simple as spinning the grid.

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