My husband has decided on only getting the Green Egg and using it as a grill. According to him it's suppose to be the greatest invention ever! Yeah, we still have another grill hanging around, but the Egg is the only one we ever use any more. I think we're going to gift the charcoal grill to our daughter and new son-in-law. They're pretty much starting from nothing, so they'll appreciate it. Annette, I like your set-up. We're planning on something fairly similar. We intend to add a second, smaller Big Green Egg later. This'll allow us to use the smaller one when we want to cook just for us two, and when we have guests we can use the smaller one for an appetizer and the larger one for an entree. We also want a smaller one so we can take it camping. "If you want to cook on a covered porch, you must use a strong vent hood." ... i agree. Been there, done that. Won't do it again. Wondering how we're having such different experiences ... here's what I suspect: My covered porch, which works FINE with a no-hood grill is set up like the one on the left -- covered porch is attached to the house /is open to the air on three sides and gets a pretty good breeze. My porch is about 6' above ground level /steps on both ends -- could that make a difference? I wonder if people who are having a different experience have a porch more like the one to the right -- an "indented" porch? Or at least a porch that in some way gets less breeze.

Felix, I would work with a local landscape designer (who has outdoor kitchens in his/her portfolio) sooner rather than later. In addition to the functional and safety issues of the grill station, I see there's going to be a pool. You'd benefit greatly from a conversation with a designer about what's going to happen in all of those outdoor spaces. We've done several outdoor kitchens for people with pools, and a big part of why they wanted them is to be part of what's happening around the pool while the kids are playing or people are over. If you have a grill head picked out, download the manual and installation instructions from the manufacturer's website to see the required clearances to combustible materials and ventilation requirements. Even if the back wall behind the grill has a stone veneer, if it's over wood framing you still need to be somewhere in the neighborhood of 10-14" away (I think, no time to look it up because I'm not supposed to be in my office this week). With a standard 24-27" deep grill head, that's not going to fit in that alcove,

After cooking on Charcoal for over 50 years (since I was 12), we decided to go gas in our new outdoor kitchen on the new covered patio. I have narrowed it down to Hestan, Fire Magic, Lynx and Alfresco. There is a great review of the Hestan by Meathead Goldwyn on the Amazino Ribs website, but I can’t find much else. Anyone have any hands-on experience with Hestan gas grills (outdoor)?

In my area of FL we were required to have one by code and it was $800 extra for that part! Check the code requirements in your specific area.