Big Steel Keg (Formerly the Bubba Keg)
Thursday, January 28, 2010 at 11:03PM As you know, I've been a fan of the kamado style cooker for awhile now and about a year ago I acquired a Bubba Keg to go along side my Big Green Egg. I've been largely satisfied with the Bubba Keg and an active member of their community over at the BubbaBoard.
I've documented the differences of cooking head to head on the Bubba Keg vs. the Big Green Egg, because they cook completely different from one another but both turn out some really good BBQ.
Imagine the surprise of all the early adopters of the Bubba Keg when we discovered that the company had decided that the brand was too narrowly focused and that in order to appeal to a larger crowd, they would be changing the name of the cooker to the "Big Steel Keg
I'm surprised that they would abandon the brand that they've built around the cooker and their other Bubba Keg products (insulated mugs and drink holders) that are shaped like beer kegs. But I guess I can understand that "bubba" could be a turn off to some folks.
They've also made some enhancements to the product to help it maintain low temps better. While I certainly can't fault the comapny for improving the product, I am disappointed that the company apparently doesn't intend to provide a way to retrofit these enhancements to the first generation products. The thing about this that really annoys me is that most of the enhancements were learned on the backs of the first generation users and their experience.
Come on In-Zone, at least make the new vents and damper controls available for the Bubba Keg Grill owners to purchase. I think you owe that to the community.
Cheers,
Braddog
Reader Comments (4)
Wow, I hadn't heard about this change. I can see some positives and negatives to this strategy and the implementation thereof. I thought "Bubba Keg" was marketable and an easy thing to remember. Big Steel Keg seems like a "me too" to the Big Green Egg.
I couldn't agree more.
Sometimes I wonder if In-Zone is 100% committed to this grill.
Seems even things like the diffuser are not important.
Looks to me like they are sitting on the fence to see if this thing takes off.
Hope I'm wrong. See you on the board.
Porchpup;
Thanks for the note. I posted my thoughts on the board and got mixed responses, so I just let it drop. But I really feel like InZone learned some lessons from the early adopters. I'm not suggesting they owe us anything for free, but making the parts available seems like the least they could do.
Cheers,
Braddog
Welcome to the world of being a first time adopter. Sometimes the retrofit option isn't technically possible, or fiscally feasible. You were able to enjoy the grill for almost a year. While it might not take the sting of now InZone having a moderately better product, your stomach probably couldn't tell the difference.