GMG Jim Bowie Prime vs Original
Not 100% thorough, however I had both my JB's sitting in the garage on a snowy day in Omaha and thought I'd show them side by side, along with the original cook video I did earlier this week.
Overall, here are my first impressions, which I posted on the GMG Owners Facebook page:
My first impressions (very limited use so far, assembled and fired up last night)
Built like a TANK!
Wheels and legs, etc are so much better
Love the heat shield handle
Love the vacuum hole idea, but have yet to test how well it works
Love the extra shelving, already came in handy
WiFi is lightning fast and the controller + app work perfectly together.
Love the controller overall, now that it essentially matches the DC
Love the 12V option
Window in the lid is handier than I thought it would be.
Pizza Oven still fits!!!!
Other thoughts:
It’s loud, like the DC, due to being 12V. I'll take 12V over quiet, but it is loud. This is because 12V motors aren't as quiet.
I don’t like that the front shelf doesn’t fold down, it seems like that could have been an easy thing to do out of the gate. I expect lots of complaints about it.
The vacuum hole I can't decide on yet. It appears to get quite a bit of ash out of the fire pot just fine, but you still do need to clean out the rest of the pit with a vacuum. I think I would have rather seen an opening / dump that you could just push all the ash too, let it fall out the bottom.
Regarding: Is it worth the extra money?
In my very honest opinion, worth every penny. It will last longer just due to being more solid and sturdy and there is just so much more to love. Don’t get me wrong, anyone who knows me knows I’m a pizza nut and I wouldn’t sacrifice the pizza attachment if you are forced to make a choice between getting it with the original and the Prime...but it’s a small additional investment compared to the total. I really do think you will kick yourself someday....but that’s just me. Some of the add ons are vanity add ons (bottle opener?), but overall it’s about $100 investment difference and I whole heartedly believe you get much more than $100 of additional value and buying the Prime is worth it.
Let me know if you have questions! I'll be cooking on it often and learning as I go.