kimryan1, I have 4 BGE's three large and a Medium. I bought my second large at a Eggfest in Waldorf MD and it was just like brand new. Make sure it is cooled down before you take apart. Bring some packaing material either old blankets, bubbble wrap etc. Hopefully they throw in some lump, plate setter and nest with your deal. Don't forget to ask about the 3 ceramic feet that come with it just in case you ever want to make a grill island with a gasser and build the BGE into the island. You will need the feet then.

I kept my trusty Weber for about a year when I bough mine, and it quickly became a charcoal storage unit. Things that the egg-shaped cookers do "better" than a kettle or gas grill, are, in my biased opinion, and in no particular order: * High temperature sear -- I can easily get the coals to a yellow-orange temperature. It is hot enough that the stainless-steel grill "self cleans" and I get a beautifully marked and seared steak. * Capacity -- I can easily get a 25# turkey *and* four full slabs of ribs into mine (equivalent of a 22 1/2" Weber grill size) * Temperature control -- with the top and bottom dampers, I can much more easily control fire temperature than I ever could on a charcoal kettle. I can be at 700 deg (dome) temperature and shut it down to a 400 deg "dwell" in a minute or two -- basically puts the fire out and cooks using the heat stored in the dome (this also means that unused charcoal is not consumed) -- see warning below * Cook pizza -- Real pizza. 700 deg isn't at all hard to obtain and maintain. * No cover needed -- It's pool tile. Hose it off with the pressure sprayer from time to time. Disadvantages -- its harder to have a "hot" side and a "cold" side. It is clearly cooler around the edges when using it as a grill and I generally deal with it that way. WARNING -- Get yourself a good set of mitts and a ideally a fire-resistant apron, and always, always look away when opening any charcoal-fired cooker of any sort that has been "shut down" in this manner. The high temperatures that remain can "vaporize" all kinds of combustibles, that basically burst into flame when the oxygen rushes in when you open the top. Think turning on the gas in the oven and then tossing in a match. It has never happened to me, but I'd hate to find out that I lost the roll of the dice. Here is a link that might be useful: Cooker Flashback

There are mats you can get to place under a grill. Although auto drip pans work better. However unless you are quite literally a total idiot I can not imagine how you could set fire to a wood deck using a Kamado type grill (BGE). They are extremely safe and absolutely zero way for hot coals to just drop onto the deck. Small little sparks when lighting the charcoal sure but unless your deck is covered in crumpled newspaper I fail to see how a small charcoal spark can do anything to treated wood used for decking. I have been cooking with and around others with charcoal grills on wood decks for 50+ years, most of that time using what "could" be a more likely candidate to set a deck on fire such as those cheap "Brinkman water Smokers" of which just has a thin metal bowl setting about 3-4" off the deck with holes in the bottom of it and is likely to rust out in about a year. Now THOSE are a danger and you best be careful. But even with those as long as you are careful and place one of those large auto drip pans, they are about 30x40" and made of galvanized steel then you are good to go. You can even pour a 1/2" of water in it to be super safe if you are smoking meat all night. However a BGE, personally I use a Vision Grill which is virtually Identical to a BGE except they are far less expensive, thicker ceramic, better hinges. But identical as far as any fire concern. There is really no way for coals to fall out of a kamado grill/smoker. The ceramic is thick, in fact in the Vision grill you have a thick fire bowl with cast iron grate inside then a small 1/2" thick ceramic plate it sits on then the 1 3/4" thick ceramic outer. There is no way it can be knocked over by the dog or a kid as it weighs over 250# and is very stable. So Kamado Grills and wood decks don't worry about it as there is really no way you are setting anything on fire deck wise as long as you are not an idiot, such as do not place it 1" from the side of your house, do not have dry over hanging dead tree branches with leaves over it, don't cover your deck with pine straw, DOH! I mean really, on a plain wood deck, clean of debris with the grill setting in the middle of it I don't see how it would even be possible to set the deck on fire even if you tried to. This is mine on our deck. The grill doesn't get closer than 2 feet from the deck and even when grilling steaks at 600+ degrees the outside from bottom to 2/3rds up never gets so hot that you cant put your hand on it. It cant be tipped over, nothing can possibly fall out. Exactly how can it catch anything on fire?

Sounds good. Do you remember any of the other ingredients? Here is a link that might be useful: http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,shitake_mushroom,FF.html