Should You Buy a Big Green Egg? I Tested One for an Entire Year

As far as kamado-style grills go, Big Green Egg is a legacy name with a robust following. The first Egg debuted in 1974, and the iconic green dome has grown to feature several sizes and a broad range of accessories to satisfy even the most discerning of “Eggheads.”

About a year ago, I entered the Egg community with a large size (the third-biggest of seven options) complete with an “IntEGGrated” Nest, Handler, and acacia wood folding shelves. This 162-pound beast replaced my pellet grill. However, while ceramic kamado-style grills can be used for grilling, they also excel at smoking. I grilled during my first few sessions with the Egg to get the hang of temperature control and cooking range and slowly ventured into slightly longer bakes and smoking sessions with larger pieces of meat and fish (and many vegetables). Recently, I made my first brisket and even tested the Egg’s capability as a pizza oven. Here are my thoughts on this big, green griller after owning it for 12 months.

Big Green Egg Large Charcoal Kamado Grill and Smoker

View on Bbqgalore.com $1,539 at Ace Hardware View on Biggreenegg.com

What We Learned

It Was Heavy, but (Sort of) Portable 

Even the smallest Egg weighs 39 pounds before adding charcoal. My Large Egg is a hefty 162 pounds—most definitely not movable without the wheeled Nest. It’s heavy because it’s primarily made of ceramic and metal, with very little plastic. The quality construction makes it more durable than aluminum kamados, but what you gain in longevity you lose in portability. It makes sense why many cooks put their Egg in one spot and build a workstation around it. However, with the handler/nest combo, the Large Egg is movable from my garage to my driveway. I’m not wheeling this thing to a local park, but I can move it about 100 feet with minimal fuss.

Were the Big Green Egg Accessories Worth It?

One does not simply Egg (I’m petitioning to make that officially a verb) with just the base unit. There is an ecosystem of accessories that make Egging more practical. The custom coal stoker and ashtray for the coal opening are two things I definitely could not live without. While any stoker and ashtray would theoretically work, the BGE versions are specifically designed for the curvature of the ashtray and the internal bottom cavity, so others may not be as effective in getting rid of ash. I’m not really sure how you’d remove ash from the Egg otherwise (without taking out the heavy interior ceramic rings that is). There’s also the “Eggspander,” which adds one additional level of cooking inside the Egg. It’s a good option for items that don’t need direct heat, like softer veggies.

I think if you’re going to invest in a Big Green Egg, it’s worth it to budget for some accessories. They make ownership much more enjoyable and fruitful. If you’re looking at just a few accessories, I would say the BGE ashtray, coal stoker, and nest/handler are the most practical.

Lighting the Egg Was Not an Exact Science

If you watch enough “Eggducation” on YouTube you won’t think twice about lighting the grill, until you get out there to do it. I chose not to get the Egg-specific butane lighter or a chimney starter and to use paraffin wax cubes instead (Big Green Egg has its own version; most are the same). Although there are two separate channels for airflow (one from above and one adjacent to the ashtray), I never quite know if I’ll get the coals lit the first time. Ceramic kamados retain heat really well, but that also presents a challenge for initial lighting since there are only two options for air circulation. (Other kamados have a circular opening at the bottom for airflow, but that also leads to potentially more heat loss, so it’s a give-and-take.)

In my experience with the Egg, I try to start grill prep early and get a fire going soon after, just in case I have to stoke the coals again or add another wax cube. If I’m going for a high-heat grilling session, I find that stoking the coals after about 15 minutes quickly promotes a roaring hot grill, often exceeding 550°F. I rarely need temperatures that high, so I typically close the vents for a bit to help level off the heat to 475 or 500ºF.

The Egg Excelled at Low and Slow Cooking

I was impressed by the Egg’s ability to maintain lower temperatures over a long period, such as the eight hours it took to smoke a brisket. The smoker held a steady 230˚F with minimal user interference. Ceramic kamados generally hold prolonged heat well, so this isn't entirely surprising.

The Egg plows through charcoal at temperatures over 500˚F, and I had to closely monitor (and fiddle with) the dampers to maintain anything over 520˚F. The majority of my weeknight grilling is done at 400 to 450˚F and the Egg keeps that going just fine. It’s worth having a grilling thermometer to double-check temperatures, though.

It Was Well-Built and Easy to Maintain

There are zero electronic components in the Egg, and depending on your point of view that’s either a big plus or a huge negative. (Fans of app-enabled grills and smokers should check out the Char-Griller Auto-Kamado.) A year in, I love that aspect. Few things can break, and beyond tightening the exterior bolts every few months, maintenance tops out at cleaning the interior and replacing the grill seal gasket every couple of years—an easy DIY job. This is a rig that’s built to last, which helps warrant the high price. 

Budget Time for Cooldown

The Egg holds heat incredibly well, which means it takes a long time to cool. If you store your Egg in a garage, know that it needs to be under 100˚F before putting it away—that can take up to three hours after you’ve stopped cooking. There are a couple of tricks I learned from the online community to speed this up, like putting a grill-safe pot (steel or cast iron) full of water in the closed grill to pull the heat out of the Egg. Aluminum kamado grills, like our favorite model from Char-Griller, will cool down much quicker, but as a trade-off, they can’t match the heat retention of ceramic cookers.

The Verdict

Big Green Egg Large Charcoal Kamado Grill and Smoker

View on Bbqgalore.com $1,539 at Ace Hardware View on Biggreenegg.com

While it’s not as turnkey as, say, a gas grill, I now plan my meals around the Big Green Egg. Unlike my old pellet grill, I like that this kamado doesn't require electricity.

Above all, it’s the durability that's sold me on the Egg. I don’t know that there’s a better-built ceramic kamado out there, and I really appreciate the lack of breakable parts in the construction. Most moderate to serious grilling enthusiasts should have a great time with the Egg, granted they don't balk at the price.

The Pros

• Rich, smoky flavor 
• A ton of versatility: low-, medium-, and high-heat capabilities 
• Minimal maintenance
• Options for both stationary and movable stands 
• Made from durable ceramic

The Cons

• Even the small sizes are heavy
• Expensive 
• More of a learning curve

Key Specs (for size large)

• Weight: 162 pounds 
• Grid diameter: 18.25 inches 
• Cooking area: 262 square inches 
• Coal bed capacity: Around 12 pounds
• Max temperature: 750°F 
• What’s included: Grill, grill grate
• Warranty: Limited lifetime warranty

FAQs

How do you clean a Big Green Egg?

Cleaning the Egg is like like any other grill, whether using a grill brush or soaking the grate to remove tough grime. You will need an ashtray and a coal stoker to get ash out of the bottom. The Egg’s exterior requires an occasional wipe-down with a damp cloth.

How do you use a Big Green Egg? 

Using an Egg is similar to any other kamado-style grill. The straightforwardness is what makes it an attractive choice: Add charcoal, light the fire, and wait until you’re at your desired temperature. The ceramic build of the Egg is good at maintaining a temperature once you’ve got it where you want it, so things will be relatively hands-free after that. 

How do you light a Big Green Egg? 

I like using paraffin cubes, but many of the Serious Eats team members prefer a chimney, which can be used with any type of charcoal grill.

Why We’re the Experts

• Geoff Nudelman is a Serious Eats contributor with a decade of experience testing products and gear across a range of hobbyist categories. He writes for several national and international publications.
• For this review, Geoff spent a year with the Big Green Egg to understand how the grill stands up to long-term use.