Is a Big Green Egg worth it?

What a Big Green Egg is

The Egg is a thick ceramic cooker with a firebox, a bottom draught door and a top vent, burning lumpwood. Like any kamado, the ceramic holds heat, so it uses little charcoal, keeps steady low temperatures for hours and can reach very high heat for pizza and searing. It grills, roasts, smokes and bakes.

It comes in a wide range of sizes, from the small Mini and MiniMax to the XLarge and 2XL, with the Large the usual family choice. Our what size Big Green Egg guide sets them out.

What you pay for

Several things make up the premium, and each matters more to some buyers than others.

• Ceramic quality and a long warranty on the ceramic parts; read the current terms on Big Green Egg's website.
• A network of authorised dealers who sell, advise, assemble and help with claims.
• A very wide range of sizes, so you can buy exactly the capacity you need.
• A large range of official accessories, from the ConvEGGtor deflector to nests, tables and shelves.
• Brand reputation and strong resale demand for used Eggs.

The hidden cost: accessories

An Egg is usually sold as the cooker alone. To use it like most rivals out of the box, you need a nest or table to stand it on, side shelves if you want them, and a ConvEGGtor for indirect cooking and smoking. Dealers often sell bundles that include these, which is usually the fairer comparison.

Rivals such as the Kamado Joe Classic typically include a stand, side shelves and a multi-level cooking rack. When comparing, add up a like-for-like set for each. Our Big Green Egg vs Kamado Joe comparison goes through the differences.

Compared with a kettle

A 57 cm charcoal kettle, such as the Weber Original Kettle, grills, roasts and can smoke with a two-zone set-up. It weighs about 14 kg, lights in 20 minutes and is easy to move. It uses more charcoal on long cooks and needs more tending at low temperatures, but for burgers, sausages, chicken and the occasional smoke it does the job well.

If most of your barbecues are summer grills for the family, a kettle is better value; compare them in best charcoal BBQs and Weber kettle models compared. If you smoke often but do not want a heavy ceramic cooker, look at best charcoal smokers.

Compare charcoal BBQs →

Who an Egg suits

An Egg makes most sense if you cook outdoors year round, want one cooker for smoking, roasting, grilling and pizza, and like the idea of a local dealer. It also suits people who plan to keep it for many years, since the ceramic is durable and parts such as gaskets and fireboxes can be replaced.

It makes less sense if you have a small, sloping or shared space, cannot move a heavy cooker, or barbecue only a handful of times a year. In those cases, the money buys more cooking from a kettle or a lighter smoker.

Before deciding, think about where it will live. A family-size kamado on a nest or table needs a level, solid base and should not be wheeled across gravel or lawn often. Measure the space with the lid open and leave room around it, as your manual specifies. If you can, visit a dealer to see the sizes side by side and lift a lid, because the weight and height of the dome surprise many first-time buyers.

Note:Kamados are very heavy and stay hot for hours. Use them outdoors on a stable, level stand, burp the lid before opening at high heat and close both vents to put the fire out.

Frequently asked questions

Does a Big Green Egg cook better than other kamados? Cooking is similar across good ceramic kamados. The differences are sizes, kit, support and warranty terms.

Is a Big Green Egg worth it for a beginner? It can be, but it takes practice to control the vents. A kettle is easier to learn and lighter on the wallet.

Does an Egg save charcoal? Yes on long cooks, because the ceramic holds heat and closing the vents saves unburnt lumpwood.

Which size Egg is most popular? The Large, with a grid of about 46 cm, which suits four to eight people.