The Big Green Egg has changed the way that most of us see (and use) kamados.
I have been living under a rock since the ’70s. I was not aware of these “kamado” type units until my friend invited me around to his place for a BBQ one Saturday. I was floored by it!
A more fitting name would be ‘the big golden egg’. Due to its unique ability to turn raw meat into delicious, tender & juicy morsels of pure heaven.
Now, let’s get into my Big Green Egg review and why I believe the Big Green Egg should be renamed!!
Table of contents
Big Green Egg Size Specifications
Find out below how much food you can fit in each size of the BGE.
| Model (clickable link) | Cooking Capacity | Grill Diameter (inches) | Cooking Area (sq in) | Weight (lb) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Mini Egg | 2 Pork Chops, 2 Chicken Breasts or 2 Steaks | 10 | 79 | 39 |
| Mini Max Egg | 12 Lb Turkey, 4 Burgers, 1 chicken, 2 Steaks, 1 Rack of Ribs | 12 | 133 | 69 |
| The Small Egg | 12 Lb Turkey, 4 Burgers, 1 chicken, 2 Steaks, 1 Rack of Ribs | 13 | 133 | 80 |
| The Medium Egg | 18 Lb Turkey, 6 Burgers, 3 Chickens, 4 Steaks, 4 Racks of Ribs Vertically | 15 | 177 | 114 |
| The Large Egg | 20 Lb Turkey, 12 Burgers, 6 Chickens, 8 Steaks, 8 Racks of Ribs Vertically | 18 | 262 | 162 |
| The X-Large Egg | 2 20 Lb Turkeys, 24 Burgers, 11 Chickens, 12 Steaks, 12 Racks of Ribs Vertically | 24 | 452 | 219 |
| The 2XL Egg | 35 – 40 Burgers, 16 Whole Chickens, 20 Steaks, 20 Racks of Ribs Vertically, 1 Suckling Pig | 29 | 672 | 375 |
BGE Range Overview
The Big Green Egg comes in 7 different sizes. These sizes cover you for every different type of occasion you may come across.
The Mini Egg is perfect for tailgating, picnics, and camping.
The 2XL Egg will comfortably feed your sons football team with enough leftovers for the next training session.
It doesn’t matter which size you buy, you need to look after it, because I have found mold in my Big Green Egg in the past, but now I clean my BGE regularly and it hasn’t appeared again!
Below we breakdown the specification of each size of the BGE
The Mini Egg
Picture this, you manage to sneak away by yourself for a weekend of alone time. Just you the great outdoors and your fishing rod. You catch a beauty and cook it right then and there riverside.
That is what the Mini Egg is all about. Take it away on your next camping, boating, or motor bike trip. Its even practical enough to take down to your sons little league game and cook up a steak from the comfort of the sideline.
- Cooking Capacity: 2 pork chops, 2 chicken breasts, or 1 steak.
- Grid Diameter: 10 in.
- Cooking Area: 79 sq in.
- Weight: 39 lbs.
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The Mini Max Egg
The Mini Max Egg is for those times where its not just you that you want to cook for on the go. Take it away with the wife or the kids and cook for everyone in one sitting.
This model comes included with a carrier, so you know its made to be taken anywhere, to cook anytime!
- Cooking Capacity: 12-pound turkey, 4 burgers, 1 chicken vertically, 2 steaks, or 1 rack of ribs
- Grid Diameter: 13 in.
- Cooking Area: 133 sq in.
- Height: 19.5 in.
- Weight: 76 lbs.
Already have a BGE?
Check out the best Big Green Egg accessories. They will help take your smoking and grilling to the next level!
Make sure know how to deal with mold in your BGE, it has happened to me after a long winter.
The Small Egg
Don’t have enough room on the balcony of your apartment for the smoker or grill you have always wanted?
The Small Egg is perfect for you! It has enough cooking space to cook for everyone at home, without taking up all of your space!
It is also a perfect accompaniment to the 2XL or XL Egg for when you want to cook a couple of different courses simultaneously.
- Cooking Capacity: 12-pound turkey, 4 burgers, 1 chicken vertically, 2 steaks, or 1 rack of ribs.
- Grid Diameter: 13 in.
- Cooking Area: 133 sq in.
- Weight: 80 lbs.
The Medium Egg
I know your type. You have two kids and a lovely wife and have an obsession for accessories.
If you are like me, you love searching the internet for the best accessories and are constantly on the lookout for your next big accessory to boast about to the boys in the workshop.
The Medium Egg is designed to accommodate most of the accessories in the Big Green Egg catalogue.
However, do keep in mind this is where things start to get a little bit expensive, the accessories are not cheap.. do you really need that hardwood table or the 3rd pizza stone?
- Cooking Capacity: 18-pound turkey, 6 burgers, 3 chickens vertically, 4 steaks, or 4 racks of ribs vertically.
- Grid Diameter: 15 in.
- Cooking Area: 177 sq in.
- Weight: 114 lbs.
The Large Egg
The large Egg is the most popular model of egg and for good reason. It is large enough to feed a family, your parents and even your neighbour that conveniently pops around every time he smells something is cooking in the backyard.
- Cooking Capacity: 20-pound turkey, 12 burgers, 6 chickens vertically, 8 steaks, or 7 racks of ribs vertically.
- Grid Diameter: 18.25 in.
- Cooking Area: 262 sq in
- Weight: 162 lbs.
The X-Large Egg
Are you often the one in your family that hosts Christmas, Thanks Giving and the New Year celebrations?
You need the XL. The XL will allow you to comfortably cook for all of your friends, family and that pesky neighbour again. This is for the serious cook who truly love to entertain and show off their skills.
- Cooking Capacity: 2 20-pound turkeys, 24 burgers, 11 whole chickens, 12 steaks, or 12 racks of ribs vertically.
- Grid Diameter: 24 in.
- Cooking Area: 452 sq in.
- Weight: 219 lbs.
The 2XL Egg
The 2XL Egg is built for those who are very, very serious about their cooking. You can cater for a restaurant, local market or even your sons entire football team with this one.
- Cooking Capacity: 35-40 burgers, 14-16 whole chickens, 18-20 steaks, 20 mouth-watering racks of rib vertically, or 1 perfectly crisp suckling pig.
- Grid Diameter: 29 in.
- Cooking Area: 672 sq in.
- Weight: 375 lbs.
Key Features of The Big Green Egg
- Limited Lifetime Warranty: You know that you are buying quality when the product you buy is backed up by a lifetime warranty.
- Use As A Grill, Smoker or Regular Oven: The Big Green Egg is designed to be a multi-use cooking tool. You can use it as a low and slow smoker to get a succulent 18 hour Big Green Egg smoked brisket or quickly grill your favorite steak at 400°F. We have even used the Big Green Egg to cook pizza and bread successfully. It is truly made to replace all other cooking devices you might have.
- Precise Temperature Control: Every size of the Big Green Egg has an airtight ceramic cooking chamber that keeps the perfect cooking temperature throughout your cook. You can easily adjust your cooking temperature with the precision flow draft door. The temperature gauge reads all the way up to 750°F and in my experience is extremely reliable.
- Cover for Every Size: Even though there is a big range of size BGE provide a cover for one! The Big Green Egg cover ensures this top-notch grill is in top-notch condition.
- Fire Box: The sealed firebox on the BGE allows you to light the 100% lump charcoal very easily. The airflow from the lower draft door lets the perfect amount of air into the chamber to light the egg without the need of nasty lighter fluids. Its great to have a unit that you don’t waste your time on lighting or tainting your food with chemicals.
- Eggsessories: One really cool thing about the Big Green Egg range is the amount of Big Green Egg accessories options you have. You can have everything from egg stands, covers, slats, cookbooks, thermometers… the list goes on and on. If you are anything like me you want all of them, and this can start getting very pricey.
Big Green Egg Pros and Cons
What We Liked
- Cooking versatility.
- The heavy ceramic outer shell hold heat for thorough even cooking.
- Plenty of ventilation to help maintain an even cooking temperature .
- Easy and safe to use.
- Lifetime warranty.
- Fantastic online community.
- The outer ceramic outer shell doesn’t get hot, no matter what the internal temperature is.
Big Green Egg Cons
- The stand is sold separately.
- Hefty price tag once you add on all your accessories.
My Verdict About The Big Green Egg
I firstly want to start off by saying that; I am disappointed in myself for not knowing what a Big Green Egg was until recently.
Growing up my father was all about using his homemade smoker and good old-fashioned grill, which I had no real interest in until a few years ago where I discovered how much I love cooking for my family and friends.
The Big Green Egg is an expensive investment, however, these bad boys are designed to last a lifetime and even replace your other smokers, grills, BBQ’s or kitchen ovens.
It is easy to use, self-explanatory to set up and can cook everything from your favorite homemade pizza to a suckling pig.
The only real problem I can find with the Big Green Egg range is what one to choose from. In a perfect world, I would have the 2XL in my backyard and the Minimax in my truck ready for family getaways and the kid’s football games.
Overall Final Rating: 4.6 / 5
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