Massive Inexperienced Egg Kamado Grill Evaluate

So far as kamado-style grills go, Massive Inexperienced Egg is a legacy title with a sturdy following. The primary Egg debuted in 1974, and the enduring inexperienced dome has grown to function a number of sizes and a broad vary of equipment to fulfill even essentially the most discerning of “Eggheads.”

A couple of 12 months in the past, I entered the Egg neighborhood with a big measurement (the third-biggest of seven choices) full with an “IntEGGrated” Nest, Handler, and acacia wooden folding cabinets. This 162-pound beast changed my pellet grill. Nonetheless, whereas ceramic kamado-style grills can be utilized for grilling, in addition they excel at smoking. I grilled throughout my first few periods with the Egg to get the dangle of temperature management and cooking vary and slowly ventured into barely longer bakes and smoking periods with bigger items of meat and fish (and plenty of greens). Not too long ago, I made my first brisket and even examined the Egg’s functionality as a pizza oven. Listed here are my ideas on this massive, inexperienced griller after proudly owning it for 12 months.

What We Realized

It Was Heavy, however (Kind of) Moveable 

Even the smallest Egg weighs 39 kilos earlier than including charcoal. My Massive Egg is a hefty 162 kilos—most positively not movable with out the wheeled Nest. It’s heavy as a result of it’s primarily fabricated from ceramic and metallic, with little or no plastic. The standard building makes it extra sturdy than aluminum kamados, however what you achieve in longevity you lose in portability. It is sensible why many cooks put their Egg in a single spot and construct a workstation round it. Nonetheless, with the handler/nest combo, the Massive Egg is movable from my storage to my driveway. I’m not wheeling this factor to a neighborhood park, however I can transfer it about 100 ft with minimal fuss.

Have been the Massive Inexperienced Egg Equipment Value It?

One doesn’t merely Egg (I’m petitioning to make that formally a verb) with simply the bottom unit. There may be an ecosystem of equipment that make Egging extra sensible. The customized coal stoker and ashtray for the coal opening are two issues I positively couldn’t reside with out. Whereas any stoker and ashtray would theoretically work, the BGE variations are particularly designed for the curvature of the ashtray and the inner backside cavity, so others will not be as efficient in eliminating ash. I’m not likely positive the way you’d take away ash from the Egg in any other case (with out taking out the heavy inside ceramic rings that’s). There’s additionally the “Eggspander,” which provides one extra degree of cooking contained in the Egg. It’s an excellent possibility for objects that don’t want direct warmth, like softer veggies.

I believe in the event you’re going to spend money on a Massive Inexperienced Egg, it’s value it to funds for some equipment. They make possession far more pleasing and fruitful. If you happen to’re taking a look at just some equipment, I might say the BGE ashtray, coal stoker, and nest/handler are essentially the most sensible.

Lighting the Egg Was Not an Precise Science

If you happen to watch sufficient “Eggducation” on YouTube you received’t assume twice about lighting the grill, till you get on the market to do it. I selected to not get the Egg-specific butane lighter or a chimney starter and to make use of paraffin wax cubes as a substitute (Massive Inexperienced Egg has its personal model; most are the identical). Though there are two separate channels for airflow (one from above and one adjoining to the ashtray), I by no means fairly know if I’ll get the coals lit the primary time. Ceramic kamados retain warmth rather well, however that additionally presents a problem for preliminary lighting since there are solely two choices for air circulation. (Different kamados have a round opening on the backside for airflow, however that additionally results in probably extra warmth loss, so it’s a give-and-take.)

In my expertise with the Egg, I attempt to begin grill prep early and get a hearth going quickly after, simply in case I’ve to stoke the coals once more or add one other wax dice. If I’m going for a high-heat grilling session, I discover that stoking the coals after about quarter-hour rapidly promotes a roaring scorching grill, usually exceeding 550°F. I hardly ever want temperatures that prime, so I usually shut the vents for a bit to assist degree off the warmth to 475 or 500ºF.

The Egg Excelled at Low and Gradual Cooking

I used to be impressed by the Egg’s capability to keep up decrease temperatures over an extended interval, such because the eight hours it took to smoke a brisket. The smoker held a gentle 230˚F with minimal person interference. Ceramic kamados usually maintain extended warmth nicely, so this is not completely shocking.

The Egg plows by charcoal at temperatures over 500˚F, and I needed to carefully monitor (and fiddle with) the dampers to keep up something over 520˚F. The vast majority of my weeknight grilling is completed at 400 to 450˚F and the Egg retains that going simply advantageous. It’s value having a grilling thermometer to double-check temperatures, although.

It Was Properly-Constructed and Simple to Keep

There are zero digital elements within the Egg, and relying in your viewpoint that’s both an enormous plus or an enormous unfavorable. (Followers of app-enabled grills and people who smoke ought to take a look at the Char-Griller Auto-Kamado.) A 12 months in, I like that facet. Few issues can break, and past tightening the outside bolts each few months, upkeep tops out at cleansing the inside and changing the grill seal gasket each couple of years—a simple DIY job. This can be a rig that’s constructed to final, which helps warrant the excessive worth. 

Finances Time for Cooldown

The Egg holds warmth extremely nicely, which suggests it takes a very long time to chill. If you happen to retailer your Egg in a storage, know that it must be underneath 100˚F earlier than placing it away—that may take as much as three hours after you’ve stopped cooking. There are a few tips I realized from the net neighborhood to hurry this up, like placing a grill-safe pot (metal or forged iron) filled with water within the closed grill to drag the warmth out of the Egg. Aluminum kamado grills, like our favourite mannequin from Char-Griller, will settle down a lot faster, however as a trade-off, they will’t match the warmth retention of ceramic cookers.

The Verdict

Whereas it’s not as turnkey as, say, a fuel grill, I now plan my meals across the Massive Inexperienced Egg. Not like my previous pellet grill, I like that this kamado does not require electrical energy.

Above all, it’s the sturdiness that is bought me on the Egg. I don’t know that there’s a better-built ceramic kamado on the market, and I actually admire the shortage of breakable components within the building. Most reasonable to severe grilling fanatics ought to have a good time with the Egg, granted they do not balk on the worth.

The Execs

• Wealthy, smoky taste 
• A ton of versatility: low-, medium-, and high-heat capabilities 
• Minimal upkeep
• Choices for each stationary and movable stands 
• Created from sturdy ceramic

The Cons

• Even the small sizes are heavy
• Costly 
• Extra of a studying curve

Key Specs (for measurement giant)

• Weight: 162 kilos 
• Grid diameter: 18.25 inches 
• Cooking space: 262 sq. inches 
• Coal mattress capability: Round 12 kilos
• Max temperature: 750°F 
• What’s included: Grill, grill grate
• Guarantee: Restricted lifetime guarantee

FAQs

How do you clear a Massive Inexperienced Egg?

Cleansing the Egg is like like every other grill, whether or not utilizing a grill brush or soaking the grate to take away powerful grime. You’ll need an ashtray and a coal stoker to get ash out of the underside. The Egg’s exterior requires an occasional wipe-down with a moist material.

How do you utilize a Massive Inexperienced Egg? 

Utilizing an Egg is just like every other kamado-style grill. The straightforwardness is what makes it a beautiful selection: Add charcoal, gentle the fireplace, and wait till you’re at your required temperature. The ceramic construct of the Egg is nice at sustaining a temperature when you’ve bought it the place you need it, so issues will likely be comparatively hands-free after that. 

How do you gentle a Massive Inexperienced Egg? 

I like utilizing paraffin cubes, however lots of the Critical Eats workforce members choose a chimney, which can be utilized with any sort of charcoal grill.

Why We’re the Specialists

• Geoff Nudelman is a Critical Eats contributor with a decade of expertise testing merchandise and equipment throughout a variety of hobbyist classes. He writes for a number of nationwide and worldwide publications.
• For this evaluate, Geoff spent a 12 months with the Massive Inexperienced Egg to grasp how the grill stands as much as long-term use.