Large Inexperienced Egg Kamado Grill Assessment

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

A couple of 12 months in the past, I entered the Egg neighborhood with a big dimension (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. Nevertheless, whereas ceramic kamado-style grills can be utilized for grilling, additionally 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 lots of greens). Just lately, I made my first brisket and even examined the Egg’s functionality as a pizza oven. Listed below are my ideas on this large, inexperienced griller after proudly owning it for 12 months.

What We Realized

It Was Heavy, however (Type of) Transportable 

Even the smallest Egg weighs 39 kilos earlier than including charcoal. My Giant 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 product of ceramic and steel, 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. Nevertheless, with the handler/nest combo, the Giant 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 toes with minimal fuss.

Had been the Large 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’s 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 might not be as efficient in eliminating ash. I’m not likely certain 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 a very good choice for gadgets that don’t want direct warmth, like softer veggies.

I believe for those who’re going to put money into a Large Inexperienced Egg, it’s price it to price range for some equipment. They make possession way more satisfying and fruitful. When you’re only a few equipment, I might say the BGE ashtray, coal stoker, and nest/handler are probably the most sensible.

Lighting the Egg Was Not an Actual Science

When you watch sufficient “Eggducation” on YouTube you gained’t suppose 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 an alternative (Large 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 very 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 doubtlessly 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 shortly promotes a roaring sizzling grill, usually exceeding 550°F. I hardly ever want temperatures that top, 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 Sluggish Cooking

I used to be impressed by the Egg’s skill to take care of decrease temperatures over an extended interval, such because the eight hours it took to smoke a brisket. The smoker held a gradual 230˚F with minimal consumer interference. Ceramic kamados typically maintain extended warmth effectively, so this is not fully stunning.

The Egg plows by means of charcoal at temperatures over 500˚F, and I needed to intently monitor (and fiddle with) the dampers to take care of something over 520˚F. Nearly all of my weeknight grilling is completed at 400 to 450˚F and the Egg retains that going simply advantageous. It’s price having a grilling thermometer to double-check temperatures, although.

It Was Effectively-Constructed and Simple to Preserve

There are zero digital parts within the Egg, and relying in your viewpoint that’s both an enormous plus or an enormous unfavourable. (Followers of app-enabled grills and people who smoke ought to try the Char-Griller Auto-Kamado.) A 12 months in, I like that side. 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 straightforward DIY job. This can be a rig that’s constructed to final, which helps warrant the excessive value. 

Price range Time for Cooldown

The Egg holds warmth extremely effectively, which implies it takes a very long time to chill. When you retailer your Egg in a storage, know that it must be beneath 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 discovered from the net neighborhood to hurry this up, like placing a grill-safe pot (metal or forged iron) stuffed 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 gasoline grill, I now plan my meals across the Large 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 offered me on the Egg. I don’t know that there’s a better-built ceramic kamado on the market, and I actually respect the shortage of breakable elements within the building. Most average to critical grilling fans ought to have a good time with the Egg, granted they do not balk on the value.

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 dimension 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 Large 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 will want 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 fabric.

How do you employ a Large Inexperienced Egg? 

Utilizing an Egg is just like every other kamado-style grill. The straightforwardness is what makes it a pretty 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 acquired it the place you need it, so issues shall be comparatively hands-free after that. 

How do you gentle a Large Inexperienced Egg? 

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

Why We’re the Specialists

• Geoff Nudelman is a Severe 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 assessment, Geoff spent a 12 months with the Large Inexperienced Egg to grasp how the grill stands as much as long-term use.