Kamado Joe Vs. Big Green Egg: Battle for the Best Kamado Grill
Kamado-style ceramic grills have been a core part of human culinary development for around 3000 years now.
Even if you’ve not heard of a Kamado, there is a good chance you’ve seen or heard of the Big Green Egg.
They’re kind of hard to miss.
The Big Green Egg company has been the biggest provider of kamado grills in the U.S for the last 40 years. However, they are now facing some competition in the form of
After spending time grilling and smoking from a few different grills from both brands, we’ve decided that, on balance, we prefer Kamado Joe.
Read on, and we’ll explain why.
Description: With it's "Divide and Conquer" cooking system and thick ceramic construction the Kamado Joe Classic II offers amazing versatility, durability and value for money. |
Description: |
|
With it's "Divide and Conquer" cooking system and thick ceramic construction the Kamado Joe Classic II offers amazing versatility, durability and value for money.
Big Green Egg VS Kamado Joe – Which Kamado is best?
To help you make an educated decision, we have done a full breakdown of the brand history, grill lineup, and features.
We’ve added links below if you want to get the latest price.
Both companies sell several different grills, so we’ve compared the most popular model from each brand to help show the main differences.
You’ll need to read on to get the complete picture though, for example, the cooking surface will depend on what grate system you are using.
Quick comparison
Kamado Joe Classic II | Big Green Egg Large | |
Cooking area | 256 sq. in | 262 sq in |
Cooking levels | 1 | 2 to 3 |
Weight | 162 lbs | 232 lbs |
Hinge | Air hinge | Spring-loaded |
Grates | Stainless steel | Stainless steel |
Includes Stand | Yes | No |
Included Accessories | N/A | Ash collector, grill grate lifter |
Price | Check latest price | Check latest price |
Brand history and reputation
Big Green Egg
Founded in 1974, by a Pachinko game importer called Ed Fisher, the Big Green Egg company took full advantage of the odd shape of the Kamado, compared to a standard charcoal grill, to maximize their marketing.
They then used that advantage to quickly become the dominant providers of Kamado grills in the U.S, importing them from across the border in Monterrey, Mexico.
BGE made some reasonably large claims about their products, branding them as a favorite of Michelin star restaurants, built from NASA inspired ceramics, vegan-friendly, 100% organic, and offering “culinary perfection every time.”
What we do know is that in their 40 years of operation, the Big Green Egg has developed an almost cult-like following of “Eggheads“.
Kamado Joe
Founded just outside Atlanta in 2009 by Bobby Brennan and Kerry Coker,
Kamado Joe imports its grills from Yixing, China, although this shouldn’t put you off. The quality and craftsmanship are still topnotch and similar in quality to the Big Green Egg.
The
You can also add extra capabilities with a range of Kamado Joe accessories like the JoeTisserie
Kamado Joe grill lineup
By comparison to BGE,
The Classic
- External diameter 23″ / 60cm
- Cooking surface diameter: 18” / 46 cm
- Weight: 187 lbs / 85 kgs
- Height: 27” / 71cm
- Features: Cast Iron Cart & Locking Wheels, Divide & Conquer Flexible Cooking System, Patented Slide-Out Ash Drawer, Grill Gripper, Ash Tool, Finished Folding HDPE Side Shelves/Handle
The Classic II
- External diameter 23″ / 60cm
- Cooking surface diameter: 18” / 46 cm (expands to 1676.4 sq. cm with both grill grates and the Grill Expander)
- Weight: 187 lbs / 85 kgs
- Height: 27” / 71cm
- Features: (All of those from The Classic, plus) Kontrol Tower Top Vent, sprung Air Lift Hinge. AMP Firebox, Wire Mesh Fibreglass Gasket.
The Classic III
- External diameter 23″ / 60cm
- Cooking surface diameter: 18” / 46 cm
- Weight: 282 lbs / 128 kgs
- Height: 27” / 71cm
- Features: (All of those from The Classic, and the Classic II plus) Heavy-Duty Galvanised Steel Rolling Cart & Locking Wheels, Finished Folding Cast Aluminium Side Shelves/Handles, Patented SloRoller Hyperbolic Smoke Chamber, 3 Tier Divide & Conquer Flexible Cooking System, 304 Stainless Steel Charcoal Basket.
The Konnected Joe
Read our full Konnected Joe review.
The Konnected Joe is the first attempt from
It’s also a unique feature they have, as we’ve never seen another kamado brand build this in.
The Konnected Joe includes an automatic charcoal starter, digital temperature readout and smartphone connectivity.
The Big Joe II
- External diameter 24″ / 63cm
- Cooking surface diameter: 24” / 61 cm
- Weight: 485 lbs / 220 kgs
- Height: 31” / 71cm
- Features: Premium Ceramic Grill with Cast Iron Cart & Locking Wheels, Finished Folding HDPE Side Shelves/Handle, Divide & Conquer Flexible Cooking System,
Kontrol Tower Top Vent, Air Lift Hinge, AMP Firebox, Wire Mesh Fibreglass Gasket, Patented Slide-Out Ash Drawer, Grill Gripper, Ash Tool.
The Big Joe III
- External diameter 24″ / 63cm
- Cooking surface diameter: 24” / 61 cm
- Weight: 507 lbs / 230 kgs
- Height: 35” / 90cm
Features: (All of those from The Big Joe, plus) Heavy-Duty Galvanised Steel Rolling Cart & Locking Wheels, Finished Folding Cast Aluminium Side Shelves/Handles, Patented SloRoller Hyperbolic Smoke Chamber, 3 Tier Divide & Conquer Flexible Cooking System, 304 Stainless Steel Charcoal Basket.
We have a complete guide comparing the Classic and Big Joe II vs the III model if you want to learn more about the differences.
ProJoe
- External diameter 21″ / 55cm
- Cooking surface diameter: 24” / 61 cm
- Weight: 485 lbs / 220 kgs
- Height: 31” / 71cm
Features: Patented SloRoller Hyperbolic Smoke Chamber, 3-Tier Divide & Conquer® Flexible Cooking System, 304 Stainless Steel Charcoal Basket, 304 Stainless Steel Kontrol Tower Top Vent, 304 Stainless Steel Air Lift Hinge, 304 Stainless Steel Charcoal Basket, AMP Firebox, Wire Mesh Fibreglass Gasket, Patented Slide-Out Ash Drawer, Built-in Thermometer, Grill Gripper, Ash Tool
Joe Jr
- External diameter 11″ / 28cm
- Cooking surface diameter: 13” / 34 cm
- Weight: 68 lbs / 31 kgs
- Height: 20” / 53cm
Features: Premium 34 cm Ceramic Grill with Cast Iron Stand, Built-in Thermometer, 304 Stainless Steel Cooking Grate, Ceramic Heat Deflector, Grill Gripper, Ash Tool.
Big Green Egg sizes
Big Green Egg produces one product in several different sizes, from the portable MiniMax to the largest 2XL Big Green Egg.
The Large Big Green Egg is the most popular and best-selling version.
With all of the BGE products, you’ll need to purchase a stand separately.
MiniMax Big Green Egg
- External diameter including the hinge and handle: 22” / 56cm
- Cooking Surface Diameter: 13” / 33cm
- Weight: 90 lbs / 40 kgs
- Height: 19.5″ / 50cm
Medium Big Green Egg
- External EGG diameter: 18″ / 46cm
- Cooking Surface Diameter: 15” / 38 cm
- Weight: 113 lbs / 51 kgs
- Height: 29″ / 69cm
Large Big Green Egg
- External diameter 27″ / 69cm
- Cooking surface diameter is 18″ / 46cm
- Weight: 162 lbs / 73 kgs
- Height 31.5″ / 80cm
XL Big Green Egg
- External diameter 32″ / 82cm
- Cooking surface diameter: 24″ / 61cm
- Weight: 205 lbs / 93 kgs
- Height 32″ / 82cm
2XL Big Green Egg
- External diameter 35″ / 88cm
- Cooking surface diameter: 29” / 74 cm
- Weight: 375 lbs / 17 kgs
- Height: 40” / 101cm
Features face to face
For the purposes of comparing the two brands, we’ve chosen two grills of a similar size and with similar functions, in this case, the Big Green Egg Large and
We’ll be comparing their warranty, build quality, the accessories they come with, and the customer support and community engagement associated with each brand.
Build quality
The build quality for both the Big Green Egg Large and
BGE does boast about their use of NASA pioneered ceramics in their products, but there doesn’t seem to be much of a difference in the thickness or the quality of the body of these grills.
Neither of the grills is produced in the USA, with the BGE coming from Mexico and the
The working parts of the
The stand and wheels, which come as part of the cost of the
The stand and wheel locks are made from thicker heavy-duty galvanized steel and are welded together where the BGE stand is only screwed together.
While there isn’t any difference in the build quality of the central oven bodies of the BGE line vs. the
Available accessories
In this category,
The whole range comes with a few accessories included like a cast iron stand and wheels, grill gripper, ash tool, finished folding high-density polyethylene (HDPE) side shelves and handles and the patented slide-out ash drawer.
Additionally, the
Other standout accessories include the JoeTisserie, a durable cast aluminum rotisserie that sits inside grills body, and the cast-iron Dutch oven that turns your kamado into a chili making machine.
Support and community
Both BEG and
This forum is filled with helpful advice, cooking tips, maintenance walk-throughs, and is monitored by the BGE customer support staff, making it an excellent resource for BGE owners.
Kamado Joe might not have their own dedicated forum, but they do have a good track record of solving their customer problems quickly and efficiently.
In one case, founder Bobby Brenan called a customer at home to help them through the installation of a new dome lid spring.
Standout features
What sets
The Sloroller uses patented Harvard science to turn your Kamado into a smoker by distributing smoke and heat in rolling, recirculating waves. This both enhances the smoky flavor and reduces hotspots.
The Divide & Conquer flexible cooking system uses a half-moon heat deflector to partially block off heat, coupled with multi-level tiered grates (two with the
By creating innovative accessories and bundling them with their grills,
Since the quality of the grills produced by both companies is essentially the same, the greater utility of
Warranty
BGE prides itself on offering a limited lifetime warranty on all of its products, with different warranty periods for different materials.
The ceramic components, including the dome, base, damper top, firebox, and fire ring, remain under guarantee as long as you are the original purchaser of the egg, and it came from an authorized dealer.
For ceramic add-ons, such as the plate setter and pizza stones, the guarantee period goes down to three years. BGE also offers a one-year warranty on thermometer and gaskets.
The metal components, including the metal bands, hinge mechanism, dual-function metal top, cooking grid, fire grate, and draft door, all come with a five-year warranty, and any wooden components have a one-year warranty.
Kamado Joe offers an almost identical warranty with exactly the same warranty periods and restrictions.
Both companies offer a comprehensive and excellent warranty for their products, so you don’t have to worry about your kamado falling apart in the first 6-months.
Price
When you compare the price of a similarly sized Big Green Egg and
However, the
The Kamadoe Joe also includes the dual grilling rack system.
For value for money, the edge goes to
Wrapping it up
The chances are, regardless of whether you buy a BGE or a
However,
Buying a BGE means you’ll get an excellent grill. But buying a
Do you prefer BGE over