I Test Grills for a Living. Here's What I Really Think About the Big Green Egg.

My grandpa used a charcoal grill when I was a kid, and I didn't understand its appeal. The chicken was always burnt, and I can still smell the lighter fluid. Fast forward to when I started working for Good Housekeeping in 2019 and began testing grills. I learned about heat control and indirect cooking, a.k.a. setting up the grill to be hotter on one side so you could sear the outside of food and slowly cook the inside. I also experimented with high-quality charcoal grills, including the Big Green Egg, which everyone raves about. Since then, I've tested about 50 outdoor grills. Here's why I think the Big Green Egg is worth the hype.

Big Green Egg Large Charcoal Kamado Grill and Smoker

Now 10% Off

$1,539 $1,389 at Ace Hardware

Pros

• Great heat retention
• Can be used to smoke food for a long amount of time at a low temperature or char food at a high one, and everything in between

Cons

• Pricey

Type of grill: Kamado (uses charcoal) | Height: 33 in. | Weight: About 160 lbs | Primary cooking area: 262 sq. in. | Temperature range: 200ºF to 750ºF

The Big Green Egg is a kamado-style grill. It's shaped like an egg and made of ceramic with thick walls designed to hold temperature well. It comes in an assortment of sizes from mini to 2XL, and it's heavy no matter what size you buy.

It was introduced 50 years ago and touts itself as "The Original." Since it came out, many other brands have come to the market with a similar grill. Some look very similar with upgraded features, while others have slightly different shapes or use different materials to achieve comparable results.

The best thing about the Big Green Egg and other kamado-style grills is they can smoke food at a low temperature for an extended period or reach scorching temps for high-heat cooking. They're also designed to last a long time (think a cast iron pan you don't need to season).

The Big Green Egg is only sold through a handful of distributors and retailers like Ace Hardware. When I got mine to test in 2021, the company explained that this exclusivity helps control the overall quality of the experience. A team of two came to my parents' house to set it up, making it more approachable and ready to use out of the box. (I've had to set up the other kamado-style grills I've tested myself, and while not the hardest to do, the parts are heavy and require two people to assemble. Some also have several ceramic pieces that need to be assembled inside the grill, and it takes some time and patience to piece them together like a puzzle.)

I tested the large Big Green Egg, which came with a bag of charcoal, a box of fire starters, an ash-cleaning tool, a grate-removing tool, a pizza stone-like accessory and a stand on wheels. I've also tested the mini version.

The Big Green Egg is super easy to use: Simply follow the instructions on the back of the charcoal bag and add briquettes to the bottom of the Egg up to the "fill" line. The briquettes sit on top of a removable, perforated cast iron plate, allowing air to circulate and ash to fall into the ash collector. Once the briquettes are in the grill, you add some fire starters, light them and allow the briquettes to heat up. After 10 minutes, you close the lid and let the grill reach the desired temperature.

Like all charcoal grills, there are no buttons that control the temperature. Instead, you use the vent on the top of the lid and bottom of the Egg to control the heat as air circulates throughout the grill. The more oxygen you let in, the higher the temperature, and vice versa. A built-in analog thermometer on the Egg's lid helps you understand the grill's temperature throughout your cooking process.

Fun fact: The first time I used the Big Green Egg, I accidentally scorched a rack of ribs after letting them smoke gently for hours. I did this by opening the lid and walking away to grab my phone to take a picture, which, of course, let a lot of air in. Let's just say I lived, I learned and I never made that mistake again.

When you've finished cooking, all you have to do to cool down your Egg is close the lid and all the vents until the briquettes are completely extinguished. Then, the next time you cook, you can use the ash tool to stir the briquettes and allow the ash to fall through the cast iron plate and into the ash collector. You can then scrape the ash into a garbage pail.

Before your next cook, add more coals to the Egg before you light them.

I like to use a grill brush to clean the stainless steel grates as soon as I'm done cooking. Then I follow the steps above to cool it down. You can use a damp cloth to clean the outside when needed; just avoid anything abrasive. The brand recommends a cover to help keep the outside looking like new for longer.

If there's build-up inside your Egg, the brand says you can run your grill at 575ºF for 10 to 15 minutes to burn it off.

I first tested the Big Green Egg against the large Kamado Joe and Broil King's ceramic egg cooker in 2021. I tested the Egg the way we test charcoal grills in the Good Housekeeping Institute. I filled a chimney starter with coals, lit the coals and dispersed them in the grills until they hit a specific temp.

From left to right: Kamado Joe, Broil King, Big Green Egg

I made steak and chicken thighs on each grill to assess how well they can sear and slow cook. I then made ribs on each.

Steak tested on the Big Green Egg.

The food came out delicious, nonetheless, and it was a good first lesson in understanding how kamado grills work.

I compared all the ease of use features, like what accessories they came with, how easy they were to move around, how accessible the ash collector was and more.

I continued to use the grills over the years and tested at least three more models from different brands. After the initial Lab tests, I used the briquettes that came with the Big Green Egg. They're made of hardwood and impart a cleaner, smoky taste. I also heated the briquettes directly in the Egg, as the instructions on the bag recommended, and used the included fire starters. It takes barely any effort.

The Big Green Egg briquettes starting to heat up using the included fire-starters.

I recently used the Big Green Egg to make a spatchcock chicken. It was so easy to cook and came out delicious. Even my picky mom and four-year-old nephew gave me a thumbs-up for the taste. It was tender, juicy and slightly smoky.

Smoked chicken on the Big Green Egg.

I especially loved how, after smoking the bird at 200ºF for two hours, hands-off, I could crisp up the skin by simply opening the lid and flipping the chicken so it was skin-down.

I tried making a pizza in the Egg on the stone-like pizza accessory that came with it. I didn't get it right on the first try, but I should have heated my Egg longer to get to the right temperature. I'm excited to keep using it and experimenting on the grill for fun.

An attempt at making pizza on the Big Green Egg for the first time.

Pros

• It's a solid and well-built grill that will last you for years.
• It can be used at low temperatures so you can smoke food or high ones so you can char food or even make pizza.
• It holds temperature very well.
• The briquettes last for hours without needing to replace them during your cook.
• It's easy to light and use, even if you're a beginner.
• You can use it to simply grill a quick meal.
• You can purchase additional cooking accessories for it as well as organizers to truly customize how you cook with it.
• It can be used as a standalone grill, or you can build it into your outdoor kitchen.

Cons

• It's pricey, but it will last you a long time.
• Most accessories cost extra.
• It lacks features other main competitors have, like insulation around the lid for a softer close. Some brands even have digital control panels that can help better regulate the internal temperature and alert you when your food is ready using the included probes.
• Heavy, but can be placed on a stand with wheels or built into a workspace.

The Big Green Egg is worth it if you want a high-performing and versatile charcoal grill. It's an investment that will last you a long time.

Nicole Papantoniou is the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances Lab where she oversees all of the kitchen appliance related testing and content. She has tested more than 50 outdoor grills since she started in 2019. Smoking food has started to become one of her favorite ways to cook outdoors, and she has tested and used multiple kamado grills and pellet grills, including the Big Green Egg for years.

Nicole Papantoniou

Kitchen Appliances Lab Director

Nicole (she/her) is the director of the Good Housekeeping Institute's Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab, where she has overseen content and testing related to kitchen and cooking appliances, tools and gear since 2019. She’s an experienced product tester and recipe creator, trained in classic culinary arts and culinary nutrition. She has worked in test kitchens for small kitchen appliance brands and national magazines, including Family Circle and Ladies’ Home Journal.