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Big Green Egg - Charcoal Barbecue Smoker, Grill, Oven And Tandoor

The Big Green Egg ® is a BBQ smoker, grill, pizza oven and even a tandoor all in one. In fact it has to be one of the most versatile pieces of outdoor cooking equipment that I’ve ever experienced.

It has adjustable dampers both top and bottom that makes for easy temperature control and a fast start time, your EGG® will be up above 220°F in 10 minutes! The maximum temperature achievable is in excess of 700°F which is ideal for pizza or a nice piece of tandoori chicken.

Big Green Egg Promotional Image

I have an Egg at home and I have to say that it does more or less everything that the marketing blurb states, and let's face it, it really is marketed well.

Why Should You Buy A Big Green Egg?

Safety - The surface doesn’t get as hot as a traditional barbecue and the fire is in a small area.
The exterior is treated with a lifetime green baked on glaze, this BBQ will last a lifetime.
The heat on the interior burns off any grease (the same principle as an Aga) so clean up is really easy.
When baking you’ll get that “brick oven” flavour and crust to the food

Moisture retention is also a key feature so the cooking process is different to a conventional water smoker so there’s actually no need for a water pan at all. The benefits are that food cooks quicker, remains moist, there’s no need for constant tending of the charcoal and the EGG® is remarkably economical in its charcoal consumption. It's this that differentiates the egg from other kettle style smokers.

Image Of My Ever Expanding Barbecue Test Center

The Egg comes in five different sizes differentiated by the diameter of grilling area for cooking:-

Mini – 9 inch cooking diameter weighs 30 pounds
Small – 13 inch cooking diameter weighs 65 pounds
Medium - 15 inch cooking diameter weighs 95 pounds
Large - 18 inch cooking diameter weighs 140 pounds
XL Egg - 24 inch cooking diameter weighs 205 pounds

The versatility of the Egg (or ceramic barbecue in general) is one of it's key selling points. The Big Green Egg range has an extra piece of equipment called the plate setter - a piece of ceramic plate that sits under the cooking grate so protecting your food from direct heat. In other words it is by using the plate setter that you can cook indirectly and use it as a smoker or oven.

That said, do beware that there is no plate setter for the XL Egg so this particular unit can only be used for direct grilling.

The plate setter, (as far as I'm aware) is unique to the Egg, Primo for example use a different technique to deliver the indirect cooking facility.

Image Of The Range Of Big Green Eggs

What's The Downside To Buying An Egg?

The price! Big Green Egg do not sell over the internet so you've got to buy one through one of their agents. They say that this is because they have no control of the distribution and increases the risk of damage. I say it's so that they can protect their profit.

My Egg arrived through the official distributor on the back of a standard expedited freight carrier, nothing special, so I'm pretty sure that their argument is a complete red herring.

That said, I've checked prices with other manufacturers and you do have to be careful to understand what is provided in the package and what you have to pay for as an extra.

Today there's a lot of similar ceramic barebcue maufacturers such as Primo Dragon Fire and Grill Dome to name the most popular.

Whilst I thoroughly enjoy cooking on my Egg, if I knew what I know now and had my time again I'd be saving $200 (and maybe more) by fully researching the market. Click here to learn more about the alternative options.