Big Green Egg 2XL vs Goldens' Cast Iron 20.5" Kamado Cooker with Handle Cart
vs
Goldens' Cast Iron
Goldens' Cast Iron 20.5" Kamado Cooker with Handle Cart
~$2,600
Buy at Goldens' Cast IronQuick take: The Goldens' Cast Iron 20.5" Kamado Cooker with Handle Cart costs $200 less; the Big Green Egg 2XL offers more cooking space (672 vs 330 sq in).
| Spec | Big Green Egg 2XL | Goldens' Cast Iron 20.5" Kamado Cooker with Handle Cart |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$2,800 | ~$2,600 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Kamado | Kamado |
| Cooking Area | 672 sq in | 330 sq in |
| Max Temp | 750°F | — |
| Fuel Type | Charcoal | Charcoal |
| Build Material | Ceramic | Cast Iron |
| Hopper Capacity | — | — |
| Burners | — | — |
| WiFi / App | No | No |
| App control | No | No |
| Meat probe | No | No |
| PID controller | No | No |
| Side burner | No | No |
| Rotisserie | No | No |
| Searing | Yes | Yes |
| Dimensions | 35.4 x 29 x 29 in | — |
| Weight | 375 lbs | 435 lbs |
| Warranty | Limited lifetime warranty on ceramic components | Limited lifetime |
Pros & cons
Big Green Egg 2XL
- ✓672 sq in is 49% more grid than the XLarge and roughly two and a half times the Large
- ✓Ceramic mass this thick holds a low-and-slow temperature overnight on a single load of lump
- ✓Same limited lifetime warranty on ceramic parts as every other Egg size
- ✓Handles a full 200 lb hog load or 20+ chickens, which is genuinely restaurant capacity
- ✓Sears to 750°F and cold-smokes at the other end, so the size does not cost versatility
- ✗375 lbs needs a reinforced pad and several people to place; it is not relocatable once set
- ✗At $2,800 before a nest, table or any accessory, a working setup lands well past $3,500
- ✗The wide grid is hard to use at low volume — a small cook wastes a lot of charcoal heating the mass
- ✗Reaching the far side of a 29-inch grid over an open fire needs long tools and a plan
- ✗Big Green Egg sells mainly through dealers, so delivery and setup vary by region
Goldens' Cast Iron 20.5" Kamado Cooker with Handle Cart
- ✓Cast iron will not chip, crack or shatter — the failure mode that ends most ceramic kamados does not exist here
- ✓Two-tiered ½-inch cast iron grates hold and radiate heat far better than the thin stainless wire most kamados ship
- ✓Integral patented hinge means no external strap band to loosen and no lid misalignment over time
- ✓Tel-Tru professional thermometer as standard, rated ±1% — most kamados ship a $6 dial
- ✓100% US-made from US raw materials, at a foundry that has been pouring iron since 1882
- ✓Limited lifetime warranty, sold direct at a published price rather than through opaque dealer pricing
- ✗435 lbs with the cart — this is a permanent installation, not something you reposition
- ✗$2,600 is Big Green Egg XLarge money for a 20.5-inch cooking surface
- ✗Cast iron needs seasoning and will surface-rust if the powder coat is chipped; ceramic needs neither
- ✗Heats up slower than ceramic because the iron mass has to come up to temperature first
- ✗Goldens' publishes no temperature range and no dimensions on the product page
- ✗Tiny brand with a thin dealer network — support is essentially direct-to-foundry