Big Green Egg Large vs Big Green Egg Medium
vs
Quick take: The Big Green Egg Medium costs $300 less; the Big Green Egg Large offers more cooking space (262 vs 177 sq in).
| Spec | Big Green Egg Large | Big Green Egg Medium |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$1,200 | ~$900 |
| Rating | 5★ (73) | — |
| Type | Kamado | Kamado |
| Cooking Area | 262 sq in | 177 sq in |
| Max Temp | 750°F | 750°F |
| Fuel Type | Charcoal | Charcoal |
| Build Material | Ceramic | Ceramic |
| 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 | 21 x 24 x 31 in | 28.34 in height, 15 in grid |
| Weight | 162 lbs | 114 lbs |
| Warranty | Lifetime (ceramic) | Limited lifetime warranty on ceramic components |
Pros & cons
Big Green Egg Large
- ✓The thick ceramic retains heat and moisture so well that it sips lump charcoal - long smokes use a fraction of the fuel of a steel cooker
- ✓It's astonishingly versatile, going from 200°F low-and-slow brisket to 700°F+ pizza and steak searing in the same cooker
- ✓Ceramic walls hold temperature rock-steady for hours, so overnight cooks need minimal tending once dialed in
- ✓Food comes out exceptionally moist because the sealed ceramic environment traps humidity
- ✓It's built to last generations, with a lifetime warranty on the ceramic components
- ✓The massive EGGcessory ecosystem (convEGGtor, pizza stones, racks) lets you bake, roast, and cook nearly anything
- ✓The Large size is the sweet spot - enough capacity for most families plus the widest accessory selection
- ✓It holds and radiates heat so evenly that searing and baking results rival dedicated ovens and grills
- ✗It's expensive - the Large alone is around $1,000, and a usable setup with a nest and table pushes well past that
- ✗The ceramic is heavy (162 lbs) and fragile - drop the lid or crack it and you're facing an awkward warranty claim
- ✗Only 262 sq in of cooking area on a single grate, far less than steel grills of similar price (vertical/tiered racks help)
- ✗Temperature changes are slow - because the ceramic holds heat so well, overshooting your target temp is hard to recover from quickly
- ✗Charcoal lighting, ash cleanup, and the learning curve for vent control all apply
- ✗There's no built-in app or automation, though aftermarket fan controllers exist
- ✗The base unit ships without a stand or side tables, so the real cost is higher than the sticker
- ✗Loading and dumping ash through the bottom vent is more tedious than a kettle's One-Touch sweep
Big Green Egg Medium
- ✓177 sq in handles an 18 lb turkey or four steaks, which covers most weeknight and holiday cooking
- ✓$300 less than the Large and 48 lbs lighter, so it fits a small patio and a smaller budget
- ✓Same ceramic construction, 200-750°F range and limited lifetime warranty as the Large and XL
- ✓Charcoal consumption scales with body size — the Medium is meaningfully cheaper to run than a Large for two people
- ✓Big Green Egg lists it at $899.99 direct with free delivery, so no dealer markup hunting
- ✗177 sq in is a real step down from the Large's 262 — it fills up fast with a crowd
- ✗Ceramic accessory selection for the Medium is thinner than for the Large, which is the volume size
- ✗114 lbs still needs a nest or table, sold separately, before it can be used
- ✗Like every ceramic kamado it is slow to change temperature — dropping from a sear back to low takes patience