Big Green Egg Large vs Kamado Joe Classic III

Big Green Egg

Big Green Egg Large

$1,049

4.8★ (3,400)

Kamado Joe

$1,999

4.7★ (1,200)

Quick take: The Big Green Egg Large costs $950 less; the Kamado Joe Classic III offers more cooking space (510 vs 262 sq in).

✓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

✓The Divide and Conquer 3-tier rack system effectively doubles cooking space and lets you cook different foods at different heights and temps at once
✓The SloRoller insert uses cyclonic airflow to distribute smoke and heat evenly, noticeably improving low-and-slow results over a bare kamado
✓The Air Lift hinge makes the heavy ceramic dome lift with one finger, a genuine quality-of-life upgrade over the Egg
✓Unlike the Big Green Egg, it ships with a rolling cart, fold-down side shelves, and accessories included in the price
✓Ceramic construction gives the same incredible fuel efficiency and steady temps as any top kamado
✓510 sq in on the main grate (more usable with the tiered system) handles bigger cooks than a Large Egg
✓The thick-gauge stainless cooking grates and overall fit-and-finish feel premium and built to last
✓It does it all - 225°F brisket, 750°F pizza and searing - with a lifetime ceramic warranty backing it

✗At ~$2,000 it's one of the priciest kamados, a significant premium even over the Big Green Egg
✗It's extremely heavy at 282 lbs and a real chore to assemble and move once set up
✗The many included parts (SloRoller, multi-tier racks, gaskets) mean more components to store, clean, and eventually replace
✗The felt or fiber gasket can wear and need replacement after heavy high-heat use
✗Like all kamados it's slow to cool down, so overshooting a low target temp is hard to correct
✗Charcoal lighting, ash management, and the kamado learning curve all apply
✗No built-in smart features or app despite the flagship price
✗Some owners report shipping damage to the ceramic given the weight, requiring a warranty claim