Big Green Egg Large vs Kamado Joe Joe Jr.

Big Green Egg

Big Green Egg Large

$1,049

4.8★ (3,400)

Kamado Joe

$499

4.6★ (1,100)

Quick take: The Kamado Joe Joe Jr. costs $550 less; the Big Green Egg Large offers more cooking space (262 vs 148 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

✓It packs full kamado versatility - searing, smoking, baking - into a portable 68 lb package you can take camping or tailgating
✓The thick ceramic body delivers the same excellent heat retention and fuel efficiency as full-size kamados
✓At ~$499 it's an affordable entry into the ceramic kamado world and the Kamado Joe ecosystem
✓It includes the heat deflector plate, so you can do indirect cooking and low-and-slow right out of the box
✓It hits high searing temps and holds steady low temps just like its big siblings, with great flavor and moisture
✓The compact 148 sq in is perfect for couples, small families, or cooking a few steaks without firing up a big grill
✓The cast-iron vent and hinged grate give precise air control and let you add charcoal mid-cook
✓Lifetime ceramic warranty and the wide Kamado Joe accessory ecosystem back it

✗148 sq in is small - it's really a 2-4 person cooker and can't handle a full brisket or a crowd
✗The narrow opening makes maneuvering racks of ribs or large roasts awkward
✗It's portable but still 68 lbs of ceramic, so it's heavier and more fragile to transport than it sounds
✗Charcoal capacity is limited, so very long overnight smokes require refueling more often than a big kamado
✗Temperature recovery after opening the small dome can be touchy given the limited thermal mass
✗No built-in lid thermometer accuracy you'd fully trust, so a separate probe is recommended
✗The included basic stand is low and minimal - many buyers add a higher cart or table for comfort
✗The same kamado learning curve, ash cleanup, and slow cooldown all apply in miniature