Big Green Egg Medium vs Goldens' Cast Iron 14" Mini Cooker
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Quick take: The Big Green Egg Medium costs $25 less; the Big Green Egg Medium offers more cooking space (177 vs 154 sq in).
| Spec | Big Green Egg Medium | Goldens' Cast Iron 14" Mini Cooker |
|---|---|---|
| Price | ~$900 | ~$925 |
| Rating | — | — |
| Type | Kamado | Kamado |
| Cooking Area | 177 sq in | 154 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 | 28.34 in height, 15 in grid | — |
| Weight | 114 lbs | 123 lbs |
| Warranty | Limited lifetime warranty on ceramic components | Limited lifetime |
Pros & cons
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
Goldens' Cast Iron 14" Mini Cooker
- ✓$925 puts it against a $850 Big Green Egg MiniMax and a $430 Joe Jr. with a build that cannot crack
- ✓Two-tier cast iron grates at this size, where competitors ship one thin stainless grate
- ✓123 lbs is heavy for 14 inches, which is exactly why it holds temperature like a much larger kamado
- ✓Same limited lifetime warranty and same US foundry as the big cooker — nothing is downgraded for the small model
- ✓Sold direct at a published price, unusual in the small-kamado market
- ✗154 sq in is genuinely small — a chicken and not much else
- ✗123 lbs means it is not portable despite the size, unlike a 76 lb Big Green Egg MiniMax that has a carrier
- ✗$925 for 154 sq in is the highest price per square inch of any kamado in this batch
- ✗No published temperature range, dimensions or review base
- ✗Cast iron surface-rusts where the coating chips, and salt air is unkind to it