Kamado Joe Classic III vs Big Green Egg XLarge

Kamado Joe

Kamado Joe Classic III

~$1,799

5★ (628)

Big Green Egg

~$1,650

5★ (28)

Quick take: The Big Green Egg XLarge costs $149 less; the Kamado Joe Classic III offers more cooking space (510 vs 452 sq in).

✓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

✓The 24-inch grate answers the Large's biggest complaint - two packer briskets or four whole chickens fit flat with room for airflow, no folding required
✓Same rock-steady ceramic temperature control as every Egg: dial in 250°F and it holds all night with the vents barely cracked
✓Best price-per-square-inch in the whole Egg lineup - roughly 30% more money than a Large buys nearly double the grate
✓Hits 750°F for pizza and searing just like its smaller siblings, and the wide dome fits vertical rib racks and tall roasts
✓The 5-piece EGGspander system multiplies capacity again, pushing usable space well past 800 sq in for party cooks
✓Thick ceramic is remarkably fuel-efficient for its size - an overnight brisket cook doesn't need a lump refill
✓It's built to outlive you, with the same lifetime ceramic warranty and generational build quality as the rest of the line
✓Owners rate it a perfect 5.0 - the size upgrade gives up nothing the Large does well

✗At $1,650 for the bare egg - no nest, no side shelves - a usable XL setup lands well past $2,000
✗219 lbs of fragile ceramic: moving it is a two-to-three person job, and you'll want the dealer to handle assembly
✗Small weeknight cooks feel wasteful - the big firebox wants a proper lump load, and lighting it for four burgers gets old
✗All that thermal mass moves slowly - heat-up takes longer than the Large, and overshooting a low target is hard to walk back
✗Kamado Joe's Big Joe III costs similar money and includes the rolling cart, side shelves, and multi-level racks the Egg sells separately
✗No app, fan, or automation at any price - long cooks rely on vent skill or an aftermarket controller
✗Ash cleanout is still through the bottom vent door, and the bigger fire bowl makes more of it
✗The XL-size accessories (convEGGtor, pizza stone, EGGspander) cost noticeably more than their Large equivalents