Goldens' Cast Iron
Kamado
~$925

Goldens' Cast Iron

Goldens' Cast Iron 14" Mini Cooker

Goldens' calls it the Little Brother: the same US-poured cast iron construction, integral hinge and two-tier cast iron grate system as the 20.5-inch cooker, scaled to a 14-inch cooking area and 123 lbs. It is the direct competitor to a Big Green Egg MiniMax or a Kamado Joe Joe Jr., in iron instead of ceramic and at roughly the same price.

Approx. price
~$925
Buy at Goldens' Cast Iron

Goes to the manufacturer. We earn nothing on this one.

Cooking Area
154 sq in
Fuel
Charcoal
Best For
A small patio or a second cooker, for someone who wants the iron build and not a ceramic egg

Specifications

Fuel Type
Charcoal
Cooking Area
154 sq in
Build Material
Cast Iron
Weight
123 lbs
Warranty
Limited lifetime
WiFi / App
No
Meat Probe
No

Features

Searing

Pros

  • ✓$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

Cons

  • ✗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
Goldens' Cast Iron 20.5" Kamado Cooker with Handle Cart
~$2,600
Kamado

A kamado cast from iron rather than fired from clay, poured at a Columbus, Georgia foundry that has been in business since 1882. The 20.5-inch cooker weighs 334 lbs on its own and 435 lbs on the handle cart, and uses a one-piece 1-inch-thick cast iron firebox, two tiers of ½-inch cast iron grates, an integral hinge that keeps lid and base aligned without strap bands, and a Tel-Tru thermometer. Sold direct with published prices; the stand-alone head is $1,879.99 and the Trex- or stainless-shelved table carts cost more.

Cast iron body, not ceramic435 lbs with cartIntegral hinge, no strap bands
Charcoal330 sq in
Best for: The buyer who has cracked or chipped a ceramic kamado and wants one that physically cannot
See specs & owner notes
Big Green Egg Medium
~$900
Kamado

The Medium sits between the Small and the Large with a 15-inch grid and 177 sq in of cooking area. Big Green Egg rates it for an 18 lb turkey, six burgers or four steaks — enough for a couple or a small family, in a body 48 lbs lighter than the Large. It is the smallest Egg that still takes the full-size ceramic accessories most owners eventually want.

177 sq in, 15-inch grid114 lbsFits an 18 lb turkey
Charcoal177 sq in200–750°F
Best for: A couple or small family who want Egg performance without the Large's footprint or price
See specs & owner notes
Big Green Egg MiniMax
~$850
Kamado
5(12)

The Big Green Egg MiniMax packs the full ceramic kamado experience into a 19.5-inch-tall tabletop cooker that ships with its own carrier. It's the Egg for balconies, tailgates, and campsites - same 750°F ceiling, a quarter of the footprint.

Tabletop PortableCarrier IncludedLifetime Ceramic Warranty
Charcoal133 sq inapprox 200–750°F
Best for: Portable ceramic cooking for patios, tailgates, and couples
See specs & owner notes
Kamado Joe Classic Joe I
~$1,000
Kamado

The entry Kamado Joe: an 18-inch ceramic grill with 250 sq in of grate, on a cart with locking wheels and folding side shelves. Series I keeps the two-tier Divide & Conquer rack and the slide-out ash drawer but uses a cast-iron daisy-wheel top vent instead of the Kontrol Tower, and has no Air Lift hinge — those are what the $500 step to Series II buys.

250 sq in, 18-inch grid2-tier Divide & ConquerCart and folding shelves included
Charcoal250 sq in225–750°F
Best for: A first ceramic kamado buyer who wants the Divide & Conquer rack system without paying for the vent and hinge upgrades
See specs & owner notes
Big Green Egg Small
~$700
Kamado

Big Green Egg

Big Green Egg Small

A 13-inch grid and 133 sq in in a tall, narrow 80 lb body. It shares its cooking area with the MiniMax but not its shape: the Small is a conventional standing Egg meant to live on a nest or in a table, where the MiniMax is a squat carry-handle model built to travel. At $699.99 it is the cheapest full-shape Egg.

133 sq in, 13-inch grid80 lbsCheapest full-shape Egg
Charcoal133 sq in200–750°F
Best for: A balcony or small patio where a permanent ceramic kamado is wanted and two or three people is the usual crowd
See specs & owner notes
Big Green Egg Large
~$1,200
Kamado

Big Green Egg

Big Green Egg Large

5(73)

The Big Green Egg Large is the most popular size of the iconic ceramic kamado cooker, capable of grilling, smoking, roasting, and baking. Big Green Egg is the brand that brought kamado cooking to the American mainstream.

Heat-Retaining CeramicGrill, Smoke, Bake and RoastLifetime Ceramic Warranty
Charcoal262 sq inapprox 200–750°F
Best for: All-in-one ceramic cooking with huge fuel efficiency
See specs & owner notes