Big Green Egg Sizes, To Scale
Big Green Egg sells the same thick-walled ceramic kamado in seven sizes, from a 79-square-inch Mini to a 672-square-inch 2XL, and nothing about the cooker changes except scale. That makes size the entire buying decision — and because an Egg realistically lasts decades and prices are dealer-set with the nest, mates and every accessory sold separately, picking wrong is expensive to undo.
Drawn to scale from manufacturer dimensions. Ruler marks 12", 24", and 36".
| Size | Approx. price | Cooking area | $ / sq in | Size (W×H) | Weight | Fits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mini Egg only — no nest or carrier. Current biggreenegg.com direct price (appears promotional; dealer pricing historically ~$400+). Height 17 in is official; width is external ceramic diameter from dealer spec sheets (footprint is circular). | ~$312 | 79 sq in | $3.95 | 13" × 17" | 39 lbs | 2 chicken breasts, 2 pork chops, or a single big ribeye |
| MiniMax Unlike other sizes, ships with its Carrier (side handles). Worst price-per-square-inch in the family — you pay for portability. Height/weight official; width from dealer spec sheets. | ~$850 | 133 sq in | $6.39 | 16" × 19.5" | 76 lbs | 4 burgers, 2 thick steaks, or a spatchcocked chicken — same grate as the Small in a squat portable body |
| Small Egg only — no nest. Current biggreenegg.com direct price (appears promotional vs historical ~$690 dealer MSRP). Floor-standing with no handles; not meaningfully portable despite the size. | ~$494 | 133 sq in | $3.71 | 16" × 24" | 80 lbs | a 12-lb turkey or 4 burgers |
| Medium Egg only — nest sold separately. The accessory ecosystem thins out below Large; full rib racks and packer briskets are tight on the 15-inch grate. | ~$900 | 177 sq in | $5.08 | 18" × 28.3" | 114 lbs | an 18-lb turkey, 6 burgers, or 4 steaks |
| Large Egg only — nest (~$235), table, and convEGGtor (~$140) all extra. The default size: deepest accessory support and strongest resale. Height 33 in per BGE (taller dome profile than the squatter XL); width from dealer spec sheets. | ~$1,200 | 262 sq in | $4.58 | 21" × 33" | 162 lbs | a 20-lb turkey, 12 burgers, 8 steaks, or a packer brisket with a tuck |
| XLarge Egg only. Best price-per-square-inch in the lineup but burns noticeably more lump per cook. BGE's published height (30.7 in) is actually lower than the Large's — the XL is a wider, squatter egg. | ~$1,650 | 452 sq in | $3.65 | 26.5" × 30.7" | 219 lbs | 4 whole chickens, 20 burgers, 6 Boston butts, or two packer briskets side by side |
| 2XL Egg only; at 375 lbs it effectively never moves once placed. Restaurant/competition tool more than a backyard cooker; White Glove assembly ($149) is near-mandatory. | ~$2,800 | 672 sq in | $4.17 | 32.5" × 35.4" | 375 lbs | 40 burgers, 16 chickens, or 20 racks of ribs — catering scale |
Which size, honestly
The Large is the default Big Green Egg for a reason, and r/biggreenegg says so almost every time the question comes up. Its 18.25-inch grate handles a 20-pound turkey, twelve burgers, or a packer brisket (with a slight tuck), and it has by far the deepest accessory ecosystem — every convEGGtor, EGGspander, and third-party gadget ships in Large first. The Medium looks like a sensible savings of about $300, but owners consistently call it the awkward middle child: it shares almost none of the Large's accessories, resale demand is thinner, and the 15-inch grate turns rib racks and full packers into geometry puzzles. If you're feeding a normal household and can physically accommodate a 162-pound cooker, buy the Large and stop reading. The genuinely divisive question is Large versus XL, not Large versus anything smaller.
Go XL only if you regularly cook for crowds or run multiple butts and briskets at once — its 24-inch grate fits two packers side by side, and at roughly $1,650 for 452 square inches it's actually the best price-per-square-inch in the lineup (about $3.65/sq in versus $4.58 for the Large). The tradeoffs owners cite: it drinks noticeably more lump charcoal on every cook, takes longer to come to temperature, and is genuinely miserable to move at 219 pounds. The 2XL is a caterer's tool — 375 pounds, $2,800, and rarely seen in backyards. Buy-once-cry-once logic is real with ceramics since they never wear out, but r/biggreenegg is equally full of people who overbought an XL and light it three times a year because heating 452 square inches for two chicken breasts feels wasteful.
At the small end, the MiniMax is the cult pick — a Large-quality 13-inch grate in a 19.5-inch-tall package that ships with a carrier, and the tailgating/camping crowd swears by it. Just know its $850 price buys only 133 square inches (a rough $6.39/sq in, the worst value in the family) — you're paying for portability, not capacity. The Small has the same 13-inch grate for about $355 less, but it's a floor-standing egg without handles, so it's neither portable nor big. The Mini is a one-steak, two-chops cooker for balconies and truly solo use. The community's honest framing: smalls are superb second Eggs, questionable only Eggs. And budget honestly — none of these prices includes a nest (about $235), a table, or the convEGGtor you'll want for indirect cooking, so add $300-500 to whatever size you pick.
Full reviews of these sizes
Size questions, answered
Large vs XL Big Green Egg — which should I buy?
The Large (262 sq in) covers a family plus regular guests: a 20-lb turkey, 12 burgers, or one packer brisket. The XL (452 sq in) is for people who routinely cook multiple briskets or butts — it fits two packers side by side and is actually cheaper per square inch (~$3.65 vs ~$4.58). The XL's costs are practical: more charcoal per cook, slower to heat, and 219 lbs vs 162. The r/biggreenegg consensus is Large unless you cook for 10+ people at least monthly.
Is the Medium Big Green Egg big enough?
For 2-4 people, yes — it takes an 18-lb turkey and six burgers on its 15-inch grate. The catch is everything around it: far fewer accessories fit the Medium, full rib racks and packer briskets need trimming or coiling, and resale is weaker. At $900 vs $1,200, most owners say the $300 saved isn't worth the constraints and recommend stretching to the Large.
MiniMax vs Small Big Green Egg — what's the difference?
Same 13-inch grate and 133 sq in of cooking area. The MiniMax is 4.5 inches shorter, ships in a carrier with handles, and is built to travel — it's the tailgater and camper favorite. The Small ($494) is a stationary floor egg that's about $355 cheaper but has no carrying provision. If it will never leave your patio, the Small is the better value; if it's riding in a truck bed, the MiniMax is worth the premium.
Does the Big Green Egg price include the nest or stand?
No. Published prices are for the ceramic egg alone (the MiniMax carrier is the one exception). A metal nest runs about $235, wooden tables are $500+, and the convEGGtor plate you need for indirect/smoking is another ~$100-140. Prices are also dealer-set — Big Green Egg publishes suggested pricing but authorized dealers can and do vary, so the numbers here are the brand's current direct prices.
What size Big Green Egg for a family of 4?
The Large. It's the community default, has the widest accessory support, and handles both weeknight burgers and a holiday turkey. A Medium technically feeds four, but the Large's flexibility, accessory ecosystem, and resale value make the $300 difference the most commonly endorsed upgrade in the lineup.