Big Green Egg vs Kamado Joe – which kamado BBQ is best?

Ceramic barbecues and Kamado-style grills have been a key part of culinary history for around 3,000 years. Even if you’ve never heard of a Kamado, chances are you’ve seen or heard of the Big Green Egg (BGE). They’re hard to miss. For 40 years now, Big Green Egg has been the biggest supplier of kamado grills in Europe. However, it now faces strong competition from brands such as Kamado Joe and The Bastard, whose innovative approach has made them hugely popular. But which brand is the best or most complete? Which models are available? Should you buy a Big Green Egg or a Kamado Joe?

Big Green Egg or Kamado Joe – which kamado is best?

To help you make an informed choice, we’ve put together a full analysis of each brand’s history, grill setup and features.

Kamado Joe models

Compared to BGE, Kamado Joe offers a wider range of products, most of which come as standard with extra features and accessories included with every purchase. 

Which Kamado Joe models are there?

• Kamado Joe The Classic
• Kamado Joe The Classic II
• Kamado Joe The Classic III
• Kamado Joe The Big Joe II
• Kamado Joe The Big Joe III
• Kamado Joe ProJoe
• Kamdo Joe jr.
• Kamado Joe Stand-alone (built-in)

Kamado Joe The Classic

• Outside diameter 23 ″ / 60 cm
• Cooking surface diameter: 46 cm
• Weight: 187 lbs / 85 kg
• Height: 27 "/ 71 cm
• Price from € 999,-

The Kamado Classic takes craftsmanship and innovation to the next level. The thick-walled, heat-resistant shell locks in smoke and juices, whatever the temperature. Under the easy-open lid you’ll find a large 304 stainless steel grilling surface, with enough room for 10 to 12 large pieces of meat or chicken. The Classic comes standard with the flexible Divide & Conquer® cooking system, a sturdy wheeled cast-iron cart, a precision air vent and a patented slide-out ash drawer for easy cleaning.

Features: cast-iron cart and lockable casters, Divide & Conquer flexible cooking system, patented slide-out ash drawer, grill gripper, ash tool, finished foldable HDPE side shelves / handle.

  

Kamado Joe The Classic II

• Outside diameter 23 ″ / 60 cm
• Cooking surface diameter: 18 "/ 46 cm (expandable to 1676.4 cm² with both grates and the Grill Expander)
• Weight: 187 lbs / 85 kg
• Height: 27 "/ 71 cm
• Price from € 1499,-

The Classic II is the latest grill in the Kamado Joe® line-up. It’s built to the same high standards of craftsmanship and innovation that Kamado Joe® is known for. Thanks to its many new details, this is currently the most advanced kamado grill on the market.

Features: (All from The Classic, plus) Kontrol Tower Top Vent, air lift hinge, AMP firebox, mesh fiberglass gasket.

  

Kamado Joe The Classic III

• Outside diameter 23 ″ / 60 cm
• Cooking surface diameter: 46 cm
• Weight: 282 lbs / 128 kg
• Height: 27 "/ 71 cm
• Price from € 2099,-

The Kamado Joe Classic III features the latest innovation: the revolutionary SloRoller Hyperbolic Smoke Chamber. The SloRoller controls heat and temperature via swirling airflow. When slow-cooking at low temperatures up to 260 °C, this gives your food perfect flavour and texture. For searing or grilling at higher temperatures, the SloRoller is easy to swap out for heat deflectors. Just like its predecessor, the Classic II, the Classic III has a thick-walled, heat-resistant shell that keeps smoke and juices locked in, regardless of temperature.

Features: (All from The Classic and Classic II, plus) heavy-duty galvanized steel rolling cart with lockable casters, finished foldable cast-aluminium side shelves / handles, patented SloRoller hyperbolic smoke chamber, 3-tier Divide & Conquer flexible cooking system, 304 stainless steel charcoal basket.

  

Kamado Joe The Big Joe II

• Outside diameter 24 ″ / 63cm
• Cooking surface diameter: 61 cm
• Weight: 485 lbs / 220 kg
• Height: 31 "/ 71 cm
• Price from € 1899,-

Everything that made the Kamado Joe® Classic II such an instant success – just bigger. The Big Joe, the most versatile Kamado in the range, easily fits three full racks of ribs. The thick, heat-resistant ceramic walls retain smoke and flavour so the meat stays juicy. The Big Joe is an impressive piece of craftsmanship.

Features: premium ceramic grill with cast-iron cart and lockable casters, finished foldable HDPE side shelves / handle, Divide & Conquer flexible cooking system.

Kontrol Tower Top Vent, Air Lift Hinge, AMP firebox, mesh fiberglass gasket, patented slide-out ash drawer, grill gripper, ash tool.

  

Kamado Joe The Big Joe III

• Outside diameter 24 ″ / 63cm
• Cooking surface diameter: 61 cm
• Weight: 507 lbs / 230 kg
• Height: 35 "/ 90 cm
• Price from € 2799,-

The Big Joe III has the same robust design and features as the Classic III, but with an even larger grilling surface. This versatile kamado is ideal for large families or parties, with enough space to cook three full racks of ribs low and slow. The Big Joe III comes standard with the 
revolutionary SloRoller Hyperbolic Smoke Chamber for perfect low-and-slow cooking,
the new three-tier Divide & Conquer® Flexible Cooking System and an improved wheeled cart.

Features: (All from The Big Joe, plus) heavy-duty galvanized steel rolling cart with lockable casters, finished foldable cast-aluminium side shelves / handles, patented SloRoller hyperbolic smoke chamber, 3-tier Divide & Conquer flexible cooking system, 304 stainless steel charcoal basket.

  

Kamado Joe ProJoe

• Outside diameter 21 ″ / 55 cm
• Cooking surface diameter: 61 cm
• Weight: 485 lbs / 220 kg
• Height: 31 "/ 71 cm
• Price from € 4900,-

The extra-tall ProJoe is based on the same phenomenal design and built with the same exceptional craftsmanship as the Classic III and Big Joe III, but offers far more professional options for grilling, searing, roasting and perfect low-and-slow smoking thanks to the revolutionary SloRoller Hyperbolic Smoke Chamber. The ProJoe is finished with high-quality 304 stainless steel parts such as the Kontrol Tower, bands, latch and the updated three-tier Divide & Conquer® Flexible Cooking System. The ProJoe gives both enthusiastic home cooks and professionals the ability to smoke meat for a crowd or roast restaurant-quality steaks.

Features: patented SloRoller hyperbolic smoke chamber, 3-tier Divide & Conquer® flexible cooking system, 304 stainless steel charcoal basket, 304 stainless steel Kontrol Tower top vent, 304 stainless steel air lift hinge, 304 stainless steel charcoal basket, AMP firebox, mesh fiberglass gasket, patented slide-out ash drawer, built-in thermometer, grill gripper, ash tool.

  

Kamado Joe Joe Jr

• Outside diameter 11 ″ / 28 cm
• Cooking surface diameter: 34 cm
• Weight: 68 lbs / 31 kg
• Height: 20 "/ 53 cm
• Price from € 450,-

With the innovative, portable Joe Jr., you can now enjoy the unique kamado grilling experience anywhere. The Joe Jr. is ideal for picnics, block parties, camping trips and much more. It weighs just 31 kg and offers a grilling surface of 958 cm² – more than enough for a full beer can chicken with vegetables. The thick-walled ceramic shell holds in heat, juices and flavour, while the heat deflectors let you experiment with indirect heat for more flexible cooking.

Features: premium 34 cm ceramic grill with cast-iron stand, built-in thermometer, 304 stainless steel cooking grate, ceramic heat deflector, grill gripper, ash tool.

  

Kamado Joe Stand-alone (built-in)

Do you find a mobile grill too limiting? Then choose a Kamado Joe® Stand-Alone. You can build it into your outdoor kitchen or combine it with one of the special grill tables. The Stand-Alone is available as a Classic or Big Joe and is crafted with the same thoughtful workmanship that made Kamado Joe famous. On top of that, the top vent, handles, bands and hinges are made from even higher-quality stainless steel. The durable, versatile Stand-Alone is a perfect fit for any permanent setup you have in mind. Price from € 1295,-.

  

Big Green Egg models

Big Green Egg produces a single product in different sizes, from the portable MiniMax to the largest 2XL Big Green Egg. You’ll need to buy a stand separately with all BGE products.

Which Big Green Egg models are there?

• Big Green Egg Mini
• Big Green Egg MiniMax
• Big Green Egg Small
• Big Green Egg Medium
• Big Green Egg Large
• Big Green Egg XL (extra large)
• Big Green Egg 2XL (extra extra large)

Big Green Egg Mini

The Big Green Egg Mini is the smallest and lightest member of the Big Green Egg family. It’s ideal to take along to the campsite, on a boat or to a picnic, or simply to put straight on the table at home. To be honest, once you have this EGG, you’ll probably never want to go anywhere without it. Thanks to its low weight, the Mini is very easy to move. And it gets even easier if you add an EGG Carrier for the Mini.

Do you usually cook for 2 to 4 people? Then this travel-happy lightweight is your perfect Big Green Egg model. Or add it as a second EGG next to a larger model, simply because it’s so easy to take with you! The Big Green Egg Mini is also used in many professional kitchens for smaller á la carte dishes.

• External diameter including hinge and handle: 25 cm
• Cooking surface diameter: 24 cm
• Weight: 17 kg
• Height: 43 cm
• Price from € 599,-

  

Big Green Egg MiniMax

Its size may not be impressive, but the Big Green Egg MiniMax more than makes up for that with performance. The MiniMax is the newest member of the Big Green Egg family and the most compact model in the range. It’s only 7 centimetres taller than the Big Green Egg Mini but has a much larger cooking surface, similar to the Big Green Egg Small. That gives you plenty of space to cook for 4 to 6 people. You can even put it straight on the table if you like, because at 50 centimetres tall the MiniMax is the perfect table-top EGG.

This ceramic cooker lets you prepare big dishes in a small package. Heading out? At 35 kilos you don’t need to be a professional weightlifter to take the MiniMax along. Thanks to the EGG Carrier, which is included as standard, that’s no problem at all! The Big Green Egg MiniMax is also used regularly in restaurants.

• External diameter including hinge and handle: 33 cm
• Cooking surface diameter: 33 cm
• Weight: 35 kg
• Height: 50 cm
• Price from € 919,-

  

Big Green Egg Small

The Big Green Egg Small is the favourite housemate of city-dwellers with a balcony or small patio. It’s compact, yet still easily lets you cook up a storm for 4 to 6 people. Because the Small’s cooking grate sits lower than the MiniMax’s, it’s better suited to larger preparations, even though they both have the same size cooking surface.

You can place the Small in an EGG Nest (stand with wheels) to move it around quickly and safely, or build it into a piece of furniture or work table. And this EGG also has a wide range of accessories available: from a convEGGtor for indirect cooking to a cast-iron grill grate for serious searing. The Big Green Egg Small may be small, but its performance is anything but!

• External diameter of the EGG: 33 cm
• Cooking surface diameter: 32 cm
• Weight: 36 kg
• Height: 61cm
• Price from € 850,-

  

Big Green Egg Medium

The Big Green Egg Medium is compact enough to fit in a small city garden, patio or on a balcony, yet big enough to grill, smoke, braise or bake for 6 to 8 people. With the Medium in your garden it’s easy to invite family or friends over to enjoy great food together, which is why it’s one of the most popular EGG models.

The Medium fits around 4 to 6 kilos of meat to slow-cook, grill or bake. For example, you can easily make the popular beer can chicken recipe on the Medium! Or create unbeatable dishes with fresh fish, shellfish or vegetables. With the matching convEGGtor and Baking Stone you can quickly turn the Big Green Egg Medium into a pizza oven to bake your own delicious pizzas. It may be called Medium, but it’s anything but average!

• External diameter of the EGG: 40 cm
• Cooking surface diameter: 38 cm
• Weight: 51 kg
• Height: 72 cm
• Price from € 1120,-

  

Big Green Egg Large

The Big Green Egg Large is the most popular model in the Big Green Egg family. The Large’s cooking surface easily handles all your favourite dishes plus those of your family and friends. Even at the same time if needed, because the Large has enough space to cook for 8 people. With all that room it’s easy to prepare complete three-course menus. Build the Large into an (acacia) table or outdoor kitchen, or place it in an EGG Nest and Nest Handler to move it around easily and safely.

• Outside diameter 69 cm
• Cooking surface diameter: 46 cm
• Weight: 73 kg
• Height: 84 cm
• Price from € 1480,-

  

Big Green Egg XL (extra large)

Do you have a large family and/or group of friends? Or do you cook professionally, for example as a caterer for big groups? Then the Big Green Egg XLarge is your partner in crime. This multitasker’s cooking grate is over a third bigger than the Large’s. That way you can treat large groups to perfectly cooked ingredients and dishes all at once. With a 61 centimetre cooking surface, big cuts of meat, large fish or multiple pizzas stop being wishful thinking and become reality.

• Outside diameter 63 cm
• Cooking surface diameter: 61 cm
• Weight: 99 kg
• Height: 78 cm
• Price from 2160,-

  

Big Green Egg XXL (extra extra large)

Big, bigger, biggest. The Big Green Egg 2XL is the largest member of the Big Green Egg family and the biggest kamado on the market. Everything about this model is impressive: its weight (170 kilos), its size, its height (1 metre without EGG Nest) and its cooking surface (over 0.4 m²). The 2XL is a real eye-catcher in every way. But it doesn’t compromise on performance. With an EGG Nest and Nest Handler, the 2XL is still easy to move. And thanks to a smart hinge mechanism, opening the EGG is effortless too.

Just like its smaller brothers, the 2XL is perfect for a whole range of cooking techniques: grilling, baking, boiling, braising, smoking and slow cooking. Do you run a restaurant or catering company, or just have a lot of friends? Then the Big Green Egg 2XL is your model. It’s a giant in size and culinary options, but without the diva attitude.

• Outside diameter 88 cm
• Cooking surface diameter: 74 cm
• Weight: 170 kg
• Height: 90 cm
• Price from 3350,-

  

Features of the different ceramic BBQs from both brands

To compare the two brands, we’ve selected two grills of similar size and functionality: the Big Green Egg Large and the Kamado Joe Classic III.

We compare their warranties, build quality, included accessories and customer support, as well as the level of community engagement around each brand.

Brand history: Big Green Egg

Founded in 1974 by a pachinko machine importer named Ed Fisher, Big Green Egg fully capitalised on the unusual shape of the Kamado, compared to a standard charcoal grill, to maximise their marketing.

They then used that advantage to quickly become the dominant supplier of kamado grills in the US and started importing them across the border from Monterrey, Mexico.

BGE has made some fairly big claims about its products, calling them a favourite of Michelin-star restaurants, made from NASA-inspired ceramics, vegan, 100% organic and “culinary perfection every time”.

What we do know is that over their 40-year history, Big Green Egg has developed a near cult-like following of “Eggheads”.

Brand history: Kamado Joe

Kamado Joe, founded just outside Atlanta in 2009 by Bobby Brennan and Kerry Coker, has built its brand on “modernising the classic grill style with unrivalled craftsmanship, smarter features, innovative accessories and a range of flexible cooking surfaces”.

Kamado Joe imports its grills from Yixing, China, although that shouldn’t put you off. The quality and craftsmanship are still top-notch and comparable to Big Green Egg. Kamado Joe is best known for its Divide & Conquer grill system, which lets you grill at two different heights at the same time. A stand is also included as standard.

You can also expand the options with a range of Kamado Joe accessories such as the JoeTisserie.

Longevity

The build quality of both the Big Green Egg Large and the Kamado Joe Classic III is fantastic.

BGE boasts about using NASA-pioneered ceramics in its products, but there doesn’t seem to be much difference in the thickness or quality of the shell between these grills.

Neither grill is made in the US: BGE is manufactured in Mexico and Kamado Joe in China.

The moving parts on the Kamado Joe, however, have the edge over BGE when it comes to quality. The gasket on the Kamado Joe Classic III is a mesh fiberglass gasket, which is much more durable than the standard gasket on the BGE.

The stand and casters, included in the price of the Kamado Joe Classic III, are also higher quality than the BGE stand, which has to be purchased separately.

The stand and wheel locks are made from thicker heavy-duty galvanized steel and are welded together, whereas the BGE stand is only screwed together.

While there’s no real difference in the build quality of the central oven shells of the BGE line versus the Kamado Joe line, the latter does come with higher quality components and accessories as standard.

Differences in available accessories: Big Green Egg vs Kamado Joe

In this category, Kamado Joe is the clear winner. The entire range comes with several accessories as standard, such as a cast-iron stand and casters, grill gripper, ash tool, finished foldable high-density polyethylene (HDPE) side shelves and handles, and the patented slide-out ash drawer. 

On top of that, the Kamado Joe Classic III comes with the patented SloRoller hyperbolic smoke chamber and the three-level Divide & Conquer flexible cooking system, which we’ll cover in more detail in the standout features section.

Other notable accessories include the JoeTisserie, a durable cast-aluminium rotisserie that sits in the grill housing, and the cast-iron Dutch oven that turns your kamado into a chilli-making machine.

BGE also offers a wide range of accessories, but most of them are not included as standard when you buy a grill, and few match the innovation found in the Kamado Joe range.

See all Kamado Joe accessories at:

  

See all Big Green Egg accessories at:

  

Support and user community

Both BGE and Kamado Joe have a solid reputation for providing reliable customer service in Europe and in the Netherlands. Because BGE has been around longer, it has built up a grassroots fanbase that’s very active on its Egg Head forum.

This forum is packed with useful advice, cooking tips and maintenance routines, and is monitored by BGE’s customer service team, making it an excellent resource for BGE owners.

Kamado Joe may not have its own dedicated forum, but it does have a strong track record of resolving customer issues quickly and efficiently.

Standout features

What really sets Kamado Joe apart from Big Green Egg is its focus on innovation, clearly shown by the SloRoller hyperbolic smoke chamber and the three-level Divide & Conquer flexible cooking system.

The SloRoller uses patented Harvard science to turn your kamado into a smoker by distributing smoke and heat in rolling, recirculating waves. This strengthens both the smoke flavour and reduces hotspots.

The Divide & Conquer flexible cooking system uses half-moon heat deflectors to partially block the heat, combined with multiple stacked grate levels (two with the Kamado Joe II and three with the III) to both increase your cooking surface and allow you to cook food at different temperatures.

By creating innovative accessories and bundling them with their grills, Kamado Joe simply offers more value for money than BGE.

Because the quality of the grills produced by both companies is essentially the same, the greater versatility of Kamado Joe grills gives them an edge over BGE, which is why they’re our preferred choice.

Warranties

BGE prides itself on offering a limited lifetime warranty on all its products, with different warranty periods for different materials. The ceramic components, including the dome, base, damper, firebox and fire ring, are covered as long as you’re the original EGG owner and bought it from an authorised dealer.

For ceramic accessories such as the plate setter and pizza stones, the warranty runs up to three years. BGE also offers a one-year warranty on the thermometer and gaskets. The metal parts, including the metal bands, hinge mechanism, dual-function metal top, cooking grate, fire grate and draft door, all come with a five-year warranty, and all wooden parts have a one-year warranty.

Kamado Joe offers an almost identical warranty, with exactly the same warranty periods and limitations.

Both companies provide extensive and excellent warranties on their products, so you won’t need to worry about your kamado falling apart in the first few years.

Price differences: Big Green Egg vs Kamado Joe

If you compare the prices of similarly sized Big Green Egg and Kamado Joe models, the retail prices are not that far apart.

However, the Kamado Joe includes some key extras, such as a stand, which you’ll need to buy separately for a BGE. The Kamado Joe also includes the dual-level grill rack system. In terms of value for money, Kamado Joe has the advantage, but the difference is still fairly small.

Chances are that whether you buy a BGE or a Kamado Joe, you’ll be impressed by their cooking performance and the sheer quality of their construction. Kamado Joe stands out, however, thanks to the inventive, innovative nature of its accessories and the fact that so much more is bundled with the grills. If you buy a BGE, you’ll get an excellent grill. But if you buy a Kamado Joe, you’ll get an equally excellent grill with all the trimmings. Need we say more?

  

Do you prefer BGE over Kamado Joe? Or do you think there’s another kamado maker that beats them both? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below!