Big Green Egg Large review
Published 8 May 2026 · Last updated 16 October 2026 · By Ben Austen · This Egg was a gift · Affiliate disclosure
Big Green Egg Large
I’ve had my Big Green Egg Large since Christmas 2025, and I’ve cooked on it about 35 times. All 26 recipes on this site so far came off it, from pulled pork and short ribs to a tomahawk steak and an apple crumble. I haven’t done a brisket or a pizza on it yet.
The short version
The Big Green Egg Large is a really good piece of kit, and at £1,495 I think it’s value for money. I give it 9/10.
If you’re choosing a brand today, though, I’d recommend the Kamado Joe Classic III. The cooking is very similar on both, and I think the Joe does the small things better, like the hinge, the gasket and clearing the ash. On my Egg, the hinge and the ash are the two things that aren’t amazing after ten months. If the name with the history matters most to you, buy the Egg.
Key takeaways
- Mine’s a really good piece of kit and I give it 9/10, but for anyone choosing a brand today I’d recommend the Kamado Joe Classic III. I think it does the small things better, and the cooking is very similar on both.
- The Egg Large is £1,495 at Big Green Egg UK, with nothing to stand it on. Big Green Egg’s stand with shelves is £570.
- Mine came with a ConvEGGtor and one grid. Big Green Egg’s site now says a new Large comes with its Dual Zone kit, for cooking direct on one half and indirect on the other.
- On my Egg, 220°C (430°F) is the bottom vent open about a finger’s width, maybe two, and 120°C (250°F) is the bottom vent about 99% shut. Going up is easy. Coming back down after you’ve overshot can take an hour.
- My longest cook has been a thirteen-hour pulled pork, and the Egg got through it easily on one load of charcoal.
- Big Green Egg covers the ceramics for life, the metal parts for five years and the gasket for one.
Big Green Egg Large at a glance
| Big Green Egg Large | |
|---|---|
| Price | £1,495 at Big Green Egg UK (Egg only) |
| Stand | Not included. Big Green Egg’s stand with shelves is £570 |
| Grill | 46cm |
| Weight | 73kg, the Egg alone (Big Green Egg’s figure) |
| In the box | Dual Zone kit, per Big Green Egg’s site. Mine came with a ConvEGGtor and one grid |
| Top vent | Cast-iron daisy wheel |
| Gasket | Felt |
| Warranty | Ceramics for life, metal parts five years, gasket one year |
| My cooks | About 35 since Christmas 2025 |
| Score | 9/10 |
Who this is for, and who this isn’t
If you’ve outgrown a gas grill or a kettle and want long, slow cooks that hold their temperature for hours, a kamado is the next step. Between kamados, I’d recommend the Kamado Joe Classic III over the Egg, and my Big Green Egg vs Kamado Joe comparison sets out why.
If you’re new to BBQ, start with a Weber Master-Touch, which is £299 at Weber UK. And if most of what you cook is burgers, sausages and chicken thighs, a kettle does them just as well as the Egg for a lot less money.
What I’ve cooked on it
The first cook was on New Year’s Eve, for eight of us. Since then it’s done the long cooks a kamado is known for, like pulled pork, short ribs, pork belly burnt ends and baby back ribs, and plenty of quick ones straight over the coals: chicken thighs, wings, sausages, burgers, koftas and a tomahawk steak. It’s done desserts too, including a cherry clafoutis, a Basque cheesecake and an apple crumble.
Short ribs are the long cook I keep coming back to. If a brisket isn’t on the cards, they’re the king of the low-and-slow castle. The longest cook so far was a thirteen-hour pulled pork, and it was amazing to watch how long the stall went on. For cooks like that I use a ThermoPro TP20 leave-in thermometer, so I can keep an eye on the meat from the kitchen.
Sunday 3 May 2026: pork loin, a whole chicken and a smoky potato salad
On the May bank holiday I cooked a brined pork loin and a whole chicken for friends. I lit the Egg an hour early, because I was trying a charcoal I hadn’t used before, and kept the vents nearly shut so it wouldn’t overshoot. It settled at 140°C (285°F) and held there. Everything went on at 10:00, the chicken on a vertical roaster and the loin on the grid, with potatoes in a foil packet of oil underneath the deflector. Then I went and played in the garden with the kids for an hour.
The pork came off at 63.4°C (146°F) to rest. The chicken stayed on while I opened the vents to get the Egg up to 220°C (430°F) and crisp the skin, and once the deflector was out I grilled peppers, courgettes and a tomato straight over the coals. The smoky oil from the potato packet went into a mayonnaise, folded back through the potatoes, and that potato salad made everyone go quiet for a beat.
Pros and cons
Pros
- It holds a low temperature for hours on one load of charcoal. My thirteen-hour pulled pork didn’t need topping up.
- It cooks almost anything: long cooks, quick ones over the coals, roasts and desserts. The one thing it can’t really do is cold smoking.
- After ten months and about 35 cooks, it’s in really good condition.
- It runs on charcoal and a firelighter, with no gas bottle to refill and nothing to plug in.
- Big Green Egg covers the ceramics for life.
Cons
- The hinge is a bit stiff, so the lid doesn’t open smoothly, even though it isn’t heavy. It doesn’t feel great, and I think the Kamado Joe does it better.
- Clearing the ash is a fiddle. What drops through the basket has to come out through the bottom vent with a dustpan and brush.
- It’s £1,495 with nothing to stand it on, and Big Green Egg’s stand with shelves is another £570.
- The vents take a few cooks to learn, and if you overshoot, it can take an hour to come back down.
- It takes 20 to 30 minutes to get up to temperature, so it’s not for a quick cook after work.
Setup and first impressions
Mine arrived just before Christmas 2025, on a pallet at the kerb. The Egg alone is 73kg, so I took it apart, carried the pieces round to the garden and put it back together there. Handle the ceramic like it owes you money. If you crack it, it’s broken, and there’s no fixing it.
There isn’t much to it: a ceramic body, a fire box, a fire ring, a grid and the vents top and bottom. The fiddliest bit was fitting the band that holds the lid on, because the instructions don’t really tell you which order to tighten the nuts in.
I didn’t have a stand, so the Egg went on the delivery pallet with a paving slab on top. In May I cut the pallet in half and nailed painted wooden trim round the edges. It’s still on that now, and it looks quite smart.
The one change I’d make on day one is to swap the ash grate for an ash basket, which lifts out in one go and makes clearing the old charcoal much quicker.
Temperature control and charcoal
I light it with one natural firelighter in the lump charcoal and a match. When I started I used three, and that lit far more charcoal than I needed. Avoid the cheap white firelighters, because you can taste them in the food. The charcoal I use most weeks is B&Q’s Restaurant Lumpwood, which is okay, and the best I’ve cooked on is Big K’s. When I want smoke, one or two oak chunks go on the lit charcoal before the deflector goes in.
The vents want much less air than you’d think. To hold 220°C (430°F), the bottom vent is open about a finger’s width, maybe two, with the top vent open. For a long cook at 110 to 130°C (230 to 265°F), the bottom vent is open a sliver, about 99% shut, and the top vent is mostly closed too. Small changes make a big difference, so opening the bottom vent a fraction too far can put on 15 or 20 degrees.
Holding a temperature is the easy half. Moving it is harder. Going from 180°C (355°F) up to 220°C (430°F) is just a bit more air and a wait, but coming back down after you’ve overshot can take an hour, because the ceramic holds the heat. So creep up on the temperature you want.
Once it’s settled, it stays there. I fill the basket properly at the start, and I’ve never had to add charcoal partway through a cook. At the end I shut both vents and it’s out in about fifteen minutes. The next day I lift the basket out, shake the ash into the garden waste bin and top up what’s left for the next cook. A 12kg bag lasts me about 8 to 10 cooks, depending on what I’m cooking.
Living with it
After ten months it’s in really good condition. The ceramic, the band and the metal parts are all fine, and so is the felt gasket, which is the part kamado forum threads most often say wears out. Big Green Egg only covers the gasket for a year, and replacements are easy to buy if yours goes.
The two things that bug me are the stiff hinge, which stops the lid opening smoothly, and the ash, because what falls through the basket has to be swept out through the bottom vent with a dustpan and brush. Otherwise there isn’t much to do. I brush the grid while it’s still hot from the last cook.
It lives outside all year under the cover from my old gas barbecue, and a London winter didn’t do it any harm. I haven’t noticed it cooking any differently in the cold.
Big Green Egg Large vs the alternatives
vs the Kamado Joe Classic III
| Big Green Egg Large | Kamado Joe Classic III | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,495 | £1,999 without its cart |
| Stand | £570 extra | Cart adds £200 |
| Grill | 46cm | 46cm |
| Gasket | Felt, one-year warranty | Wire mesh fibreglass, two-year warranty |
| Charcoal basket | None | Stainless steel, included |
I haven’t cooked on a Kamado Joe, but I’ve opened and handled them in shops, and I’d recommend the Classic III over the Egg. The cooking is very similar on both, and I think the Joe does the small things better, like the hinge, the gasket and clearing the ash. The hinge and the ash are the two things that bug me on mine. It’s £504 more for the grill on its own. My Big Green Egg vs Kamado Joe comparison goes through it properly.
vs a Weber kettle
| Big Green Egg Large | Weber Master-Touch GBS | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,495 | £299 at Weber UK |
| Grill | 46cm | 57cm |
| What I’ve cooked on it | About 35 cooks, long and quick | Twenty years of quick cooks |
I used a Weber Master-Touch for more than twenty years before the Egg, and I think the Egg is better. Both do the quick stuff over the coals well, and the Weber is easier to learn. The Egg is what I use for long cooks, because it holds a low temperature for hours without me touching it. If you’re just starting out, the Weber is a fifth of the price, and my Weber Master-Touch review goes into it.
vs an Aldi or Lidl kamado
| Big Green Egg Large | Aldi Kamado BBQ | Lidl Medium Ceramic Egg Grill | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,495 | £244.99 at launch, May 2026 | £249 at launch, April 2026 |
| Grill | 46cm | About 38cm, according to buyers | 40cm |
I haven’t cooked on an Aldi or a Lidl. From what I’ve seen, they work. They’re not the same as an Egg, but they’re not embarrassing. Neither was on sale when I checked in October, and my Aldi and Lidl kamado comparison has the detail.
vs a gas barbecue
| Big Green Egg Large | Gas barbecue | |
|---|---|---|
| Ready to cook | 20 to 30 minutes | A few minutes |
| Long, slow cooks | Hours on one load of charcoal | Can’t really do them |
I had an Outback three-burner for a couple of years before the Egg. Gas is quicker to fire up and easy for sausages, chicken thighs and veg, and if that’s all you want, it’s a perfectly good tool. I moved on because I wanted to do low-and-slow, which gas can’t really do. My kamado vs gas guide goes into it in more detail.
Where to buy a Big Green Egg in the UK
Big Green Egg UK sells the Large direct at £1,495, and it’s also sold through Big Green Egg’s UK dealers. Buying from Big Green Egg UK or one of its dealers keeps you covered by the warranty. BBQ World doesn’t list the Egg any more.
I’d be careful buying one secondhand. The ceramic warranty is for the original owner only, and a hairline crack doesn’t always show up in a listing photo. If you do go that way, see it in person first.
It comes on a pallet at the kerb, so if it can’t be delivered to where it’ll live, take it apart and carry the pieces round rather than moving 73kg of ceramic in one go.
Accessories worth buying
These are the things I use on almost every cook.
- An ash basket. It swaps in for the ash grate and lifts out in one go, so the old charcoal can be shaken out and reused.
- Long leather gloves. Mine are WZQH 16-inch leather BBQ gloves. Kitchen oven gloves aren’t up to it.
- Metal tongs. Not ones with silicone tips, because the air under the lid gets hot enough to soften them.
- The ash tool, as a grid lifter. Big Green Egg sells it for the ash, but I hook it under the grid to lift it out mid-cook, when I’m adding wood or getting at the deflector.
- A leave-in thermometer. I use a ThermoPro TP20 on the long cooks, so I can watch the meat from the kitchen.
- A vertical roaster for whole chickens. Mine is a Broil King. On the cook where I took both readings, the breast was 72 to 73°C (162 to 163°F) with the thigh at 75°C (167°F) at the same moment, and the skin crisped all over.
- A cover. Mine is the one off my old gas barbecue. Anything weatherproof and roughly the right size will do.
I haven’t bought the EGG Expander, a pizza stone or the Dual Zone kit, so I can’t tell you whether they’re worth it.
What I’d skip is Big Green Egg’s stand. At £570 it’s handsome, but a paving slab on a trimmed pallet does the same job for mine. I’d also hold off on a fan controller that works the vents for you. The Egg holds a temperature well on its own, and learning the vents is part of it, though I haven’t tried one.
What I’d do differently
If I were buying today, I’d go for the Kamado Joe Classic III. I wouldn’t change the size, though. The Large is perfect for me: big enough to cook for 20 people with the right accessories, but it doesn’t take a crazy amount of charcoal for a couple of steaks.
On day one I’d order the ash basket, the gloves, metal tongs and a leave-in thermometer with it. And I’d tell anyone new to a kamado to start with the vents tighter than they think, then creep up. Your first cooks will run too hot.
Common questions
Is the Big Green Egg worth it in the UK?
I think it is. It’s £1,495 at Big Green Egg UK, and after about 35 cooks I’d call it value for money. If you’re still choosing a brand, though, I’d recommend the Kamado Joe Classic III, which is £1,999 without its cart.
Is a Big Green Egg better than a Weber?
I think it is. I used a Weber Master-Touch for more than twenty years, and the Egg is what I’d use for long cooks, because it holds a low temperature for hours on one load of charcoal. For quick cooks over the coals, the Weber does just as well for £299.
What are the pros and cons of the Big Green Egg?
It holds a low temperature for hours, it cooks almost anything, and mine is in really good condition after ten months. Against that, the hinge is stiff, clearing the ash is a fiddle, and it’s £1,495 before you’ve bought anything to stand it on.
How much is a Big Green Egg Large in the UK?
£1,495 at Big Green Egg UK, for the Egg on its own. Big Green Egg’s stand with shelves is another £570.
Can you leave a Big Green Egg outside?
Yes. Mine lives outside all year under a cover, and a London winter didn’t do it any harm.
What size Big Green Egg should I buy?
The Large is the perfect size for me. It’ll cook for 20 people with the right accessories, and it doesn’t take a crazy amount of charcoal for a couple of steaks. My guide to Big Green Egg sizes compares the Large with the others.
Sources and how I tested
Everything about cooking on the Egg comes from my own cooks on it, about 35 of them since Christmas 2025. I haven’t cooked on a Kamado Joe, an Aldi or a Lidl kamado, so what I say about those comes from the makers and from buyers. I checked the prices in October 2026, at Big Green Egg UK, Kamado Joe and Weber UK, and the Aldi and Lidl prices are the ones they launched at.
How I got this
My Big Green Egg Large was a Christmas present from my sister Kate. Big Green Egg had supplied it to her for a paid content partnership, which has since ended. Smoke and Lump has no commercial relationship with Big Green Egg and earns nothing from this page.
The verdict: is a Big Green Egg worth it?
Mine’s a really good piece of kit, and at £1,495 I think it’s value for money. I give it 9/10.
If I were buying today, though, I’d go for the Kamado Joe Classic III, and it’s the one I’d recommend. The cooking is very similar on both, and I think the Joe does the small things better, like the hinge, the gasket and clearing the ash. If the name with the history matters most to you, buy the Egg.