Big Green Egg XL review
Published 27 October 2026 · Last updated 5 November 2026 · By Ben Austen · Affiliate disclosure
Big Green Egg XL
When Storm Boelo took the power out at my parents’, the leg of lamb was already in the Aga, so we fired up the Big Green Egg XL to finish it for lunch. It was just over 3kg with nothing on it but salt and pepper, and it went on with the deflector in and a tray of potatoes, carrots and sweet potato beside it, at about 180°C (356°F). After half an hour’s rest it was tender and tasted lovely, and it fed ten people.
The XL is my parents’. My own Egg is a Large, and I’ve also cooked on my sister Kate’s MiniMax, so I’ve now used all three sizes Big Green Egg sells in the UK.
The short version
If barbecue is a real passion for you and you’ve got lots of space, I’d tell you to buy the XL. I’d give it 8 out of 10. I can’t score it badly, because it didn’t do anything badly and it cooks exactly the same as my Large, but I think it’s too big for most people. For nearly everyone I’d say get a Large at most, and maybe consider the MiniMax as well.
It held the temperature really easily. The downsides all come from the size. It’s 93kg, it takes up a huge amount of space, and it took noticeably longer to get up to temperature than my Large or the MiniMax. I put in about 4kg of charcoal, which was more than it needed. At £2,050 it’s £555 more than a Large, and Big Green Egg says it needs a table or a nest to sit on, which is extra.
Key takeaways
- I’d give the XL 8 out of 10. It didn’t do anything badly, but it’s too big for most people.
- Buy it if barbecue is a real hobby for you and you’ve got lots of space. Otherwise I’d get a Large.
- I cooked a leg of lamb on it, just over 3kg, finished at about 180°C (356°F). It fed ten.
- It took noticeably longer to get up to temperature than my Large or the MiniMax.
- It’s £2,050 for the Egg on its own, £555 more than a Large, and it needs a table or nest on top of that.
- If you’re buying one this big, I’d go for lots of accessories, because there’s so much room to use them.
Big Green Egg XL dimensions and specs
| Price | £2,050, Egg on its own |
|---|---|
| Cooking grid | 61cm (24in) |
| Height | 82cm (32in), Big Green Egg’s figure |
| Size (Big Green Egg UK) | 82cm x 69cm x 82cm |
| Weight | 93kg (205lbs), Big Green Egg’s figure |
| Feeds | Big Green Egg says 6 to 12 people, and more, and that it fits 11 chickens. It fed ten with a leg of lamb |
| In the box (Big Green Egg UK) | The XL and its Dual Zone Essentials Kit |
| Table or nest | Not included. Big Green Egg says the XL needs a Table Nest or base. The one I cooked on sits in Big Green Egg’s mahogany table |
| My cooks on it | One, 25 October 2026 |
| My rating | 8/10 |
Who this is for, and who this isn’t
Buy the XL if barbecue is a real passion for you, you’ve got the space for it and you cook for a crowd. Big Green Egg says it fits 11 chickens, and I think you could easily feed 50 or more on it.
For most people it’s too much. I can’t really see how a normal person needs a barbecue this size, because it’s super heavy and it needs a lot of room. You can cater for 20 on a Large if you’ve got an EGGspander and something to stand your ribs up, but it’s a load of work and you’d be batching things, unless you’re just doing a massive pulled pork. If you want something you can move about, look at the MiniMax instead.
What I’ve cooked on it
Sunday 25 October 2026: leg of lamb and roast veg
The lamb went on with the deflector in and the grid on top, next to a tray of potatoes, carrots and sweet potato, and I ran the Egg at about 180°C (356°F) to speed the cooking up a bit. It was on there for about an hour. It was cooked through, so it wasn’t rare. We ate it as a roast with the veg, gravy and cabbage.
Pros and cons
Pros
- It cooks really well.
- It’ll feed a big crowd. Big Green Egg says it fits 11 chickens, and I think you could feed 50 or more on it.
- It’s a showstopper for people to see.
- It’s going to last you a lifetime, and Big Green Egg gives the ceramics a lifetime warranty. You’re never going to need another barbecue.
- It comes with Big Green Egg’s Dual Zone kit. You need it more on an Egg this size, because with so much space you can be doing more than one thing at once.
Cons
- It’s 93kg, so it’s super heavy.
- It needs a lot of room, and Big Green Egg says it has to sit in a table or nest.
- It was slower to come up to temperature than my Large or the MiniMax.
- The hinge and gasket are the same as on my Large. They’re fine, but they’re better on the Monolith I’m testing.
- It’s £2,050 for the Egg on its own, £555 more than a Large, and Big Green Egg’s XL mahogany table is another £1,080.
- For most people, it’s more barbecue than they need.
Setup and first impressions
I’ve had my Large since Christmas, and the XL is all the same stuff. It’s just obviously a much bigger thing, and it’s absolutely huge.
The one I cooked on sits in Big Green Egg’s mahogany table. Big Green Egg says an XL has to sit in a Table Nest or base, and its XL Premium Royal Mahogany Table, at £1,080, comes with the nest. Big Green Egg UK lists the Dual Zone Essentials Kit in the box with the Egg, built round a basket that takes half-moon ceramic deflectors and stainless steel grids. This one is older, with a one-piece deflector. That’s what I used, with cast-iron half grids.
Temperature control and fuel
I lit Big Green Egg charcoal with a few firelighters. I put in about 4kg, which was more than the cook needed, and what’s left will do the next one. It was slower to come up to temperature than my Large or the MiniMax, which makes sense on an Egg this big.
Once it was up to about 180°C (356°F), it held there really easily. I didn’t have the vents open that far, only slightly more than I’d have guessed from my Large, scaled up, and once you work it out, it’s fine.
Build quality and what it’s like to live with
The hinge and gasket are the same as on my Large. The hinge is fine but not super smooth, and I’m not saying the gasket is bad, but both are better on the Monolith TWO.55. From what I’ve read, Kamado Joe does them better too.
Big Green Egg UK gives the ceramics a lifetime warranty, the metal parts five years and the gasket one year, and the Dual Zone Essentials Kit three years.
Comparison with the obvious alternatives
Big Green Egg Large vs XL
I’d get the Large unless you regularly cook for a crowd and you’ve got the room for an XL. Mine’s a Large, and for me it’s the perfect size. I can do a big cook on it for people coming round, and it still works if I just want a couple of steaks.
The XL cooked exactly like my Large. What changes is the size, the weight and the price. Its grid is 61cm (24in) across against 46cm (18in), which works out at about three quarters more room to cook on, and it weighs 20kg more. Both come with the Dual Zone Essentials Kit, and the XL is £555 more for the Egg on its own. It’s the one I’d look at if feeding everyone on a Large would mean batching.
| Large | XL | |
|---|---|---|
| Price, Egg on its own | £1,495 | £2,050 |
| Cooking grid | 46cm (18in) | 61cm (24in) |
| Size (Big Green Egg UK) | 80cm x 56cm x 69cm | 82cm x 69cm x 82cm |
| Height (Big Green Egg) | 80cm (31.5in) | 82cm (32in) |
| Weight (Big Green Egg) | 73kg (162lbs) | 93kg (205lbs) |
| Big Green Egg says it feeds | 4 to 8 | 6 to 12, and more |
| My cooks on it | 35+ | One |
Where to buy a Big Green Egg XL in the UK
How much is a Big Green Egg XL?
The Big Green Egg XL price at Big Green Egg UK is £2,050, with the Dual Zone kit and standard delivery included. It needs a table or nest as well. Big Green Egg’s XL Premium Royal Mahogany Table comes with the nest and costs £1,080, which takes an XL in a table to £3,130.
Accessories: what you actually need vs what Big Green Egg sells
I haven’t used the Dual Zone kit, as the XL I cooked on has the older deflector, but it’s the one I’d make sure you use, because on a grid this big you’ll usually be cooking more than one thing at once.
On the XL I used the deflector, the ash tool and ash pan, and a few scrapers and a brush. There were also two half-moon cast iron grids, which I cooked on, and a pizza stone with two peels, which I didn’t use.
What I’d do differently if I were buying today
If I were buying an XL, I’d go big and get lots of the accessories with it. You’re already spending a lot of money, and you’ve got so much room to do stuff. For myself, the Large is still the one.
Disclosure
The Monolith I mention is on loan from Que Fresco. Smoke and Lump has no commercial relationship with Big Green Egg and earns nothing from this page, and I checked every price on 27 October 2026.
Final verdict and rating
Is the Big Green Egg XL worth it?
Yes, if barbecue is your hobby, you cook for a crowd and you’ve got the space, and I’d give it 8 out of 10. It cooks really well, it held its temperature easily, and I think you could feed 50 or more on it. I’ve only cooked on it once, and it didn’t do anything badly. It’s just too big for most people, so if that isn’t you, get a Large.