Medium Big Green Egg vs. Kamado Joe Classic II – Which is The Best Barbecue Grill in Town?

An outdoor event with friends or family isn’t complete if you’re not serving hot grilled and barbecued foods. Think about it – Would St. Patrick’s Day be the same if you’re not grilling fresh meat along with berries and honey? We think not! The idea of deliciously grilled meat and the smell of smoked and roasted veggie create mouthwatering bliss. Grills have become an important part of our household serving perfectly well for this purpose, making outings all the more fun and deliciously fulfilling. However, with so many grills available in the market, it is quite confusing on choosing the best one. When you’re putting your money to buy barbecue grill online, you want it to last longer and work to its best. So here we are breaking down two of the most exceptional Barbecue Grill Ireland has seen.

Buying a Grill Just Got Easy!!

So firstly, let’s discuss the two big players - the legendary (medium) Big Green Egg and Classy Kamado Joe Classic II. The Big Green Egg has been around for quite a long time – about 30 years to be precise; and yet remains one of the reliable and popular grills of our time. Also, being one of the easiest to operate with its simplicity and versatility, you can cook anything from steaks, cakes to other delicacies. The shell setup brings out some of the best flavours and rich textures while being easy to clean and maintain. Owing to its popularity, you are sure to find a Big Green Egg for sale at a BBQ store near you. The Kamado Joe Classic II is one of the latest and most innovative grills in the market, fast growing in popularity thanks to its excellent craftsmanship and advanced features. This excellent charcoal grill has a thick-walled, heat-resistant shell, locking in smoke and moisture at any temperature. Cooking in this grill is going to guarantee you some of the tastiest foods with amazing textures.

Similarities

Let’s discuss the similarities first as these are features you are guaranteed no matter which one you buy.

• Both the legendary Green Egg and Classic Kamado Joe assure you a wonderful cooking environment without cutting corners when it comes to construction and material quality. The large charcoal grill can bake, grill, barbeque and provide a smoking-hot, evenly cooked food. With their excellent heat preservation and distribution, either one could be easily called the best BBQ grill around.

• They have inbuilt thermometers on top of the upper lid reading up to a temp of 400°C.

• Both the grills are made of high-grade ceramic and have a glazed outer finish, and come with a lifetime warranty. The ceramic walls provide accurate temperature control allowing you to achieve best results even in spotty weathers.

Differences

Putting up a traditional grill up against an innovative new one is bound to throw up staggering differences with their make, features, and accessories.

Starting from the first –

1. Unboxing & Setting Up

The Kamado Joe Classic II comes with all the required set of accessories that you could ask for – trays, cart, shelves, heat deflectors, grill gate gripper and ash tool, etc. So, there is no need for additional cost or time to be spent looking to buy other accessories. Also, the average assembly of the grill clocks out at 20-25 minutes.

The Big Green Egg BBQ grill, on the other hand, comes with limited parts, meaning you need to buy other accessories separately; you get the cart, grate gripper tool, and an ash tool but side shelves need to be bought separately. Though it means you can create your own customized piece with configuration flexibility, it takes a little more time and effort shopping for the other Big Green Egg accessories. Also, it can take longer to assemble. The stands involve individual pieces which need to be put together with nuts and bolt, meaning you may need a little help.

2. Lid Mechanism

One of the most innovative features of the Classic Kamado Joe is its lift mechanism: an airlift that produces excellent counterweight mechanism. You can easily lift the lid with a single hand, or even a single finger as the airlift reduces the weight of the lid by 90 percent. Also, when left open midway, the lid doesn’t come crashing down but stays in its position.

The Big Green Egg uses a simple spring mechanism which doesn’t do much regarding the weight of the lid. And leaving the grill open midway is not a good idea as the lid drops instantly. Do mind your hands!

3. Lid Lining

When discussing the topic of the lid, the Kamado grill is equipped with a lock system and also lined with oven-grade wired mesh gasket, promising you a good sealed environment. It has a neat finish with both the lids perfectly lined with each other while closing.

The Green Egg, unfortunately, doesn't have a lock and is sealed with a felt gasket between the lids.

4. Grill Options and Plate Setter

The Kamado BBQ grill has two half-moon grill sections that could be set at two different levels i.e. at one end, you could be cooking your steak at a higher temperature whereas, on the other end, you could be roasting your capsicums and tomatoes at a slightly lower temperature. Two hot dishes at the same time can save you a lot of time. The accompanied heat deflectors allow you to place water pan below the grills if you want an indirect heating setup. The plate setter could also be set for cooking pizza. With Kamado Joe, there is promised innovation!

The Green Egg cooker comes with a standard one plate setting and grill options at one single level. It is simple but versatile enough to take up any challenge.

The Kamado Joe has a multi-panel firebox lined with stainless steel rings making it super durable and resistant to cracks and fire damage.

The Green Egg has a traditional single mould firebox which makes the outer ceramic a little susceptible to cracks and shipment damage.

5. Top Air Vent

The Kamado Joe has an aluminium air vent on the top which won’t be faltered by exposure to rain or rust. You can control the temperature by regulating air flow where you can also pivot it off to the side to allow for more heat to escape. You can easily remove the chimneypieces by hand and clean it.

The Green Egg’s air vent can, however, be subjected to rust meaning you need to cover it while raining which is where the given ceramic top comes in handy.

6. Bottom Draft Cleaning

Another innovative and a patented feature of the Kamado Joe is the stainless-steel bottom ash-drawer that sits on the bottom draft. You simply need to pull it out and throw out the ash and dust remains. Talk about easy and convenient cleaning!

The Big Green Egg comes with an ash rake where you need to physically clean out the bottom layer. Slide the metal screen mesh and use your rake to remove the ashes – could be a little messy.

7. Underlying Stand or Rack

The Kamado Joe has a welded stand offering great grip and stability; no chance of your wonderful food toppling over. Though the wheels of the stand are quite small, they are gripped with metallic locks.

The Green Egg has an assembled stand and is equipped with wheels of larger diameter that work great in steering through bumps and pits. But overall the Green Egg is a tiny notch down when it comes to stability than the Kamado Joe with the lack of locks.

8. Finish

The Kamado Joe comes in a fiery fire truck red colour. The handles and side shelves are made of sturdy and durable plastic coming in a shade of black.

The Green Egg, as the name suggests, comes in its traditional and beautiful green colour. The handles and side fittings have a wood finish which gives it a rustic look.

There are those who swear by their Big Green Egg grills and wouldn’t trade it for anything else, while others who’ve tried the Kamado Joe Classic II appreciate for its fit, finish and thoughtful features which they say makes grilling easy and fun. While we can’t take sides with either one of them, all we can say is, you can’t go wrong if you buy either of these barbecue grills on sale. It all comes down to the personal choice of features you’re seeking in a grill.