Big Green Egg's Small Charcoal Grill

By
Derrick Riches
Derrick Riches
Derrick Riches
Derrick Riches is a grilling and barbecue expert. He has written two cookbooks.
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Updated on 06/23/19
Big Green Egg Small
Big Green Egg

Big Green Egg has been producing these Kamado Style grills for decades. This one is the smaller of their models but is big enough to cook one 12-pound turkey. What makes this unit great is that while it can produce high temperatures due to the focused heat of its ceramic shell, it can also hold low temperatures making it a great smoker. It's the versatility of the egg that makes it stand out as one of the great charcoal grills of our time. With many accessories available there really isn't much this charcoal grill can't do. At around $560 this grill is for the person doesn't need to cook for a large family.

Pros

  • Ceramic shell holds heat for even cooking

  • Excellent ventilation gives you great heat control

  • Works great as a smoker

  • Can be shut down to snuff out the remaining charcoal

Cons

  • Small cooking area

  • Stand sold separately

Description

  • 13-inch diameter cooking surface (133 square inches)
  • Top vent cap is cast iron - bottom vent is stainless steel
  • Heavy ceramic shell holds heat and stops temperature fluctuations
  • Glazed interior makes it easy to clean
  • Spring loaded lid for easy lifting
  • Porcelain-coated steel cooking grates

Guide Review

The Big Green Egg is a legend among backyard cooks. With the ability to hit temperatures over 600 F or hold them as low as 200 F this unit is perfect for searing steaks and smoking briskets. The Small unit is the smallest full sized grill and the 13-inch diameter cooking surface (133 square inches of primary cooking space) is enough to hold one 12-pound turkey. This gives you space to grill up a plenty of food, but remember, this is a small grill.

The ceramic shell of the big green egg is strong and able to withstand a wide range of temperatures so you don't have to worry about it cracking if you heat it up on a freezing cold day. What makes this grill work so well is that the heat is held inside. Even at its highest temperature, the outside remains relatively cool. Due to the efficiency of the design, you will find that you don't use as much charcoal as you would on comparably sized grills. When you are done the cooking, you can close up the vents to stop the remaining charcoal inside from burning and hence save it for your next cookout.

Big Green Egg is renowned for their service and support so you can really trust making this investment. Eggs tend to last for a long time so while the $560 price tag on this Egg large may seem high divide that out by the ten-year minimum you will get out of the grill and it really is a reasonable investment.