Weber Kamado Style vs Big Green Egg

[MJSBBQ]

What is the group experience with Kamado style cookers like the Weber versus The Big Green Egg? Big price difference. How about cooking experience and ease of cleaning? I still have my old CharBroil Red 4 burner that is now about 14 years old. I never have pulled the lever to get a pellet grill, but was wondering about Weber vs BGE.

[iflyskyhigh]

Haven’t cooked on the summit. Looked at them when I was kamado shopping (I think the price has come down substantially since introduced several years ago). The Webber was kewl and I’m sure it’s an amazing cooker. Pretty much everything Webber makes is top notch. Just wasn’t what I was looking for at the time. And the price at the time was several hundred dollars more than it is now. If I was looking at another briquette grill now, I’d probably give it another look.

Briefly looked at the BGE. That being said I pretty much knew I wanted a Kamado Joe Big Joe III. And that’s what I ended up getting. Just wanted to do my due diligence.

The BGE and Kamado Joe are really the only two competitors in that class, and the clear winner is Kamado Joe.

The quality of both grill is roughly the same, but the innovative  design and included accessories with the KJ put it so far in front of the BGE, it’s not even close.

I had a Weber kettle at the time I was shopping, tricked out with the slow n sear and several other smoking accessories. Now that I have a Kamado there’s no going back. They are amazing grills that will last a lifetime. I have since added the FireBoard 2 Drive to the KJ. Another fun toy.

I also have a Yoder YS640s. I use both the Yoder and the KJ several times a week almost every week. I love the Yoder, and for low and slow smokes there is nothing easier. Turn it on. Set it and forget. Walk away. Kamado isn’t that much more work, but it’s a little more work to get set up and going. And when it’s a 115° in Phoenix in the summer it makes a difference.

The Yoder gets up to 600° and with the grill grates it’s a do it all machine. But where it really shines is it’s intended purpose of low and slow.

While the Yoder is amazing, versatile, and produces great food, if I could have only one grill it would be the Kamado. I know I’ll get push back, both nothing tastes as good as food cooked over burning wood. Whether that be briquettes, lump, or logs. Lump and logs being preferable. The Kamado is truly a do it all grill. And it does it all perfectly.

[Oneof11]

Haven’t cooked on the summit. Looked at them when I was kamado shopping (I think the price has come down substantially since introduced several years ago). The Webber was kewl and I’m sure it’s an amazing cooker. Pretty much everything Webber makes is top notch. Just wasn’t what I was looking for at the time. And the price at the time was several hundred dollars more than it is now. If I was looking at another briquette grill now, I’d probably give it another look.

Briefly looked at the BGE. That being said I pretty much knew I wanted a Kamado Joe Big Joe III. And that’s what I ended up getting. Just wanted to do my due diligence.

The BGE and Kamado Joe are really the only two competitors in that class, and the clear winner is Kamado Joe.

The quality of both grill is roughly the same, but the innovative  design and included accessories with the KJ put it so far in front of the BGE, it’s not even close.

I had a Weber kettle at the time I was shopping, tricked out with the slow n sear and several other smoking accessories. Now that I have a Kamado there’s no going back. They are amazing grills that will last a lifetime. I have since added the FireBoard 2 Drive to the KJ. Another fun toy.

I also have a Yoder YS640s. I use both the Yoder and the KJ several times a week almost every week. I love the Yoder, and for low and slow smokes there is nothing easier. Turn it on. Set it and forget. Walk away. Kamado isn’t that much more work, but it’s a little more work to get set up and going. And when it’s a 115° in Phoenix in the summer it makes a difference.

The Yoder gets up to 600° and with the grill grates it’s a do it all machine. But where it really shines is it’s intended purpose of low and slow.

While the Yoder is amazing, versatile, and produces great food, if I could have only one grill it would be the Kamado. I know I’ll get push back, both nothing tastes as good as food cooked over burning wood. Whether that be briquettes, lump, or logs. Lump and logs being preferable. The Kamado is truly a do it all grill. And it does it all perfectly.

Nice post and I agree 100%. I have a Big Steel Keg and when it dies It will be replaced with KJ. Kamado style really is the most versatile that I have ever used. I have other grills, but the BSK gets used the most by far.

[MJSBBQ]

Great information!

What are the big differences on say ease of cleaning, temperature control, and ease of set of between direct and indirect between the BGE, Weber Summit and the Komado BJ? 

[iflyskyhigh]

Great information!

What are the big differences on say ease of cleaning, temperature control, and ease of set of between direct and indirect between the BGE, Weber Summit and the Komado BJ?

Honestly they are all gonna be about identical in all the areas mentioned. Except maybe cleaning?

Kamado’s basically clean themselves when you get them super hot. So other than getting ash out not much to do. I’m a bum. Other than getting burnt ash and pellets out I hardly ever clean my grills.

The KJ has an innovative ash trap in the bottom, but as others have done I took it out and just sweep the ash into the pan in the bottom (the pan in the bottom is something BGE still doesn’t have, I don’t think). Win to KJ?

But then again the Weber uses Webers patterned ash catcher thingy (forget the proper name). It’s pretty dang easy to clean. It’s the same contraption on the kettle grills.

I’d say the KJ and Weber are easiest to clean but it’s a toss up.

With the included accessories on KJ (which are all things your gonna end up buying for the BGE anyway) I just can’t see any reason to buy a BGE unless you just have to have a BGE.

The airlift hinge on the KJ is almost worth it alone.

The new SloRoller is not a gimmick. It’s slick and it works really really well for low and slow smokes. AND it works great for things like wings and whole birds. Get it up around 425° with the SloRoller and you’ll get that crispy skin everyone is always talking about but seems to elude you. It’s included.

It also includes the heat deflectors for other types of indirect cooking. I just used the heat deflectors the other night to cook stuffed peppers 🫑. Allows you use it like an oven. Again included.

Three level cooking grate. Included. Side tables and cart. Included.

We love the DoJoe for pizzas. Just made pizzas Tuesday night. They’re as good as any brick oven pizza I’ve had. That’s extra (but worth it). I’m sure the Weber gets hot, just not sure it gets as hot as a kamado. Maybe?

Kamados are also incredibly efficient. When I get that thing pizza hot, even after I shut it down it takes 12+ hours to completely cool off. This is good for both heat retention and low fuel usage. I think the Weber is double walled and insulated, so it’s efficient, but I just don’t see how it could be as efficient as a kamado style cooker.

You can use briquettes or lump in either, but not sure why you’d use anything other than lump. I tried briquettes in the kamado cause I had some left over. Worked okay. Just made a ton of ash. Royal oak is one of the lowest ash lumps I’ve tried and I’ve tried a lot. Plus lump gets hotter than briquettes and burns longer.

They are all gonna be easy to get up to temp and set. With a controller like the FireBoard it is almost fool proof.

Lastly and most importantly the kamados just look cool. It’s like having a work of art in your back yard. That big red bastard in my backyard is beautiful.

I think the take away is that it’s really apples to apples. I don’t think you can go wrong any of them. They are all three gonna have strengths and weakness, but they are so close and so similar it’s a toss up.

For me, the KJ just edged out everything else ever so slightly in looks, price, included accessories, and functionality.

Do you have BBQ stores locally that carry them? I’d go put your hands on them if you can. I pretty much knew what I wanted but once I got to play with the KJ it was game over over. Went home and ordered one from Atlanta Grill Company. AGC discounts Kamado Joe. I think they sell the Big Joe 3 for $500 under list. That really makes it a no brainer. No tax and free shipping. I think it was $1999 to my door. Not sure if they still do. Might be worth it to ask.