Sunday, 23 April 2017

Green Egg vs Kamado Joe Ceramic Grills

This video I came across on Facebook and had to share it since it give a balanced and fair comparison of the Kamado Joe and The Big Green Egg ceramic cookers.

However it does not fully understand the benefits of the Divide and Conquer System and probably does not understand the advantages of the AMP Fire Box which has a base and five sections that fit together with a "tongue and groove" system and are held together by the Stainless Steel cover. This new design will most likely fix the industry issue of cracking fire bowls.


Overall this a great comparison video. 
Source: HowToLou


Source: Kamado Joe & John Setzler

Comparison features of both Cookers
Big Green Egg:
  • Biggest name in the kamado industry, company established in 1974
  • High-fire ceramics and glaze backed by a lifetime warranty if you still have copy of receipt. (In Canada you must wait till your local dealer places an order to get your warranty parts which can take a while)
  • Basic one level cooking system included
  • Available in 10", 13", 15", 18.25", 24", and 29" diameter
  • Many accessories available, all sold separately
  • Not sold online
  • Felt gasket isn't as durable (there gaskets life span is usually about 3-4 months pending if you do lots of high temps cooks)
  • Made in Mexico

Kamado Joe:
  • The fastest growing Kamado company since 2009
  • Best customer service in the industry (the owner Bobby Brennan will bend backward to satisfy every customer)
  • High-fire ceramics and glaze backed by a lifetime warranty
  • Available in 16" diameter (Joe Jr.), 18" diameter (Classic Joe), and 24" diameter (Big Joe)
  • Included Divide and Conquer Cooking System is a multi-level, half rack design that frees you to cook different foods using multiple styles at a variety of temperatures at once
  • Perfectly counterbalance hinge system made by Weber KnappAir that reduces dome weight, allowing you to lift the Kamado Joe lid with ease
  • Patented slide out ash drawer for easy access and cleaning
  • Provides different heat zones with the half-moon heat deflectors that partially or fully block off heat, depending if you use one or both. These versatile heat deflectors allow you to decide if you want to grill using total open flame (using no heat deflector), half open flame/half indirect heat (one half-moon deflector), or full indirect heat (both half-moon heat deflectors)
  • Durable wire mesh fiberglass gasket offers a superior air-tight seal & is the best gasket in the kamado industry(rated at 1000 degrees Fahrenheit of continuous exposure)
  • Cast Aluminum control Tower Top vent allows for consistent airflow, stays in position, & prevents rain from entering the grill
  • More cooking grid options available for even further cooking versatility (cast iron grates, cast iron gridles, soapstones, pizza stones, etc)
  • it has lots of available accessories such as the Joetisserie, Woks, etc...
  • Big durable industrial casters on there nest
  • Kamado Joe keeps innovating there cookers and accessories every year
  • the owner always involves there customers and fans in the design of there products and they actually listen to the feedback from there customers and make changes as per there recommendation. 
  • Made in China
Conclusion:

I have been dealing with both company when it comes to customer service. When you contact BGE for support they will tell you to go to your nearest dealer to get support and won't try to assist you in resolving the issue. Here's a section of an email replied I got from them "All claims must go through our Retailers. Please contact you nearest retailer for assistance. They will need you to send them these images and proof of purchase." When I contacted my local dealer they told me I can only get my warranty replacement when they place there next BGE order. Big Green Egg Canada customer service is non existent and I can't comment on the US one since I never dealt with them. Also you must go pick up the replacement warranty items at the dealer at a later date and that usually takes 3-8 weeks which is from my personal experience of owning a BGE for over 14 years.

Both cookers cooks the same to be quite honest. However Kamado Joe has the best warranty in the industry. You can call there customer support or email them and have your issue resolved within two business days at the max. Also they are pretty quick in shipping your warranty parts free of charge and they actually have it delivered to your door steps usually within a week. 

The company Kamado Joe is now the best ceramic cooker in the world. Due to the fact that they keep innovating there products and for there excellent customer service. There cookers are extremely well built with top quality material that are actually pretty durable. Big Green Egg is also excellent cooker however they never tried to make there product better or even try to fix its known issues such as there tipsy nest and gasket that keeps failing. 

At the end of the day both grills cooks the same and its always best to choose a grill that fits your needs and budget. However if you want the best Ceramic cooker that actually supports there customer and goes the extra mile for them. Then go with a Kamado Joe and you will never look back.

1 comment:

  1. Kamado grills are typically very heavy, so it's important to find a retailer that can provide delivery and installation services. This will ensure that your Kamado grill arrives in one piece and is properly set up for use. Recently I purchased Kamado grills from Embers Living at the best deal.

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