There are a lot of Big Green Egg fans out there who are obsessed with the idea of an upgraded pellet grill. I am sure you are one of those who want to know who is the winner in Big Green Egg vs Pellet Grill.
Of course, you’re a fan of barbecuing. You know very well that there’s nothing quite like gathering around the grill with family and friends. Enjoying grilled and smoked food together is what enhances our bond.
What is a Big Green Egg?
The Big Green Egg is made of ceramic with a kamado-style charcoal grill. It is one of the most popular grill brands among barbecue enthusiasts. It is designed to retain heat and moisture, which makes it great for slow cooking and smoking.
It features an adjustable top vent and a digital thermometer that allows you to control the temperature with precision. The Big Green Egg comes with a host of accessories like a pizza stone and rotisserie, making it even more versatile.
What is a Pellet Grill?
A pellet grill is a type of advanced smoker that uses hardwood pellets as a fuel source. On its side is a large pellet hopper into which wood pellets are loaded and sent wood pellets with the help of an auger to the firebox where the igniter converts the wood pellets into heat.
The heat and smoke present in the air are carried to the cooking chamber with the help of a fan, and the smoke is drawn through the cooking chamber to infuse the food with flavor.
Pellet grills are great for slow cooking and smoking as well as grilling. They are also super easy to use, all you have to do is fill the hopper with pellets and set the temperature, and your pellet grill is ready to cook.
Big Green Egg vs Pellet Grill?
Let’s try to understand what are the features of Big Green Egg vs Pellet Grill so that it is easy to choose.
Comparison of Features
When comparing the Big Green Egg and the pellet grill, the most important thing to consider is the features of each. The Big Green Egg has an adjustable top vent and a digital thermometer, which allows you to set the temperature with precision.
It also has a variety of accessories, such as a pizza stone and rotisserie. The pellet grill, on the other hand, has a large hopper that holds the wood pellets and a fan that blows the pellets into the firebox.
The pellets are then ignited and the smoke is drawn through the cooking chamber to infuse the food with flavor.
The Big Green Egg also has an advantage when it comes to portability. The Big Green Egg is a ceramic kamado-style charcoal grill, which means it is much lighter than a pellet grill.
This makes it easier to transport and set up at a different location. The pellet grill, however, has an advantage in its ease of use. All you have to do is fill the hopper with pellets and set the temperature.
This makes it much easier to use than the Big Green Egg, which requires more time and effort to get the temperature right.
Flavoring
It is absolutely true that there is a lot of difference in the taste of both. Did you know that lump charcoal and pellets are made from hardwoods such as hickory, oak, and maple?
In our experience, this is done to enhance the flavor of the fruity wood even more. But which flavor do you like best?
The wood pellets impart a distinct smoky flavor to the food. When you buy wood pellets for a pellet smoker, try to get a high-quality hardwood blend that can really enhance your flavor. We highly recommend always using your own blend.
Lumpy charcoal burns dirty briquettes but you want to make sure it is completely clean and safe. It definitely imparts its own smoky flavor which can be somewhat overpowering.
As anyone who’s used it knows, it gives your meat a nice finish, giving it that perfect crunchy taste. Lump charcoal can be made from any hardwood, and can affect the flavors.
In our temperature test of 225 degrees for one hour, we found hardwood pellets to be the cheapest. Charcoal costs $1.50 an hour while pellet fuel costs $0.75 an hour.
Temperature Controlling
Whether you’re new to barbecuing or an expert, you need to know that one of the most challenging parts of barbecuing is maintaining the right temperature.
If the heat is high, your meat will surely either burn or dry out or both. If the meat does not get the right heat then the food will definitely be undercooked from the inside.
The Big Green Egg has a unique system for temperature control. The temperature can be precisely controlled using the top and bottom air dampers, but this will take a lot of practice to master.
Since this is new to you, there will be temperature control errors. As you know the Big Green Egg is made of ceramic so it retains the heat of the cooking area very well, but it takes a long time to dissipate the excess heat even when the lid is completely removed.
All pellet grills are fully automatic. All you have to do is set the temperature, and the auger motor determines how many pellets are fed into the firebox to maintain the set temperature.
When cooking with a pellet grill at high temperatures, make sure the hopper is full because higher heat means more pellets combustion. You should use a digital thermometer to keep the temperature constant.
When smoking meat cuts such as brisket that take a long time to cook, pellet grills/smokers are extremely easy to use and manage.
Price Comparison
The next factor to consider is the price of each grill. The Big Green Egg is generally more expensive than pellet grills, ranging in price from $500 to $2199.
Pellet grills, on the other hand, are generally more economical. Z-Grills, Camp Chef, and Pit Boss are one of the top brands manufacturing high-quality pellet grill/smoker units.
There are also brands like Traeger that manufacture high-quality grills that cost a lot. Although a pellet grill with the right features can be found for under $500, the price of a pellet smoker rises to $2500 as you look for more features.
Cooking Times
Smoking the best-cut meats takes time, however, pellet grill units are capable of more than just smoking, they are competent in cooking a dish in many other ways.
You can grill, bake, roast, bake and barbecue with pellet grills. With the pellet grill unit’s hour-long cooking tri-tip, you can have burgers ready in minutes, requiring only a change of settings.
Of course, the taste of food cooked on coals cannot be equaled. The classic juicy, charred deliciousness and sourness in the Big Green Egg make it easy to grill the best burgers using charcoal.
One great advantage of the Big Green Egg is the traditional charcoal flavor you’ll get with it. The downside of the Big Green Egg is that you have to be more vigilant about controlling its temperature than with pellet grills.
Pros and Cons of a Big Green Egg
Now that we’ve looked at the features and the price of the Big Green Egg and the pellet grill, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of each.
The Big Green Egg is a great choice for those looking for precision temperature control and a variety of accessories. It also has the advantage of being portable and easy to set up.
However, it is more expensive than the pellet grill and requires more effort to get the temperature right.
Pros and Cons of a Pellet Grill
The pellet grill is a great choice for those looking for an easy-to-use smoker. It is much more affordable than the Big Green Egg and is much easier to use, as all you have to do is fill the hopper with pellets and set the temperature.
Pellet grills come with a number of advanced features that make everything easier, as well as being able to produce a lot of smoke.
However, it is not as portable or as precise as the Big Green Egg, and it is not as versatile when it comes to accessories.
Pit Boss, Z-Grills, Traeger vs Big Green Egg Comparison Chart
| Traeger | Pit Boss | Z-Grills | Big Green Egg | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material | Stainless steel/Steel | Stainless steel/Steel | Stainless steel/Steel | Ceramics |
| Digital Temp Controller | YES | YES | YES | No |
| Advance Features | YES | YES | YES | No |
| Temperature Renge | 160°F to 500°F degree | 180°F to 500°F degree | 180°F to 550°F degree | 200°F to 700°F degree |
| Fuel Type | Wood Pellet | Wood Pellet | Wood Pellet | Lump Charcoal |
| Warranty | 3-year | 5-year | 3-year | 1-year |
| Made in the USA? | No (China) | No (China) | No (China) | No (Mexico) |
Review For Pit Boss, Z-Grills, Traeger, and Big Green Egg
In this comparison, we’ll be choosing grill units from all four brands that offer 500 to 1,000 square inches of cooking area so they won’t hinder all future outdoor barbecue parties.
Traeger Pro 575
Traeger Pro 575 comes with the latest development technology. It is a utilitarian advanced pellet grill that you can control completely from your smartphone.
The Pro 575 Hopper features a Wi-Fi controller that adjusts cooking times and temperatures with a single touch. That’s great for me, the Some Pro 575 does an incredible job of enhancing its simple and sleek design.
Its accompanying 18-pound hopper is capable of providing you with between 6 and 18 hours of non-stop cooking, depending on where the grill temperature is set.
It is not that there is no shortage of it. Pellet grills are designed for low and slow cooking that produce amazing results but struggle to produce great results when used at high temperatures. But if you’re going to grill steaks, you’ll need the right direction and unit.
All features are like the Traeger Grill whether it is WiFi connectivity or digitally controlled. It has 879 square inches enough cooking place that can cook for a large group.
You struggled with grilling steak with Traeger Pellet Grill but the Pit Boss 850G Navigator comes with Flame Broiler Plate allows you direct and indirect cooking. Simply slide your flame broiler plate and steak your meat.
The pellet hopper is roomy enough to hold a 28-pound hardwood pellet capacity, meaning you can now cook for over 24 hours non-stop.
Z-Grills FLAGSHIP 700D4E
Why have we put Z-Grills here? Big-brand pellet grill manufacturers are charging more for pellet grills, while Z grills have enabled low-budget people in the US to buy pellet grills.
The Z-Grills lags behind when it comes to construction and design, yet it still has all the features like Pit Boss and Traeger pellet grill in the flagship 700D4E. But there is a huge difference in price.
It doesn’t have WiFi, but can be monitored with the help of an included digital temperature probe, also have a PID temperature controller that allows you to set the temperature. 700 square inches is great for 4-8 people.
Big Green Egg
While the Big Green Egg doesn’t have fancy features like Wi-Fi controls and automatic temperature adjustments, it’s certainly as simple as a traditional griller and smoker. But what if you’re not a die-hard fan?
The Big Green Egg XL comes with an ample grilling surface. It has 492 square inches of a cooking surface capable of accommodating a 20-pound turkey, 12 burgers, or 8 steaks. If you want to smoke a larger meat-like brisket, you’re out of luck.
Its design offers incredible versatility in cooking temperature, you can cook steaks and stir-fry with Green Egg.
Once you ignite the charcoal inside the Big Green, you’re really started, and the cast ceramic walls, heavy lid, and dampers precisely control the temperature inside the grill.
But if you’re new to this type of charcoal grill, you’ll need to learn how to control the temperature, which can take some time. This is a great durable grill that is sure to produce amazing results if handled expertly.
Final Verdict – Big Green Egg vs Pellet Grill?
Choosing between a Big Green Egg and a pellet grill can be difficult. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Since both have different uses, it is up to you to decide which one is best for your needs.
Big Green Egg fans reading this article will most likely have a bitter experience. As far as I’m concerned, the Big Green Egg is the most expensive, with the optional char-griller Kamado Grill.
If we compare Big Green Egg and Pellet Grill in the field of cooking, material, features, and portability, you can buy two pellet grills from top brands which are very easy to handle. The pellet grill still beats out the Big Green in every feature except classic flavor.
Now that you know the features, price, and pros and cons of each, you can make an informed decision and choose the right grill.
