If you're trying to decide between a Big Green Egg and a Kamado Joe egg BBQ, here's what you need to know before you buy

Egg BBQs have done nothing but grow in popularity for a good few years now, and when it comes to the two leading models, it's Big Green Egg vs Kamado Joe in the battle for the top spot.

Our guide on Kamado grills explores this type of BBQ in more detail, but in a nutshell, these ceramic ovens excel at locking in smoke and flavour. The vents allow amateur and experienced grillers alike to control airflow with precision for advanced barbecueing.

We've tested out both brands' egg grills in our Big Green Egg Minimax review and Kamado Joe Classic Joe BBQ review, and they each get the green light from us. They're very similar to each other, and both deliver exceptional outdoor cooking experiences – but which one should you go for? We've taken a closer look at the design differences to help you decide.

Big Green Egg vs Kamado Joe: the basics

There are a few things you should know before buying an egg BBQ, and one thing we all know is that these brands have luxury price tags, with the kind of cost that would make an amateur BBQer's eyes water. We're talking big bucks.

The most inexpensive Big Green Egg, a company that started in the UK in 1974, is the Minimax, which comes in at £850.00 from John Lewis at the time of writing. The most expensive from the brand is the XL Big Green Egg, which will set you back £1,995.00. Don't say I didn't warn you about the price!

Kamado Joe's cheapest model is the Joe Jr, a mini ceramic like the MiniMax, which costs £499.00 from BBQ World, followed by the Kettle Joe, which will set you back £500-£599.

While Big Green Egg has stuck with creating classic ceramic grills controlled via grates, Kamado Joe recently released the Konnected Joe, which allows you to set the temperature of your charcoal grill using a digital interface. Snazzy!

Winner: If you were looking for the cheapest ceramic option from either of these brands, Kamado Joe is the winner with the Joe Jr. In order to get the most from a Kamado grill, seasoned outdoor chefs would probably advise you to size up, so that you can get the full functionality of an oven like this, but it's dependent on what you'll be using your grill for.

Big Green Egg vs Kamado Joe: Design

Both of these egg BBQs are heavy, with our reviewer finding that even attempting to carry the relatively small Big Green Egg MiniMax was most definitely a two-person job. She also found it to be a robustly made oven, which was definitely something I also found when testing the Kamado Joe BBQ.

The Kamado Joe Series II also needed two strong people to assemble it, so be warned that it is quite extensive to get a grill like this up and running.

Fortunately, once assembled, getting started is easy with both BBQs. Our expert reviewer found that the Big Green Egg took 12 minutes to hit 200°C, while the Kamado Joe took 25 minutes - though you'll have to bear in mind that we were testing a Kamado Joe about double the size, so it pretty much evens out.

Fundamentally, the design across these two BBQ ranges is very, very similar. Both have sturdy, ceramic exteriors with specially engineered hinges to make the lids easier to lift. Both feature venting systems, as is typical of Kamado grills, and have premium finishes when it comes to the details, including the temperature gauge and stainless steel cooking grates.

Winner: We think that the winner here very much comes down to personal preference. Big Green Egg seems the more popular choice if the gorgeous homes that feature in Ideal Home are anything to go by, with the red of the Kamado Joe offering something a bit different.

Big Green Egg vs Kamado Joe: User experience

In terms of user experience (and enjoyment!), our expert tester found trying out the Big Green Egg Minimax to be a great experience, and with the help of the included materials she found controlling the temperature intuitive from the offset. She was wowed by how it cooked meat especially, with chicken that was juicy, tender and packed with flavour.

Our reviewer found that everything she cooked on the Big Green Egg was delicious and that following the guidance to get to that point was easy. She called it a 'fantastic gateway into a world of egg cooking', and despite its small size, found that she could easily cater to 2 to 4 people.

Similarly, during our BBQ testing day last year, we enjoyed testing the Kamado Joe Classic Joe II, and found that it regulated temperature extremely well. In practice, it did take a little longer to get the temperature just right but do bear in mind that we were testing a much bigger Kamado with more going on feature-wise.

It was by far the top BBQ that we built and tested that day in terms of quality, and the taste of the final resulting burgers was out of this world. Though we got there in the end with the cooking techniques, we'd definitely recommend investing in a dedicated book, like the Cooking on the Big Green Egg Cookbook from John Lewis for £24.00.

Winner: Both the Big Green Egg and the Kamado Joe egg grills perform exceptionally well and they're on a par with each other, but the larger Kamado Joe grills offer slightly more cooking space if you're catering to bigger groups.

Big Green Egg vs Kamado Joe: Accessories

Kamado Joe offers various griddles, soapstones and cooking grates to help you customise your cooking experience. You can even buy a grill expander, rib rack and various woks and other cooking pans to level up the way you grill. The Kamado Joe Jr. comes with a ceramic heat deflector, a grill gripper and an ash tool to get you started, though.

Big Green Egg offers an even wider range of accessories, from cooking kits to pans and fire bowls. The MiniMax comes with a stainless steel cooking grid, a fire box, a fire ring and a fire grate to kick things off.

Winner: If you're hoping to continuously expand your collection for years to come, Big Green Egg offers a larger range of accessories. Kamado Joe still offers quality and breadth, though, especially if you're hoping to keep your grilling accessories down to trusty essentials.

Big Green Egg vs Kamado Joe: Which should you buy?

So, you're faced with the choice between these two high-quality BBQs and you're not sure how to choose. My advice would be to first think about how many people you want to regularly cater to, and then choose the cheapest option from either Big Green Egg or Kamado Joe that caters to that.

The smaller Kamado grills, like the Big Green Egg Minimax, will suffice for those who want an entry-level cooker, but if you want all the bells and whistles then size up to either a bigger BGE or a bigger Kamado Joe. Neither will disappoint. Happy grilling!