Big Green Egg vs. Pellet Grill

First time I fired up the Big Green Egg.

Recently when my guy friends met up, my buddy Derek threw out the question “I have a Big Green Egg (BGE) and a Traeger smoker, which should I use for what?” Griff immediately spoke up and said, “Since owning my Traeger I haven’t used my BGE and I’m thinking about selling it.” He gave many valid reasons - convenience being the main one. He has a large family and entertains a lot for an even larger amount of people and I don’t think there is any more of a “set it and forget it” type of smoker/grill. That particular day he cooked some hamburgers “low and slow”, two-hundred degrees for an hour and it was one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. Had a great smoked flavor, a somewhat crisp bite through that first layer into a perfectly cooked juicy medium temperature hamburger. But, being the recent owner of a Big Green Egg (Thanks to my wife Tina, who surprised me with it for my 50th birthday) I wanted to chime in with my own experiences. 

I want to reiterate that Griff’s opinions on pellet grills are totally valid, and I'm not trying to convince anyone to switch sides. This is just my perspective as someone who's fallen hard for the BGE. If you're on the fence or just curious, maybe this will give you some food for thought.

A bit of background: I've never been a hardcore griller. Before the BGE, I'd dabbled in a little charcoal grilling, but my go-to was always propane. When we moved into our current house, the previous owners left behind a grill hooked up to the natural gas line—talk about convenience! You'd just push a button, and boom, instant heat without ever worrying about refilling tanks. It was effortless, and I loved it. But since getting my BGE, that gas grill (like Griff’s BGE) has been gathering dust. I barely touch it anymore.

So, why the switch? First off, the taste from the BGE is absolutely amazing—it's got that rich, smoky flavor that elevates everything. I've done a few slow and low cooks - a pork butt, ribs, and a couple of small briskets. But my “weekly” grilling includes mainly kabobs, chicken thighs, wings, steaks, and burgers, and every time, they turn out great. I’ve also tried pizza once. It turned out ok. The cook was good but I handmade the dough and it didn’t rise like it should’ve. I need to practice my dough skills. 

Convenience is another huge factor. It's not quite as "flip-a-switch" easy as my gas grill (or the Traeger), but it's close. I just pour in charcoal every two or three cooks and pull out the ash from the bottom—super simple, nothing like the hassle of a traditional charcoal grill. And honestly, I enjoy the process. Sitting outside in the evening, drinking my beer... there's something very satisfying about dialing in the right temperature using only the top and bottom valves. It is hands-on and rewarding.

People call the BGE the "Swiss Army knife" of smokers, and I get why. It handles low-and-slow smokes just as well as high-heat searing. I've cranked mine up to about 650 degrees for that pizza, which is a little intense—like there's a mini nuclear reactor on your deck—but it's thrilling. I'm not sure if pellet grills can hit those temps as reliably, but from what I've read, they can do most of what the BGE does, maybe minus the ultra-hot bakes (but maybe even those too).

What really draws me in is that analog vibe. Our buddy J.P. can get down with this. He spins vinyl records on his record player. The BGE's design is so straightforward: ceramic egg, charcoal, and those two vents. No fancy electronics at its core (though I'll get to that in a sec). This style of cooking dates back 3,000 years to ancient Asia, and using it makes me feel connected to our ancestors in a weirdly profound way. Right after I got mine, we went on a Caribbean cruise and stopped in St. Lucia. I stumbled out of a beach bar and the restaurant had eight XL BGEs firing up all their meats. It hit me then—this is how people have been cooking for ages, and here I am now, part of that tradition.

That said, I'm not completely anti-digital. My BGE setup came with the Egg Genius, a nifty little fan that slots into the bottom vent. It connects to Wi-Fi and has two probes: one for the grill temp and one for the meat. I can set targets on my phone, and the fan automatically adjusts airflow to keep things steady. I've used it for those long, slow cooks when I don't want to babysit the grill all day.

One final analogy for BGE vs. pellet… My brother-in-law and his family (sister and dad) all live in upstate New York. Very long, very cold winters. All three houses recently installed pellet stoves. “Set it and forget it” heat. Dump the pellets in and no worries. We have a little wood burning fireplace in the bar area of our house. I mean small enough so that some normal size logs don’t even fit. Personally I wouldn’t want to switch our fireplace out to a pellet stove because we’re not looking for an easy heat source. We only use it between five and ten times a winter. But it’s about the ambiance. The crackle of the fire. The smell. The feel. 

At the end of the day, whether you go BGE or pellet grill depends on what you're after. Pellet grills sound incredibly user-friendly with their set-it-and-forget-it tech, which is awesome for busy folks. But for me, the BGE's flavor, versatility, and that tactile, historical charm make it my preference. Who knows though, once I get as old as Derek and Griff I may opt for the additional convenience as well.

DISCLAIMER: I’m less than a year younger than those guys.