Barbecue lovers are well aware of the significance of smoking and grilling in this instance, along with the choice of fuel, charcoal, or wooden pallets as fuel, which significantly impacts aroma and flavor, enhancing the value of food.
If you are going to get a smoker or a grill, two significant companies come your way are big green egg vs Traeger.
It is pretty tricky to select the best as both have their pros and cons; however, in this article, we reviewed and briefly explained the merits and demerits of both big green egg and Traeger to make you comfortable selecting the one suitable for you.
History: Big Green Egg vs Traeger
Big green egg is a ceramics-made grill that originated in japan in about 1974. A group of people who were fond of cooking, smoking, and grilling invented this grill that can heat up to 750 degrees with good heat retention and an excellent end-product of the meal.
Big green egg is completely manual from one side; it seems like a disadvantage of this grill, but it has become the best selling point for this ceramic grill as you can control all the cooking processes and can keep an eye on how perfect your food is going to be in the grill.
Traeger, the company, known for its best pallet grills for home use since 1985, has international fame in grill making. The company’s name comes from its inventerJoe Traeger, who grilled food often. He researched and found many consequences that the charcoal used in grilling is highly harmful to health. So, he was looking for a safe and alternative method of grilling; he concluded that grilling with wooden pallets is much safer for human health and bestows delicious flavor and aroma to food.
Comparison on a Quick Note
| Features | Big green egg | Traeger |
| Made in | Mexico | China |
| Fuel type | Charcoal | Pellet |
| Cost of fuel used | Cost more | Comparatively low cost |
| Temperature Range | 200-700 | 165-500 |
| Digital temperature control | No | Yes |
| Venting | Via dampers | Automated via variable fans |
| Material | Ceramics | Steel |
| Warranty | 3 years | 1 year |
| Weight | Heavy | Light |
| Cooking area | 452 sq. inch | 885 sq. inch |
| Wifi technology | No | Yes |
Construction
The construction of both grills, big green egg, and Traeger, is entirely different big green egg is made up of ceramics, while Traeger is composed of steel. Both grills are durable and reliable, but ceramics are more likely to get cracked if not correctly cared for.
Fuel Type
Wooden pallets are used as fuel in Traeger; they are convenient to use, and even if you can control the amount of heat and smoke according to your need, it’s safe for human health. On the other hand, big green egg use charcoal as a fuel source that is famous among people for its mouthwatering aroma and flavor but in this type of fuel, you can not control the heat and smoke; moreover, it is harmful to human health.
Specifications
A specific wifire technology in Traeger makes it brilliantly efficient among grills. You can cook the food even if you are not at home; it’s a complete package and app to control your food via the internet. Contrarily, big green eggs have an edge in thermal insulation due to their ceramic construction.
Warranty
Warranty is provided by leading companies that provide the customer repair and maintenance facility of grills for free for a certain period. Traeger provides a warranty of three long years, whereas a one-year warranty claim is issued by big green egg.
Cooking area
The big green egg has a large capacity to accommodate large bulk of meat at the same time as Traeger, so the best choice to throw an enormous party and feed a large group you may go for the big green egg.
Traeger has a large cooking surface area of about 650 square inches, and it is furnished with two grilling racks; the lower rack is the main surface area of cooking, and the company claims to accommodate a large amount of meat inside the grill at a single time.
On the other hand, Big green egg has a cooking surface area of about 670 square inches and is constructed so well to put up far more meat than the Traeger grill.
The suggestion for first-time users of the big green egg is to put only an appropriate amount of food inside for grilling until you become a master at using the big green egg. Once you get professional, you can go for big meals also according to the surface area provided.
Ventilation
Being an automated and digital device, Traeger possesses an automated ventilation system, and its fan is programmed according to the temperature you set. While in big green egg, manual dampeners are located a the bottom of the grill to control the heat and smoke.
Heat control
Grilling is the best option for having a slice of meat as a meal for a large group of people or even for a family dinner. The most crucial thing in grilling is temperature control; if heat is appropriate, your food will cook adequately; uneven heat and temperature may render your food undercooked or ruin the taste.
The big green egg has an efficient heating system as it circulates the heat throughout and ensures appropriately cooked food. And with its manual system’s help, you can control the heat production properly and keep an eye on your food until it is cooked efficiently. In contrast, Traeger has an automated heating system; when you set the desired temperature, the grill attains the required heat according to the need using wooden pallets according to the need.
Storage
Traeger goes best for storage as it has a shelf where you can put your food after cooking. Also, it comes up with hanging hooks where you can hang your grilling tools.
Easy assembly
Traeger grill is supplied with the user manual containing all the information regarding the grill assembly, and all the parts are easily identified and assembled accordingly.
In addition to the user manual for big green egg delivered with detailed videos on how to assemble, it’s pretty simple to assemble a big green egg grill as there is no electricity. The only thing you should need is to carry the heavy ceramic body with care, not to drop or crack.
Cleaning and maintenance
There is the best cleaning system known to the Traeger grill as it comes up with the grease management system; a drip pan is placed under the side rack, which can be removed and easily cleaned up after every use and when needed. Moreover, stainless steel cooking racks are porcelain enameled, making clean-up feasible.
But big green egg stainless steal racks should be cleaned right after every use, and there is a need to clean the ash box by hand. This cleaning process can be made possible once the grill temperature cools down to avoid burn or injury.
Economical
If you are a grilling lover, then you should go to get either of the grills because none of them is cheap or cost-effective. But if you are a regular barbecue fan and smoked meat affectionate, you should buy any of the two suitable for you as both are worth for money and will go for an extended period once brought and ais good taken care of.
In comparison, Traeger goes better in terms of price as it also provides three years warranty to claim any damage or repair.
Traeger construction compiled of steel and is lightly weighted as compared to the heavy ceramic body of a big green egg. If you are living in a situation you must hurry, you should look again for your choice of the big green egg, as it’s pretty challenging to move it around. Additionally, it is not provided with any stand or seat to set it on, so you have to buy its stand as an additional accessory to make your use convenient.
On the contrary, Traeger is lightweight and can be mobile easily as it has two wheels on the right side and two casters on the left side to help keep it safe and easily mobile.
Traeger
Traeger is the best grilling opportunity; with the latest technology of wifire, you can cook your food even if you are not present in person; it has digital control. Once you set the temperature, its automatic heating system will attain the acquired temperature by taking up the fuel according to the desired temperature.
There is no need to keep an eye on your food. It is furnished with ample storage space and can easily be mobile; its stainless steel body makes it lightweight and easy to handle, and the wheels help in mobility. It’s also cost-effective. Its two cooking grates provide enough space for cooking, and the grease management cleaning system helps clean effectively.
Wooden pallets used as fuel comes up with great aroma and flavor to food. Hence, it’s the best choice for any barbecue lover to have a Traeger grill for house use, parties, or gatherings.
- The digital display is user friendly
- Easy to use
- Delicious taste
- Wifi technology
- Built-in Thermometer helps to check the internal temperature
- Paint is not durable
- Expensive
Big Green Egg
Big green egg is a well-known grill in the barbecue industry for its unique composition of ceramics, as it has a high ability of heat retention and provides perfect heat control. Its enormous body and huge cooking surface area allow it to cook large meals at the same time.
Its layout has two cooking grates, so you can have two different kinds of a meal cooked simultaneously on the same grill. A thermometer can check the internal temperature. Its manual settings allow you to keep a close eye on your food, whether it’s ready or not, and you can add or remove the smoke and readily adjust the temperature according to your need during the cooking process.
- Versatility
- Presentable structure Fascinating for users
- Ceramic Material helps to hold heat
- 1-year Warranty
- Wide cooking area
- Heavy Cant move easily
- No proper stand for it
FAQS
How to light a big green egg with or without an electric starter?
It’s simple to light the big green egg with or without an electric starter; it’s with three paper towels, soak the towels in the olive oil, and add them to a charcoal lump once soaked in the big green egg.
How to control the temperature of the big green egg?
A big green egg grill is provided with top and bottom vents; if you are going to control the temperature, closing or opening the top vents may vary the temperature by 10 degrees, so the top vents help more in controlling the temperature.
How to cool down the big green egg?
A big green egg body is composed of ceramics to retain heat for a long time, and it takes more time to get cooled after every use. It is better to open it up and place it in the open air to let it cool.
Conclusion
After reviewing this article, you may come to know the grill that is best for you according to your need and your use. If you are going to get the affordable one that can easily be mobile with a wooden pallet as a fuel source, then you should go for the Traeger one, as it will also give you a digital control system.
But if you need to cook for a large group of people all the time, you should go for the big green egg as it has a great cooking area and its manual cooking system will allow you to cook your food as per your need. Moreover, its excellent temperature control due to the ceramics body will help to cook a large meal in less time with charcoal’s excellent crispy flavor and aroma.
So there are many pros and a few cons of both grills in comparison; you may look for both and go through the facts to reach out for the one best suited to you.