Looking into buying one of the two ... can anyone with experience tell me the good/bad of each?

thanks!

I love my egg don't know about the other. I'd imagine its like Yeti vs RTIC

I have an egg and really like it. I don't think you can go wrong with either but people will take shots at BGE and it's lack of innovation, mainly the Joetisserie. Also anything you buy BGE is $$$$$.

I would not buy a used egg from facebook/craigslist because you don't get the lifetime warranty. I bought my egg at an eggfest, I'd strongly recommend that approach if you want to save money. You still get the warranty and you get a good discount.

Once you decide on which to buy, you'll likely contemplate the size to get. I have a L.

the joe system is way better/more versatile right out of the gate, in my opinion. bge may be better quality (or may not be, i don't know). they both cook the same. i have a big joe and like it. my wife hates the color. so, there's that.

Out of those two I would go with the big Joe; with that being said I ended up the primo oval XL which is awesome for two zone cooking. Jealous of all of the Joe accessories though...

I have the regular size Joe and love it. If I had it to do over again I would go with the Big Joe. You cannot fit a normal size brisket on it without laying the brisket over a brick or something.

I've got a large BGE and love it. Bought it at an EggFest, so I got it for 25% off. Have had for at least 5 years and have used it for smoking (turkey, brisket, pork butt etc), grilling (steaks, fajitas, etc), and have done pizzas. No regrets and would buy another one. It's a lot of fun.

I'd throw Grill Dome into the mix

The Kamado Joe says it uses charcoal for fuel. Would hickory, mesquite etc. also work for smoking? Looking to replace my charcoal grill and stick burner with a KJ Classic II.

Whatever you go with, get a bigger size than you'll think you'll need. I bought a large BGE and traded it for an extra large a few months later. The large is fine for my family of three, but anytime I had people over, it wasn't big enough.

What accessories does the Joe have that an Egg doesn't? The reason I ask is the only think I have bought is CyberQ, pizza stone and dual level grate and can't imaging needing anything else.

I still keep my offset for when I want to do more than 2 briskets. I also think an offset gives you better smoke on a brisket.

I use a charcoal, wood chunk mix when I want to smoke something.

Go Joe

Divide and conquer setup. Joetisserie(sp?). Better hinge.

But the main thing is all that stuff(stand and several accessories) comes with the KJ vs everything being an optional extra with BGE.

I have a Large BGE and love it. I've wished it was bigger at times, but I'm glad I have the large. I use it to grill and smoke a couple times a week, more in the summer.

My uncle got an off-brand BGE and I'm 95% sure it was a Kamado Joe... it holds significantly less charcoal!!!! My BGE can go 30+ hours without having to add charcoal. His won't go 8 hours.

If you ever plan on doing a brisket get the BGE or Primo Oval.

gvine07 said:

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I have a Large BGE and love it. I've wished it was bigger at times, but I'm glad I have the large. I use it to grill and smoke a couple times a week, more in the summer.

My uncle got an off-brand BGE and I'm 95% sure it was a Kamado Joe... it holds significantly less charcoal!!!! My BGE can go 30+ hours without having to add charcoal. His won't go 8 hours.

If you ever plan on doing a brisket get the BGE or Primo Oval.

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No sure I would call KJ an off brand, they are pretty even with BGE.

You sure your uncle had the equivalent size KJ? Dimensionally KJ and BGE are the same size. I regularly do 15 to 18 lb briskets on my regular KJ for overnight 15 hour cooks no problem without adding charcoal and it stays locked in on temp the whole time... Not sure what you're smoking that needs 30 hours anyways.

Like what was said it's basically Yeti vs Rtic. Differences are minimal but one is the name and the other is a little more the value. Either will do great for almost anything a backyard BBQ enthusiast wants.

1. There is nothing "off-brand" about a Kamado Joe.

2. I've had an actual "off brand" ceramic egg. One of the many knockoffs made by Vision. Not sure why anyone would need to cook for 30 hours without lifting the grates, but my cheap knockoff went 12-16 hours several times on a single load of charcoal. With plenty leftover. If your uncle is only getting 8 hours out of his, regardless of brand, then that's likely user error.

I've had a Kamado Joe for about 3 years now and love it. Honestly, it cooks the exact same as my FIL's BGE but it came with everything that he had to pay extra for. As some have said, get the larger one because you will find yourself using it all of the time.

I did have to have the firebox replaced under warranty due to it cracking during our move. Submitted pics to them and had a new one in a week. The one they sent was the upgraded version found in the new ones vs the old one mine came with.

Keeper of The Spirits said:

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What accessories does the Joe have that an Egg doesn't? The reason I ask is the only think I have bought is CyberQ, pizza stone and dual level grate and can't imaging needing anything else.

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KJ comes with side tables, heat deflector, and the stand (which is superior to the BGE in every way). That's all stuff you have to pay for when you buy a BGE. To me, it is what primarily drove me to the KJ.

Agasaurus Tex said:

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The Kamado Joe says it uses charcoal for fuel. Would hickory, mesquite etc. also work for smoking? Looking to replace my charcoal grill and stick burner with a KJ Classic II.

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I have a large offset that I usually use for smoking but I occasionally use my BGE. When I do, I use mostly charcoal with some wood chunks distributed throughout for smoke. I would assume the KJ works the same way (charcoal for heat, chunks for smoke). I don't think a just wood chunk fire would work well.

I have a Big Joe. What put me over in favor of it were the included accessories, the superior hinge mechanism, and the superior lid air adjustment. BGE daisy wheel design is poorly thought out because it swings open if you open the dome. KJ has an internal wheel that doesnt move when you open the dome. Obviously a minor thing, but if you're going to spend $1000 on a grille might as well get the one that has the details figured out IMO.

There's a place in DFW I bought my Joe that sells for below the Costco roadshow price. I can look it up if anyone is interested.

GarlandAg2012 said:

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There's a place in DFW I bought my Joe that sells for below the Costco roadshow price. I can look it up if anyone is interested.

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'03ag said:

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GarlandAg2012 said:

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There's a place in DFW I bought my Joe that sells for below the Costco roadshow price. I can look it up if anyone is interested.

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https://ceramicgrillstore.com/

This is where I bought last year. I went and picked it up and got a Big Joe with the standard setup, plus a grill cover, a bag of lump charcoal, and some firestarters and my grand total was $1,547.95 out the door. Gotta call and maybe go in person to get that price though, and this was a year ago, they might not be as competitive anymore.

2019 prices for the roadshow are $1499+ tax for the Big Joe which puts you at over 1600 before any freebies.

The daisy wheel has been upgraded and with a new regulator. Also if you place the daisy wheel correctly, it should remain locked when you open the top.

Ah gotcha, good to know. It's even more of a wash now (and it was already close) so I would probably pick based on price and color preference.

'03ag said:

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1. There is nothing "off-brand" about a Kamado Joe.

2. I've had an actual "off brand" ceramic egg. One of the many knockoffs made by Vision. Not sure why anyone would need to cook for 30 hours without lifting the grates, but my cheap knockoff went 12-16 hours several times on a single load of charcoal. With plenty leftover. If your uncle is only getting 8 hours out of his, regardless of brand, then that's likely user error.

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I just bought a vision grill a few weeks ago. I'm really impressed with the quality so far and I highly recommend it for the price point. I also splurged and go the quick change gas insert and it's pretty great too. Super easy to switch between gas and charcoal. I really like the ash drawer as well, that was a big selling point for me. The size is slightly larger than a large BGE, but not as big as an XL BGE.

Vision Grill

My dad got one of these last year and has been happy with it. Not sure how good the warranty is, but I know the KJ one is awesome.

Quote:

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Manufacturer Warranty: Limited lifetime for all ceramic parts; Five years for all metal parts; One year for cover, thermometer, and gaskets; and ninety days for side shelves and Bakelite tab. This warranty is not transferable to subsequent owners.

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May not be as good as the others(I don't know), but if I can get the parts shipped to me I can fix it myself. I bought it from Sam's so it's not like there's a local dealer to take it to.

Kamado Joe was delivered and assembled today. Can't wait to give it a try. I'm thinking pork ribs for a short cook.

aggieforester05 said:

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'03ag said:

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1. There is nothing "off-brand" about a Kamado Joe.

2. I've had an actual "off brand" ceramic egg. One of the many knockoffs made by Vision. Not sure why anyone would need to cook for 30 hours without lifting the grates, but my cheap knockoff went 12-16 hours several times on a single load of charcoal. With plenty leftover. If your uncle is only getting 8 hours out of his, regardless of brand, then that's likely user error.

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I just bought a vision grill a few weeks ago. I'm really impressed with the quality so far and I highly recommend it for the price point. I also splurged and go the quick change gas insert and it's pretty great too. Super easy to switch between gas and charcoal. I really like the ash drawer as well, that was a big selling point for me. The size is slightly larger than a large BGE, but not as big as an XL BGE.

Vision Grill

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I've had one for more than a year and like it. May not have all the bells and whistles of a Joe or Egg but the price is right and it gets the job done just fine.

That said, my next BBQ purchase will probably be a Yoder pellet smoker.

https://www.yodersmokers.com/ys640-pellet-grill.html

I have had a vision grill since early 2015, that I use about once a week to this day. Great SS hardware, no rust, and easy to use. Was a great value buy back then, and it looks like it still is.

I replaced my wood side tables once, and the felt once, otherwise it has held up like a champ.

Been very pleased with my Kamado Joe Classic II. I would think the BGE and KJ work equally well. The KJ comes with accessories to start cooking out of the box. Highly recommend. Bought mine off Amazon. Free shipping with Prime.

Check out a PRIMOS. Had one 5 years. It is American made and been around longer than all the diff eggs. Great grill

Check out a PRIMOS. Had one 5 years. It is American made and been around longer than all the diff eggs. Great grill

I had an BGE from oh, 2002 or so until 2014. Got divorced, years later took it over to a GF house for some pizza night for a birthday party for a joint friend. Epic breakup a week or so later and I just left her and it for good. PIzza stone, place setter, etc... all the fixins.

Got a Kamado Joe with all the accoutrements in the couple years or so. They are pretty much identical. I had the large size for both.

KJ likes:
- the scooper pail/tray in the ash drop is a game changer. BGE may have this now, but it's awesome. I used to have to scoop out the BGE with that pathetic little scooper.
- I like that the KJ has half moon grates that you can adjust height/remove for charcoal/wood chip supplementation without completely taking off the meat. Easy to do multiple levels which comes in handy for beef jerky.
- I like the clip/lock that KJ has. You press the button and it auto burps. Usually I would remember to burp the BGE, but I forgot a few times at 700 plus degrees. Bye-bye eyelashes/arm hair.

BGE likes:
- they have it in more stores with more stuff. Most of the stuff works with KJ, but some of it is device-specific. I have a hardware store across the street from my office that probably has 500 sq. ft. dedicated just to BGE.
- Eggcelerator - air pump that fit perfectly in the lower air intake. Great for starting. But those little square cardboard starters they sell work very good on both.

Other than that, they are the same. Temps, etc. I've done pizza, smoked salmon, brisket, jerky, steak, chicken, jalapenos (get the BGE jalapeno tray and cleaner btw - awesome) on both. Virtually identical.

Slight advantage to KJ IMHO based upon my likes above.

Got a Vision grill during the fathers day sale event at Home Depot earlier this year. Have been absolutely impressed with it at half the price of a BGE. Bought a few accessories to go with it, with the lava stone being the favorite. Have done a few briskets, turkey last week and I love me some filet or ribeyes on it too. I generally don't have to refuel that much in between cooks, and the temperature control you get with the kamodo style is just insane. Smoke is awesome too. Kamodo grills for life!