Big Green Egg
Big Green Egg Large
$1199.99
Best Charcoal Grills · head-to-head
Big Green Egg Large vs Char-Griller AKORN Kamado
A sourced, side-by-side comparison. Char-Griller AKORN Kamado is cheaper at $399.99. Every spec and price links to its source.
Char-Griller
Char-Griller AKORN Kamado
$399.99Cheaper
Which is better: the Big Green Egg Large or Char-Griller AKORN Kamado?
On the specs we track, they're closely matched. The Char-Griller AKORN Kamado is the cheaper at $399.99.
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Full spec sheet
✓ marks the stronger figure where "more" — or "less", for price and weight — is unambiguously better.
| Spec | Big Green Egg Large | Char-Griller AKORN Kamado |
|---|---|---|
| US price | $1199.99 | $399.99 |
| Brand | Big Green Egg | Char-Griller |
| Released | — | — |
| Type | kamado | kamado |
| Primary cooking area sqin | 262 | 325 |
| Material | Ceramic with stainless steel hardware | Triple-walled insulated steel with cast iron cooking grates |
| Hinged cooking grate | No | No |
| Ash catcher | No | Yes |
| Built in thermometer | Yes | Yes |
| Diameter or size (in) | 18.25 in | 20 in |
| Release | — | — |
Sources — Big Green Egg Large: biggreenegg.com (verified 2026-06-19). Char-Griller AKORN Kamado: chargriller.com (verified 2026-06-19).
What's the difference between the Big Green Egg Large and Char-Griller AKORN Kamado?
Where the two actually differ on the specs we track (4 of 7). Matching specs are omitted.
- Primary cooking area sqin: Big Green Egg Large 262 vs Char-Griller AKORN Kamado 325
- Material: Big Green Egg Large Ceramic with stainless steel hardware vs Char-Griller AKORN Kamado Triple-walled insulated steel with cast iron cooking grates
- Ash catcher: Big Green Egg Large false vs Char-Griller AKORN Kamado true
- Diameter or size (in): Big Green Egg Large 18.25 in vs Char-Griller AKORN Kamado 20 in
What reviewers say
Sourced tester consensus for each — the "what people who used it think" layer, not just specs.
Big Green Egg Large
Two whitelisted testers who hands-on cooked on the exact Large model — Reviewed (USA Today) and Pro Tool Reviews — both strongly recommend it, praising precise temperature control, 700°F+ searing heat, and fuel efficiency. Both survived verification with all quotes literal and all measured values supported in the source text. Main gripes: costly required accessories, weight, and price. (2 sourced reviews, 2 lab-tested.)
Praised: Precise, wide-range temperature control via top/bottom dampers; Reaches high searing heat over 700°F; Fuel efficient — lump charcoal lasts and leftover coals relight.
Flagged: Key functions need extra paid accessories (ConvEGGtor for indirect heat, griddle for searing); High price for the grill itself; Heavy, stays hot long after cooking, hard to move or store.
Char-Griller AKORN Kamado
One whitelisted tester — Reviewed (USA Today) — hands-on tested this exact model (Char-Griller E16620 Akorn) and named it Best Value: it cooks just as well as a more expensive kamado and is very easy to clean, but struggles to hold low smoking temperatures and may not last as long as pricier ceramic kamados. (1 sourced review, 1 lab-tested.)
Praised: Works just as well as a more expensive kamado at a fraction of the cost (Best Value pick); Cast-iron grates deliver nice sear marks over direct heat; Very easy to clean — the entire bottom unhooks to dump ash.
Flagged: Hard to reach low smoking temperatures; floor around 275°F with a learning curve; Smokin' Stone deflector plate is smaller than the grate, so food on the edges over-chars; Build quality and durability lag pricier kamados.