EDITORIAL COMPARISON · 1 VS 1
Big Green Egg XL vs Kamado Joe Big Joe III 24": which one should you choose?
Comparison by Valery Grin · 27 May 2026
The XL derby: 61 cm grate on both, same vocation of cooking for 10-12, but opposite philosophies. The Big Joe III ships loaded with features; the BGE XL arrives bare for you to kit out from its bottomless EGGcessory catalog.
Specs side by side
| Specification | Big Green Egg XL | Kamado Joe Big Joe III 24" |
|---|---|---|
| Diameter | 61 cm | 61 cm |
| Diners | 8-10 | 8-10 |
| Weight | 102 kg | 170 kg |
| Material | Cerámica NASA | Cerámica esmaltada |
| Temperature range | 100°C – 370°C | 110°C – 400°C |
| Warranty | Vitalicia (cerámica) — transferible | Vitalicia (cerámica) |
| Current price | €1,899 | €2,899 |
Verdict by use case
Five real cooking scenarios. For each one we pick a winner with a concrete reason — no diplomatic ties.
For low & slow smoking
Winner: Kamado Joe Big Joe III 24"
The hyperbolic SlōRoller delivers even bark across a 7 kg brisket; the XL's big chamber spawns hot spots you have to rotate around.
For pizza and oven bread
Winner: Big Green Egg XL
Once you hit 350 °C the XL's NASA-patent ceramic holds three back-to-back pizzas without a temperature dip; the Big Joe loses a touch of ceiling because of the SlōRoller cutout.
For big families or parties
Winner: Kamado Joe Big Joe III 24"
Three-tier multi-level: vegetables up top, ribs in the middle, whole chicken below. The XL forces you to buy the Ceramic Grill Store Adjustable Rig to match it.
For balconies or tight spaces
Winner: Big Green Egg XL
The XL weighs 102 kg unframed; the Big Joe III starts at 170 kg with its cart. If you live on the fourth floor and the grill rides the lift, those 68 kg decide it.
For a tight budget
Winner: Big Green Egg XL
The XL lands roughly €1,000 below the Big Joe III on Amazon ES. If you have no accessories yet, that gap pays for the nest, plate setter and a decent digital thermometer.
Best and worst of each
Big Green Egg XL
Best
- 61 cm — same cooking size as the Big Joe III, in BGE ceramic
- Biggest accessory market in the kamado world: nests, tables, plate setters
- Dense NASA-patent ceramic — benchmark heat retention
Worst
- No multi-tier grate or SlōRoller-equivalent: anything you add, you buy separately
- Nest, table and plate setter usually go separately — the final bill scales quickly
Kamado Joe Big Joe III 24"
Best
- 61 cm grate — full brisket or two rib racks side by side
- SlōRoller hyperbolic chamber: true convection for long smokes
- Three-tier Divide & Conquer, two-temperature cooking at once
Worst
- Around 170 kg — you need two people for the install
- Heating 61 cm of ceramic burns more charcoal and takes longer than a Classic III
Our pick: Kamado Joe Big Joe III 24"
For someone who smokes competitively and cooks XL every week, the Big Joe III. You pay more but get the SlōRoller, Divide & Conquer and Air Lift Hinge on a giant dome — features that on the XL are several-hundred-euro add-ons each. If you're already in the BGE ecosystem with accessories, the XL avoids the relearning curve and keeps resale value tight.
KEEP READING
Take this decision further
- Editorial guide
Your first kamado: the complete pre-purchase guide
Size, materials, brand and budget. Everything you have to decide before clicking Buy, told by someone who has made enough mistakes.
- Recipe to try
Low-and-slow smoked brisket
The kamado acid test. Ten hours at 110°C, a deep bark, a pink smoke ring and a texture that gives way under the weight of a fork.
- Recipe to try
St. Louis-style ribs on the kamado
St. Louis-cut ribs (no rib tips), cooked reverse-sear: four hours at 130°C with light smoke, then a final blast of direct heat to caramelise the glaze.
- Glossary term
SlōRoller
Convection chamber patented by Kamado Joe that evens out low-temperature heat and removes hotspots.
- Glossary term
Divide & Conquer
Kamado Joe's modular two-tier grate and deflector system that enables simultaneous multi-zone cooking.