Charcoal comes in different shapes, sizes and qualities. For the Big Green Egg, we recommend using a medium lump charcoal of good, natural quality (without chemical ingredients, fragrances and flavours) that does not produce an extremely strong taste. Not every dish can handle a strong charcoal flavour. We recommend using Big Green Egg 100% Natural Lump Charcoal. Our pure lump charcoal is neutral in taste and provides a subtle, smoky flavour.

Briquettes aren't ideally suited to kamados like the Big Green Egg for several reasons. Charcoal both burns and cools down faster than briquettes, meaning you are better able to control and maintain cooking temperatures with lump charcoal. Briquettes also contain additives that produce a lot of ash and this impedes the airflow in your Big Green Egg. Another disadvantage with briquettes is that they have a strong smell that can impact the taste of your food. You also don't these additives to penetrate the ceramic of your Big Green Egg. Therefore, always use good quality, all natural charcoal.

Lump Charcoal is always placed inside the ceramic Fire Box. You can pour charcoal right up to the top of the Fire Box before each new cooking session. The ceramic Fire Ring that sits on top of the Fire Box will ensure sufficient distance between the glowing charcoal and the Big Green Egg cooking grid. If there is charcoal left over after your cook, it can simply be topped up and used again when you next cook!

Topping up charcoal mid cook is only necessary when cooking over long periods of time or at very high temperatures. Should you need to top up the charcoal, use an Ash Tool gently slide the glowing charcoal to one side of the Fire Box whilst adding more charcoal to the other side. The fire will spread on its own and ignite the new charcoal. Never throw fresh charcoal on top of glowing charcoal. Doing so will cover the glowing charcoal and stop the heat from spreading in the EGG. This will lead to high temperatures forming only at the bottom of the fire basket, which can be harmful to your ceramic.

Too many small pieces of charcoal may block the holes of the Fire Grate and therefore restrict airflow in the EGG. It is best tor remove the small pieces from the Fire Box or let the charcoal burn down completely after your cook is complete.

Before lighting the charcoal, fully open the Draft Door at the Base of the EGG. Place 1 to 3 Charcoal Starters among the charcoal but be sure not to bury them! Choose the number of firelighters depending on the temperature you want to cook at. For a low and slow dish, 1 firelighter is enough; otherwise, the temperature in your Big Green Egg will quickly become too high. If you are going to grill or bake a pizza at a high temperature, use 3 firelighters. Ignite the firelighters and leave the Dome Lid open for 10-15 minutes until the firelighters have burned up. Leaving the lid open allows oxygen to make the charcoal glow. Then when you close the Dome Lid, give it another few minutes to heat up the dome before regulating the temperature.

The temperature in your Big Green Egg is dependent on the amount of oxygen the charcoal receives. The more oxygen, the stronger the charcoal will burn and the higher the temperature will reach. Less oxygen will cause the temperature to drop. It is an interplay between the Draft Door at the bottom of the ceramic base and the rEGGulator on top of the Dome. The Draft Door determines the approximate amount of oxygen, where as you can fine-tune temperatures to the precise degree by finely adjusting the rEGGulator.

Always make sure the temperature is stable before cooking. A convEGGtor, a cold pan, or a large piece of meat will cause the temperature to drop temporarily. Placing a convEGGtor inside a hot EGG will typically causes a drop in temperature drop of 40-50°C. degrees. It is therefore important to be patient when adding cold items to the EGG before making any adjustments to the Draft Door and rEGGulator.

Keep the Dome Lid closed as much as possible while cooking on the Big Green Egg. Do not leave it open. That way, the hot air in the EGG can circulate optimally, your dish will cook evenly and the temperature inside the EGG will remain stable. It also prevents the gasket on the edge of the EGG Base from burning. Don’t worry if you open the lid for a moment and the temperature drops. The Dome has enough radiant heat so it won’t cool down immediately and since extra oxygen will reach the charcoal, it will burn a little stronger again. This will compensate for the temperature loss, and your EGG will automatically reach the original temperature again.

There can be various reasons why the temperature of your Big Green Egg is stagnating:

• The ceramic Fire Box inside of your EGG is not directly aligned with the Draft Door where oxygen enters the EGG. This hinders the flow of oxygen, making it more difficult for the temperature to rise.
• There is too much ash or small charcoal particles left in the charcoal from your previous cook. This inhibits the flow of oxygen in your EGG. Prior to each cook you need to gently stir the charcoal dislodges from the holes of the Fire Grate enabling the ash to fall to the bottom of the EGG Base.
• There is too much ash under the Fire Box at the Base of the EGG. This will also hinder the flow of oxygen inside the EGG. That is why it is important to remove the old ash from the base of the EGG before each cook. Use the Ash Tool to scrape out the ash through the Draft Door.
• The thermometer on the Dome Lid indicates an incorrect temperature. That’s why it is important to calibrate the thermometer dial from time to time.

As heat is retained in the ceramic of a Big Green Egg, it is far easier to increase the temperature than it is to decrease it. It is always best to let the temperature rise slowing to avoid it running away!

However, if you do need to reduce the temperature, a good tip is to place a cold convEGGtor and/or Baking Stone inside your EGG. This will make the temperature drop almost immediately (due to the addition of a cold object to your EGG). A convEGGtor leads to a temperature reduction of 40-50°C. When combined with a Baking Stone, it will drop a few tens of degrees more. In addition, decrease the opening of your rEGGulator at the top and the Draft Door at the base. Due to the reduced flow of oxygen, the charcoal should glow less brightly and the temperature in your EGG will continue to slowly drop. Once you're at the desired temperature, you can remove the convEGGtor and / or Baking Stone.

A backdraft occurs at higher temperatures due to the sudden influx of a large amount of oxygen. For example when you open the Dome Lid of your Big Green Egg when it's running at a high temperature. To prevent this, make it a habit to always "burp" your EGG before fully opening the Lid. This means opening the lid to a small gap of about 5cm to slowly allow the cold air to flow in and the warm air to escape. Repeat this a few times and once the initial rush of air has stabilised, you can then fully open the lid (but always be careful!).

Your thermometer may stop working accurately over time. To ensure it continues to indicate the correct temperature, you just need to recalibrate it. Start by detaching the thermometer from the lid of your EGG. Then, hang the pin of the thermometer in boiling water (ensure it does not touch the bottom) and check that it reads 100°C. If it does not, adjust the thermometer using the adjusting nut on the back until it reads 100°C. After that, hang the thermometer pin in ice water until the temperature drops to 0°C. Repeat the process until the thermometer consistently reads 100°C in boiling water.

Adding smoking wood to your lump charcoal creates extra smoke aroma and flavour to your food. We recommend using Wood Chips or Wood Chunks instead of wood shavings or sawdust.

• Wood Chips consist of smaller pieces of wood that you use for smoking sessions of up to about 30 minutes. This is ideal for shorter cooks or for more delicate food that doesn't require a lot of smoke flavour eg fish or poultry.
• Wood Chunks are large pieces of wood designed for longer cooks and when you are seeking stronger smoke flavours. Great for large pieces of meat like smoked pork belly, brisket or pulled pork / lamb.

You can use Wood Grilling Planks in your EGG eg Cedar Planks. Simply place your foods on the soaked planks for a subtle but wonderful flavour accent. Planks are perfect for cooking salmon or other fish fillets, duck breasts, some fruits and vegetables. Two main methods:

• Cooking & steaming: Place the soaked plank with your product on it on the grid. The steam released will allow your ingredient to absorb the sweet, cedar-wood flavour.
• Smoking & roasting: Allow the soaked plank to dry on your grid and then place your ingredient on it. The bottom of the cedar wood will singe, giving your food a smoky flavour.

The type of Wood Chips or Wood Chunks you use also influences the flavour of your dish. Since there are many different types of smoking wood, you can tailor the taste of the dishes you smoke. Some types are more intense than others, and some are ideal for smoking meat, while others may be more suitable for fish. We’ve provided some guidelines below, but remember that taste is personal.

• Apple with its natural sweet flavour -> Ideal for fish, shellfish, pork, white meat, and poultry such as chicken and turkey.
• Cherry with a mild fruit flavour -> Suitable for fish, lamb, all kinds of game, duck, and beef. A true all-rounder.
• Pecan with a rich, soft flavour -> Great for fish, poultry, beef, and pork. It pairs particularly well with spicy smoked dishes, such as classic American barbecue dishes.
• Walnut/Hickory with a powerful and spicy taste -> Best for red meat, turkey, chicken, and all kinds of game, but also when smoking fruit and nuts.
• Mesquite with a deliciously aromatic and spicy aroma -> Perfect for game, beef steaks, and seasoned pork like pork chops. It’s often used for pulled pork and brisket.

Excessive smoke can have multiple causes. Unwanted smoke (which you haven’t created yourself using smoking wood) can be caused by inferior quality fire starters and/or charcoal, but it may also have other causes. For instance, dripping grease while grilling also causes smoke. Your first reaction might be to stop the smoke by closing the rEGGulator on top. However, this will only trap the smoke inside the EGG, which could result in an overly smoky taste in your food—something you definitely don’t want.

To manage this, close the air regulator at the bottom of the ceramic base to stop the air supply, and then open the rEGGulator lid to allow the smoke to escape. The radiant heat from the ceramic and the contact heat from the grid will be sufficient to complete your grilling session, even if the temperature drops slightly due to opening the lid.

After a grilling session where grease has dripped onto the charcoal, brush the grid clean and let the charcoal burn for about 10 minutes before closing the air regulator and the rEGGulator. This process will burn off the grease, marinade, and any leftover food, ensuring you start your next cooking session with clean charcoal.

There are a few things you should do after each use of your Big Green Egg. Fortunately, it only takes a few minutes. Brush your grid clean after each use—this is very easy if it’s still hot. To keep your cast iron grid and other accessories in good shape, grease them after use with a wad of kitchen paper and a little vegetable oil. You can wipe the outside of the ceramic base and lid with a cloth and a solution of water and soft soap. This is particularly easy if done while the ceramic is still warm; your EGG will be like new.

No, that is definitely not necessary. The so-called ‘stoking until white’ or ‘burning clean’ at a high temperature of your Big Green Egg is strongly discouraged. Heating up your EGG to an extremely high temperature in a short time can lead to cracks in your fire ring, so don’t do it!

Your Big Green Egg will turn black on the inside after it has been used a number of times, which is completely normal. It will make your EGG perform better, and the temperature will become (even) more stable.

If you’ve had a few greasy cooking sessions that have made the inside of your EGG a little greasy, you can slowly heat it to approximately 250°C to remove food residues and fat. Leave it on for a while, and when it stops smoking, it will be clean. When cleaning in this way, you may want to brush the inside of the lid using a steel brush every now and then. But it won’t turn white, and neither is that at all necessary.

You can prevent this from happening by placing a Drip Pan on your convEGGtor. Grease and potential food residues will fall into the Drip Pan, keeping your convEGGtor nice and clean. If you haven’t installed a Drip Pan and there are food residues and grease stains on your convEGGtor, brush it clean while it is still hot. You can remove stubborn stains by placing the convEGGtor in your EGG with the dirty side down. Fire up the EGG to a temperature of 250°C and wait until no more smoke comes out of the chimney. Finally, give it another brush, and your convEGGtor will be ready for the next session.

If you don’t use your Big Green Egg for a while, food residues and/or high humidity can cause mould to form. In that case, heat your Big Green Egg to 180°C and keep it at this temperature for about 15 minutes before you start cooking. This will get rid of mould and any bacteria. From now on, brush your grid thoroughly after use so that these food residues burn up. After the charcoal has been completely extinguished, open the air regulator at the bottom of the ceramic base and the rEGGulator on top completely if you are not planning to use the EGG for a while.

Big Green Egg Acacia Wood Tables are fabricated from all-natural kiln-dried solid planks of eco-sustainable hardwood, without pressure treating or other preservatives. They have been lightly treated with a UV-resistant finish. It is important that you take care to protect the finish, as any natural wood is going to change appearance when exposed to sun, heat, or rain. Keeping the table covered and ventilated when not in use is always recommended. A Big Green Egg Table Cover is the best way to protect the finish.

To protect your table:

• Clean the table as needed with a mild detergent and a damp, non-abrasive cloth.
• Standing water can seep through the finish and stain the wood. Keep your table covered or wipe away any standing water.
• Place the table on a hard surface with adequate drainage. Don’t place the legs directly on damp grass or standing water. The adjustable levelling feet included with the table (or the optional Locking Caster set) should be used to keep the bottom of the legs elevated above the ground.
• Chemicals, solvents, chlorine, and alcoholic beverages can stain wood surfaces. Hot items such as cooking grids, convEGGtors, and baking stones can damage the table if placed directly on the wood surface.
• Check and tighten hardware occasionally.

This table is an all-natural wood product— with proper care, it will exhibit its beauty and functionality for years to come!

If your local dealer does not have the parts you need in stock, they can easily order them for you. If that is not possible, please visit our online store to order your replacement parts.

The convEGGtor is a ceramic plate setter or deflector plate that is used for smoking or indirect cooking. Please visit the convEGGtor product page for more information.

The Big Green Egg plate setter is what we call as the convEGGtor. The name was changed from Plate Setter to convEGGtor to more accurately describe the convection properties of the part. Please visit the convEGGtor product page for more information.

The Fire Box is the internal ceramic bowl that stores the lump charcoal. At the base of the Fire Box sits the Fire Grate and above the Fire Box sits the Fire Ring. More information is available on the Fire Box product page.

Minor separations on portions of the gasket can easily be reattached by using an adhesive such as 3M Super 77 or a similar high-temp adhesive. For assistance, send us an email. And if replacing the gasket is required, watch our Gasket Replacement Video.

Watch this Gasket Replacement Video to demonstrate how to replace the gasket on your Big Green Egg.

Big Green Egg Touch-Up Paint can be provided by your authorised Big Green Egg Dealer, or you can purchase it here.

If you have just assembled a new EGG, please check your bands and make sure you have everything in alignment.

Click here to watch a video on how to align and adjust the band of your Big Green Egg.

If you're still encountering issues, please email us here.

Simply complete our online form on our Warranty Registration page. If you do not have access to the online form for some reason, your authorised dealer can register the warranty for you. Always keep the original receipt or proof of purchase, as only EGGs sold by an authorised dealer to the original owner are eligible for warranty support.

The Big Green Egg serial number is located on the inside of the dome towards the hinge. The number is usually 11 characters and is stamped into the ceramic. Please visit our Warranty Registration page to register your Big Green Egg.

When you purchase an EGG, your investment in this amazing product is protected by a successful company with a reputation for manufacturing excellence. We are committed to supporting our products with the original limited lifetime warranty and best-in-class customer service and dealer support. Please see our Warranty Page for complete information. When you invest in a Big Green Egg, you are protected by a company with over forty years of success in making the finest product of its type in the world today.

Big Green Egg Hardwood Acacia Tables come with a one-year warranty. If your table has experienced what you believe to be a manufacturer defect, please email us.

All Big Green Egg Fire Boxes are manufactured with a vertical cut that runs straight up from the draft opening – this is not a crack. This cut allows for repeated heat expansion and contraction without putting stress on the ceramics. If your EGG develops a crack other than this cut, you may continue using the Fire Box as long as it supports the Fire Ring. If you are the original owner of your Big Green Egg, and the EGG was purchased from an authorised dealer, and you have completed the required warranty registration, then the Fire Box is covered under warranty and can be replaced through your local Big Green Egg dealer.

The Temperature Gauge comes with a one-year warranty. Replacement gauges are available at your authorised dealer. If the gauge has been exposed to heavy rain or humidity or stored in a damp environment, this fogging often clears up after exposure to the sun or in drier weather.

Depending on the reason or source of the crack, it may be covered under warranty. If it is found to be a structural crack and not from dropping or accidental breakage then it is covered. Big Green Egg is unable to provide warranty coverage on damage caused by dropping or other similar situations as outlined within the Warranty. The dome releasing from the band can occur due to loose nuts or bolts on the band, or any number of reasons beyond our control. All hardware on the EGG should be checked and tightened every 30 days, and more frequently if it is used or moved often. An authorised dealer may be able to examine the crack and determine the cause. If not, you can Click Here to send a photo and message to Customer Service.

Yes, any authorised Big Green Egg Dealer in the country of purchase is able to handle warranty issues. If you have moved your EGG to a different country, you will need to contact the authorised dealer in the country where it was originally purchased.