Primo Vs Big Green Egg: Head To Head Compression 2025
Kamado grills are a Japanese concept that has slowly but surely made its way into the Western world. Both the Primo and the Big Green Egg are high-quality Kamado grills.
Now, none of these grills are on the affordable side. If you are a grill enthusiast and want to expand your horizons, investing in any one of these Kamado grills is going to cost you a lot.
That is why we recommend that you get to know more about these grills before investing. Although the grills seem very similar in features, there are a few key differences that might sway your purchasing decision.
Here, you will find all that you have to know about Primo vs Big Green Egg. Once you get to know more about what the grills are a master at, you will be able to make your decision more easily. So, without any further delay, let’s get started, shall we?
A Brief About Primo Smoker
The founder of the Primo Grill Company was introduced to the Kamado cooker by his father-in-law. Amazed by the flavor, and juiciness this ceramic cooker could add to meat and any kind of food, he decided to purchase his Kamado cooker.
George Samaras, the founder of the company, found out that people loved the food cooked in this Kamado cooker. When he was sure that there was quite a demand for this cooking pot, he decided to make this amazing cookware more available to the consumers.
The owner had initially reached out to the manufacturers to see if they would be interested in starting the distribution in Greece. However, once that offer was declined, he decided to take things into his hand.
George started to do his research. After many years of trial and error, got the perfect formula and the right blend for a kamado cooker.
Then, finally, in 1996, George Samaras started his distribution and established Primo ceramic grills. “Primo” means “the best” in Italian. As we can see after years of success, the company does live up to the name. He adjusted his small manufacturing facility into a larger one in the United States. He finally was able to establish a brand name after introducing the patented oval-shaped grill in 2002. People love the brand, and are still buying their ceramic grills with no doubt on quality!
Benefits and Disadvantages Of Primo Smoker
To get to know the brand better, we need to know what kind of benefits they provide.
But, what about its disadvantages? You should surely learn about all of the things that you don’t get from the company or all of the things that might be a bit problematic before you invest your money in the grill.
Here are a few features that we need to know about Primo smoker.
| Benefits Of Primo Smoker | Disadvantages Of Primo Smoker |
| 1. Helpfulness The brand is very helpful towards their customers. Go take a scan through their website. The company offers you tips on which of their grills will be the right option for you. You can select these grills based on very specific requirements, therefore allowing you to opt. out a personalized one. Besides that, the company also has several tasty recipes on their website that beginner and pro-level cooks can try out. | 1. Expensive The first thing that we would like to discuss the disadvantage of Primo is- how the models are quite expensive. Compared to any other company that offers this sort of kamado grills, Primo is a tad bit more expensive. Now, you do pay for quality and durability with this brand, but not everyone is going to be able to afford these benefits. Also, there might be other brands that can offer you similar types of benefits at a much lower price. |
| 2. Durability The brand is also very well known for making heavy-duty high-quality kamado grills. They use very high-quality materials in their construction, giving you a grill that will last for ages. You can use Primo grills on a regular basis without even getting a stretch for years! | 2. Smaller Cooking Surface Primo has a lot of different models of cookware. But, most of their grills come with a smaller cooking surface compared to other companies. The cooking surface is large enough for small gatherings. If you have to feed a lot of people, this might not be the right option for you. |
| 3. High-Temperature Range Primo Grills are capable of lasting through a very impressive range of temperatures. Oftentimes, we like to fire up our grills hot. This can add a very smoky flavor to the meat, and also sometimes cook a lot of thin cuts fast. So, if you like to cook your meat at a very high temperature, you can definitely consider a Primo grill. | |
| 4. Racks The grills come with an optional rack system. If needed, you can add the racks, and cook multiple types of food at the same time. If you feel like you don’t have that much food to cook, you can take out the rack very easily as well. | |
| 5. Good Shape Primo Grills have a very ingenious oval-shaped design. This is very close to a traditional kamado cooker. Although the concept has been a little adjusted to meet modern-day grilling needs |
Primo Grill Reviews
X-Large Charcoal Primo
Product Specifications
- Innovative oval shape
- Comes with different installation options
- Weighs 250 lbs
- High-quality construction
- Large cooking capacity
If you are in love with Primo but don’t really like the idea of such a small cooking space, you will love this next product on our list.
The extra-large charcoal Primo has enough space to cook for a large party. This is therefore one of the most popular ceramic grills on their line.
To be more specific, the grill comes with a 400 square inch cooking area. If needed, you can add in racks of 280 square inches.
You can cook 12 ears of corn, 12 steaks, two whole turkeys, 20 burgers, or 8 whole chickens on this grill.
Thanks to the innovative oval shape, this grill can be accessed very easily. Cooking is fast, efficient, and also fun. You can use the grill to bake, roast, grill, or smoke any type of food.
Freakily convenient, there are a lot of installation options available as well. You can use the grill on a Primo cart, a table, a cradle, or choose to go with an all-in-one package.
In the all-in-one package, you get all the necessary accessories, such as an ergonomic handle, side tables, grill head, grate lifter, ash tool, and even cradle stands.
This grill weighs about 250 lb. And, the unit is capable of surviving temperatures ranging from 151 to 850 degrees Fahrenheit.
Highlighted Features
- Added racks for extra cooking space
- Withstanding high-temperature ranges
- Baking grill, bbq, or even roast food
- Oval construction for better heat distribution
- Easy installation into a table, a cradle, even on a Primo cart
A Brief About Big Green Egg
Ed Fisher is an American entrepreneur and serviceman who had the idea of selling doomed clay cookers. He was amazed by the idea of how well food tasted when cooked in domed clay ovens or cookers. He started to import them and try them out. And once he was sure that this would be a huge hit back home, he decided to import and distribute these amazing cookers throughout America.
This was how the company Big Green Egg was created in Atlanta in 1974.
Initially, Ed Fisher sold the domed cookers in their original form. But the cookers were fragile and were not that durable. As he was importing this cookware and then selling them afterward, the overall cost was not worthy, given that the material was not that durable.
Because of this, he decided to alter the formulation a little bit and produce better-domed clay cookware that would last a long time. This is how the company slowly but surely gained its popularity.
The manufacturing is so high-quality that they use a state-of-the-art factory. They incorporate ceramic materials that were initially made for NASA into their dome events.
The result is therefore a grill that is much more durable and sturdier than other grills in the market.
Big Green Egg is now one of the world’s largest international distributors and producers of this unique dome-shaped clay or ceramic cooking system. Now, the company is well known for its amazing customer service and unique tantalizing accessories.
Benefits and Disadvantages Of BGE
So, we’ve learned about the history of a Big Green Egg. Now let’s get to know about the benefits and some drawbacks that this company offers. After learning about all the features that Big Green Egg offer, you can easily make your purchase decision.
| Benefits Of BGE | Disadvantages Of BGE |
| 1. High-Quality One of the main reasons why you should think about investing in a Big Green Egg grill is because it is made with state-of-the-art ceramic technology. The products have patented components that can last for years to come. It’s the perfect combination of good material quality and high-quality thermal properties. The grills come with a lifetime warranty after all! | 1. Accessories Sold Separately One thing that is quite annoying about this brand is that it sells all of its necessary accessories separately. While apparently, this makes the grill alone a cheaper option, once you start adding on the accessories that you need, the overall price point is very similar to any other grill on the market. Also, having to look for the accessories separately can be tedious work. |
| 2. Ease Of Use The Big Green Egg grill is very easy to use. The charcoal lights up very quickly eliminating the need to start cooking way ahead of time. Also, you can adjust the temperature of the grill very easily. The airflow system will adjust according to your needs to cook your food perfectly. | 2. Hard To Get The Temperature Right Another saying that you should know about the grill before you buy it, is that altering or regulating its temperature is more difficult. The temperature probe is not that user-friendly, so you will need a little bit of time to get used to the readings. |
| 3. Can Be Used All Year Round Most grills become very hard to use in colder months. But, not the grills from Big Green Egg. You can use their grills efficiently with very high heat any time of the year, no matter how cold or rainy it is. | |
| 4. Easy Cleaning Cleaning your grills is very important if you want to maintain hygiene. Thankfully, the Big Green Egg has an exterior glaze that you can wipe to keep clean. On the inside, after cooking, the residual heat will get rid of the buildup. It burns the oil, debris, and grease away acting like a self-cleaning oven. |
Big Green Egg Grill Reviews
XLarge Big Green Egg
Product Specifications
- Weighs about 219 lbs
- Has a cooking surface of 452 square inches
- Made with high-quality material
- Ceramic build that is scratch-resistant
Now, let’s get to know about one of the Big Green Egg’s most demanding products. It is none other than this x large Big Green Egg grill.
One of the main things that we love about this product is that it is made with very high-quality material. Therefore, once purchased you can count on this grill to last you for years.
Also, cooking on this grill is very easy. The bottom is designed to be flat and stable so that you can place your food easily without having to worry about it falling off.
The oval design makes sure that the heat is distributed evenly for a perfectly cooked meal. The grill can get very hot, but the wooden handle on this model stays cool to the touch.
To help you cook for all of your family together, the product comes up with a 452 square inch cooking surface. You can cook either 24 burgers, 11 whole chickens, or even 11 steaks on this grill if needed.
There are a lot of fun accessories such as the cast iron cooking grids, a custom stainless steel 3-piece toolset, a 76-inch custom cooking island, or an XL EGGspander that you can buy and pair with this unit.
Highlighted Features
- Flat and stable cooking surface
- Different cooking accessories available to purchase
- Allows cooking 11 steaks at the same time
- Cooks’ food evenly and to perfection
- Easy to start and turn off
Comparing Primo Vs Big Green Egg: Know Differences Between Them
So now, we have learned about the advantages and disadvantages of both the Primo and the Big Green Egg grills. But, when it comes to making the ultimate decision, which one should you choose?
Here are a few distinctive features about both of the brands that you should find interesting.
1. Uses
Both the Primo and the Big Green Egg grills are used for baking, barbecuing, grilling, or roasting food.
When it comes to usage, you can use both of these grills for cooking similar kinds of food. There’s no actual difference.
2. Design
Primo is more into the traditional round and oval design. We love this sort of design because it results in an even heat distribution, and therefore perfectly cooked meals. The design also helps you increase the cooking surface.
On the other hand, a Big Green Egg has altered the traditional oval shape into A more usable and modern one. The concept is the same as the oval grill, but they kept their shape a bit rounder. Although this might remind you of more traditional oval grills, the product wastes a lot of cooking space.
Besides this feature, most of the Primo and Big Green Egg grills are very similar in design.
So ultimately when it comes to design, we would recommend that you choose Primo because it provides more space.
3. Installation
Primo comes with only one type of installation procedure, while Big Green Egg comes with a variety of installation options.
You can install the Big Green Egg grills on tables, or even cradles. If you choose the all-in-one option, you can get a lot of accessories, such as a grate lifter, and even ash removal tools with your purchase.
In the case of installation, we would choose Big Green Egg. It offers more variety.
4. Construction
Big Green Eggs use very high-quality state-of-the-art ceramics. That is why most of their grills are very heavy and exceptionally durable. You can expect one of their grills to last a lifetime.
Primo also uses very high-quality ceramic construction. You would notice that the x large version is quite heavy in construction. While this makes the grill harder to move around, it does guarantee quality and durability. A heavier grill means more durability.
While Big Green Egg units are manufactured in Mexico, Primo Grills are made totally in the USA.
One feature that we like about the Primo grills is that they often come with a lift and lock lid system. This means that when you open the lid, you can let it go, and it will still stay locked in place. The lid will not smash into your fingers.
This also means that you can cook large meats such as a whole turkey vertically if needed. Even when the lid sits a little bit higher than usual, the heat is distributed evenly to give you perfectly cooked meat.
Next, let’s talk about the handles. The Big Green Egg comes with handles that are made out of wood. This means that no matter how high the overheat the interior of the grill reaches, handles are always cool to touch. This makes cooking a lot easier for at-home cooks. On the other hand, if you’re using a Primo grill, working with gloves is a necessity!
To sum it up, although Primo has a few intriguing features when it comes to construction, we would choose the Big Green Egg.
5. Cooking Surface
Because Primo Grills are mostly oval-shaped, and not round, you get more cooking space compared to grills from the Big Green Egg.
With a Primo grill, you can accommodate about eight whole chickens at once. The Big Green Egg can hold about 11 chickens. But Primo Grill can accommodate more burgers compared to the Big Green Egg.
So, at the end of the day, the amount of food that the grill can handle depends on what you are cooking.
You can add racks to the Primo Grills to increase cooking space. This is a very huge advantage, as you can sometimes increase the cooking surface area by 280 square inches.
It can be said that when it comes to the cooking surface, you should go with Primo as it comes with more square inches.
6. Temperature Range
When it comes to this feature, both the grills are quite similar.
Primo can range from about 200 to 750° F. On the other hand, the Big Green Egg can be adjusted to 225 to 750° F. The difference in the degrees is very minuscule, but might be a big deal if you’re making food such as beef jerky.
If you need a grill to cook meat and burgers, you will be satisfied with any one of these grills. But, if you want to slow cook any type of food, we would suggest you go with the Primo.
7. Heat Retention
Primo comes with extra thick ceramic walls. These walls are further glazed with porcelain. That is why the exterior does not get any scratch marks on it.
Besides keeping the exterior in top-notch quality, this glazing and the layers also allow heat to be retained inside. It creates a tight seal that does not let any of the heat escape through.
That is why the Primo grill is the perfect choice when you plan on slow-cooking food.
Big Green Egg also comes with construction with a similar concept. So, it has a good heat retention capability as well.
If asked, we would say that both of these grills perform the same when it comes to heat retention.
8. Heat Distribution
Next, let’s talk about heat distribution. The Big Green Egg can heat up very fast and also keep a temperature at a steady rate.
But Primo offers you a dual-zone cooking surface. If you add on a cooking rack, you can create different heat zones. This way, you can use the same grill to both roast, and grill at the same time.
This can be a very good advantage, which is why we are choosing Primo in the sector.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Where Are Big Green Egg Grills Manufactured?
Big Green Egg grills are manufactured in Mexico. The location in which the grill is made does not make that big of a difference, because the company uses very high-quality material.
2. Can You Use Wood In A Primo Grill?
Yes, if needed you can use wood pellets on a Primo grill beside the usual charcoal.
3. Can You Cook An Entire Turkey On A Primo Grill?
Yes, Primo Grill has a lot of cooking surface area to offer, and therefore you can use it to cook an entire turkey.
Final Verdict
Although both the Primo and Big Green Egg grills might seem like they’re very similar, there are a few key differences.
These differences are what will help us make our final purchasing decision. Now that you know all about Primo grill vs Big Green Egg, you can make your buying decision easier.
While Primo has stuck to the traditional oval design of the kamado cooker, the Big Green Egg has a rounder shape. This might be a benefit for some, but a problem for the rest.
Each of these grills has its benefits and drawbacks. You should choose a grill depending on your needs.