10 Terrific Tips for the Big Green Egg

Tip #1

Never use Lighter fluid to start your Big Green Egg! Instead, use all-natural charcoal starts or an electric lighter, such as the EGGniter or the Looft Lighter. Using premium lump charcoal is very important as well. We recommend Big Green Egg or FOGO brand charcoal.

Tip #2

Always “burp” your Egg before open it. This means lifting the lid a few inches to let the heat out before opening the lid all the way. Burping your Egg saves you from getting blasted with too much heat!

Tip #3

Keep all the vents open when lighting your charcoal, and don’t close the lid anytime during the first 10 minutes your grill is lit.

Tip #4

Indirect smoking and grilling is very convenient and delicious for many recipes. To achieve indirect heat, place a ceramic convEGGtor inside your Egg.

Tip #5

Pre-heat to 200 degrees after setting up for slow cooking in order to cold smoke your meats. Add ice to a pan and place it on top of the convEGGtor, and put the food you want to cold smoke on top of that.

Tip #6

Big Green Egg carries a wide selection of flavored woodchips to use while grilling and smoking. This adds delicious flavor to your meal, from cherry to apple, or even hickory!

Tip #7

Light all of your coals for direct grilling meats like burgers, steaks, and pork chops. You can preheat to approximately 650 degrees and open the top and bottom vents completely. Sear your meat one minute on each side, then lower the lid to seal in moisture and infuse incredible smokey flavor into your cuts.

Tip #8

Use less charcoal for high heating. Less charcoal will allow more oxygen to flow, getting the grill really hot for searing.

Tip #9

Bring the temperature up very slowly for low and slow smoking. If the egg gets hot too fast, it will be difficult to bring the temperature down because of the heavy ceramic insulation of the egg.

Tip #10

Use a water bath with plenty of water when smoking. The water adds humidity to the air which is good for the meat and also makes clean up much easier by catching the drippings. Place the pan on top of the ConvEGGtor (affiliate). You can use disposable aluminum drip pans or restaurant steam pans work great too.