Rad5 said:

Today I checked out a KJ at an area Ace Hardware and those grills aren't for me. I feel as if they are a knock off of the BGE. I am sure they are great, but they weren't calling my name like the BGE does. Also, I wasn't very fond of the color, they looked more orange than red. I have a nice patio and I think that thing would stick out like a traffic cone. This forum has been great and I really enjoy the following the BGE has compared to the KJ site. My mind is made up. Green is for me!

Great choice and if I could hit the agree button more than once I would........ Oh and welcome to the cult!

There are other Kamado forums with owners from ALL brands. Green is not as well represented....

Lady Gaga may owe you a licensing fee arising from being the first to be wrapped/covered in meat.  

Rad5 said:

Hello. I am upgrading my old propane smoker and I was thinking of getting a Kamado style grill. I like the idea of having a smoker, grill, and oven. Besides making BBQ, love making pizzas, roasts, grilling meats and vegetables. Getting a Kamado seems like a great fit. I have done some research on line and I see there are 2 very popular brands. I’m trying to decide…a Big Green Egg or a Kamado Joe? Please tell me why the BGE is a better choice. I have never owned a ceramic grill so any advice would be appreciated.

Green is a happy color, red is an angry color, I like to be happy when I'm cooking.

I didn't read all the nonsense above, but the brands make comparable products -- you'll get the same results. 

Warranty:  the BGE sounds better, but depends on your situation.

Heed this:  Knowing what I know now, I would not buy from BGE if there's only one dealer near you and they are not committed.  Feel out the dealers, look on this forum.  I'd rather have the Kamado Joe and mail service warranty than a BGE with a crappy dealer.  And the reverse of that.

KJ makes a great product, as does BGE. I was very happy with my initial purchase of an XL, so I bought another, the MM.
It really comes down to this; Service.
In my situation, I have had great support from my dealer, as well as the mothership. That was key for me. I use mine every chance I get, and if there was an Issue where I can't or couldn't, then I would have a very expensive patio weight in a green happy color.
The support for your cooking investment is key. Go with the one you will feel comfortable with. Your dealer will be your partner, so invest the time and do the research before investing the money.
I will also say this forum has been extremely beneficial for support as well. These folks are incredible, they have helped me so much. I continue to learn, which is significant, in my view.
Good luck and have fun.

Why are some people saying the BGE warranty is better than the KJ warranty?  They both have full lifetime warranties on the ceramics, and KJ ships the parts straight to your house rather than having to go through a dealer.  Am I missing something ?

SunDeviledEgg said:

Why are some people saying the BGE warranty is better than the KJ warranty?  They both have full lifetime warranties on the ceramics, and KJ ships the parts straight to your house rather than having to go through a dealer.  Am I missing something ?

Yeah, I wondered that myself.  I've had a warranty replacement on my firebox and ring.  They were delivered to my door 3 days after calling.

theres a bourbon slushie recipe wheres the bourbon slushie recipe?

bigbadben said:

KJ headquarters have set a new bar on level of service. 

agree wholeheartedly!!!

i emailed kj about a support issue and had an answer within an hour.  i emailed bge regarding a warranty issue and its been over a month (3/18) with no response whatsoever!!!

Hmmmm... Maybe we should all sell our eggs for whatever we can get for them and become Joeheads instead of Eggheads.

OneNole03 said:

I dont think you could go wrong with either. I just got my xl this past weekend thanks to an amazing deal. 

I am curious though,  i do have 4 maybe 5 egg dealers within a 5 mile radius of my home. Can I easily go to whichever dealer I want for warranty claims as the dealer I bought my egg from is over an hour away?

yes

Check the local dealers out.  If they only have one egg on the floor and a few products, you might want to move on down the list.  I live on the south side of Atlanta with a dealer 5 miles away.  I will drive 40 miles to one of the north side of town because they truly believe in the egg and are all active eggers.  Just ask any of the Atlanta folks about Roswell Hardware.....

I've had to replace my ring and firebox from cracks that eventually made them unstable.  Packed them up in the car and made the pilgrimage to Roswell HW where I was walking out the door with new parts in less than 3 minutes.

Oh, and in this commute, I drive within 10 miles of BGE HQ, but I like the people at the hardware store better!

Its the dealer network that will sell you on the deal. 

I can't speak highly enough of the folks at Wassai's there in Melbourne.  I had a friend that couldn't make it to their festival last year and she offered me the tickets last second.  I was able to call Janet over there and she transferred the tickets to another friend out of Orlando who just recently got her egg in a divorce.  She was a little scared of the egg, but is now cruising along like a pro.