Welcome to the EGGhead Forum - a great place to visit and packed with tips and EGGspert advice! You can also join the conversation and get more information and amazing kamado recipes by following Big Green Egg to Experience our World of Flavor™ at:
Facebook  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Pinterest  |  Youtube  |  Vimeo
Share your photos by tagging us and using the hashtag #BigGreenEgg.

Want to see how the EGG is made? Click to Watch

Kamado Joe Struggle

I am not a troll.  I have had a Big Joe II for about 2 years.  I don't know what is going on but I keep going into BGE dealers and looking at the XL. It's like at least once a week I go in and rub and touch a BGE.  I want a BGE but I'm having a hard time trying to justify the purchase and what to do with my BJ II.  I could sell it to my son or son-in-law but my wife said how can you sell them something you don't want.  Then I get this guilty feeling.  After about a week, I get over that guilty feeling and go out shopping again.  Now, I am even posting on a BGE forum asking for advice.  My wife is ok with the purchase so that hurdle is over.  I have had a lot of things break on my BJ II but the company has eventually gotten all my parts replaced.  The one thing that has not worked out is my firebox ring is broken in two and has been since last March.  I JB welded it.  They are saying now that my ETA is February/March '22.

The one thing I have noticed is the firebox of the BGE XL is much bigger (wider) than the Big Joe II.

Is there any words of comfort you could share?  Or am I on my own on this one?

«13

Comments

  • Long story and you lost me a little.  Is your wife pro BJ or not?
  • WeberWho
    WeberWho Posts: 11,008
    Forget the troll above and welcome to the forum!

    Why BGE and not your current Big Joe? I'd imagine the Kamado Joe and Big Green Egg cook the same. Both companies have lifetime warranty. I'm not sure it's worth the jump going Kamado to another Kamado. Both great companies with good lifetime warranties. 
    "The pig is an amazing animal. You feed a pig an apple and it makes bacon. Let's see Michael Phelps do that" - Jim Gaffigan

    Minnesota
  • I assume it’s about the same cooker, probably close to the same experience. I’ve never rubbed a bj 2 so I can’t help you there. Get the egg and gift your kids the bj then you can have good bbq when you visit them.  
     I am also curious what you keep breaking on the joe. You should ask the egg dealer how they handle claims, if they scratch their head then you may want to get one elsewhere. There was a rash of xl bases cracking a year or so ago but I haven’t heard much on that lately.
      
    South of Columbus, Ohio.


  • What is it about the xl you like better? Do you run out of room for.cooks on the kj? I have an XL and a Joe Jr.
  • TEXASBGE2018
    TEXASBGE2018 Posts: 3,831
    edited November 2021
    Before deciding on my Large a few years back I looked at the kamado joes, they felt like cheap knockoffs with plastic parts everywhere. On par with the cheap pitboss or vision kamados that you get at Costco. You can get all the cool accessories for an egg from the Ceramic Grill Store. Some people love the"innovation" of KJ with their adjustable racks and  hyperbolic smoke chambers I think it's cheesy for the most part. There is a reason all these rip off companies try to mimic BGE. Ultimately it's your money, buy what you want. Me, I hate the color red so give me the Green one any day of the week.


    Rockwall, Tx    LBGE, Minimax, 22" Blackstone, Pizza Party Bollore. Cast Iron Hoarder.

  • BGE is a knock-off of a Japanese style cooker that's been around for millennia. 
    Yes, this is true but to me there is a clear difference in craftsmanship with a BGE versus a KJ. I compared them side by side for weeks and there is just something about the BGE that feels like it's better.


    Rockwall, Tx    LBGE, Minimax, 22" Blackstone, Pizza Party Bollore. Cast Iron Hoarder.

  • BGE is a knock-off of a Japanese style cooker that's been around for millennia. 
    Yes, this is true but to me there is a clear difference in craftsmanship with a BGE versus a KJ. I compared them side by side for weeks and there is just something about the BGE that feels like it's better.
    Green paint?
    "I've made a note never to piss you two off." - Stike
  • BGE is a knock-off of a Japanese style cooker that's been around for millennia. 
    Yes, this is true but to me there is a clear difference in craftsmanship with a BGE versus a KJ. I compared them side by side for weeks and there is just something about the BGE that feels like it's better.
    Green paint?
    No the paint color is secondary. The KJ just felt like it would fall apart after about 5 years outdoors whereas the Egg felt like I could give it to my son 30 years from now with minimal upkeep. The KJ when I was looking at them had plastic parts everywhere, that would eventually become brittle and break off.


    Rockwall, Tx    LBGE, Minimax, 22" Blackstone, Pizza Party Bollore. Cast Iron Hoarder.

  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    Long story and you lost me a little.  Is your wife pro BJ or not?
    Rude.
    Fix N2
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • cookingdude555
    cookingdude555 Posts: 3,188
    edited November 2021
    I had two kamado joes, and the ceramic did not "seem" to be the same quality as BGE, I eventually sold both of them.  This video of how primos are made helped illustrate the cheapness of lesser quality kamados such as vision and kamado joe compared to primo and bge.

    https://youtu.be/mxjh43Pyr0s?t=321

    Head to 5:21 if you want to see what happens when you refire all 4 of the grills according to primos specifications when they are made.
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    I think the BGE does survive a kiln better than a KJ, but that's not anything we put our kamados through unless there's a house fire.  Real world ceramic performance is another story, although I don't know who's better....just about everyone has had some ceramic component crack.

    Personally I like the idea of shipped warranty service so I don't have to haggle/deal with small shop owners trying to avoid warranty service, or minimizing their cost by getting parts on the "next" delivery which could be months.

    Just to be devil's advocate (not that I have an opinion either way)...


    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • nolaegghead
    nolaegghead Posts: 42,102
    That said, the BGE is definitely the brand to have if brands are important to you, the one that says you're a hard-core kamado guy. 
    ______________________________________________
    I love lamp..
  • yeah, I am not a hater on either side either.  I bought both, used both, and decided I liked the quality of the egg better.  I wont melt my kamados to test them out, so its a valid point.  To be really honest, webers are my original love, and there is just always a place there for me.
  • GeboM
    GeboM Posts: 9
    Thanks for the great info.  I have noticed the firebox on the BGE appears to be much wider/larger on the XL as compared to the Big Joe Ii.  

    The Primo video was very informative. The other video (why I sold my BGE) oI have seen and that guy is paid by KJ so I take what he says with a few grains of salt. 


  • I’ve had a classic Joe for years and love it. Had an issue with a cracked firebox that was handled and shipped straight to my house with just one email and a form submission. I think they both have their advantages but I don’t think I would sell one for the other. If it was me I would the money or use it for a Santa Maria cooker, a blackstone or a pellet grill just to learn something different. 
  • When I was shopping for my kamado, I visited a dealer who sold both KJ and BGE. I always assumed his favouritism was a result of his margins, but he strongly favoured the BGE and spoke specifically about the ceramics while saying that he only sold KJs because his boss made him. 

    Personally, I see pros and cons on both sides. One of the pros of the KJ used to be price, but I feel like that gap has closed considerably.  
  • RyanStl
    RyanStl Posts: 1,050
    I have a friend that loves his KJ.  I love my eggs, but if I already had a KJ I wouldn't bother selling just to get a BGE unless I was switching sizes and don't want two grills.
  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053
    BGE is a knock-off of a Japanese style cooker that's been around for millennia. 
    Yes, this is true but to me there is a clear difference in craftsmanship with a BGE versus a KJ. I compared them side by side for weeks and there is just something about the BGE that feels like it's better.
    Green paint?
    No the paint color is secondary. The KJ just felt like it would fall apart after about 5 years outdoors whereas the Egg felt like I could give it to my son 30 years from now with minimal upkeep. The KJ when I was looking at them had plastic parts everywhere, that would eventually become brittle and break off.
    Thats funny cause Atlanta Grill Company was the largest egg dealer in the world then started carrying KJ. When people saw them side by side they told me they sold the KJ like 4 out of 5 times and the KJ wasnt the cheaper option. It got so bad they quit carrying eggs. If I had to get another ceramic kamado it would be a KJ for sure.
  • Langner91
    Langner91 Posts: 2,120
    I have been around Primo, Eggs, and KJ's.  All very nice grills.  All have a feature or two that I like.  At the end of the day, I went with BGE because it is recognizable and I figured it was here to stay.

    Honestly, isn't it sorta like buying a Buick and not being able to get the Cadillac out of your head?  I mean, both do exactly the same thing, both are very similar in construction, but one is the more recognizable brand. 

    The Egg is certainly more recognizable, if you are into that sort of thing.  But a steak off an Egg tastes just like a steak off a KJ.

    Give the KJ to your son, get an egg, hang out here, you will feel better!
    Clinton, Iowa
  • Coming from a guy who bought boot rub to season his cast iron pans I think you would pretty much believe anything a salesman says. 
    South of Columbus, Ohio.


  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053
    Coming from a guy who bought boot rub to season his cast iron pans I think you would pretty much believe anything a salesman says. 
    I see you cant read 
  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053
    Coming from a guy who bought boot rub to season his cast iron pans I think you would pretty much believe anything a salesman says. 
    Man i need a good forum handle what should it be? Im gonna go with Alaskan assassin that sounds badass. What a loser
  • That nickname was given to me years ago, much like the one given to you @litisadouche
    South of Columbus, Ohio.


  • xfire_ATX
    xfire_ATX Posts: 1,110
    Lit said:
    Thats funny cause Atlanta Grill Company was the largest egg dealer in the world then started carrying KJ. When people saw them side by side they told me they sold the KJ like 4 out of 5 times and the KJ wasnt the cheaper option. It got so bad they quit carrying eggs. If I had to get another ceramic kamado it would be a KJ for sure.
    My dealer tells me the same- they sell 4 to 1 KJ to BGE once they started stocking them.  But every time I go there its the BGEs that are outside lined up.

    Thread Hijack...
    My neighbor sold me his LBGE years ago when he bought the XL from the Eggfest.  He is now fully in the Treager Pellet camp and is working up a price for me to buy his XL.
    1. Any warranty I need he has and will start the process for me.
    2. I can turn around and sell my Large and extras to lower the cost
    3. The Mrs is wondering why I need a larger egg with 3 of us (2 years) 2 of us.

    For me I read on here so many people like the XL and yes 2x a year I need more space but help me sell the Mrs please.
    XLBGE, LBGECharbroil Gas Grill, Weber Q2000, Old Weber Kettle, Yeti 65, Yeti Hopper 20, RTIC 20, RTIC 20 Soft Side - Too many drinkware vessels to mention.

    Not quite in Austin, TX City Limits
    Just Vote- What if you could choose "none of the above" on an election ballot? Millions of Americans do just that, in effect, by not voting.  The result in 2016: "Nobody" won more counties, more states, and more electoral votes than either candidate for president. 
  • I think the BGE does survive a kiln better than a KJ, but that's not anything we put our kamados through unless there's a house fire.  Real world ceramic performance is another story, although I don't know who's better....just about everyone has had some ceramic component crack.

    Personally I like the idea of shipped warranty service so I don't have to haggle/deal with small shop owners trying to avoid warranty service, or minimizing their cost by getting parts on the "next" delivery which could be months.

    Just to be devil's advocate (not that I have an opinion either way)...


    Does he have another video where he talks about leaving the Eggheadforum because JIC ruined it?  
    "I've made a note never to piss you two off." - Stike
  • GeboM
    GeboM Posts: 9
    This is an interesting forum. 
  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053
    Lit said:
    That nickname was given to me years ago, much like the one given to you @litisadouche
    I remember now. You used to fill your mouth with ice cubes and let your boyfriend assassinate it. An Alaskan Assassin 
    That would make him the assassin genius. Your shots weak bro, go hang out with bbq salesman and pick up some more pointers so you have something to talk about.
    It was actually the owner and your boyfriend said your shot is weak
  • @Lit do yourself a solid, bro, and lay-off the homoerotic imagery.  It’s not a good move, it smells of desperation or longing.  One of those.