Traeger vs. Big Green Egg

It's that time of year again, you can imagine the smell of it in the air! With spring coming in quickly, BBQ season is just around the corner and there is no better time to start looking for a new BBQ. Whether you are looking for a new addition or are just starting out as a BBQ chef, The Traeger Grill or The Big Green Egg are two options that you can't go wrong with. That being said, there are important differences and choosing between them can be a challenge.

The History

The Traeger brand started in 1985 and is known for their high-tech smokers. The Traeger Grill is made from stainless steel and has steel cooking grates with a porcelain coating. You are unlikely to see rust or a dent in the grill, however some of the models have a painted finish. The auger and fans are electric, thus will require being plugged in to work.

The Big Green Egg has been around since 1974 and is the superior ceramic kamado-style grill. Although ceramic can sound as though the grill is delicate, the walls are incredibly thick, and it is unlikely it will crack. The Big Green Egg is a charcoal grill BBQ, you can set it up anywhere you want but it does require a stand, nest, or designated table that is not included.

                   

Key Features/Differences 

The main difference between the Traeger Grill and the Big Green Egg is how these two make heat, because the difference influences the flavour outcome.

The Traeger Grill is a wood-fired pellet smoker. Wood-fire pellets are made by passing wood through a hammer mill, being pressed into the pellet shape and One nice thing about using wood pellets is you can choose different types of wood pellets to enhance flavours.

The Big Green Egg uses lump charcoal, which are chunks of hardwood that are charred to remove wood gases. Lump charcoal has been made and used for cooking/heating since fire was discovered, being considered one of the first cooking methods.

The real question is, which one will provide you with the flavour experience you are looking for?

Wood pellets are going to produce a smoother, smoke flavour and lump charcoal burns much like briquets, producing a smoke flavour that is going to be somewhat heavier. Both lump charcoal and pellets are made from hardwoods, like oak, maple, and hickory. Fruit woods can also be used to enhance flavor profiles. When choosing wood pellets, you can select different combinations of hardwoods and fruitwoods to get a blend that can really enhance the flavor profile. The lump charcoal can provide a nice, charred finish on your meat, giving that perfect crunchy texture. 

               


The Cooking System

The Traeger Grill is fully automatic, it's as easy as setting a temperature and a digital thermometer keeps the temperature steady. Traeger’s WiFire technology allows you to connect your smartphone or tablet via Wi-Fi to monitor and control your meal. Higher temps will mean more pellets, so make sure to keep your hopper full!

The Big Green Egg has a unique system of controlling temperatures, by using the upper and lower vents to manually regulate the temperature. This takes some time to learn and can be a problem when you accidentally let it get too hot. The ceramic does a great job of holding in heat, so it can be difficult to lower the temperature, even with the lid off. The Traeger is easier to manage, the Big Green Egg requires more attention.

The Traeger Grill and The Big Green Egg are simply outstanding cookers when compared to almost every other product on the market, they are all trying to be as good as these two. That is why you can’t go wrong with choosing either option, bringing your summer many tasteful and memorable experiences for friends and family to enjoy.