Getting Started
Now that you've purchased your Big Green EGG, it's time to start cooking!
CONGRATULATIONS!
Congratulations on purchasing a Big Green Egg! We know you are excited to start enjoying The Ultimate Cooking Experience! Please read over this guide and use it as a reference should you need it. Also, be sure to reference Big Green Egg's First Timer Tips and Safety Tips.
Be sure to reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns. We're always here to help!
Using Your EGG
The Big Green Egg is extremely safe and hazard-free when used according to safety guidelines, and will provide years of trouble-free use and enjoyment. It is the user’s responsibility to maintain safe operation of the EGG and to exercise reasonable standards of care at all times. Do not attempt to modify or use non-Big Green Egg components inside your EGG as you may void the warranty, and modifications can lead to damage or injury.
Don’t forget to read the Warranty and Register your EGG!
Filling
To fill your EGG, we recommend using Big Green Egg Lump Charcoal, made from a selection of 100% hardwoods. It will heat quickly and burn cleanly. This video will show you how to properly fill your EGG. Make sure you never use lighter fluid or quick light charcoal products – you don’t want it to taint the flavor of your food.
Lighting
Lighting the charcoal is always quick and easy, as the design of the Big Green Egg allows air flow to circulate efficiently. Use a natural charcoal starter or an electric starter and never buy lighter fluid again! The EGG reaches its optimal temperature within minutes when using the Big Green Egg brand of lump charcoal, made in the USA from select cuts of oak and hickory for superb performance and results.
Never Use Lighter Fluid
Lighter fluids permanently contaminate your EGG with petrochemicals that taint the flavor of your food. Instead, use Big Green Egg All Natural SpeediLight™ Charcoal Starters or our Electric Charcoal Starter, both of which are odor-free and the fastest method of reaching a cooking temperature without any exposure to chemical fumes. Do not use charcoal briquettes, self-starting charcoal, or other similar products in an EGG.
Do NOT Cook at High Temperatures Your First Use
This may damage the gasket before it can properly seat itself. Your first few cooks should be under 350°F/177°C to allow the gasket adhesive to fully cure and adhere to the EGG. If you do damage the gasket, you can easily replace it with a self-adhesive high temperature replacement gasket available from any Big Green Egg dealer.
Burping
Never quickly open a hot EGG all the way. Burping your EGG allows air to slowly and safely enter the dome, preventing any back draft or flare-ups that could cause a flash of heat to burn your hand. You should burp your EGG if you have been cooking at temperatures above 300°F/150°C. Be very careful when opening the dome.
First, raise the lid an inch or two and pause to “burp” it before raising the dome completely. This will allow the sudden rush of oxygen to burn safely inside the EGG without causing injury.
Relighting
Previous Big Green Egg cookouts leave behind a lot of leftover charcoal in the grill. Don’t let it go to waste! If you closed both the top and bottom openings after you finished cooking, the remaining charcoal can be reused. Before firing up the EGG, use an ash tool to rake the coals across the cast iron fire grate. The ash will fall through the holes of the grate and into the bottom of the EGG. Add charcoal if necessary to bring the level back to the top of the fire box.
Temperature Control
Big Green Egg gives you total, precise temperature control right at your fingertips! You can grill, smoke, and bake your food at accurate temperatures by easily adjusting the patented air flow controls. The “Made in USA precision temperature gauge” provides accuracy to 750°F/ 400°C. Many indoor ovens cannot match this exactness!
The temperature control system of the Big Green Egg allows you to cook in every season and weather condition – even rain or snow! Thanks to its high-tech ceramic composition, an EGG will endure and maintain extreme temperature differences irrespective of the weather. However, be sure to close an unused EGG and never allow rain or snow to enter the cooker.
Should the interior of an EGG get wet, burn off any residue or moisture by drying it out completely and lighting a small amount of charcoal to no more than 350°F/ 177°C.