Trying to find a good grill that does exactly what you want it to can be a challenging task, but the Big Green Egg grill and the Akorn grill are excellent options. What are the differences between these two grills? Which one would be best for you? Let’s find out!
The Big Green Egg grill is made from ceramics and has a bigger cooking surface. It is highly durable but carries a high price tag. The Akorn grill is made from steel, and most come with a tiered grill, and they are also durable, but they are a lot cheaper than the Big Green Eggs.
What are the benefits and drawbacks of a Big Green Egg grill? How do these compare with the benefits and drawbacks of an Akorn grill? Keep reading to find out!
What the Difference Between a Big Green Egg and an Akorn?
There is nothing better than taking out the grill on a hot summer’s day to grill up a couple of hot dogs and hamburgers for the family, or better yet, to smoke a brisket. This is most family’s ideal summer’s day.
However, before you have the opportunity to make these perfect summer’s day dreams come true, you need to buy a grill that suits your needs best. When shopping around for your grill, you may have come across the Big Green Egg and the Akorn.
These two grill options are excellent grills, and they both provide a good place to cook your hamburgers, but what exactly is the difference between the two? What functions does each grill provide? You need to know this information before you decide to buy one over the other.
So, let’s go through how these two grills differ from each other, what their benefits and drawbacks are, and which one might suit you best.
Information About the Big Green Egg Grills
The Big Green Egg has existed for a long time in the grill industry. This grill has been in the market since the company was founded in 1974.
The Big Green Egg company took advantage of their grill’s unique shape to maximize their marketing and increase their sales, which is why they are still in business today. From their great marketing, this company has developed die-hard fans that like to go by the nickname Eggheads.
The company has stated that its grills are made from NASA-inspired ceramics that are vegan-friendly, 100% organic, and good enough to be used in Michelin star restaurants. This has made the Big Green Egg grill regarded as the gold standard of kamado grills.
The Big Green Egg is offered in many different color options and size options, so you can easily find one that fits your garden.
The Benefits of a Big Green Egg Grill
Now that you know more about this grill, we can go over some of the benefits of owning one, so you can weigh up if it’s worth it for you. The Big Green Egg has some good benefits due to the material it’s made from.
These grills are made from construction-ceramic, which means they are extremely durable and will be able to handle everything you throw at them. So, if you purchase your own Big Green Egg, you will most likely have it for many years, if not decades to come.
You can use a Big Green Egg grill as a stand-alone unit in your garden for a good family BBQ, or you can incorporate this grill into a built-in outdoor kitchen. Meaning this grill is highly versatile in its capabilities.
The Big Green Egg offers reliable temperature control as it has an easy-to-use air vent and thermometer built-in.
Another great benefit of Big Green Egg grills is that they have many customized accessories available to you as the customer at an extra fee, so you can do a lot with this grill.
The Drawbacks of a Big Green Egg Grill
Even though the Big Green Egg has some great benefits if you buy one for yourself, the grill also has a few drawbacks that you should be aware of before you buy it. These drawbacks can put some people off buying one. So, let’s go through them to see if you think this grill will suit you.
The first drawback is that these grills tend to be more expensive when it comes to backyard cooking. Even though these grills are of good quality, they are slightly more expensive than they should be.
Even the smallest-sized grill in the Big Green Egg range can cost you quite a bit. The price will depend on where you live and where you buy it, but they are generally more expensive than the other options.
The other drawback is that the Big Green Egg only offers a single-tier cooking system. This can cause some frustration if you want to use your grill in an outdoor kitchen, as it seriously restricts the unit’s versatility.
Information About Akorn Grills
Now that you know more about the Big Green Egg and what you can expect if you buy one for yourself, we can go over the information about the Akorn grill. The Akorn grill is a product from the company Char-Griller.
This company hasn’t existed as long as the Big Green Egg company, but it still has some good experience in the grill-making industry, as it was founded in 1994. This grill is also a kamado-style grill, so it directly competes with the Big Green Egg grill.
The Akorn grill is made from steel and comes in different sizes, so you can find one that fits your garden perfectly, to the point where there is even a junior size option, so if you have a really small garden, you can still grill. The Akorn grill is available in three different colors: red, blue, or graphite.
The Benefits of an Akorn Grill
Now that you know more about the Akorn grill, we can go through some of the benefits they offer, so you can know precisely what to expect if you buy one for yourself.
Akorn grills are quite durable as they are made from construction steel, so the grill will last you a few years if you look after it. One of the best things about the Akorn grill is that it has great insulation made from good quality material.
This insulation makes the Akorn great for hot smoking meats, as the grill will hold the temperature well and for the time needed to smoke the meat. This grill also has a broad temperature range, which means you can cook almost anything on it, and it will come out perfectly.
Akorn grills are generally quite versatile units, as they tend to offer a larger cooking surface and an extra warming rack inside the unit. This makes the most of the Akorn models a tiered system, so you can cook more food at once.
One of the best benefits of the Akorn grill is its relatively affordable price tag. So, you won’t need to clear out your savings to buy one of these grills.
The Drawbacks of an Akorn Grill
So, the Akorn grill has some pretty good benefits to owning it, but it also has a few drawbacks that you must know about prior to you deciding that this is the grill for you out of these two options. Like the Big Green Egg, these drawbacks can put some people off buying it.
So, you need to know this information to ensure you don’t regret your purchase. There are two main drawbacks to the Akorn grill. The first one is that the cooking gates on the grill may require you to replace them frequently as they suffer from wear and tear easily.
The second drawback is that some of the parts of the Akorn grill are not made from quality material, and they can be prone to rust. This means that you will need to replace a few parts of this grill once every few years, even if you take care of it.
This means the grill might not last you as long as you would have hoped, and replacing the parts every few years completely crosses out the savings you had when first buying the unit.
How Do These Grills Compare with Each Other?
Now that you know more about both of these grill options, including the good, the bad, and the somewhat ugly truths about them, you need to know how these two grills compare with each other. After all, you are trying to find the best grill out of the two for your summer BBQs with the family.
So, let’s put these two grills against each other to help you determine which one will suit you and your BBQ needs best.
How They Compare in Affordability
First, we will look at is how these two grills compare in price. As previously mentioned, though, the pricing of these grills will vary depending on where you live and where you buy them.
As the Big Green Egg grill is a leader in the grill industry, these grills are known for having high price tags. Due to their notoriety, they can charge more for their products, and people will still buy them.
The Akorn grill from Char-Grillers represents a more budget-friendly option to many backyard BBQers. Even though this grill option is still not considered cheap by any means, it is the more affordable option between these two grill brands. The only trade-off, though, is the difference in quality. So, in the affordability category, the Akorn grill is cheaper to buy.
Comparing Their Grilling Grates
The grilling grates of the Akorn grill are made out of cast iron, which gives them more durability and helps the grates retain more heat. This means you will cook your food better on these grates. These grates are also easy to clean, so you can relax longer after your BBQ.
The Big Green Egg grill has its primary grates made from stainless steel. While stainless steel is still a good quality material and is also great at retaining heat for perfectly cooked meat, stainless steel is difficult to clean.
So, both grills have good grilling grates, with the only difference being how easy or not they are to clean.
Comparing Their Durability and Structure
Durability and structure are important considerations when deciding between two different grills. The Akorn grill has a few problems in its durability and structure, as you will need to replace a few parts once every few years to keep the grill operational.
However, for the material the Akorn grill is made from, it does offer some good durability that won’t crack when the exterior is hit.
The Big Green Egg grill is more durable in the long run and won’t require you to replace various parts if you take care of it. However, the grill is made from ceramics, which means you need to be extra careful with it, or it could crack.
If this takes place, you will need to buy a new one as the repair might cost just as much as buying one. So, in their structure, both grills have their downsides, but the Big Green Egg tends to be more durable.
Which Grill Is Best for You?
Deciding on which of these grills suits you better can be a challenging task. So, here are a few guidelines that could help you make your decision.
If you have a budget, like to grill hamburgers, like in a cold climate where ceramic could crack if left outdoors, and you are looking for a decent-sized grill that comes with a built-in stand, then an Akorn grill is best for you.
If you are not on a budget, need a lot of cooking space, what a traditional ceramic grill, and what to be able to cook a wide variety of foods on your grill, then maybe the Big Green Egg is the grill for you.
Final Thoughts
Both the Akon grill and the Big Green Egg grill have their good qualities and their bad qualities, but they are both good grills and will do the job you want them to do.
You can do more with a Big Green Egg, but if you only want to have a normal family BBQ, this grill seems like overkill, but the Akorn also has its limits. Hopefully, this information aids you in your decision on which is the best grill for you. Good luck!
Ben has a bachelor’s degree in construction engineering. When not constructing or remodeling X-Ray Rooms, Cardiovascular Labs, and Pharmacies, you can find him at home with wife and two daughters. Outside of family, He loves grilling and barbequing on his Big Green Egg and Blackstone Griddle, as well as working on projects around the house.
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