Primo vs Kamado Joe vs Big Green Egg: Which Kamado Should You Buy?

Primo, Kamado Joe and Big Green Egg are the three ceramic kamado brands most shoppers end up comparing. All three burn lump charcoal, hold heat for hours and can grill, smoke, roast and bake. The differences come down to shape, size, features, warranty, price and where each cooker is built.

We sell Primo, so we will say that up front. To keep this fair, every number for Kamado Joe and Big Green Egg below comes from the makers' own spec pages and warranty documents, checked on October 31, 2026. You can also shop every Primo kamado we carry or compare all kamado grills in one place. For the bigger picture on US-built brands, see our guide to made in USA grills or browse our luxury grills.

Kamado Joe vs Primo vs Big Green Egg at a Glance

Here is how the three ceramic kamado brands line up on the points shoppers ask about most. First, the built-in versions in the same family size: each cooker on its own, ready to set into an island or table.

The cooking area numbers below are what each maker publishes for its own grills.

• Biggest difference: the Primo oval gives you two separate cooking zones in one firebox.
• Most features in the box: Kamado Joe, especially the Series III grills.
• Most sizes: Big Green Egg, with seven.
• Built in the USA: only Primo.

Oval vs Round: Why Shape Matters on a Ceramic Kamado

Most ceramic kamado grills are round. Primo is the oval one, and that shape changes how you cook more than any other spec on this page.

Two-zone cooking on the Primo oval

The oval firebox

The long oval firebox lets you pile lump charcoal on one side and leave the other side open. One side sears steaks over direct heat while the other side roasts or smokes with indirect heat. Primo also sells a cast iron firebox divider that splits the fire into two halves.

• Sear and smoke at the same time.
• Fits a full rack of ribs or a long brisket with less trimming.
• Set up a heat deflector on one half only.

How round kamados handle two zones

A round grill can still cook two ways at once. Kamado Joe uses its Divide & Conquer system, a set of half-moon racks and plates that can sit at different heights. Big Green Egg offers its EGGspander kit for a similar multi-level setup. Both work well. The difference is that a round firebox puts the hot and cool areas closer together, so the two zones are smaller than on an oval of similar size.

Which shape is easier to learn?

Neither shape is hard. A round kamado is a little simpler for a first cook because the fire sits in the middle and heat spreads evenly. The oval takes one or two cooks to learn where the hot and cool spots are, and after that most owners use the two zones every time they light it. If you mostly smoke one big cut at a time, either shape works. If you like to sear and roast at the same time, the oval is the easier kamado grill to live with.

• Kamado Joe: Divide & Conquer half-moon racks for different heights and heat levels.
• Big Green Egg: EGGspander accessory kits, sold separately.
• Primo: the oval shape plus an optional firebox divider and half-moon accessories.

Where Each Ceramic Grill Is Made

This is the one point where the three brands are not close. Only one of them builds its ceramic grill in the USA.

Primo: built in Poplar Bluff, Missouri

Primo makes its ceramic grills at its plant in Poplar Bluff, Missouri. George Samaras founded the company in 1996, and it has been owned by Empire Comfort Systems of Belleville, Illinois, since 2019. Primo is the only brand on this page that can say its ceramic cookers are built in the USA.

Kamado Joe: made in China

Kamado Joe ceramic grills are made in China. The brand is known for packing a lot of features into each grill at its price.

Big Green Egg: made in Mexico, based in Atlanta

The Big Green Egg Company is based in Atlanta, Georgia, and was founded by Ed Fisher in 1974. Its ceramic cookers are made in Monterrey, Mexico.

• Primo: made in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.
• Kamado Joe: made in China.
• Big Green Egg: headquartered in Atlanta, made in Monterrey, Mexico.

Sizes and Cooking Area Compared

Matching sizes is tricky because each brand measures a little differently. Primo and Big Green Egg list the main grate. Kamado Joe lists a maximum cooking space for each grill. We used each maker's own number and grouped the grills by size class.

What the sizes mean in real cooking

• Primo Oval Large 300 vs Classic Joe vs Large Egg: the Primo has the most main grate area of the three family-size grills.
• Primo XL 400 vs Big Joe vs XL Egg: the Big Joe and XL Egg list more area. The Primo XL is longer and narrower, which suits racks of ribs and a whole brisket.
• Primo XXL 500 vs 2XL Egg: the 2XL is the largest grill on this page. Kamado Joe has no grill in this class.
• Extra racks: Primo lists 360, 495, 680 and 850 sq. in. for the Junior, Large, XL and XXL with its optional rack system.

Here are the large grills side by side, each as the cooker alone.

Features and Accessories

All three are thick ceramic cookers with a top vent and a bottom draft door. The extras are where they split apart.

Primo

Primo features

• Oval firebox for two-zone cooking.
• Two-piece split stainless cooking grate.
• Ceramic heat deflector kits for indirect cooking.
• Optional cast iron firebox divider, searing grates, rotisserie kit and pizza stone.
• Grill only for a built-in island, All-In-One with a cradle and shelves, carts, and cypress tables.

Kamado Joe

Kamado Joe Series III features

• Divide & Conquer three-tier flexible cooking system.
• SloRoller insert that turns the grill into a smoker.
• Kontrol Tower top vent that holds its setting when you open the dome.
• Air Lift hinge that makes the heavy dome lighter to lift.
• Stainless steel charcoal basket, stainless grates and a double-thick gasket.
• 225°F to 750°F listed temperature range.

Series I and Series II grills cost less and leave out some of these features, so check the series before you compare prices.

Kamado Joe grill series in plain terms

• Joe Jr: a 13.5 inch portable kamado grill.
• Classic Joe: the 18 inch Kamado Joe grill, sold in Series I, II and III, on a cart or as a standalone.
• Big Joe: the 24 inch Kamado Joe grill, also in Series I, II and III.
• Standalone: the grill without its cart, for a table or a built-in island.

Big Green Egg

Big Green Egg features

• Seven sizes, the widest range of the three.
• EGG sold on its own, with nests, tables and other add-ons sold separately.
• convEGGtor heat deflector for indirect cooking.
• EGGspander kits for multi-level cooking, sold separately.
• Sold through authorized dealers, which the warranty requires.

Building a kamado into an outdoor kitchen

All three brands sell a version without a cart, so you can set the cooker into an island. A ceramic grill is heavy, so plan the cutout and the support before you build.

• Primo: buy the grill only and set it into the island or a cypress table.
• Kamado Joe: buy a standalone Classic Joe or Big Joe.
• Big Green Egg: buy the EGG alone and set it into a table or island.
• Airflow: leave room in front of the bottom draft door so you can adjust it and clean out ash.
• Materials: use a non-combustible island and follow the maker's install guide for clearances.
• Next to gas: a kamado pairs well with a gas grill in the same island, one for fast weeknight cooks and one for smoking.

Heat Retention and Temperature Control

Heat retention is why people buy a ceramic kamado instead of a standard charcoal grill. It is the heart of kamado cooking. Thick ceramic walls hold heat, so all three can run low and slow for hours on one load of lump charcoal, then open up for high-heat searing.

Smoking low and slow

• Set up indirect heat with a heat deflector: Primo heat deflectors, the Kamado Joe deflector plates or SloRoller, or the Big Green Egg convEGGtor.
• Add a few wood chunks to the lump charcoal for smoke flavor.
• Use the bottom draft door for big changes and the top vent for small ones.
• Close both vents to shut the fire down and save the leftover charcoal.

Searing and pizza

• Open both vents and let the fire build for high heat.
• On a Primo, bank the coals on one side for a hot sear zone.
• Use a pizza stone over a heat deflector to bake pizza and bread.
• Burp the lid, opening it a little first, when the grill is very hot.

Lump charcoal and lighting

• Use natural lump charcoal, not briquettes, in any ceramic kamado.
• Light it with a fire starter cube or an electric starter, not lighter fluid, which the ceramic can soak up.
• Fill the firebox to just below the fire ring for long cooks.
• Stir out old ash before each cook so air can flow through the grate.

Temperature targets for common cooks

• Ribs, pork shoulder and brisket: 225°F to 275°F with a heat deflector.
• Whole chicken and roasts: 325°F to 375°F.
• Pizza and bread: 500°F and up on a stone over a deflector.
• Steaks: as hot as the grill will go, then finish on the cooler side.

Use a good probe thermometer for the meat. The dome thermometer reads the air near the top of the dome, which can run a little different from the temperature at the grate.

In our experience, all three hold a steady temperature once you learn the vents. Shape matters more than brand when you want two very different temperatures at once, and that is where the oval Primo stands out.

Warranty Compared

All three brands cover the ceramics for life. The fine print on metal parts, deflectors and gaskets is where they differ.

• Primo: warranty applies to the original purchaser. International claims go through a local dealer.
• Kamado Joe: covers the part only, not labor.
• Big Green Egg: must be bought from an authorized dealer and registered. EGGs bought from unauthorized online resellers are not covered.

Price Compared

Prices change often, so treat these as a snapshot from October 31, 2026. Primo prices are ours. Kamado Joe and Big Green Egg prices are the list prices on each maker's US website.

Family-size grills

Large grills

Kamado Joe also lists a Big Joe Series I at $1,499.99 and a Series II at $2,299.99.

Extra-large grills

Kamado Joe does not make a grill in this size.

Accessories to budget for

• A heat deflector for smoking, if it is not included.
• A fitted cover for a grill that lives outside.
• Natural lump charcoal and a few bags of wood chunks.
• A probe thermometer for the meat.
• An ash tool and heat-resistant gloves.
• A pizza stone if you plan to bake.

When you compare, check what comes in the box. A Primo All-In-One and a Kamado Joe on its cart come ready to use. Big Green Egg lists the EGG alone, with nests, tables and other add-ons priced separately, so add what you need before you compare.

Is Primo Better Than Big Green Egg?

For two-zone cooking and for buyers who want a grill built in the USA, yes. The oval Primo gives you a true hot side and cool side, and it is built in Missouri. Primo also has more main grate area than the Large Egg in the family size, at 300 sq. in. against 262.

• Pick Primo: two zones, US-built, a longer grate for ribs and brisket.
• Pick Big Green Egg: the most sizes, a 2XL for crowds, and a wide dealer network.

Are Primo Grills Good?

Yes. Primo has built ceramic grills since 1996 and is the only oval ceramic kamado in this comparison. You get thick ceramic for heat retention, a limited lifetime warranty on the ceramics, stainless grates and a full line of accessories for each size.

• Strengths: oval two-zone firebox, US-built, many setups from grill only to cypress tables.
• Trade-offs: fewer built-in extras than a Series III Kamado Joe, and a shorter gasket and thermometer warranty.

Which Ceramic Grill Is the Best?

There is no single best ceramic grill. There is a best one for how you cook, and all three beat most of their competition on heat retention and build.

Our picks by buyer

• Best for two-zone cooking: Primo Oval XL 400.
• Best built in the USA: Primo, any size.
• Best features out of the box: Kamado Joe Classic Joe III or Big Joe III.
• Best for big crowds: 2XL Big Green Egg or Primo Oval XXL 500.
• Best for small patios: Primo Oval Junior 200 or a Small or Medium Egg.
• Best for a built-in outdoor kitchen: a Primo grill only or a Kamado Joe standalone, set into a non-combustible island.

Shop Primo Ceramic Kamado Grills

We carry every Primo oval size as a grill only, All-In-One, on carts and on cypress tables. See the full lineup in our Primo kamado collection.

Most popular

Primo Oval XL 400

Grill only for a built-in island or table. 400 sq. in. main grate.

Our price $1,699

Shop the XL 400

Ready to cook

Primo XL 400 All-In-One

Comes in a cradle with side shelves, ready for the patio.

Our price $2,299

Shop the All-In-One

For a crowd

Primo XXL 500 All-In-One

The biggest Primo, with a 500 sq. in. main grate.

Our price $2,599

Shop the XXL 500

Want to see more round kamados too? Browse all kamado grills we carry, or add a Primo heat deflector kit for low and slow cooking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Kamado Joe and Big Green Egg specs, warranties and list prices from each maker's US website, checked October 31, 2026