The Big Green Egg
Encyclopedia
The Big Green Egg is the brand name of a kamado
-style ceramic charcoal cooker.
barbecue
because of the origins of the basic design that lie in southern Japan
.
The word "mushikamado" means "steam cooker" (from "mushi" meaning "to steam", and "kamado" meaning "cooker, oven, or kiln") The mushikamado was a device designed to steam
rice
and used by Japanese families for ceremonial occasions and took the shape of a round clay
pot
with a removable domed
clay lid. It was also distinctive in that it featured a top damper
and bottom draft door. The mushikamado first came to the attention of the Americans after World War II when US Air Force
servicemen would bring them back from Japan in empty transport planes. It wasn’t until the late 1960s that manufacturing started in the Americas. The Big Green Egg Company was founded in 1974 by Ed Fisher and is based in Tucker, Georgia
in the USA
. Production of the Big Green Egg takes place in Monterrey, Mexico
by the company Daltile.
at the top to create a draft to keep the fire going. Today’s Egg is manufactured from high fiber ceramic
s developed for the space shuttle program
specifically designed to reflect heat and this allows temperatures of up to 650 degrees Celsius
(1200 Fahrenheit) to be reached. The external surface has a high gloss ceramic glaze applied to provide crack and weather resistance.
barbecue - the manufacturers recommend lump wood charcoal because alternatives such as charcoal briquettes contain many additives that can contaminate the flavour of the food. The sealed design of the grill results in a slow burn that uses small amounts of charcoal compared to a regular grill, and lump wood charcoal also creates little ash.
and with the addition of accessories one can also bake bread
or cook a pizza
.
shell there is draft opening to provide air to the ceramic
firebox in the base of the unit. There’s a separate daisy wheel damper unit on the top to give air flow control and therefore temperature regulation. An accessory called a plate setter can be placed above the firebox - this will prevent direct cooking of the food when using the unit as a smoker. Between the base and the lid is a felt
gasket
designed to maximise moisture retention during long cookouts.
Every October there is a global gathering of Eggheads called “Eggtoberfest” held at the company's headquarters in Tucker, GA. The 2008 Eggtoberfest drew over 1500 attendees from all 50 states plus other countries. During Eggtoberfest over 200 Big Green Eggs are used to cook various recipes with lots of samples, and interaction from the group. In addition to the Eggtoberfest, numerous other Big Green Egg Festivals occur throughout the US and the world. These Festivals are called "EggFests".
Assistance for new owners of the Big Green Egg can be found at the original forum for Eggheads |http://www.greeneggers.com |. There they will find recipes, suggestions and a whole community ready to answer questions. All Eggheads welcome!
Kamado
A kamado is a traditional Japanese wood or charcoal fired earthen vessel used as a stove or oven. Modern versions of the cooker are produced and sold internationally. They are often marketed as barbecues for outdoor use.-History:...
-style ceramic charcoal cooker.
History
The Big Green Egg is commonly referred to as a kamadoKamado
A kamado is a traditional Japanese wood or charcoal fired earthen vessel used as a stove or oven. Modern versions of the cooker are produced and sold internationally. They are often marketed as barbecues for outdoor use.-History:...
barbecue
Barbecue
Barbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...
because of the origins of the basic design that lie in southern Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
The word "mushikamado" means "steam cooker" (from "mushi" meaning "to steam", and "kamado" meaning "cooker, oven, or kiln") The mushikamado was a device designed to steam
Steaming
Steaming is a method of cooking using steam. Steaming is considered a healthy cooking technique and capable of cooking almost all kinds of food.-Method:...
rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
and used by Japanese families for ceremonial occasions and took the shape of a round clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
pot
Pot
Pot commonly refers to pottery, the ceramic ware made by pottersPot may also refer to:- Containers :* Plant pot or flower pot, a container in which plants are cultivated* Cooking pot, a stove-top cooking utensil* Chamber pot, a bedside urinal...
with a removable domed
Domed
Domed can have several meanings:*Dome - in architecture*Domed consonant - a consonant type classifed by domed tongue shape...
clay lid. It was also distinctive in that it featured a top damper
Damper
A damper is a device that deadens, restrains, or depresses.Damper may refer to:* Dashpot, a type of hydraulic or mechanical damper,* Shock absorber , a mechanical device designed to dissipate kinetic energy...
and bottom draft door. The mushikamado first came to the attention of the Americans after World War II when US Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
servicemen would bring them back from Japan in empty transport planes. It wasn’t until the late 1960s that manufacturing started in the Americas. The Big Green Egg Company was founded in 1974 by Ed Fisher and is based in Tucker, Georgia
Tucker, Georgia
Tucker is a census-designated place in DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The population was 27,581 at the 2010 Census. Although central Tucker, also known as "Main Street Tucker", is laid out as a planned "railroad town," it has never been formally incorporated. Municipal services such as...
in the USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Production of the Big Green Egg takes place in Monterrey, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
by the company Daltile.
Technology
The shape of the Egg reflects ancient technology in that it is designed to contain the heat with only a small ventFlue
A flue is a duct, pipe, or chimney for conveying exhaust gases from a fireplace, furnace, water heater, boiler, or generator to the outdoors. In the United States, they are also known as vents and for boilers as breeching for water heaters and modern furnaces...
at the top to create a draft to keep the fire going. Today’s Egg is manufactured from high fiber ceramic
Ceramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
s developed for the space shuttle program
Space Shuttle program
NASA's Space Shuttle program, officially called Space Transportation System , was the United States government's manned launch vehicle program from 1981 to 2011...
specifically designed to reflect heat and this allows temperatures of up to 650 degrees Celsius
Celsius
Celsius is a scale and unit of measurement for temperature. It is named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius , who developed a similar temperature scale two years before his death...
(1200 Fahrenheit) to be reached. The external surface has a high gloss ceramic glaze applied to provide crack and weather resistance.
Fuel
The Big Green Egg is a charcoalCharcoal
Charcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
barbecue - the manufacturers recommend lump wood charcoal because alternatives such as charcoal briquettes contain many additives that can contaminate the flavour of the food. The sealed design of the grill results in a slow burn that uses small amounts of charcoal compared to a regular grill, and lump wood charcoal also creates little ash.
Uses
Big Green Eggs can be used for smoking or grillingGrilling
Grilling is a form of cooking that involves dry heat applied to the surface of food, commonly from above or below.Grilling usually involves a significant amount of direct, radiant heat, and tends to be used for cooking meat quickly and meat that has already been cut into slices...
and with the addition of accessories one can also bake bread
Bread
Bread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...
or cook a pizza
Pizza
Pizza is an oven-baked, flat, disc-shaped bread typically topped with a tomato sauce, cheese and various toppings.Originating in Italy, from the Neapolitan cuisine, the dish has become popular in many parts of the world. An establishment that makes and sells pizzas is called a "pizzeria"...
.
Grill parts
In addition to the outer ceramicCeramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
shell there is draft opening to provide air to the ceramic
Ceramic
A ceramic is an inorganic, nonmetallic solid prepared by the action of heat and subsequent cooling. Ceramic materials may have a crystalline or partly crystalline structure, or may be amorphous...
firebox in the base of the unit. There’s a separate daisy wheel damper unit on the top to give air flow control and therefore temperature regulation. An accessory called a plate setter can be placed above the firebox - this will prevent direct cooking of the food when using the unit as a smoker. Between the base and the lid is a felt
Felt
Felt is a non-woven cloth that is produced by matting, condensing and pressing woollen fibres. While some types of felt are very soft, some are tough enough to form construction materials. Felt can be of any colour, and made into any shape or size....
gasket
Gasket
thumb|sright|250px|Some seals and gaskets1. [[o-ring]]2. fiber [[Washer |washer]]3. paper gaskets4. [[cylinder head]] [[head gasket|gasket]]...
designed to maximise moisture retention during long cookouts.
Prices
Prices vary by model and start at approximately $700 US. Several accessories are also available.Eggheads
Big Green Egg (BGE) barbecues have quite an enthusiastic following of amateur chefs and the collective name given these enthusiasts is “Eggheads”. The founder of the company attributes a large portion of the company's success to the enthusiasm of the product's owners.Every October there is a global gathering of Eggheads called “Eggtoberfest” held at the company's headquarters in Tucker, GA. The 2008 Eggtoberfest drew over 1500 attendees from all 50 states plus other countries. During Eggtoberfest over 200 Big Green Eggs are used to cook various recipes with lots of samples, and interaction from the group. In addition to the Eggtoberfest, numerous other Big Green Egg Festivals occur throughout the US and the world. These Festivals are called "EggFests".
Assistance for new owners of the Big Green Egg can be found at the original forum for Eggheads |http://www.greeneggers.com |. There they will find recipes, suggestions and a whole community ready to answer questions. All Eggheads welcome!
See also
- KamadoKamadoA kamado is a traditional Japanese wood or charcoal fired earthen vessel used as a stove or oven. Modern versions of the cooker are produced and sold internationally. They are often marketed as barbecues for outdoor use.-History:...
- CharcoalCharcoalCharcoal is the dark grey residue consisting of carbon, and any remaining ash, obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from animal and vegetation substances. Charcoal is usually produced by slow pyrolysis, the heating of wood or other substances in the absence of oxygen...
- HibachiHibachiThe is a traditional Japanese heating device. It consists of a round, cylindrical or a box-shaped open-topped container, made from or lined with a heatproof material and designed to hold burning charcoal....
- ShichirinShichirin]The shichirin is a small charcoal grill.-Description:The shichirin is a lightweight, compact, and easy-to-move cooking stove. Charcoal is chiefly used for the fuel of shichirin. It has had prototypes since ancient times, and it is said that shichirin roughly the same as today's were made in the...
- BarbecueBarbecueBarbecue or barbeque , used chiefly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Australia is a method and apparatus for cooking meat, poultry and occasionally fish with the heat and hot smoke of a fire, smoking wood, or hot coals of...
- BrustolinaBrustolinaA brustolina is a grill which fits over a gas burner on a hob. It comprises a square sheet of metal with holes punched in it and a square grid over the top . Heat is applied from below and is evenly distributed by the base, deflected upward to the grid...