Now that you’ve bought your Big Green Egg (BGE), the obvious next step is drop hints to friends and family that EGGsessories (big green egg accessories) are all you really need for future holiday shopping consideration. Because there is almost no end to the extra goodies (or egg puns) that let you really stretch out your BBQ game and see who you honestly are inside as an outdoor cook.
Big Green Egg is increasingly offering packages that already include accessories, thanks largely to competition with Kamado Joe, which bundles so many accessories into the original purchase. And if you haven’t bought just yet and in between the Big Green Egg and the Kamado Joe, you can check out our head-to-head comparison. If you have bought the Green Egg, and if you only bought the base grill don’t worry, you’re going to have a local dealer with a whole aisle full of green gadgets and gizmos that are as irresistible as your latest pulled pork concoction.
So with help from my local Vision Ace Hardware, a Big Green Egg gold dealer in St. Petersburg, Fla., I took a closer look at a haul of Big Green Egg accessories and broke it down here with a dozen examples you have to consider. Some of these are essential components if you want to use that workhorse right and EGGspand (I can’t stop!) your horizons, and some are just more fun.
1. CONVEGGTOR
This is really the first must-have Big Green Egg accessory. If you want to smoke, you need this ceramic convEGGtor plate setter as a heat-directing buffer between your fire and your food. Otherwise you’ve just got an expensive kettle grill. It turns your Big Green Egg into an outdoor convection oven with indirect heat for aromatic and juicy meats. You already own ideal thermal properties with the famous oval kamado cooker shape, and now you have versatility whether smoking, roasting, grilling or baking. Legs up or legs down means different options, so play with it. Sear your steak, enjoy Low and Slow BBQ for a perfect turkey or smoked ham, or slap your Napoli pizza and bread right onto the surface. The Half-Moon convEGGtor is another useful component for versatile heating levels.
2. EGGSPANDER
It’s time to get vertical and smoke like a pro. The starter component for the EGGspander system is a 2 Piece Multilevel Rack for elevated sliding cooking that can be flipped and arranged for versatile techniques. Then comes the 1 Piece convEGGtor basket, so you can easily add or remove the first item on this list. The 5 Piece EGGspander Kit also includes two half-moon stainless steel grids, which you can position side-by-side or on uneven tiers, so you’re a three-tiered cooking machine ready for anything. Configure your barbecue grill settings for up to 35 possible combinations, about one for every year of the average age cook (38).
3. EGG SAUCE
Make your own sauce, buy it from your local supermarket, or just stay in the Big Green Egg family if you’re really that much of a devotee here. I’ve been going through Kentucky Bourbon and honestly having a hard time changing it up, but I’ll get over it. Is life good or what?
4. TABLES AND NESTS
If you bought a Mini Max with a carrier, then it’s going to fit anywhere on your back deck or go with you on a camping trip. If you went for one of the big boys, then you might want to think about the bigger picture outside the ceramic unit itself. An attractive Acacia wood table for the popular Large size EGG is $660, which is close to half the price of the actual EGG but still probably much less than you’d spend on a custom-built outdoor kitchen, and a BBQ Stand Nest is about a third of that price.
5. EGG MATES
You also want to think about a set of Acacia shelves called EGG Mates to add some beauty and match the familiar grill handle. It’s form and function all in one, giving you some flexibility as you juggle all those meats and veggies. These take on that more classic look as time goes on, but it’s another reason for a quality EGG cover, especially if you live in a more humid and often rainy climate like Florida.
6. BOWLS AND PANS
There is a wide range of options to trick out your EGG and add convenience for years to come. Buy a stainless steel fire bowl to handle your charcoal, starter and smoking woods, or a roasting and drip pan for that Thanksgiving masterpiece.
7. CAST IRON STATEMENT
You barbecue in a world of incredibly high heat, and cast iron products are made for that. Consider the dutch oven for EGG-to-table convenience, allowing you to use the lid as a shallow roasting pan or serving dish. There’s a professional grade cast iron skillet for even more heavy duty entertaining, and don’t forget a grill press for some extra oomph on your burger.
8. PIZZA PIZZA
If a Big Green Egg could just make pizza with faster volume, you could open your own shop. After all, you have enough EGGsessories to compete with Napoli. A pizza stone will give you that amazing crisp dough and even cooking, and you can buy a bamboo wood pizza peel and screen to move your creation on and off the grill with real pizzazz.
9. HANDLE WITH CARE
For the best stocking stuffer EVER, may we recommend just hanging this Big Green Grill oven mitt as the stocking itself, and then stuff it with some EGGsessories like a stainless steel knife set (carefully) or an ash removal pan.
10. CUTTING BOARDS
Do you really need another cutting board? If the Big Green Egg logo is burned into the wood to match your identity, then why not? Those sizzling ribeyes deserve some solid teak.
11. TEMPERATURE CONTROL
You have more options here all the time, whether from Big Green Egg or other companies. Cooking with an iPhone app is a convenience for people who have the WiFi clip-on EGGGenius device to remotely manage and monitor the heat and receive notifications from the Flame Boss cloud server while you’re inside the house. Or you can dial the tech down a bit and just get the dual probe wireless thermometer to monitor internal temps from within 300 feet.
12. GRILL CLEANERS
There’s a fine line between wanting to keep your Big Green Egg looking clean and dazzling to maintain its value and looks, yet not so dealership-shiny that your EGGhead friends will razz you for having no visible signs of BBQ victories. So just keep this SpeediClean set handy. You’ve got an exterior degreaser cleaning spray and a non-scratch stain remover, plus a nontoxic cooking grid cleaner with citrus scent that will get plenty of use. There’s also a BGE brush, but honestly there are any number of higher-end options like GRILLART and you don’t want to scrimp with this investment. Clean up and you’re ready to grill again.
Happy grilling. And if you’re looking for the best Big Green Egg recipes to try out today, we’ve got you covered with our 25 Best Big Green Egg Recipes.
I’ve had a large BGE for about 10 years. I own most of the accessories that you listed. I cook most of my meals on this grill. The one I didn’t see is the half moon grid and cast grill top. So versatile. The BGE is your one stop shop for, smoking, grilling, and baking. I wouldn’t own any of the imposters. I’m sure they have they’re merits, but I’ll stick with tried and true. Plus I don’t think I’ll ever have to buy another grill