If you spend any amount of time cooking outside around Charleston, you start to notice the same grill popping up over and over again. Backyards, porches, tailgates, it’s hard to miss. The Big Green Egg has a way of sticking around once people get one, and after putting the Large to use, it makes sense why. The biggest thing you pick up on right away is how much it can handle. It’s not just for burgers and steaks, though it does those well. One weekend you might have a pork shoulder going low and slow all day, and a few days later you’re cranking the heat up to knock out a couple of ribeyes in minutes. It doesn’t feel like switching between different types of cooking. It just works across the board.

Where it really starts to stand out is when you push beyond the basics. You can throw a pizza stone in and get a legit crispy crust, roast a whole chicken that actually stays juicy, or cook seafood without worrying about drying it out. Oysters on the half shell, shrimp, fish it all comes off clean and consistent. Add in a cast iron pan, and suddenly you’ve got vegetables, cornbread, even desserts in the mix. It turns into less of a “grill” and more of the place you cook everything. The temperature control is what makes all of that possible. Once you get a feel for the vents, it holds steady in a way that takes a lot of the guesswork out. On longer cooks especially, that matters. You’re not hovering over it all day, you can actually step away, hang out, and trust that it’s going to stay where you set it. For anyone who’s struggled with inconsistent heat on other grills, that alone is a big upgrade.

It’s also more efficient than you’d expect. The ceramic build holds heat so well that you’re not constantly feeding it charcoal, and it doesn’t take much to keep it going. Whether you’re cooking for yourself or feeding a group, it feels pretty dialed in without needing a lot of maintenance mid cook. Size wise, the Large hits a sweet spot. There’s enough room to cook for a crowd without feeling oversized for everyday use. You can load it up with ribs, burgers, or a mix of different things at once and not feel cramped. If you add a few accessories, you can break it into different levels or zones, which makes it even more useful when you’ve got multiple things going.

One thing to know is that the Big Green Egg isn’t just a basic grill you’re investing in a tool that can do so much more. Between smoking, grilling, roasting, and even baking, plus the wide range of accessories available, it’s easy to customize it for exactly how you like to cook. From pizza stones to multi level racks and cast iron inserts, the possibilities are endless, and that versatility quickly makes it a go to for everything from weeknight dinners to all day cookouts. It’s not totally hands off, though and that’s kind of the point. There’s a small learning curve with airflow and getting your temperature right, but it doesn’t take long before it clicks. After that, it becomes part of the routine. You’re a little more connected to what you’re cooking, and the results usually reflect that.

Build quality is another area where it earns its reputation. It’s solid, holds heat like it should, and doesn’t feel like something you’ll need to replace anytime soon. Around Charleston, where the weather can be all over the place, that reliability goes a long way. At the end of the day, the Large Big Green Egg does exactly what you want it to do and then some. It handles just about any kind of outdoor cooking you throw at it, stays consistent when it matters, and ends up being the one thing you keep coming back to.

For locals who want to see the Big Green Egg in person, it’s worth stopping by Coastal Cupboard, where you can check out a full lineup of Eggs along with all the accessories that really unlock what it can do. You can also explore more at BigGreenEgg.com. From pizza setups to specialty tools, there’s a lot more to it than just the grill itself and we’ll be diving into some of those must have add ons, including the pizza wedge and stone, in an upcoming Outdoor Series feature.

Click here to check out the entire Egg lineup and accessories!!

Written by Nick Levine
Outdoor Enthusiast | Gear Reviewer | Fishing & Inshore Specialist