Big Green Egg Touch Up Paint? The 73 Top Answers

A Big Green Egg is an investment. To get the most bang for your buck, it’s important to take care of your grill so that it lasts for many years. A good cleaning will allow you to remove most of the dirt that has accumulated during cooking and smoking while grilling. While some eggheads will argue that you never need to clean your grill, most agree that removing excess oil and grease will improve the quality of your grilled food.

There are a number of ways to clean your grill, from burning off any stuck-on dirt after using your grill, to wiping down and removing the ash completely. The type of cleaning depends on how often you do it. These methods also work with other Kamado-style grills, such as Kamado Joe, Primo, and Saffire grills.

Important note: As the Big Green Egg is made of ceramic, never use alcohol or other cleaning agents. This causes the chemicals to seep into the surface and give your food an off-taste. Also, do not use water to clean the egg. Water can be absorbed by the egg and crack the surface with repeated heating and cooling.

Things you need to do every time you cook

After you’ve cooked it’s a good idea to close your egg and let it continue to burn for a while, then scrape down the steel grill with a mesh tool and/or steel mesh brush. This will help remove excess food debris that is sticking. If you do this every time, you don’t have to worry about overloading your egg with junk. You can also use a scrubber to clean the brick or hot plate. Scrape off the conveggtor if you used it too. Use an ash tool to stir the ash off the coals.

Activities in between (3-5 cooks)

While the Big Green Egg doesn’t produce a lot of ash, it’s smart to clean it every few cooks to make it easier to get and keep your grill up to temperature. All you have to do is brush through the remaining coals with an ash tool once they have cooled. You can reuse these. The remaining ash that falls through the grate can be removed with an ash tool and disposed of. You can also wipe the exterior with a cloth to remove any dust or ash and wipe the vent at the top with a little light cooking oil.

Image courtesy of https://www.biggreenegg.eu/en/

Thorough cleaning

While opinions differ, it’s not a bad idea to give your egg a thorough cleaning a couple of times a year. This means removing all internal parts and removing the clinging food and liquid, ash and other residue left in your grill. Clean the inside with a plastic bristle brush or use an aluminum ball to remove any remaining dirt. You can use a vacuum to remove all of the ash from the bottom of your egg. To perform a self-cleaning similar to an oven, replace all parts and add charcoal. Then bring your grill up to around 600 degrees and let it burn for about an hour. Be sure to clean the vent holes afterwards.

Pro tip: replace your gasket at the same time.

That’s all you have to do. With care and maintenance, your grill will last for many years. If you have questions, find a Pinch A Penny near you that sells Big Green Eggs and ask the experts!

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Unique pottery

It is the Big Green Egg’s ceramic that reflects heat and creates an airflow that renders ingredients and dishes extraordinarily tender.

The Big Green Egg ceramic was partly developed by NASA and the production process takes place in North America according to the strictest quality standards, which explains the exceptionally high quality. It has excellent insulating properties and withstands extreme temperatures and temperature fluctuations.

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filling

To fill your EGG, we recommend using Big Green Egg 100% Natural Lump Charcoal, made from a selection of 100% hardwoods. Made from select oak and hickory wood cuts for superior performance and results, our 100% Lump Charcoal heats up quickly and burns clean.

Fill the firebox to the top of the rim with lump charcoal

lighting

Lighting the charcoal is always quick and easy as the Big Green Egg’s design allows for efficient air circulation. Consider using two or more Charcoal Lighters – All Natural SpeediLight to speed up the lighting process. The EGG reaches cooking temperature after 10-15 minutes of lighting.

Make sure the bottom train door is fully open, then place the Charcoal Starters – All Natural SpeediLight in the center of the charcoal and lighter. Replace the stainless steel grid and allow the fire to burn for 7-10 minutes before closing the dome lid and fully opening the dual function metal cover until the desired temperature is reached.

re-lighting

You should always reuse the leftover charcoal. Use the ash tool to rake the coals over the cast iron fire grate so the ash falls to the bottom of the EGG. Add more charcoal if needed to bring the level just below the air holes. Now you can light the EGG.

You should regularly use the ash tool to scrape out the ash that falls to the bottom of the EGG and check that the firebox air holes are not blocked by charcoal, reducing airflow.

Lighting DOs & DON’Ts

Never use lighters, charcoal briquettes or self-igniting charcoal in the Big Green Egg as they will permanently contaminate your EGG with petrochemicals and affect the flavor of your food.

When cooking for the first time, do not cook at high temperatures. This can damage the gasket before it can seal properly. For the first few cooks, keep temperatures below 350°F (177°C).

Do not leave the dome lid open for more than 10 minutes when cooking. Opening the lid increases the amount of heat generated and causes temperatures to rise rapidly. Unrestricted charcoal can burn at temperatures in excess of 2500°C (4530°F) which can damage the EGG’s ceramics.

A pizza stone will help your home oven mimic the action of a brick oven. The porous stone absorbs and retains heat evenly, eliminating excess moisture in the pizza dough to create a deliciously crispy crust. However, a pizza stone requires special care. Follow these guidelines to keep your stone in good shape:

• Never wash your pizza stone with soap. The pores will absorb it and you’ll be able to taste it when you make your next pizza.

• Never submerge your stone in water. Instead, when the stone has completely cooled, scrape away any baked-on food with a hard, dry brush or plastic scraper, then wipe away with a damp cloth. Don’t worry if your stone gets stained – it’s natural and won’t affect the flavor of the next pizza you bake.

• If your stone gets extremely dirty, you can sand down any raised areas with medium-grit sandpaper.

• Some people keep their stones in their ovens to provide more even heat for other baking processes. If you do this, be aware that the oven will take longer to heat up. Also, never leave it in the oven during the self-cleaning cycle as it may break.

Steven Raichlen

10 performance-enhancing techniques for your Big Green Egg

The Big Green Egg cooker is a versatile Kamado grill/smoker/oven if you know how to use it well. Here are 10 tips to help you make the most of yours.

1. Start with a full load of natural charcoal.

Start with a full load of natural charcoal. That means 5 pounds lit with a paraffin fire starter cube or an electric lighter. No chimney required (the Egg’s unique design makes it sort of like an oversized chimney). And never use lighter fluid.

2. When lighting the charcoal, leave all vents wide open and leave the lid open for the first 7 to 10 minutes.

When lighting the charcoal, open all vents wide and leave the lid open for the first 7 to 10 minutes. Then close it to bring the egg to the desired temperature. This takes 15 to 20 minutes (a little longer in winter).

3. Once the egg is hot, “burp” it before opening it fully.

Once the egg is hot, “burp” it before opening it fully. That is, raise the lid a few inches to release some of the heat, then lower it. Do this a few times. This will prevent you from being hit by a “back flash”.

4. For direct grilling (steaks, chops, burgers, etc.), preheat the egg to 600-700 degrees.

For direct grilling (steaks, chops, burgers, etc.), ignite all the coals, wide open the bottom and top vents, and preheat the egg to 600-700 degrees. Sear the steak on the rack for 2 minutes per side (1/4 turn after 1 minute), then lower the lid. This is where the genius of the egg comes in: the juices drip onto the coals, sending fragrant smoke to the steak. The lowered lid traps smoke and seals in moisture. It also speeds up the cooking time – a total of 7 minutes should be enough.

5. Install a convEGGtor for indirect grilling and smoking.

For indirect grilling and smoking, install a convEGGtor (aka a plate setter) – a heavy ceramic three-legged plate that fits into the top of the bottom part of the egg’s firebox. Insert it upside down (i.e., legs up and flat section down).

6. Add the normal amount of charcoal for slow smoking.

Add the normal amount of charcoal for slow smoking. Mix in 2 handfuls (1 to 1-1/2 cups) hardwood shavings (for a regular-sized egg, 3 handfuls for the XXL egg) that Bruce Bohannon, Big Green Egg cooking instructor, doesn’t pre-soak. Scatter the chips over the charcoal, then use a poker to slide them between the coals. Using a paraffin fire starter, light just 3 or 4 coals in the center. Then close the lid and adjust the vents to get the desired temperature (225-250 degrees). Here is another ingenious feature of the egg: the lit coals in the middle gradually ignite the surrounding coals and wood chips. The fire slowly spreads to the periphery, giving you up to 16-18 hours of heat and smoke from a single charge of charcoal.

7. Toss 3 pieces of hickory or other hardwood onto the unlit coals for a stronger smoke flavor.

8. Invest in a Big Green Egg Barbecue Guru to further control the heat.

For even more heat control, invest in a Big Green Egg Barbecue Guru. This battery-powered thermostat regulates airflow through the bottom vent, giving you control over the cooking temperature to within a degree.

9. Yes, you can cold smoke in an egg.

Yes, you can cold smoke in an egg. Set it on slow smoking and preheat to 200 degrees. Fill a large pan with ice and place it on the convEGGtor, then place the food to be cold smoked on top.

10. Use the guide below for approximate cooking times.

Would you like approximate cooking times? Use the following instructions for an egg preheated to 225 degrees:

Wings: 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours

Ribs (Baby Back or Spares): 4 hours

Pork Shoulder (6 to 7 pounds): 10 to 12 hours

Brisket (a 6 lb flat): 12 to 13 hours

The Big Green Egg is unique in design, technology and results. It has unrivaled cooking performance and achieves excellent results that surpass all other traditional stoves. The most significant difference is the state-of-the-art ceramic technology, which ensures that heat and moisture are retained in a way that other grills and grills cannot. The unique design allows you to grill, roast, bake and smoke all in one. Food does not dry out and meat has little or no shrinkage. Food has a natural and healthy quality and taste. The ceramic surface does not get as hot as a metal stove, which also makes the EGG safer to use. Here are some of the other benefits of the Big Green Egg:

Fast ignition – ready to cook in 15 minutes.

The EGG produces the most succulent, succulent food you will ever taste!

Precise temperature control with no uneven temperature points

Fuel efficient so no more charcoal needs to be added when cooking and unburned charcoal can be reused

Cooking with the lid closed ensures there are no splashes of fat or flames that will char your food.

Constant checking is not required; just close the lid and walk away!

The EGG withstands extreme temperatures from below 0° to 1800°F and can therefore be used all year round, even in freezing temperatures and rain.

The surface stays cooler and safer for kids than metal grills and the ceramic won’t rust like ordinary metal grills!

UBI will completely change the way you think about cooking on a grill, or even cooking in general.

models

With seven different models, there’s a Big Green Egg for every lifestyle and occasion. Whether you cook in the garden, on the terrace or on site; With an EGG, everyone can enjoy the best flavors all year round! Beautifully grilled and extremely tender meat, smoked or salt-crusted fish, a winter stew, crispy pizzas, delicious desserts and grilled vegetables; The Big Green Egg offers endless possibilities.