Putting Coal Pan In Big Green Egg

The Big Green Egg cooker is a versatile kamado grill/smoker/oven. It is designed to use 100% natural lump charcoal as you cook with live fire. Lump charcoal lights quickly and heats up to cooking temperature in minutes without using lighter fluid. The patented precision-flow draft door at the bottom controls the amount of air entering the Fire Box. This, combined with the airtight ceramic cooking chamber and rEGGulator vent cap, provides precise temperature control.

To put coal in the Big Green Egg, start by filling the ceramic Fire Box or the Stainless Steel Fire Bowl to the top with Big Green Egg Natural Lump Charcoal. Do not use quick-light charcoal products or briquettes as they contain fillers, nitrates, chemicals, and other petroleum additives which can penetrate the porous ceramic interior and impart a chemical off-taste to the food.

There are three equally fast and all-natural options for lighting the fire: SpeediLight Natural Charcoal Starters, an Electric Charcoal Starter or the Electric EGGniter, and a Butane Charcoal EGGniter.

How to fill the Big Green Egg's fire box with charcoal

Filling the Big Green Egg's firebox with charcoal is a simple process, but it's important to follow the correct steps to ensure optimal performance and safety. Here's a detailed guide on how to fill the Big Green Egg's firebox with charcoal:

• Start by opening the ceramic lid of your Big Green Egg and placing the dual-function rEGGulator on the lid. The rEGGulator is essential as it allows you to control the airflow and temperature inside the Egg.
• Fill the ceramic firebox with charcoal. It is recommended to use natural lump charcoal, such as the Big Green Egg's Premium Organic Lump Charcoal. Fill the firebox to the rim with charcoal, ensuring you never use briquettes, wood, or other materials.
• Once the firebox is filled, completely open the slide of the draft door in the ceramic base. This draft door, along with the rEGGulator, will help regulate airflow and temperature during the cooking process.
• Prepare your charcoal starters. You will need three charcoal starters, such as natural starters or SpeediLight Natural Charcoal Starters. Place them over the charcoal and ignite them. Alternatively, you can use an electric charcoal starter, a butane charcoal EGGniter, or a long-handled lighter to ignite the charcoal.
• Keep the ceramic lid of the Egg open for about 10 to 15 minutes. The available oxygen will accelerate the ignition process, ensuring your coals start glowing nicely.
• After the coals are glowing, you can place any required accessories inside the Egg and close the lid. Adjust the rEGGulator and the draft door to reach your desired temperature.
• When you're done cooking, it's important to extinguish the Egg safely. Close the draft door in the ceramic base and the rEGGulator on the lid, or replace it with the ceramic snuffer cap. This will cut off the oxygen supply, causing the charcoal to gradually cool down.
• Wait for approximately 20 minutes until the charcoal has completely cooled. Do not open the lid during this time to avoid a sudden rush of air that could cause a burst of flame (backdraft).
• Once the charcoal is extinguished, you can reuse it for your next cook. Remove the old ashes using an Ash Tool and an Ash Pan. Top up the firebox with new charcoal as needed and light your Egg as usual.

Remember always to follow the safety guidelines provided by Big Green Egg, such as keeping children, pets, and combustible materials away from the Egg and using proper accessories when handling hot components.

How to ignite the Big Green Egg

The Big Green Egg is a versatile kamado grill, smoker and oven. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to ignite it.

Firstly, you will need natural starters (e.g. charcoal starters), long matches or a safe lighter, and of course, charcoal. It is recommended to use natural lump charcoal, which comes in nice big lumps. Do not use briquettes, wood or other materials. Fill the ceramic firebox to the rim with charcoal and completely open the slide of the draft door in the ceramic base.

Next, divide three charcoal starters over the charcoal and ignite them. Leave the ceramic lid of the Big Green Egg open. The available oxygen will accelerate the ignition process. After about 10-15 minutes, the coals will start glowing nicely. Place any required accessories in the Egg and close the lid.

Now, adjust the dual-function regulator and the draft door to reach your desired temperature. Keep the lid of the Egg closed as much as possible. You can also use an Electric Charcoal Starter or an Electric EGGniter if you have access to an electrical outlet. Simply nestle the heating coil into the coals and you will be ready to cook in minutes.

Another option is to use a Butane Charcoal EGGniter. With this battery-powered device, you won't need an electrical outlet. Press the button and the adjustable torch flame will ignite the charcoal. Use the air blower to boost the fire. Once several coals are burning, close the lid and adjust the dampers to reach your desired temperature.

How to extinguish the Big Green Egg

To extinguish your Big Green Egg, follow these steps:

• Close the draft door in the ceramic base of the EGG.
• Close the dual-function rEGGulator on the ceramic lid of the EGG or, for a better result, replace it with the ceramic snuffer cap.
• Wait for approximately 20 minutes until the charcoal has completely cooled down. Do not open the lid during this time, as a sudden rush of air could cause a burst of flame (backdraft).

You can reuse the charcoal for your next cook. First, remove the old ashes, then supplement the charcoal and reignite the Big Green Egg.

To avoid wasting charcoal, fully close the rEGGulator Cap and Draft Door after cooking. This will extinguish your EGG immediately, and you can reuse the remaining charcoal. When you're ready to cook again, rake the old coals thoroughly to encourage any ash to fall through the Fire Grate. Next, open up the Draft Door and remove the ash, dragging it out with an Ash Tool into an Ash Pan. Dispose of any warm embers into a bucket of sand or water. Top up with some new charcoal and light your EGG as normal.

It is important to note that you should never use water or any other extinguishing agent to put out the Big Green Egg.

How to clean the Big Green Egg

The Big Green Egg is a versatile kamado grill, smoker and oven. To keep it in good condition, it's important to clean it regularly. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to do so:

Step 1: Extinguishing the Big Green Egg

Before you begin cleaning, make sure that your Big Green Egg is extinguished properly. To do this, close the draft door in the ceramic base and the dual-function rEGGulator on the ceramic lid. Alternatively, you can replace the dual-function rEGGulator with the ceramic snuffer cap. This will cut off the oxygen supply, causing the charcoal to gradually cool down. Wait for about 20 minutes until the charcoal has completely cooled. Do not open the lid during this time, as a sudden rush of air could cause a burst of flame (backdraft).

Step 2: Remove Ashes

Once the Big Green Egg is cooled down, it's time to remove the old ashes. Use an Ash Tool to rake the old coals across the Fire Grate, allowing any ash to fall through the holes in the grate. Dispose of any warm embers into a bucket of sand or water. Then, use the Ash Removal Pan to remove the ash from the bottom of the Big Green Egg.

Step 3: Clean the Grids and Accessories

The grids and accessories, such as the convEGGtor and Flat Baking Stone, can become extremely hot during use. Always use heat-resistant gloves, such as the EGGmitt or Silicone Grilling Mitt, when handling these components. Place the used accessories on a non-combustible surface, away from children and pets, to prevent accidental burns.

Step 4: Brush the Grid

If there has been any dripping grease while grilling, it is important to clean the grid after each use. Use a brush to clean the grid and let the charcoal burn for about 10 minutes. This will help burn off any grease, marinade or leftover food residue.

Step 5: Reuse Charcoal

The Big Green Egg is designed to use 100% natural lump charcoal. After cooking, some of the charcoal may not be fully burned and can be reused. Simply rake the coals to remove any ash and top up with new charcoal before lighting your Big Green Egg as normal.

Step 6: Prevent Excessive Smoke

Excessive smoke can be caused by inferior-quality fire starters or charcoal. To prevent this, close the air regulator at the bottom of the ceramic base to stop the air supply. Then, open the lid of the rEGGulator to allow the smoke to escape. After grilling with dripping grease, brush the grid clean and let the charcoal burn for about 10 minutes before closing the air regulator and the rEGGulator.

How to control the temperature of the Big Green Egg

The Big Green Egg is designed to allow you to control the temperature very accurately, almost to within one degree.

To increase the temperature in the Big Green Egg, increase the airflow by widening the vents in the dual-function metal top, opening the dual-function metal top further, and/or opening the draft door further.

To decrease the temperature, reduce the airflow by closing the dual-function metal top or the vents and/or closing the draft door.

To maintain the temperature, close the dual-function metal top but keep the vents on the dual-function metal top fully or partially open (depending on the temperature).

For larger temperature adjustments, use the draft door at the base of the Egg. For more precise adjustments, use the regulator on top.

• For a temperature between 60 and 150 degrees Celsius, open the draft door slightly and open the vents in the dual-function metal top.
• For a temperature between 150 and 220 degrees Celsius, open the draft door slightly and open the vents in the dual-function metal top to 3/4.
• For a temperature between 200 and 230 degrees Celsius, open the draft door to 1/4 and fully open the vents in the dual-function metal top.
• For a temperature between 280 and 350 degrees Celsius, fully open the draft door and open the dual-function metal top halfway.

You can also use a Bluetooth Dome Thermometer to monitor cooking temperatures from your phone.

Finally, when you are done cooking, simply close both dampers completely to shut off airflow. This will extinguish the fire and preserve any unused charcoal for the next cook.

Frequently asked questions