How to Load & Light Your Big Green Egg

2 Inches Below the Top of the Fire Ring

When adding charcoal to your Big Green Egg, the best rule of thumb is to stop when you're 2 inches below the rim of the Fire Ring — for the right amount of clearance beneath your cooking surfaces.

Close the Vents to Save Fuel

After a cook, you might notice some of your charcoal has a white hue while others are still black. Good news! That black coal is still full of potential and can be reused. To prevent any waste, simply close the rEGGulator Cap and Draft Door completely. This will extinguish the fire by cutting off oxygen, allowing any remaining charcoal to cool down and remain unburned.

Leave It To Work

Once your Egg is lit, just close the lid. Our charcoal will get going all by itself. In just a few minutes, you'll have a roaring fire ready to get cooking.

Once Your Egg is Going

After about 5-10 minutes, there will be some serious smouldering in your charcoals. At this stage, close the lid of your Egg being mindful to keep both the Draft Door and the rEGGulator Cap fully open.

Put In Your Components

When your Egg's ceramics start to feel hot to the touch and the thermometer is 10°5 away from your recipe's target temperature, it's time to put in your chosen cooking surfaces.

Whether you're adding your ConvEGGtor and Stainless Steel Grid for indirect cooking or a Cast Iron Searing Grid for grilling, your temperature will drop slightly. Don't worry! Your Egg will self-regulate and the temperature will come back up.

Once you've reached your target temperature, you can begin to adjust the Draft Door and rEGGulator in tandem. Make these adjustments in small increments for precision using our temperature guide. Once the temperature has stopped fluctuating, you're ready to cook!