When it comes to barbecuing in the hot weather, most families will dig out an old, rusty appliance.
But when you’re an A-list celebrity, it seems only a trendy barbecue costing up to £3,350 will do. Stars including David Beckham and Liz Hurley have shared pictures of themselves cooking on a Big Green Egg — a barbecue made from Nasa-inspired ceramics.
The dome-shaped appliance — rust-proof and burn-proof — has a distinctive green, dimpled exterior and comes in six sizes. The largest product, the 2XL, weighs 170kg and can cook up to 16 whole chickens or an entire suckling pig. It costs £2,950 on its own, or £3,350 with a metal nest stand.
The Big Green Egg can cost up to £3,500 and is able to cook an entire pig
Former Real Madrid star David Beckham, pictured is a celebrity fan of the BBQ
Liz Hurley, pictured, also uses the Nasa-inspired ceramic BBQ
The cheapest option, the Minimax, costs £765 with a foldable stand — and weighs 40kg. Its ceramics can retain and manipulate heat, which allows users can control the barbecue temperature.
This means the Big Green Egg can be used for slow-cooking joints of meat, searing steaks or even baking cakes. The airtight chambers enable residual heat to burn away grease build-up — like a self-cleaning oven.
The ceramics, developed for the U.S. space programme, allow for hotter and more precise cooking temperature and keep food moist.
David Beckham posted a picture of himself trying to cook a whole fish stuffed with lemons — which was too large for the grill — in the barbecue last month.
He captioned the image: ‘Maybe I should catch a smaller one next time. Or get a bigger Green Egg.’
Weeks later he shared another image of a Big Green Egg on Instagram, which he had received as a Father’s Day gift.
Liz Hurley has also bragged about her luxury American appliance. The actress, 53, shared a picture of herself barbecuing last weekend with the caption: ‘Succulent sausage, anyone? Honing my BBQ skills with my new @biggreenegg on a perfect English evening’.
The Duchess of Sussex is also a fan, saying her favourite meal is ‘lunch of fish tacos and albarino cooked in my backyard on my ceramic grill (the Big Green Egg)’.
Mother-of-two Kirstie Allsopp told the Mail: ‘We are massive barbecuers. We love Big Green Eggs. I like outdoor eating and outdoor cooking.’ Gwyneth Paltrow included the Big Green Egg on her Father’s Day gift guide.
The Big Green Egg can withstand temperatures of up to about 500°C and the maker claims it is ready for cooking 12 minutes after lighting. It also provides up to 80 hours of cooking with one bag of its £25 charcoal — which is made from ‘premium cuts of oak and hickory hardwoods’, ensuring you get ‘amazingly moist food and no flame flare-ups’.
The Big Green Egg’s gasket seal keeps the oven 100 per cent airtight so one lump of charcoal can last 24 hours. The company, launched in 1970, maintains it has never had a customer return a Big Green Egg.
David Ezrine, MD of international distribution, said there are hordes of celebrities who own the appliance because ‘once someone in a circle of friends gets one, they all do’.
He added: ‘We don’t give them away for free, all the celebrities who own one have bought it.’ He also said said the appliance is also popular with vegans and vegetarians as well as meat eaters because it locks in moisture. This means it is easier to caremelise vegetables.
‘We dare you to burn food in the Big Green Egg — you can’t,’ he said.