Welterweight · $1,699–$3,000

Outdoor Kitchen showdown

The Best Built-In Kamado Grills, $1,500 to $3,000 (2026): The Big Heads, the Drawings, and the One Nobody Has Finished

Two thick bone-in rib steaks searing side by side on a wire grate over glowing charcoal

Some links here are affiliate links — if you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you (sometimes with a discount for you). It never changes which products we recommend — and we name the SKIPs to prove it.

The big kamado heads are where a built-in stops being a grill in a hole and becomes a structural decision. The ceramics here weigh from 217 to more than 400 pounds, the holes run from 26.5 to 32.5 inches, and the drop from the countertop to the shelf varies by nine inches across the band. So this page does what the Lightweight division did, at a bigger scale: it ranks eight heads sold without a cart on the makers’ own drawings, install sheets and warranty documents, quotes the testers where a tester exists, and reads every Amazon listing signed in with its critical reviews.

This is the Welterweight division, $1,500 to $3,000. Kamados sold with a stand or cart are in the kamado grill showdown; gas drop-ins are in the built-in gas grill showdown.

The short version:

🏆 Best overall: Primo Oval XL 400 — the only head in this band a credentialed tester has cooked on. AmazingRibs gave it five stars and ran one load of charcoal at 225°F for three days; the oval does true two-zone cooking a round kamado cannot; and at $1,699 it is the cheapest head here with 400 square inches. The catch is the channel: it is sold through dealers, parts ship at your expense, and it weighs 250 pounds.

📦 Best built-in package: Big Green Egg XL Built-in Package — 452 square inches with the Table Nest and convEGGtor in the carton, $1,899 direct. Nobody has tested the XL.

⬆️ Best upgrade: Kamado Joe Classic Joe III Standalone — Serious Eats’ upgrade pick after a year of use, with the SlōRoller; the same 250 square inches as a Classic II for $2,000.

⭕ Best big round: Kamado Joe Big Joe II Standalone — 450 square inches with the slide-out ash drawer, $2,200 from Kamado Joe. No credentialed test.

🍖 Most cooking area: Big Green Egg 2XL — 672 square inches; the shelf has to carry up to 425 pounds.

⛔ The SKIP: Primo Oval XXL — its maker’s own cutout drawing is stamped preliminary.

Quick comparison

Every figure comes from the maker’s own drawing, install sheet or product page. The shelf drop is how far below the top of the counter the support shelf sits; the rear clearance is what the dome needs behind it.

ModelBest forCutoutShelf dropRear clearanceCooking areaWeightEquipped pricePrice
Primo Oval XL 400 (grill only, PGCXLH)
Best overall built-in28¾ × 28 in oval with hinge notch (28¾ × 22 without)14 in with notch; 12 in without12 in behind; 2 in all round400 sq in; 680 with the optional rack250 lbAbout $1,738 with feet, before the deflector~$1,699typical at PrimoCheck price →
Big Green Egg XL Built-in Package on a white background: the green XL EGG with its metal Table Nest, convEGGtor, a bag of lump charcoal, SpeediLight starters and toolsBig Green Egg XL Built-in Package
Best built-in package26.50 in round11.75 in, on the Table Nest23.5 in from the hole center to the wall452 sq in (24 in grid)217 lb$1,899, nest and convEGGtor included~$1,899typical at Big Green EggCheck price →
Kamado Joe Classic Joe III Standalone in red ceramic on its ceramic feet, dome thermometer and Kontrol Tower top vent, on a white backgroundKamado Joe Classic Joe III Standalone (KJ15040721)
Best upgrade22.8 in circle + 4.7 × 9.3 in latch notch17.3 in (Classic II: 14.4 in)1.6 in past the hinge, dome open250 sq in (18 in grate)238.8 lb$1,999.99 from Kamado Joe~$1,999.99typical at Kamado JoeCheck price →
Kamado Joe Big Joe II Standalone in red ceramic on its ceramic feet, Kontrol Tower top vent and stainless draft door, on a white backgroundKamado Joe Big Joe II Standalone (BJ24NRHC)
Best big round28.1 in circle + 5.2 × 13.2 in latch notch17.6 in (Big Joe III: 20.8 in)3.6 in past the hinge, dome open450 sq in (24 in grate)362.2 lb$2,199.99 from Kamado Joe, plus $13.99 if only three feet arrive~$2,199.99typical at Kamado JoeCheck price →
The 2XL Big Green Egg on its own on a white background, dome closed, wooden handle and stainless draft door (the Table Nest it ships with is not pictured)Big Green Egg 2XL with Table Nest
Most cooking area32.50 in round13.0 in, on the Table Nest28.5 in from the hole center to the wall672 sq in (29 in grid)375 lb on the product page; 425 lb on the built-in sheet$2,899.98 for the EGG and its Table Nest, before a convEGGtor~$2,899.98typical at Big Green EggCheck price →
Kamado Joe Big Joe III Standalone in red ceramic with black trim and Kontrol Tower top vent, stainless draft door, on its ceramic feet on a white backgroundKamado Joe Big Joe III Standalone (KJ15040821)
Big-round step-up28.1 in circle + 5.2 × 13.2 in latch notch20.8 in (Big Joe II: 17.6 in)3.6 in past the hinge, dome open450 sq in (24 in grate)405.2 lb$2,999.99 from Kamado Joe~$2,999.99typical at Kamado JoeCheck price →
Komodo Kamado 19" Hi-Cap Table Top (Lil' Isla)
Heaviest buildNot published — Komodo gives no drawing for a table topNot publishedNot published505 sq in total (272 main + 232 upper)366 lb net$2,840 standard tiles; $2,940 pebble and bronze~$2,840typical at Komodo KamadoCheck price →
Primo Oval XXL (grill only, PGCXXLH) product photoPrimo Oval XXL (grill only, PGCXXLH)
The SKIP30.5 × 24½ in oval — on a drawing marked PRELIMINARY13⅛ in (changed in the drawing's August 2025 revision)Not published for the XXL500 sq in; 850 with the optional rack282 lb (Primo); the Amazon listing says 200$2,238 with feet, before a deflectorCheck price →

Prices move constantly — any Amazon price shown is as of the date noted and subject to change; tap through for today's number.

How to read the ratings on this page. There are none, on purpose. Big Green Egg, Kamado Joe’s Classic III and Komodo are not sold on Amazon as heads. The Big Joe II Standalone’s listing reads 3.3 stars from 13 ratings, sold by an auto-parts seller, and its style selector also offers the Big Joe I — thirteen ratings is not a base. The only Big Joe III listing we found does not say whether it sells the head or the cart. The Primo XXL has no ratings. So this page ranks on documents, on the one hands-on test in the band, and on who sells the grill.

The drawings, side by side

HeadHole in the counterTop of counter to shelfBehind the grillStands onWeight
Primo Oval XL 40028¾ × 28 in oval with hinge notch; 28¾ × 22 without14 in with notch; 12 without12 in, plus 2 all round4 ceramic feet250 lb
Big Green Egg XL26.50 in round11.75 in, on the Table Nest23.5 in from the hole’s centerTable Nest, in the package217 lb
Kamado Joe Classic Joe III22.8 in circle + 4.7 × 9.3 in latch notch17.3 in1.6 in past the hinge3 ceramic feet238.8 lb
Kamado Joe Big Joe II28.1 in circle + 5.2 × 13.2 in latch notch17.6 in3.6 in past the hinge4 ceramic feet362.2 lb
Big Green Egg 2XL32.50 in round13.0 in, on the Table Nest28.5 in from the hole’s centerTable Nest, bought separately375 or 425 lb
Kamado Joe Big Joe III28.1 in circle + 5.2 × 13.2 in latch notch20.8 in3.6 in past the hinge4 ceramic feet405.2 lb
Komodo Kamado 19” Table TopNot publishedNot publishedNot publishedIts own base366 lb
Primo Oval XXL30.5 × 24½ in oval — PRELIMINARY13⅛ inNot published4 ceramic feet282 lb

Sources: Big Green Egg’s XL (May 2021) and 2XL (January 2018) built-in sheets; Kamado Joe’s Built-in Grill Guide table, identical to the Big Joe III manual (2024); Primo’s XL “new hinge” template (May 2021) and XXL template (August 2025, preliminary); each maker’s product page for weight.

Four things in that table decide builds. The Series III trap runs at both sizes: a Classic III sits 2.9 inches taller to the shelf than a Classic II, and a Big Joe III 3.2 inches taller than a Big Joe II. Weight is a structural number: three of these heads are over 360 pounds, and Big Green Egg prints the 2XL at 375 pounds on its product page and 425 on its built-in sheet — build the shelf for the larger. The drop ranges from 11.75 to 20.8 inches — nine inches between the shallowest and the deepest — so the shelf is set to one head and no other. Two heads have no finished drawing: Komodo publishes none for any table top, and Primo’s XXL template is marked preliminary.

The combustible-construction rules are the same contradictions as in the Lightweight division, at bigger sizes: Big Green Egg’s sheets demand a “non-combustible environment” while its warranty allows a Metal Table Nest on a combustible base; Kamado Joe’s Big Joe III manual says on page 17 “Grill MUST be on the ground. Do not place grill on tables or counters” and gives a built-in guide on page 20; Primo allows wooden tables with the grill on its ceramic feet; Komodo says nothing and sells teak cabinets. Build non-combustible, stand the ceramic on its feet or nest, and let air move under it.

Best overall: Primo Oval XL 400

In a band where nobody else has been cooked on by a credentialed tester, the Primo Oval XL has been, at length. AmazingRibs’ full-time grill tester ran it through low-and-slow, mid-range and two-zone searing, gave it five stars and a Platinum medal, and wrote the line that sums up a ceramic kamado: “We filled the XL firebox with a full load, settled in at 225° and it ran for THREE DAYS!” The oval is the reason it wins beyond the test — AmazingRibs found it does true two-zone cooking, “something that round designs really can’t accomplish,” so one head sears on one side and smokes on the other. It has 400 square inches, 680 with Primo’s optional rack, and Primo publishes a dated cut-out template with and without the hinge notch. It is the cheapest head in the band at $1,699, and Primo’s ceramic feet for a built-in are $39 a set.

Not for you if you want the maker to be the seller. The XL head is not on Amazon and Primo’s own site sells nothing: you buy from a Primo dealer, and Primo’s warranty sends claims back through “your local dealer” and ships replacement parts at your expense, with gaskets and the thermometer covered for 30 days. AmazingRibs’ test unit rusted at the damper’s Allen screw and spring within a short time, which Primo says it has since switched to stainless. And the install is a job: the 250-pound head was, stripped of its internals, “almost too much for two people to lift” into Primo’s own cart. Plan the lift into the island before the countertop goes on.

Winner

Best overall built-in · The one head in the Welterweight band a credentialed tester has cooked on: AmazingRibs ran a full load at 225°F for three days and gave it five stars. 400 sq in on an oval that does true two-zone cooking, a published cutout, and the lowest price in the band

Your pick if you want the most proven big head for the money — 400 sq in on an oval you can run hot on one side and cool on the other — and you will buy it from a Primo dealer with the $39 feet.

~$1,699typical at Primo · checked September 2026
Check price at Primo →

Picked before we checked what this link pays us.

Pro review AmazingRibs
“We filled the XL firebox with a full load, settled in at 225° and it ran for THREE DAYS!”
— Max Good, AmazingRibs

Your pick if you want the most proven big head for the money — 400 sq in on an oval you can run hot on one side and cool on the other — and you will buy it from a Primo dealer with the $39 feet.

Pro review “We filled the XL firebox with a full load, settled in at 225° and it ran for THREE DAYS!”— Max Good, AmazingRibs
Pros
  • The only head in this band with a credentialed hands-on test: AmazingRibs, five stars and a Platinum medal
  • "We filled the XL firebox with a full load, settled in at 225° and it ran for THREE DAYS!" — AmazingRibs
  • The oval does true two-zone cooking; round kamados cannot, AmazingRibs found
  • 400 sq in for the lowest price in the band, and Primo publishes templates with and without the hinge notch
Cons
  • 250 lb: AmazingRibs found it "almost too much for two people to lift" even stripped — plan the lift into the island
  • AmazingRibs' test unit rusted at the damper's Allen screw and spring; Primo says it switched to stainless
  • Sold through dealers, not Amazon, as a head; parts ship at your expense and gaskets carry 30 days
  • No independent owner base to read
What owners complain aboutAvoidable — read this first

No owner base exists for the head. The documented catches are AmazingRibs' test notes — rust on the damper's Allen screw and spring, a cover that trapped moisture, a 250-lb head two people could barely lift — and Primo's own warranty terms: parts at your expense, 30 days on gaskets.

Not applicable — no independent rating base; one credentialed test · critical reviews read 2026-09-23

~$1,699typical at Primo · checked September 2026
Check price at Primo →
✓ Safety: no active recallCPSC Recall API queried 2026-09-23: RecallTitle 'Primo' 2 records, both other companies (Primo beverage dispensers 2018, a Primo International futon 1997); ProductName 'kamado' 0. Positive control: ProductName 'heater' 182. Primo spec sheet: 12 in behind the XL to open, 2 in of clearance around it.

Best built-in package: Big Green Egg XL Built-in Package

Big Green Egg’s contractor package in the XL does what its Large package does: the EGG, the XL Table Nest its warranty requires under a built-in, the convEGGtor, a Grid Gripper, an ash tool, charcoal and starters, for $1,899 from biggreenegg.com. It is more grate than the Primo — 452 square inches on a 24-inch grid — and Big Green Egg’s one-page sheet (May 2021) gives the mason a 26.50-inch hole, 11.75 inches to the shelf and 23.5 inches to the wall.

Not for you if you want a tested head. No credentialed outlet has tested the XL; every test of a Big Green Egg we found is of the Large. The ash comes out from above, the warranty excludes an EGG “suspend[ed]” in the counter by anything but a BGE Nest or a solid surface, replacements ship at your expense, and the spec sheet’s non-combustible rule is stricter than the warranty’s. It ranks second on the strength of the package and the drawing, not a test.

Your pick if you want a big EGG and a carton with nothing missing, and your mason wants Big Green Egg's one-page drawing: a 26.50 in hole, 11.75 in to the shelf, 23.5 in to the back wall.

Pros
  • The Table Nest and convEGGtor are in the box — nothing to add before the first cook
  • 452 sq in on a 24 in grid, more than the Primo XL's 400
  • A dated one-page built-in drawing with the hole, the drop and the rear-wall distance
  • Sold direct, so the order confirmation is the Authorized Dealer receipt the warranty asks for
Cons
  • No credentialed outlet has tested the XL; the tests are all of the Large
  • Ash comes out from above, through the draft door or with the internals out
  • The shallowest drop here, 11.75 in, and the spec sheet's non-combustible rule is stricter than the warranty
  • Warranty replacements ship at your expense; lighter fluid voids it; not on Amazon
What owners complain aboutAvoidable — read this first

No independent owner base. The documented catches are in Big Green Egg's own papers: the suspend-the-EGG exclusion, the spec sheet's non-combustible rule against the warranty's wood-table allowance, and replacements shipped at the owner's expense.

Not applicable — no independent rating base · critical reviews read 2026-09-23

~$1,899typical at Big Green Egg · checked September 2026
Check price at Big Green Egg →
✓ Safety: no active recallCPSC Recall API queried 2026-09-23: RecallTitle 'Big Green Egg' 0 records; ProductName 'kamado' 0. Positive control: ProductName 'heater' 182. Spec sheet: 'EGG must be installed in a non-combustible environment'.

Best upgrade: Kamado Joe Classic Joe III Standalone

The Classic Joe III is the Classic II with Kamado Joe’s SlōRoller smoke insert, a three-tier rack and a stainless charcoal basket, and Kamado Joe sells its head without the cart for $2,000. Serious Eats named it the best kamado upgrade after a senior editor used it for over a year: “It heats up quickly, thanks to its thick ceramic construction, and retains that heat really well too.” It keeps the slide-out ash drawer, the feature that matters most in a built-in.

Not for you if you are paying for cooking area. It has the same 250 square inches as the Classic II Standalone in the Lightweight division, for $600 more; the upgrade is the SlōRoller and the rack. It needs 17.3 inches to the shelf, not the Classic II’s 14.4. Serious Eats found the latch “can be finicky,” and Food & Wine found a mid-cook refuel meant lifting out the food, the deflectors and the SlōRoller. Kamado Joe’s page does not list the ceramic feet among its included accessories. Buy it from Kamado Joe, whose warranty voids a purchase “through an unauthorized dealer.”

Your pick if you smoke more than you sear, you want the SlōRoller and the three-tier rack, and you are framing the island for this head specifically — 17.3 in to the shelf, not a Classic II's 14.4.

Pro review “It heats up quickly, thanks to its thick ceramic construction, and retains that heat really well too.”— Grace Kelly, quoted by Rochelle Bilow, Serious Eats
Pros
  • Serious Eats' 'Best Kamado Grill Upgrade', on a senior editor's year of use: "It heats up quickly, thanks to its thick ceramic construction, and retains that heat really well too."
  • The SlōRoller insert and a three-tier rack over the Classic II
  • Keeps the slide-out ash drawer the built-in needs
  • Sold direct by Kamado Joe
Cons
  • The same 250 sq in as the Classic II for $600 more
  • 17.3 in to the shelf — an island framed for a Classic II will not take it
  • Serious Eats: "The latch can be finicky"; Food & Wine found adding charcoal meant pulling the food, deflectors and SlōRoller
  • Not on Amazon, and Kamado Joe's page does not list the ceramic feet as included
What owners complain aboutAvoidable — read this first

No owner base for the standalone. The testers' catches: a latch that sometimes would not lock the lid open (Serious Eats), and a refuel that means lifting out food, deflectors and the SlōRoller (Food & Wine).

Not applicable — no independent rating base; two credentialed tests of the cart version · critical reviews read 2026-09-23

~$1,999.99typical at Kamado Joe · checked September 2026
Check price at Kamado Joe →
✓ Safety: no active recallCPSC Recall API queried 2026-09-23: RecallTitle 'Kamado Joe' 0 records; ProductName 'kamado' 0. Positive control: ProductName 'heater' 182.

Best big round: Kamado Joe Big Joe II Standalone

Kamado Joe’s 24-inch head without the cart: 450 square inches, the two-tier Divide & Conquer rack, the Air Lift hinge on a heavy dome and the slide-out ash drawer, for $2,200 from Kamado Joe. It is the same cooking area as the Big Joe III for $800 less, and a drawer you slide out through a cabinet door matters more at 24 inches than at 18.

Not for you if you want a test or a clean channel on Amazon. No credentialed outlet has cooked on any Big Joe — AmazingRibs “Looked Closely At It,” Popular Mechanics picked it from the desk. Its Amazon listing reads 3.3 stars from 13, is sold by Autoplicity, an auto-parts seller, and carries the tail you would expect from freight on a 362-pound ceramic: “Came basically shattered with hundreds of micro cracks covering the entire body of it” (October 2025), and a gasket claim an owner “filed 8 times and they closed all the cases.” One five-star card says it plainly: “Make Sure This is an Authorized Kamado Seller, or you may not have a warranty.” The listing ships three ceramic feet; Kamado Joe says a 24-inch grill needs four. Buy it from Kamado Joe.

Your pick if you want a round 24-inch head with an ash drawer you can slide out through a cabinet door, and you will buy it from Kamado Joe rather than the auto-parts store holding the Amazon buy box.

Pros
  • The slide-out ash drawer and Air Lift hinge on a 24-inch head
  • 450 sq in, the same as the Big Joe III, for $800 less
  • Kamado Joe publishes its cutout, notch and hinge clearance
Cons
  • No credentialed hands-on test of any Big Joe: AmazingRibs 'Looked Closely At It', Popular Mechanics picked it from the desk
  • The Amazon listing reads 3.3 from 13 and is sold by Autoplicity, an auto-parts seller — its critical cards are a head that 'Came basically shattered', and a gasket claim closed eight times
  • Kamado Joe says a 24-inch grill needs four feet; the Amazon listing ships three
  • 362 lb on the shelf
What owners complain aboutSupport / warranty

Freight and service, not cooking: 'Came basically shattered with hundreds of micro cracks covering the entire body' (October 2025); a detached gasket where the owner 'filed 8 times and they closed all the cases' and Amazon sent the part instead of Kamado Joe (2020); a missing-parts call that went nowhere (2024). One five-star card warns: 'Make Sure This is an Authorized Kamado Seller, or you may not have a warranty.'

All 3 critical reviews read signed-in 2026-09-23 (2 of 3 Verified Purchase) · critical reviews read 2026-09-23

~$2,199.99typical at Kamado Joe · checked September 2026
Check price at Kamado Joe →
✓ Safety: no active recallCPSC Recall API queried 2026-09-23: RecallTitle 'Kamado Joe' 0 records; ProductName 'kamado' 0. Positive control: ProductName 'heater' 182.

Most cooking area: Big Green Egg 2XL

The biggest head on the page: 672 square inches on a 29-inch grid, which Big Green Egg rates for 40 burgers. There is no 2XL built-in package, so it is the bare EGG at $2,799.99 plus its $99.99 Table Nest — $2,900 together, before a convEGGtor — and Big Green Egg’s 2XL sheet gives a 32.50-inch hole, 13.0 inches to the shelf and 28.5 inches to the wall.

Not for you unless the island is engineered for it. Big Green Egg’s own product page says the 2XL weighs 375 pounds and its built-in sheet says 425; the shelf has to be built for the larger number. Nobody has tested the 2XL, it is not on Amazon, and it carries the same warranty conditions as every EGG.

Your pick if you cook for a crowd every weekend and the island is being engineered for the load — a 32.50 in hole, 28.5 in to the back wall, and a shelf rated for a 425-lb ceramic.

Pros
  • 672 sq in, the most on the page — Big Green Egg rates it for 40 burgers
  • A published built-in drawing: 32.50 in hole, 13.0 in drop, 28.5 in to the back wall
  • Sold direct by Big Green Egg
Cons
  • No 2XL built-in package: the Table Nest is $99.99 extra and the convEGGtor extra again
  • Big Green Egg prints two weights — 375 lb on the product page, 425 on the built-in sheet — so engineer the shelf for 425
  • No credentialed test of the 2XL, and not on Amazon
  • Ash comes out from above; replacements ship at your expense
What owners complain aboutAvoidable — read this first

No independent owner base. The documented catches are Big Green Egg's own: no built-in package at this size, two different published weights, and the same suspend-the-EGG warranty exclusion.

Not applicable — no independent rating base · critical reviews read 2026-09-23

~$2,899.98typical at Big Green Egg · checked September 2026
Check price at Big Green Egg →
✓ Safety: no active recallCPSC Recall API queried 2026-09-23: RecallTitle 'Big Green Egg' 0 records; ProductName 'kamado' 0. Positive control: ProductName 'heater' 182.

Big-round step-up: Kamado Joe Big Joe III Standalone

The Big Joe with the SlōRoller, the three-tier rack and the charcoal basket, from Kamado Joe for $3,000 — the most expensive head in the band and the heaviest at 405.2 pounds. It keeps the ash drawer. It also needs the deepest shelf drop here, 20.8 inches, and it is the manual in which Kamado Joe writes on one page that the grill “MUST be on the ground” and on another how to build it in. It is $800 over the Big Joe II for the same 450 square inches, and the one Big Joe III listing we found on Amazon does not say whether it sells the head or the cart. For most islands, the Big Joe II is the better buy.

Your pick if you want the biggest Kamado Joe with the SlōRoller for long smokes and are framing the island to its 20.8 in drop — the deepest in the band.

Pros
  • The SlōRoller and three-tier rack on a 24-inch head
  • Keeps the slide-out ash drawer
  • Kamado Joe's built-in guide for this exact model is in its manual
Cons
  • $800 more than the Big Joe II for the same 450 sq in
  • The deepest drop in the band, 20.8 in, and 405 lb on the shelf
  • Its own manual contradicts itself: p.17 'Grill MUST be on the ground. Do not place grill on tables or counters', p.20 a built-in guide
  • No credentialed test of any Big Joe; the Amazon Big Joe III listing we read did not establish that it is the standalone
What owners complain aboutAvoidable — read this first

No owner base we can attribute to the standalone. The documented catch is Kamado Joe's own manual contradicting itself on built-ins.

Not applicable — no attributable rating base · critical reviews read 2026-09-23

~$2,999.99typical at Kamado Joe · checked September 2026
Check price at Kamado Joe →
✓ Safety: no active recallCPSC Recall API queried 2026-09-23: RecallTitle 'Kamado Joe' 0 records; ProductName 'kamado' 0. Positive control: ProductName 'heater' 182. Big Joe III manual p.19: 10 ft to overhead and combustible construction — written for the cart grill.

Heaviest build: Komodo Kamado 19” Hi-Cap Table Top

Komodo Kamado builds its grills from refractory cement and insulation under tile rather than glazed ceramic, sells them direct from its founder, and markets its table tops as the counter models. The 19-inch weighs 366 pounds — more than the Big Joe II — has 505 square inches across two grates and 304 stainless internals, and costs $2,840 in standard tiles. Its warranty is lifetime for the original owner.

Not for you if your builder needs a drawing. Komodo publishes no cutout, no shelf height and no clearance for any table top — the only maker here that gives the mason nothing — and no credentialed outlet has tested a table top; AmazingRibs’ Komodo reviews are of its leg models. Komodo’s own care advice is the other thing to know before you build one in: “Keeping moisture out of the insulation is of utmost importance. Please monitor crazing/cracks and keep them filled with material supplied by KK.”

Your pick if you want the most heavily built head in the band, you will email Komodo for your cutout before anyone frames the island, and a lifetime warranty from a direct-only maker suits you.

Pros
  • The heaviest body per inch on the page: 366 lb for a 19-inch grill
  • 505 sq in across two grates, and 304 stainless internals
  • Lifetime warranty for the original owner, sold and supported direct by the founder
Cons
  • No cutout, shelf height or clearance published for any table top — the only maker here that gives a builder nothing
  • No credentialed test of a table top; AmazingRibs' Komodo tests are of the 23-inch and 32-inch leg models
  • Direct only: no dealer showroom to inspect one before you buy
  • Komodo's own care advice: "Keeping moisture out of the insulation is of utmost importance. Please monitor crazing/cracks and keep them filled with material supplied by KK."
What owners complain aboutFit / placement

No independent owner base. The documented catch is Komodo's silence on installation: no cutout, drop or clearance for any table top.

Not applicable — no independent rating base · critical reviews read 2026-09-23

~$2,840typical at Komodo Kamado · checked September 2026
Check price at Komodo Kamado →
✓ Safety: no active recallCPSC Recall API queried 2026-09-23: ProductName 'kamado' 0 records. Positive control: ProductName 'heater' 182. Komodo's home page: 'Keeping moisture out of the insulation is of utmost importance.'

The SKIP: Primo Oval XXL

Primo’s newest oval, 500 square inches for $2,199, would sit between the XL and the 2XL on paper. On the paper that matters it is not finished. The cut-out template Primo publishes for the XXL is stamped PRELIMINARY; its bracketed metric figures — 1896.15 and 1362.54 — do not equal its 30.5 and 24½ inches in anything; and its revision block records an initial release in March 2024 and a changed shelf height in August 2025. An island is poured to a drawing once. Add no owner rating, no credentialed test, and an Amazon listing branded “Generic” that gives the grill a 200-pound weight against Primo’s 282, and there is nothing to build to. If you want a big Primo, the tested Oval XL is on this page; if you want the XXL, put it on a cart until Primo finishes the drawing.

Your pick if you are building a freestanding cart for it, not an island — until Primo publishes a final cutout drawing, which, as of its latest revision, it has not.

Pros
  • 500 sq in on an oval — two-zone cooking at the largest size Primo makes
  • Primo publishes a template at all, which Komodo does not
Cons
  • The cutout drawing is stamped PRELIMINARY, its bracketed metric figures do not equal its inches (1896.15 against 30.5 in), and its shelf height was changed in August 2025
  • No owner rating and no credentialed test
  • The Amazon listing is branded 'Generic' and gives a 200-lb weight against Primo's 282
  • Sold on Amazon by a third party, Outdoor Home Store; parts ship at your expense
What owners complain aboutFit / placement

No owner reviews exist. The documented catch is Primo's own drawing: preliminary, internally inconsistent, and revised a year and a half after its first release.

Not applicable — no owner base · critical reviews read 2026-09-23

Check price at Amazon →
✓ Safety: no active recallCPSC Recall API queried 2026-09-23: RecallTitle 'Primo' 2 records, both other companies; ProductName 'kamado' 0. Positive control: ProductName 'heater' 182.

The upgrade past $3,000: Komodo Kamado 22” The Beast Table Top

Nothing else competes above this division, so Komodo’s 22-inch table top is carded here as the upgrade rather than a contender. Komodo describes it as having “the same charcoal basket to main grate distance as our full-sized grills” and calls it “a no-compromise solution to needing a built-in-your-counter grill.” Its store sells it at $4,480 in standard tiles, with several finishes in stock in the US when we read it — while Komodo’s own FAQ comparison table still prints it at $3,280. The store is the price you pay. Like the 19-inch, it has no published cutout and no test of the table top.

Komodo Kamado 22" The Beast Table Top

The upgrade

Your pick if the budget stops being the question, you want Komodo's full-size firebox in a counter, and you will get your cutout from Komodo in writing before the island is framed.

Pros
  • Komodo's full-size charcoal-to-grate distance in a counter model, by Komodo's own description
  • Several finishes in stock in the US at our read
  • Lifetime warranty for the original owner
Cons
  • $4,480 — above this division, so it is carded as the upgrade, not a contender
  • Komodo's FAQ compare table lists the 22" Beast at $3,280 while its store sells it at $4,480; the store is the price you pay
  • No cutout published, and no credentialed test of a table top
What owners complain aboutFit / placement

No independent owner base. The documented catches are Komodo's own: no cutout for any table top, and an FAQ price $1,200 under the store's.

Not applicable — no independent rating base · critical reviews read 2026-09-23

~$4,480typical at Komodo Kamado · checked September 2026
Check price at Komodo Kamado →
✓ Safety: no active recallCPSC Recall API queried 2026-09-23: ProductName 'kamado' 0 records. Positive control: ProductName 'heater' 182.

What to know before you buy

  • Buy the head, then engineer the island. The drop ranges from 11.75 to 20.8 inches and a Series III sits about three inches taller than its Series II.
  • Build the shelf for the weight. Three of these heads are over 360 pounds; build a 2XL shelf for 425.
  • Plan the lift. Two people could barely lift a stripped Primo XL into a cart.
  • Get the drawing first. Komodo publishes none, and Primo’s XXL template is preliminary.
  • Buy from the maker or a dealer the maker names. Kamado Joe voids coverage for unauthorized dealers; Big Green Egg requires an Authorized Dealer receipt; Primo routes claims through your dealer; Komodo sells only direct.
  • Leave a door where the ash comes out. Every Kamado Joe here has a slide-out drawer that needs front access.

Bottom line: if you want the one tested head in the band, buy the Primo Oval XL from a Primo dealer and plan the lift; if you want an EGG with nothing missing from the carton, buy Big Green Egg’s XL Built-in Package; if you smoke more than you sear, the Classic Joe III; for a big round with an ash drawer, the Big Joe II from Kamado Joe; for the most grate, the 2XL on a shelf built for 425 pounds; and wait on the Primo XXL until its drawing is final.

FAQ

What size hole does a built-in Big Green Egg XL or 2XL need?

Big Green Egg's own built-in sheets give the XL a 26.50-inch round hole, 11.75 inches from the support shelf to the top of the countertop with the EGG on its Table Nest, and at least 23.5 inches from the center of the hole to the back wall; the 2XL needs a 32.50-inch hole, 13.0 inches to the shelf and 28.5 inches to the wall. For comparison, Kamado Joe's Big Joe needs a 28.1-inch circle plus a 5.2-by-13.2-inch latch notch, and Primo's Oval XL a 28¾-by-28-inch oval with its hinge notch. Build to the drawing for the exact head you bought.

Is a Big Joe II the same height as a Big Joe III in a built-in?

No. Kamado Joe's own table gives 17.6 inches from the bottom of the feet to the top of the counter for the Big Joe II and 20.8 inches for the Big Joe III — more than three inches apart, the same trap as the Classic Joe II and III. An island framed for one will not take the other at the same counter line.

How heavy is a built-in kamado?

Heavier than most shelves are built for. From the makers' own pages: Big Green Egg's XL is 217 pounds, the Primo Oval XL 250, the Primo Oval XXL 282, the Big Joe II 362, the Komodo Kamado 19-inch table top 366, and the Big Joe III 405. Big Green Egg prints the 2XL at 375 pounds on its product page and 425 on its built-in sheet — engineer for 425. AmazingRibs found the Primo XL, stripped of its internals, 'almost too much for two people to lift' into its cart.

Does Komodo Kamado publish a cutout for its table-top grills?

No. Komodo Kamado sells its 19-inch and 22-inch table tops direct as counter models, but publishes no cutout, no shelf height and no clearance for either. Get the opening from Komodo in writing before the island is framed.

Why is the Primo Oval XXL the skip?

Because an island is built to a drawing, and Primo's drawing for the XXL is not finished. The cut-out template Primo publishes is stamped 'PRELIMINARY', its bracketed metric figures do not equal its inches, and its shelf height was changed in an August 2025 revision. The grill has no owner rating and no credentialed test, and its Amazon listing is branded 'Generic' with a weight 82 pounds under Primo's own figure.

Is there a built-in kamado above $3,000?

One that we found: Komodo Kamado's 22-inch The Beast Table Top, sold direct from its own store — at about $1,200 more than the figure Komodo's own FAQ comparison table still prints. It carries Komodo's full-size firebox depth in a counter model and Komodo's lifetime warranty, and like every Komodo table top it has no published cutout. It is carded on this page as the upgrade rather than a contender, because nothing else competes with it at that price.

The ladder

Every Built-in Grills & Inserts showdown, by division

Same fight, different budgets. The head rulings first, then each weight class as the price climbs.

  1. Lightweight · $999–$1,400The Best Built-In Kamado Grills Under $1,500 (2026): Three Numbers for the Mason, and the Warranty That Says What the Egg Sits On

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