Big Green Egg Stainless Steel Vent Cap - Big Improvement

BGE Stainless Steel Vent Cap - Looking Sharp and Working Better Than the Floor Model Vent Caps

The Big Green Egg smoker ceramic grill is a premium outdoor cooker. People who own them love the BGEs, and many who don't own one have the Big Green Egg on their ultimate "wish list."

One part of the BGE has always been a bit of an issue, and that's the vent cap. The green ceramic cap will fall off if you open the lid, and it (being ceramic) can break pretty easily falling from that distance. The cast iron cap which is used for actually smoking to adjust temperatures gets really hot, and if you open the lid, the weight of the cast iron metal vents will open or close them after they've been set where you want them to keep your heat steady.

Matthew Merritt noted the issues with the caps on the Big Green Egg and decided he'd come up with something that would work better. The result was his stainless steel BGE vent cap which fits the BGE (medium, large, and x-large) as well as other ceramic cookers like the Kamado Joe (classic and Big Joe), and Primo (Oval Jr. and Oval x-large).

Benefits of the Stainless Steel BGE Vent Cap

 

There are a number of benefits to adding the stainless steel vent cap starting with the weight. This cap is easier to carry around and work with than the heavier caps. This may not be a big deal for a big guy. For me, it's great to have a smoker vent cap that doesn't weigh so much.

 

The lighter weight also means that the settings hold. The vents do not slide due to the heavy weight of cast iron. You can lift the ceramic lid, and the vents there on the cap hold position. Those who smoke know that it takes work to get a steady temperature, and it's a pain to lose the perfect venting when checking out the food. On top of this, the stainless does not get so hot. Touch cast iron, and you are going to get burned. Unless you're at a really hot temperature, you don't have that problem with stainless steel.

 

The design of the vent with the side adjustments mean that rain (or snow) don't get in if you are smoking out from under a cover. There is nothing like rain dripping in your smoker to mess up the temperature (and make a mess in general). This takes care of that problem.

 

Another plus is that you can leave the vents open, since they are placed on the side. If you lock down a BGE, then you may open up the unit to a big old moldy mess. That is not a pleasant surprise. I'm from North Carolina where it's really humid, and it's a real pain to have to clean out mold (which I'm also allergic to). But, you sure don't want to grill or smoke up food with mold in the outdoor cooker. Now, that's gross as you all know.

I also think it's great that the vent cap can go in the dishwasher, although I do not have a dishwasher. Maybe one of these days . . . Anyway, it's not hard to wash the cap, since it's small enough to easily fit in the sink.

 

How Does the Stainless Steel Vent Cap Work?

 

It's super simple to add the stainless steel vent cap to your BGE or other ceramic smoker. All you have to do is put on the gasket as below. Wash the unit first, so it sticks well. Then peel off the paper and wrap it around. Cut off any excess. Then put on the vent which fits snug but can be lifted back off without any problems.

 

 

Big Green Egg Accessory Vent Top with Gasket Installed

 

Once you have the base on, you slide on the vent top. This again is super easy as you can see below.

 

 

Stainless Steel Accessory Ceramic Cooker Vent Cap

The fit is perfect, but it's still easy to slide the vent to get the right amount of air flow going and set your temperatures. Then, you're set, because the cap stays on, and the vents stay as placed.

What Are You Waiting For? This is a Great Product for Your BGE.

This accessory vent works like a charm, and it's attractive as well. It matches the lower vents on the BGE in terms of the metal, so it does not look like an add-on.

The Big Green Egg vent cap is sold by Eggware online. They sent me a sample. It was packed well and shipped out quick. I wasn't sure what I'd think of it, since I'm used to the cast iron topper, but I definitely like this vent cap better for all the reasons mentioned.

Mattew is working on a smoking pan and vegetable basket. If they are great as his BGE vent cap, then I can't wait to see those.

Good News if You Order Before June 15, 2013

You can save 15% off the vent cap if you order before Father's Day 2013 (June 15th). Just use the code: DAD. You can surprise Dad plus save money, or you can even treat yourself.