Are you tired of grilled food that tastes like charcoal or gas? A wood pellet grill gives you the flexibility to smoke and slow-cook ribs, brisket, chicken, and other meats with natural hardwood pellets for extra flavor.
Imagine grilling up some mesquite chicken or hickory-smoked ribs all from your backyard. You can use different food-grade wood pellet types in these grills to create a unique flavor. Please read on for our review of the Pit Boss 700FB vs Z Grill 7002B.
We believe that these models are two of the pellet grills available today. Please read the pellet grill comparison below for the key attributes of each grill and some important considerations that may help you make your decision.
For the Rush
Overview
At first glance, the Pit Boss 700FB and Z Grills ZPG-7002B seem to be very similar. Both grills offer nearly 700 square inches of cooking surface, which is often enough for three or 4 racks of ribs. Furthermore, both models include a hopper that holds approximately 20 pounds of wood pellets.
Temperature range
Yet, a closer look reveals that these grills are actually best suited for different purposes.
The Z Grills ZPG-7002B has a listed temperature range of 180 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit in increments of 25 degrees.
The included digital control releases pellets as needed to keep the temperature within 10 degrees of your set point.
However, 450 degrees is significantly lower than the maximum temperature of other affordable wood pellet grills.
The Pit Boss 700FB has a maximum temperature of 600 degrees Fahrenheit. Even at the maximum temperature of 450 degrees, you may have difficulty effectively searing and grilling your brisket, steak, or other meat.
We recommend
As a result, we recommend the Z Grills 7002B as a top-notch meat smoker rather than a grill for searing and grilling large slabs of meat.
If your goal is to cook baby back ribs low and slow until they fall off the bone, then the Z Grill may be the best option for you.
In contrast, if you plan to grill and sear steaks, brisket, chicken, and other meat or fish on your grill, then you will likely appreciate the Pit Boss’s higher maximum temperature.
Its second-tier rack in the grilling area means that you can cook enough food for up to six people.
| PIT BOSS 700FB Pellet Grill
|
Z Grills ZPG-7002B Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Cooking Area | 700 sq. in. | 700 sq. in. |
| Fuel Type | Pellet | Pellet |
| Temperature Range | 180°F to 500°F | 180°F to 450°F |
| Hopper Capacity | 18 lbs. | 20 lbs. |
| Weight | 97 lbs. | 104 lbs. |
PIT BOSS 700FB vs Z Grills ZPG-7002B Comparison:
PIT BOSS 700FB Pellet Grill
The PIT BOSS 700FB is a really strong option for you to consider. This pellet grill offers a large, 700-square-inch cooking area. This large area provides you with plenty of space to cook up to 32 burgers.
The cooking area is also capable of holding up to 21 pounds, which will allow you to cook large quantities of meat at the same time.
You’re truly in control of this grill. It provides you with the ability to smoke, grill, BBQ, char-grill, braise, sear, bake, or roast your favorite meats.
The temperature can be adjusted between 170- 600 degrees Fahrenheit, ensuring your meats turn out as expected. The digital control board will help you easily set or adjust the grill to your desired temperature.
The grill uses all-natural cooking-grade wood pellet fuel, which eliminates the need to use propane or gas. You’ll be truly impressed with the flavor the wood pellet food adds to the foods you cook.
PIT BOSS makes quality grills, and this item is no exception. It is made from heavy gauge steel that will hold up well for many years to come.
Overall, consumers have very positive things to say about this grill. They see it as a high-quality, top-performing grill that is available for a very reasonable price. Individuals have shared that the 700-square-foot cooking surface is the perfect size to allow them to cook for a crowd.
They also love the flavor that the all-natural cooking-grade wood pellet fuel adds to their meats and share that the grill is both durable and easy to use.
We believe that the Pit Boss 700FB is the entry-level pellet grill on the market today for the money. This grill offers many features designed to help you cook some truly delicious foods.
Features
- PIT BOSS put a lot of thought into designing this grill. One unique feature that you’ll enjoy is the flame broiler with a slide plate.
- You can easily slide the plate to control the flame.
- This will help you achieve the results you’re looking for with every food you broil.
- 700 sq. in. total cooking surface.
- Porcelain-coated cast iron grids.
- Digitally controlled burn system.
- Fueled by 100% natural wood pellets.
Pros
- This option offers a 700-square-inch porcelain-coated cooking area.
- It has a flame broiler with a slide plate for maximum control.
- You can cook up to 32 burgers and up to 21 pounds of meat.
- This grill is less expensive than other similar products.
Cons
- The grease catcher/bucket can dislodge and cause spills during use.
Z Grills ZPG-7002B Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker
Now on to the Z-Grills pellet grill review. The ZPG-7002B also offers a 700-square-inch cooking area that can support up to 20 pounds. Above the cooking surface are a warming and smoking rack. This grill is very versatile and can be used to grill, bake, roast, smoke, BBQ, braise, and more.
Using the Z Grills ZPG-7002B is easy. It can be started by just pressing a single button. Additionally, the grill has easy-to-use digital auto temperature controls and an LED temperature read-out to help you adjust and monitor cooking temperatures.
With an automated electric feed system, this option can maintain a temperature within 10 degrees of the set temperature.
This can eliminate the need for you to be constantly out monitoring the grill’s temperature and the cooking progress of your food inside of it.
The pellet fuel helps deliver a delicious, wood-smoked taste to your foods.
And, while you may think that pellets will cost too much, they may end up costing you less than the fuel for a carbon or gas grill. 20 pounds of pellets will let you cook for around 20 hours.
Customers like that the Z Grills 7002B maintains a consistent and accurate temperature even while smoking meat at lower temperatures. They also appreciate the large cooking area that can hold up to four racks of ribs at once.
However, some customers have noted that it is too easy to knock the grease catcher off of the grill during use.
We feel that the Z Grills 7002B is an excellent choice for smoking meat and other low-temperature cooking applications.
Its low maximum temperature of only 450 degrees leads us to recommend other options if you primarily want to sear meat, fish, vegetables, and other food during your backyard barbecues.
Features
- There are a few key features that make this product stand out compared to other options.
- First, it uses fan-forced convection cooking, which will allow you to use the grill to roast, smoke, bake, grill, or braise all of your favorite meats.
- You’ll also appreciate the waste oil collector that will help make clean-up safer, easier, and less messy.
Pros
- The temperature will stay within 10 degrees of where you set it.
- The waste oil collector will help simplify clean-up.
- You can get the grill up and running by just pressing a single button.
- No starter fluid is necessary for this option.
Cons
- The grill only has a maximum temperature of 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Insights and Takeaways
Both the Pit Boss 700FB and the Z Grills ZPG-7002B are strong contenders for the entry-level pellet grill. The ZPH-7002B is surprisingly compact from the outside.
However, it has a cooking area large enough to cook multiple racks of ribs. Furthermore, its precise digital temperature control can smoke your meat low and slow to perfection.
However, if you are looking for an all-around option that can smoke meat, barbecue ribs, sear steak, and bake pizzas or other foods, then we strongly recommend the Pit Boss 700FB. Its wider temperature range from 170 to 500 degrees Fahrenheit makes it a more versatile choice than the ZPG-7002B.
Furthermore, its 700-square-inch interior cooking surface may allow you to cook up to 32 hamburgers at once. Best of all, the 20-pound hopper capacity will enable you to barbecue your favorite meats for up to 20 hours before you need a refill.
