Z Grills burst onto the scene in 2017, offering pellet grills of similar quality to Traegers at severely reduced prices.
That turned out to be a great strategy, as they quickly became one of the best-selling pellet grill brands.
Our team has cooked on and reviewed 7 different Z Grills smokers over the last few years, so we have a good understanding of their strengths and weaknesses, and which models you should buy.
Best Z Grills Pellet Smokers
These Z grills reviews are summaries of longer reviews we’ve done on each model, so be sure to check those out once you’ve narrowed down which model you are interested in.
1. Our Top Pick – Z Grills 700D4E WiFi Wood Pellet Grill & Smoker
Read our full Z Grills 700D4E review.
The best Z Grills pellet smoker we’ve tested is the 700D4E. It’s got more square inches of cooking space and better storage than the more expensive Traeger Pro.
The big knock against this grill for years was the lack of WiFi, but the latest 2024 version comes with connectivity and an app.
The main grill boasts 697 square inches of cooking space split between the main rack (504) and the upper rack (193). The body of the 700D4E is made entirely of either rolled or stainless steel and comes fitted with double-wall insulation.
Watch our full hands-on review of the Z Grills 700D4E
The study body and increased insulation make it far easier to maintain a steady, consistent temperature, but it’s a bit of a shame there’s no gasket on the lid.
The temperature is managed by a new PID temperature controller and adjusted from a large LED screen.
The closed storage cabinet under the grill, larger hopper, and more grill space give the 700D4E a real boost over other models in its price range.
2. Best Value – Z GRILLS Backyard Warrior 7002C2E
The 7002C2E shares many features with our top pick, the 700D4E, but it removes the closed cabinet for a sharper price.
This model was our favorite budget option in our pellet grill buying guide. The base includes a cover, making it an especially good deal.
Otherwise, everything is very similar to the more expensive model. You get the same improved WiFi PID temperature controller for nice stable temperatures and two probes included.
In our tests, temperatures barely moved by more than 5°F. When we smoked a rack of baby back ribs, they came out with a beautiful color and were tender and juicy.
The 24lb hopper on this grill is one of the largest we’ve seen on a grill this size, making it great for overnight cooks. If you want to change pellet flavors or remove unused pellets after cooking, there is a handy door at the back of the hopper that makes cleaning out a breeze.
3. Best For Small Families – Z Grills Pioneer 450B
Read our full Z Grills 450B review.
If you don’t need the size of the 700D4E, the 450B is an excellent alternative. We would go so far as to say this is one of the best pellet grills you can buy for under $500.
You get a grill with a PID controller for improved temperature control. In our testing, the grill stayed within 5°F of the set temperature.
The 459 square inches of grilling area is split between a main grill rack and a warming rack.
The hopper capacity is a generous 18 pounds, and you can easily empty the hopper to remove unused pellets by twisting a latch to release them into a bucket. This is much easier than vacuuming out unused pellets, which is the only option on some grills.
You also get two temperature probes included.
What we didn’t like:
- Only one shelf area – Sure you can use the hopper lid as a shelf, but that’s the only place you have to set things down. Iike to have an additional side table or front table to set things down on while I’m cooking.
4. Best Large Capacity – Z Grills Multitasker 11002B
Read our full Z Grills Multitasker 11002B review.
With the 1000 Series you get larger grills built with more heavy duty materials and offering a few extra features.
The 11002B we tested comes with WiFi, a smoke boost option, and lid gasket to keep more smoke in the chamber and improve fuel efficiency.
These are features that you’ll find on popular mid-range smokers like the Camp Chef Woodwind Pro.
The extra size, build quality and features will cost you though. You’re getting pretty close to the Woodwind Pro in price, although the Z Grills offers more cooking real estate.
In terms of cooking performance, we smoked up some ribs and brisket and were impressed by the amount of smoke flavor. We tested the temperature variance across the grill grates and found neglible difference from left to right and front to back.
5. Best Portable – Z Grills Cruiser 200A Portable Pellet Grill
Read our full Cruiser 200A review.
If you like the idea of taking a smoker with you on tailgates or camping trips but don’t want to lug a big heavy smoker, then the 200A is a perfect choice. With its suitcase design, you get a compact grill with 202 square inches of cooking area.
We gave the Crusier the nod for the best truly portable option in our guide to the best portable pellet smokers.
You won’t be feeding a crowd, but it’s large enough to fit a rack of ribs. Maxing out at 450°F, you won’t have any problem grilling burgers or hot dogs.
Where this grill shines is in its portability. One person can easily handle it, and rather than a cart with collapsible legs, you just place it on a table.
Our tests showed good thermal efficiency with minimal temperature swings.
The 8-lb hopper is small, but it’s enough to power this grill for 10 hours of cooking time.
How Z Grills Work
If you know how pellet grills work, feel free to skip ahead.
The Z Grill’s design is similar to competitors like Pit Boss and Traeger. Their grills work by burning wood pellets (Z grills sell their brand, but any brand of pellets will do) to create heat and smoke to flavor your food.
The pellets are stored in a hopper on the grill’s side.
Different models have hoppers of different sizes for various cook durations.
A mechanical auger feeds the pellets into a firebox, where a rod ignites them.
The auger feeds pellets into the firebox where they ignite to release heat and smoke.
A sensor keeps track of the temperature and works with the digital controls to maintain the temperature you set by controlling the flow of pellets and airflow.
This design allows you to load up your hopper, set the temperature, and effectively ‘set it and forget it’.
Digital controls allow you to set the temperature and plug meat probes in.
While they are often called “pellet grills”, I really think of them as smokers or ovens since they specialize in maintaining steady temperatures over long hours.
Pellet Grills are great for people who don’t want the hassle or mess of cooking with charcoal.
How does Z Grills compare to other top brands?
- Value for Money – Z Grills makes some of the most affordable pellet grills on the market while still including features found on more expensive grills.
- Included Accessories – Some grills come packaged with covers and multiple probes included.
- Large Hoppers – Most models include generously sized pellet hoppers great for long cooks
- Wifi/App – The Z Grills app scores low with users and suffers from poor range and connection issues.
- Questionable Sales – Most models are ALWAYS on sale, making it hard to determine when you’re actually getting a deal.
- No Searing – Most models do not have a searing zone, and don’t get hot enough for great searing.
Z Grills VS Traeger
Traeger Pro 575
Z Grills 700D4E
Before Z Grills started selling to the public, their factory manufactured grill for Traeger.
So the question is, can you buy a Traeger quality grill for less?
The annoying answer, as usual, is it depends. Excluding their portable options, Traeger’s start at around $800 for the smallest Pro model, and go all the way up to $3,800 for the largest Timberline.
Contrast this with Z Grills that go from around $400 up to $1200 and you see this is an apples to oranges comparison unless you’re looking at the Traeger Pro only.
Z Grills have much more variety at the budget end of the spectrum, and offer a little more value for money. Traeger have higher build quality and vastly superior app performance.
Z Grills VS Pit Boss
People always want to compare Traeger and Z Grills but Pit Boss is a much better direct comparison.
Both brands offer a large ranges of grills catering towards the more price conscious buyer. We have a full head-to-head comparison looking at the flagship Z Grills 700D4E vs the Pit Boss Sportsman.
Check out that article or watch the video below for all the details, at the time of writing, we think Pit Boss offers slightly better value for your money.
Z Grills linep and availability
Shopping for a new Z Grill can be very confusing. Sometimes, it feels like the person in charge of coming up with product names used a random letter and number generator.
Z Grills currently sells four different categories of grills in a few different configurations.
- 450-600 Series – Smaller, more basic pellet grills without WiFi
- 700 Series – The sweet spot for most people includes the highly popular 700D4E and the even cheaper 7002B, which has no storage cabinet.
- 1000 Series – The largest grills, like the 11002B.
- Portable – Consists of just the Cruiser 200A, a suitcase-style grill.
Each series has plenty of choices with different sizes, colors and storage options.
If you need help choosing, Z Grills has a handy comparison tool that lets you plug in up to 3 different models and compare the specs.
In terms of availability, you won’t find Z Grills in the big box stores. They sell mostly through their official website, although they do have select models available on Amazon. Pricing can vary so it’s always worth checking both places.
All Z Grills Reviews
Z Grills FAQs
What is the warranty on Z Grills?
All Z Grills come with a 3 years warranty.
Are Z Grills a Chinese company?
If you look on the Z Grills website, you’ll see that they say, “Z Grills are created by American local designers and manufactured by a professional factory in China.”
Z Grills has established US operations in Burlingame, California, and has a US-based customer support team.
The grills are manufactured in China by the parent company Jiangsu Zgrills Technology Co, Ltd, which has been making grills for brands like Traeger, Home Depot, and Amazon since 2003.
Is Z Grills the same as Traeger?
Z Grills and Traeger are two different companies. The confusion comes from the fact that the company that now manufactures Z Grills in China, used to manufacture grills for Traeger during the 2010s.
This relationship has since ended, and the grills have quite different designs.
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