Z Grills vs Pit Boss (2021): Which Pellet Grill and Smoker Brand Is Better?

Pit Boss has been in the pellet grill and smoker business for years, building a solid reputation as a household name. It’s mostly geared towards budget-oriented home cooks who are looking for a decent price-to-performance ratio, but in that space, it has a formidable competitor: Z Grills. Having years of experience definitely makes the former stand out here, but that doesn’t automatically mean that the latter can’t hold a candle to it. 

In this Pit Boss vs Z Grills comparison, we’re taking a look at similar models that both brands have to offer. To be exact, we’re pitting the highly rated and similarly priced Z Grills 7002E against the Pit Boss 700FB, as well as the affordable Z Grills 450A and Pit Boss 440 Tailgater.

Z Grills vs Pit Boss Comparison Chart

Z Grills 7002E vs Pit Boss 700FB: Highly Rated Grills

The Pit Boss 700FB has the upper hand over the Z Grills 7002E with its direct flame access and wider temperature range.

To start things off, the Z Grills 7002E has a cooking area of 694 sq in and a hopper capacity of 20 lbs. It uses a porcelain coated cast iron for its cooking grate and a digital panel for its controls. Its temperature range goes from 180°F to 450°F.

Meanwhile, the Pit Boss 700FB has a larger cooking area of 700 sq in, but it has a smaller hopper capacity of 18 lbs. Similarly, it also uses digital controls and porcelain coated cast iron as its grill. As for temperature, it starts from 170°F and maxes out at 600°F, making it the better of the two at giving meat nice, dark sear marks. It goes a step further too, as it’s the only one with direct flame access. Thanks to that, it can reach up to 1,000°F for an even more intense sear.

Elsewhere, the two are pretty basic. In particular, neither one has Wi-Fi connectivity or PID controllers. However, they’re not exactly necessary.

Click here for our comparison between Z Grills and Traeger.

Z Grills 450A vs Pit Boss 440 Tailgater: Affordable Grills

While the Z Grills 450A has a PID controller, the Pit Boss 440 Tailgater levels the playing field with direct flame access.

If grills like the Z Grills 7002E and the Pit Boss 700FB are out of your price range, then that’s where the Z Grills 450A and Pit Boss 440 Tailgater come in. Needless to say, these are relatively more affordable, but they don’t skimp on performance and features.

For one thing, the Z Grills 450A even has an advantage over the pricier 7002E—as well as the Pit Boss 440 Tailgater, for that matter—in that it has a PID controller. If nothing else, that makes it easier to maintain temperature, making adjustments on its own for more consistent cooking. Considering it’s a low-cost grill, it’s impressive to see that it has this feature. Besides that, it has a cooking area of 452 sq in, a 15-pound hopper, and a 180°F to 450°F temperature range.

On the other hand, the Pit Boss 440 Tailgater’s main selling point is its portability. Staying true to its name, it doesn’t just have a slim form factor but collapsible legs as well so it’s easy to bring along anywhere. The trade-off is it only has a small five-pound hopper and 440 sq in cooking area, but it does make up for it with a 180°F to 550°F temperature range and direct flame access to boot.

Other Factors

Both are similar in options, accessories, pellets, and resources, but Pit Boss is evidently more established than Z Grills.

Pit Boss has plenty of other grills, including pellet and gas combos, griddles, vertical smokers, and portable variants, which are even more convenient to carry around than the 440 Tailgater. The same can’t be said about Z Grills since it primarily carries only wood pellet grills, but that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise because it’s newer in the scene.

When it comes to accessories, both have a wide variety, from all sorts of cooking tools like tongs and meat claws to aprons and covers. However, Pit Boss has upgrades such as hopper extensions, side smoker attachments, and modular shelves. 

The two are pretty much on par with each other in terms of pellets, offering an assortment of mixes. For instance, both have apple, hickory, and cherry blends, but Pit Boss has more options. That includes whiskey barrel, charcoal, and pitmaster blends, to name three.

Both brands also have plenty of recipes to help you get started on the right foot. But Pit Boss does one better than Z Grills by writing up a ton of cooking guides. That way you’d get the basics down pat and then some and be ready to take your grilling and smoking to the next level.

Verdict

Pit Boss simply has more to offer than Z Grills.

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In the cheaper range, Z Grills is arguably better. That’s evidenced by the Z Grills 450A with its PID controller and 15-pound hopper as compared to the Pit Boss 440 Tailgater, which in its defense does have direct flame access. But if money is hardly an object, the Pit Boss 700FB is hard to beat. After all, it has a wide temperature range and direct flame access, both of which come in handy for excellent sears. Sure, the Z Grills 7002E can still cook up a mean steak or burger, but it’s lacking in comparison.

Aside from that, Pit Boss has more accessories to choose from and ways to upgrade your grill and smoker. It even offers more wood pellet blends, other types of grills, recipes, and cooking guides, clearly showing who’s been in the business longer.

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