Take a look at the Z Grills 700D wood pellet grill.
You can use this detailed review to decide whether…
…or not you should purchase the product based on its aesthetics…
…build, functionality, and price.
By spending more time in your backyard cooking…
…you have more time to think about other things…
…you can cook in your backyard. At least, that’s what I do.
When you put your mind to it and use it correctly…
…a gas or charcoal grill can do many things.
But at the end of the day, you’re better off sticking to basic grilling methods.
There’s nothing wrong with that either.
Smokers are an alternative to the typical grill.
These are truly one-trick ponies, though the trick is spectacular…
…smoked meat should be a food group.
Pellet grills are also available. There is either a divine power…
…or an alien race that sent the pellet grill…
…to let regular folks barbecue and smoke (and everything else) in one unit. For a price.
With pellet grills now available in high-end brands, you can spend tons of money.
We’ve all been there, done that. But, here’s the good news: you don’t have to.
As I put the Z Grills 700D through its paces, I’m sharing my review today.
From how it looks to how it works, I’ll give my honest opinion…
…including what I experienced building and operating it in my own backyard.
This review will help you decide if this mid-range pellet grill is right…
…for your needs and if it’s worth the money. Let’s start by taking a look at it.
Here are a few words from Ron…
It’s the best grill I’ve ever owned. I put it together in no time.
It’s the best barbecue I’ve ever had. I recommend the thermal blanket.
It keeps the temperature in winter cooking at a comfortable level.
It is so easy to use, you simply set it to smoke setting after 10 minutes…
…and set the temperature you prefer. Just set it and forget it.
Now you never have to worry about it again. It also provides the best smoke flavor possible.
LP Gas and charcoal will never be the same again.
In addition, they make charcoal pellets you can use if you prefer that flavor.
Now let’s jump right in!
Z Grills 700D Wood Pellet Grill Review
- Versatility 8-in-1 Pellet Grill:Smoke ribs, jerky, fish; bake biscuits, pizza; Grill burgers, vegetables anything you would like to cook, 8-in-1 versatility allows you to cook hot and fast or low and slow. When you fire up your Z GRILLS, you ignite the power to grill, smoke, bake, roast, braise and BBQ – youre the master of all trades.
First Impressions
The saying goes that beauty lies only beneath the surface.
It may be so, but I’m sure this grill has my attention!
It features classic features such as a stainless steel grease bucket and side chimney…
…as well as clean lines and looks sturdy as hell. That’s the first impression, anyway!
All those bronze accents look sophisticated and striking on the black base…
…the chimney hood, cabinet doors, cooker, and hopper lids.
There is a skirted base that partially hides the four wheels…
…but we can see that they are all the same size and pivot.
There are also two locking brakes on the wheels.
Therefore, moving the 700D should be easy…
…and keeping it in place should be no problem.
The Overview and the Core Features
Now that we’ve discussed appearances let’s dig more deeply into the build…
…specs, and features of the Z Grills 700D pellet grill and smoker.
Manufacturer Specs
| Lower Rack Area | 504 sq. In. |
| Upper Rack Area | 193 sq. In. |
| Total Rack Surface Area | 697 sq. In. |
| Hopper Capacity | 20 lbs. Of pellets |
| Height of Cooking Surface to Lid | 9 in. |
| Temperature Range | 180–450 °F |
| Grill Grate Material | Porcelain-coated steel |
| Dimensions (in.) | 48 L × 22 W × 51 H |
| Weight | 144 lbs |
| Warranty | 3 years |
| What’s Included | 1 × 700D pellet grill 1 × Rain cover 1 × Pair of assembly gloves |
Grills Z boasts that its 8-in-1 unit is capable of grilling…
…baking, smoking, searing, roasting, barbecue, braise, and char-grilling.
In my opinion, there’s little more than a semantic difference…
…between some of those “abilities,” but we’ll move on.
There is no doubt that pellet grills are one of the most versatile types of smokers.
With up to 20 pounds of pellets in the hopper…
…you can smoke all day long at low and slow temperatures.
The on-board digital controller lets you program the temperature…
…and turn on the automatic auger.
An electric fan provides true convection for even cooking all over.
The 700D got an upgrade in 2021…
…which allows it to hold temperatures even more accurately.
Keep reading…
A total of 694 square inches of cooking surfaces are inside…
…including an upper warming rack.
There is plenty of space for large cuts of meat or enough burgers…
…to feed a crowd in one sitting on the main grate.
Looking for more height for turkeys or roasts?
There is plenty of space underneath the lid if you remove the upper rack.
Since the Z Grills 700D are made of powder-coated steel…
…I have high expectations for their durability.
The cooking grates are made from porcelain-coated steel wire under the lid…
…ignore sites that claim they’re cast iron.
Pros:
- The Z Grills 700D pellet smoker and grill offers a combination of high-end features and cost-saving measures.
- The cooking grates are an upgrade from basic steel wire grates, but they are not nearly as expensive as cast iron.
- Powder-coated steel looks great and performs well, and is more budget-friendly than stainless steel.
- This big, 20-pound hopper is ideal for extended smoking sessions, and I’m a big fan of the fact that I can throw an entire bag at once if I feel like it.
- Having four wheels on this unit and an enclosed storage cabinet are great features. Although I recommend storing your pellets elsewhere, extra space in the backyard for tools and accessories is always welcome.
Cons:
- The hopper cannot be emptied. There is no way to empty the grill other than by tipping it upside down, which no one will do.
- The grill may have storage, but it does not have workspace. A front or side shelf is an omission that is disappointing.
- There are no tool hooks for storing your spatula or tongs when not in use.
- There are no plug-ins for meat probe thermometers on the digital controller, which is easy to operate.
- A lack of direct access to the flame when cooking. It is still possible to grill at high temperatures of 450 degrees F, but it won’t be true searing without radiant heat coming from the fire.
It’s impossible for me to empty the hopper, which is my biggest complaint.
The hopper has a wide holed steel plate halfway down…
…that is not easily removable, unless it is unscrewed.
The purpose of this is probably to prevent large items from getting into the auger…
…and jamming it, as well as preventing you…
…from getting your hands into the auger and hurting yourself.
However, it means that the pellets cannot be emptied.
Therefore, when I wanted to change wood pellets to change the taste of my cook…
…I was unable to do so. Furthermore, if I were to store the grill…
…for an extended period, I would not be able to remove…
…the pellets to put them into storage…
…so they could absorb moisture while sitting in the hopper…
…which could result in it clogging!
It would have been nice to be able to empty out pellets.
It is also unfortunate that there is no work surface (side or front table).
You could rest things on the flat lid of the hopper (and I do! )…
…but you need to be careful not to scratch the finish…
…and I’m not sure how much weight it can hold?
To monitor the temperature of your meat…
…you will need a separate thermometer.
However, if you have your own, that won’t be an issue.
You’ll need a digital thermometer if you don’t already have one;
…smoking and roasting must be done at the right temperature, not according to time.
We’ve put together a guide to help you find the right thermometer.
But overall, this grill is great. Its benefits far outweigh any improvements…
…I would like to see, and I recommend it overall.
Go on…
Grilling Performance
The grilling performance of the pellet smoker was not what I expected since…
…quite frankly, grilling is not pellet smokers’ strong suit.
Grilling properly requires direct radiant heat from the fire…
…which most pellet grills cannot deliver for a fantastic sear.
That’s not the case with the Z Grills 700 D wood pellet grill.
The temperature of 450 F is enough to create a good crust…
…brown any meat cooked in the smoker…
…and create a sear and crust similar to what you would achieve…
…by roasting something in the oven.
Initially, I grilled some chicken wings and moink balls.
They turned out great. As a result of the Maillard reaction…
…the chicken wings and moink balls developed a nice crust. It turned out well.
Then, I tried some pork chops and lamb chops as part of a mixed grill.
I would have liked them to brown more, but they didn’t do so much!
Unfortunately, I did not take any photos!
Cooked through and slightly browned…
…the chops were comparable to those cooked in an oven.
There was no deep, dark crust or much Maillard reaction.
So, for pure grilling, the performance isn’t impressive.
For smaller cuts, hamburgers, and the like, I still recommend using an actual grill.
For larger roasted foods at high temperatures…
…however, the grilling performance is acceptable.
Versatility
The grill has been used to cook beef ribs, pork ribs…
…chicken wings and moink balls, pork and lamb chops, and more.
For one cook, I cooked at 225 F throughout, at 450 F for the entire cook…
…and at both ends of the spectrum for another.
“With the combination of the temperature range and the possibility of using the smoke setting or not, you can indeed smoke, roast, bake, grill (sufficiently), and more.”
MARK JENNER – Founder, author, and chief editor at FoodFireFriends.com.
I enjoy this smoker’s versatility and the food it produces.
Ease of Cleaning
Grease management systems consist of a large plate…
…that sits between the grates and the fire pot.
By using this design, heat is dispersed more evenly…
…as well as fats and drippings are channeled into a bucket, making grease removal easy.
Z Grills recommends covering this plate with foil to make clean up easier.
I did this a couple of times, and it did make cleanup very straightforward.
The reason I stopped doing so is that this plate…
…has hard-baked-on sugars and grease…
….which I will need to burn off at high temperatures or give a deep clean.
Therefore, I recommend following Z Grills’ advice here!
You should also clean the cooking grates.
These are porcelain-coated and can be cleaned easily after or between uses.
Ash cannot be removed from the fire pot or cooking chamber…
…so for this purpose, an ash vacuum is recommended.
This is also common for most pellet smokers…
…particularly at this price point, so no points lost here.
Furthermore, I wish the pellet hopper could be emptied…
…but sadly this is not possible.
Some of their higher-end and newer models have this…
…but not the 700 D I reviewed.
While it’s not a deal-breaker, it certainly would be nice.
Who is the Z Grills 700D Pellet Smoker & Grill Best Suited to?
With the 700D, Z Grills has carved out an interesting niche for itself.
Although it’s not the cheapest pellet grill out there, it’s also not the most expensive.
It strikes the right balance between budget and premium features.
It’s a user-friendly cooker, and while I wouldn’t describe it as “basic,”…
…it’s approachable, and is a great smoker for beginners…
…as well as those with more experience.
If you’re comfortable with a regular grill and would like to add…
…smoking and baking capabilities…
…but you’re not ready to commit to a six-figure price tag…
…the Z Grills 700D wood pellet grill is right for you.
There are enough bells & whistles to keep you satisfied…
…but not too many to overwhelm you.
Sum Up!
It’s a good choice for customers who appreciate quality…
…but don’t need or want the best of the best…
…and who know a little about grilling.
It offers good value for the money…
…with upgraded features versus budget grills and reliable performance.
It is not the best pellet grill on the market…
…but it is an excellent grill that I would put up against any other of a similar price.
At this point, I’ve been using it frequently for 7 or 8 weeks…
..and it consistently produces excellent results. It’s easy and a joy to use.
Yes, I would recommend this grill.
There’s a great balance between performance and price, so it’s a great value.
But most importantly, it produces great food!
Conclusion
My experience with the Z Grills 700D pellet smoker and grill has been enjoyable.
When used correctly, a pellet grill is a joy to have…
…because of its versatility and ease of use.
Grilling and smoking with the 700D was a great experience…
…and I look forward to more sessions with it and more delicious food.
Hopefully this honest review helped you make up your mind…
…if you were on the fence before.
Thanks for reading, and let me know your questions and comments …
…we love hearing from you!
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Hi there! I’m a food enthusiast and journalist, and I have a real passion for food that goes beyond the kitchen. I love my dream job and I’m lucky enough to be able to share my knowledge with readers of several large media outlets. My specialty is writing engaging food-related content, and I take pride in being able to connect with my audience. I’m known for my creativity in the kitchen, and I’m confident that I can be the perfect guide for anyone looking to take their culinary journey to the next level.
