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There’s a story on Z Grills’ own website that tells you everything about why this brand exists. A guy shopping for a wood pellet grill watched the prices and realised his budget only stretched to a small Traeger. Then he found Z Grills selling full-size family grills for that same money, compared them side by side, and concluded he’d been about to pay for a badge. He bought a 700D. It ran seven years without a single failure. That anecdote is the entire Z Grills thesis, and this Z Grills 700D4E review exists to test whether it still holds — because a cheaper grill is only a bargain if it doesn’t cost you in ways you notice later.
Why Trust Coco n Deals
Nobody pays me for a verdict at Coco n Deals. For this article I went through the hands-on rankings from Smoked BBQ Source, an instrumented test by Hey Grill Hey using multiple Thermoworks probes, a materials-level teardown from a dedicated pellet-grill site, and owner reports — including the ones about defects. Everything I’ve reviewed lives.
What Is the Z Grills 700D4E?
The 700D4E is the flagship of Z Grills’ 700 series — which reviewers call the sweet spot of the catalogue. You get 697 square inches split between a 504-inch main rack and a 193-inch upper rack, a PID controller driving a large LED screen across 180–450°F, two meat probes, a 20-pound hopper that swallows a whole bag of pellets, a dual-wall insulated bottom chamber, and a closed storage cabinet. The body is powder-coated steel with a stainless lid. The historic knock was missing WiFi — the newer version added Bluetooth and app connectivity. It runs around $639 with a three-year warranty, plus a rebate scheme paying $100 back for every year you keep it, up to the purchase price.
What the 700D4E Gets Right
- It beats a pricier Traeger on the spec that matters: Smoked BBQ Source calls it the best Z Grills pellet smoker they’ve tested, with more square inches of cooking space and better storage than the more expensive Traeger Pro.
- Temperature control that survives instruments: Hey Grill Hey monitored it with multiple Thermoworks Smoke X4 probes and measured the biggest swings at under 10°F — that’s PID doing its job.
- Hopper details you’ll use every cook: 20 pounds fits a whole bag, and the rear cleanout door lets you swap pellet flavours mid-cook or empty it for storage — no vacuuming.
- Insulation that shows up in the results: the dual-wall bottom chamber holds steadier temps in cold weather, which is where cheap pellet grills fall apart.
- Assembly you can finish before dinner: cabinet and all, in under two hours — though you’ll want a second pair of hands for the hopper.
Which Z Grill Should You Actually Buy?
Z Grills names its models like a random letter generator had a bad day. Here’s the decision in one table.
| 450B | 7002C2E | 700D4E | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | Under $500 | Below 700D4E | ~$639 |
| Cooking space | 459 sq in | 697 sq in | 697 sq in |
| Storage cabinet | No | No | Yes, closed |
| Hopper | 18 lb | 20 lb | 20 lb |
| PID controller | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Best for | Beginners, small crowd | Value hunters | Most people |
Z Grills vs Traeger: The Comparison That Sells This Grill
Let’s be precise about the Z Grills vs Traeger question, because it isn’t about flavour — both burn the same hardwood pellets and both make the same smoke. It’s about what your money buys. On paper Z Grills wins the argument outright: the 700D4E offers more cooking area and better storage than a Traeger Pro that costs more, with the same PID temperature control and a three-year warranty behind it.
Now the flip side. One long-running pellet-grill site described the 700 series bluntly: it’s basically a Traeger with a Z Grills badge on the lid — a compliment about design and a fair warning about originality. And Smoked BBQ Source, who rate this grill highly, still concluded that on pure value Pit Boss edges it. So the honest Z Grills vs Traeger verdict is narrower than the marketing: you’re not getting a better-built grill, you’re getting a bigger one for less money, with thinner metal and a smaller community around it.
The Lineup: What to Buy
1. Z Grills 700D4E — around $639
The flagship, and the one this review is about: 697 sq in, PID control, WiFi, 20-lb hopper, closed cabinet, three-year warranty. If you’re feeding a family, start and stop here.
2. Z Grills 450B — under $500
Arguably the best pellet grill under $500: PID control that held within 5°F in testing, 459 sq in, an 18-lb hopper you empty by twisting a latch. The catch — only one shelf area, so you’ll be juggling plates.
3. Z Grills 7002C2E — the value pick
Same 697 sq in and the same WiFi PID controller as the flagship, minus the closed cabinet, plus a cover included. If storage isn’t your problem, this is the smarter spend.
4. Z Grills 700D7 — the 2026 update
The refreshed classic: PID 2.1 holds within 5°F even with the lid open or in cold weather, plus SmokeZone and faster heat-up. The pick if you want the newest controller on the proven body.
What Real Owners Report
The cooking reviews are strong. Hey Grill Hey’s tester smoked ribs on it and pulled a smoke ring over a quarter-inch thick, praising the PID controller’s readable screen and rock-steady temps. A materials-focused reviewer rated the build on par with Camp Chef models costing twice as much — sturdy frame, substantial one-piece grate, drip pan and heat deflector as thick as pricier grills use.
The honest ledger. The metal is thin for the category, and Hey Grill Hey’s test unit arrived with a few manufacturing defects (fixable without calling support) and a smokestack at a slight angle. There’s no gasket on the lid, which costs efficiency on long cooks. You get powder-coated steel rather than stainless, so rust resistance depends on keeping a cover on it. And there’s a softer cost: the Z Grills community is small — a couple of thousand members across owner Facebook groups, no forum on the site — so at 11pm with a question, you’re not tapping the support family a Traeger owner gets. None of that shows up in the food. All of it shows up in ownership.
The Social Media Story
Z Grills grew the unglamorous way: BBQ YouTube channels doing side-by-side value comparisons, and owners posting the same photo — a smoke ring and a receipt. No celebrity chef, no viral colourway. What it has instead is the rebate scheme, quietly its cleverest marketing: $100 back for every year you keep the grill, or wait seven years and pick a brand new one. Staying loyal literally pays. If you’re kitting out the whole backyard, the Navimow X430 robot mower review I published covers the other half of the low-effort-outdoors equation.
My Verdict: Should You Buy the 700D4E?
Ask yourself two questions. Do you want the most cooking space per dollar, and can you live with powder-coated steel and a lid without a gasket? Two yeses and this Z Grills 700D4E review lands on a confident buy — 697 square inches, sub-10°F temperature swings, a 20-pound hopper, WiFi, a closed cabinet and a three-year warranty at around $639 is a lot of grill. Say no to the second question and you should pay Traeger money for Traeger metal, because you’ll notice. And if you don’t need the cabinet, the 7002C2E gives you the identical cook for less. Temperature control: 4.5/5. Cooking space per dollar: 5/5. Build materials: 3.5/5. Ownership experience: 3.5/5.
FAQs
Is the Z Grills 700D4E worth $639?
For cooking space per dollar, yes — reviewers rate it the best Z Grills smoker they’ve tested, with more area and better storage than a pricier Traeger Pro, plus a three-year warranty and a rebate that pays $100 back per year of ownership.
Z Grills vs Traeger — which should I buy?
Z Grills gives you more grill for the money; Traeger gives you thicker construction, a bigger support community, and stronger resale. If budget is the constraint, Z Grills wins. If you want to buy once and never think about it, pay for the Traeger.
Does the Z Grills 700D4E hold temperature well?
Yes — an instrumented test using multiple Thermoworks probes measured the largest swings at under 10°F across the 180–450°F range, thanks to the PID controller and dual-wall insulation. The newer 700D7’s PID 2.1 tightens that to about 5°F.
Does it have WiFi?
The current version does — WiFi and Bluetooth through the Z Grills app. That was the grill’s biggest historic weakness against competitors, and it’s been fixed; just confirm you’re buying the connected version.
