Z Grills 7002C2E Testbericht
The Z Grills 7002C2E is part of our recently published review for the best pellet grill of 2022. We compared five wood pellet grills under $599 in over 20 categories to determine the best wood pellet grill in this price range.
Z Grills 700 Specifications
Dimensions (assembled): H 130 x W 122 x D 66 cm
Weight: 50 kg
Cooking area: Main grate 137.5 cm², side grate 18.5 cm², total cooking area 69.7 cm²
Cooking height: 23 cm
Temperature range: 82–230 °C
Hopper capacity: 10 kg
The main grate is 66 cm wide and 49 cm deep and is made of porcelain-coated steel. The upper grate is 66 cm wide and 19 cm deep and is also made of porcelain-coated steel.
The cooking chamber is 23 cm high, which is important if you plan to smoke your Thanksgiving turkey.
This wood pellet grill weighs just over 50 kg and holds up to 11 kg of wood pellets. The pellet hopper even has a viewing window so you can keep an eye on the pellet level at any time during cooking. I really appreciate this feature, as I constantly forget to add wood pellets to my grill before cooking.
The main cooking area offers 370 cm² of cooking space, while the upper grate adds another 180 cm², for a total cooking area of 697 cm².
The digital PID controller regulates the temperature with a single dial and has a range of 82 to 190 °C. There’s also a smoke setting below 180°C and a high setting above 375°C, which reached temperatures up to 500°C in our tests.
Z Grills Build Quality
We tested the build quality of this wood pellet grill with our digital caliper and measured a lid thickness of 2.11 mm and a body thickness of 1.55 mm.
The grill features two locking caster wheels and two large wheels for easy movement. We found that the large rear wheels make it easier to move through grass and softer soil by lifting the pellet grill by the handle and raising the caster wheels off the ground.
Z Grills Control System
The control system on the Z Grills 700 Series is a PID temperature controller, which is in line with the current trend in wood pellet grills. Previously, controllers with timed duty cycles or conventional digital controllers were used. The PID temperature controller, on the other hand, regulates the temperature more efficiently. It works proactively, so the temperature doesn’t fluctuate too much over time.
Cooking on the Z Grills 700 Wood Pellet Grill
Let’s look at some of our cooking on the Z Grills 700 Pellet Grill.
Slow and Low
We started with a pork shoulder for pulled pork. We seasoned the pork with a 50/50 mix of salt and pepper, set the pellet grill to 250 degrees, and didn’t open the lid for the first three hours.
We checked the pork, sprayed it with water to keep it moist, and wrapped it in aluminum foil when it reached an internal temperature of 150 degrees. Once the temperature reached 200 degrees, we removed the shoulder from the wood pellet grill and let it rest in a cooler for a few hours before removing the bone and preparing the pork for sandwiches.
Quick and Hot Cooking
Next, we prepared a spatchcock chicken with Heath Rile’s Apple BBQ Rub. We trimmed the backbone so it lay flat on the grill and cooked evenly. We set the pellet grill to 350 degrees and let the chicken cook for about 90 minutes, until it was a nice golden brown and the breast reached an internal temperature of 160 degrees. We removed it from the wood pellet grill, covered it with aluminum foil to allow the residual temperature to rise to 165 degrees, and served it to the family for dinner.
Grilling
For a really quick and hot test, we set the wood pellet grill to high to see if we could really grill like a gas grill. This grill doesn’t have direct access to the flame, but we wanted to see if we could get grill marks on both the included grate and the GrillGrate aluminum grate system.
We placed two boneless chicken thighs seasoned with Pit Boss Champion Chicken Rub on each grill and set a timer for 5 minutes. After the timer went off, we flipped the meat, and this is what they both looked like. It turns out you can get grill marks on a wood pellet grill without flame access.
Temperature Tests
We tested this unit to determine its operating time using an empty pellet hopper filled with exactly 1.8 kg (4 lbs) of wood pellets. We primed the auger and turned it off as soon as the first pellet reached the burner cap. We then reset and turned the pellet grill on until it stabilized at 113°C (235°F). The grill ran for 3 hours and 39 minutes with 1.8 kg (4 lbs) of wood pellets before dropping below 113°C (235°F) and continuing to lose heat until it was turned off.
Using our Thermoworks Signals, we measured the exact temperature of the wood pellet grill compared to the programmed temperature of the Z Grills 700 pellet grill.
We also measured how long it took this wood pellet grill to heat up from cold start to 113°C (250°F). We magnetically attached our Thermoworks Big and Loud Timer to the front panel so we could see both readings. It reached 113°C (250°F) in just 11 minutes and 38 seconds.
Warranty
What We Love About the Z Grills 700 Series Wood Pellet Grill
The Z Grills 7002c2e has a large hopper that can withstand virtually any low-temperature smoking session.
I love that this pellet grill has a pellet hopper cleaning feature. This allows me to change pellet types at any time and also drain the wood pellets when needed. I don’t change pellet types often, but I like having the option when necessary.
The PID temperature controller also features two meat probes, which is rare in the sub-$600 price range. Most pellet grills come with one probe, some even without. Therefore, I really like the two meat probes that come standard. Temperature probes are necessary to measure the internal temperature of your protein, so if you’re smoking more than one cut of meat on your wood pellet grill, it’s helpful to have more than one meat probe.
I really appreciate the viewing window in the pellet hopper, as it allows me to quickly see if the grill needs more wood pellets to cook.
In all our tests, this model had by far the most consistent cooking chamber temperatures during each cooking session. The temperature variance was generally only +/- 10 degrees Fahrenheit, which is very small compared to the other models tested. Z Grills excels at excellent temperature control.
What we don’t like about the Z Grills 700 Series wood pellet grill: This Z Grills 700 model doesn’t have a side shelf, so the stainless steel lid of the pellet hopper is the primary storage area for cooking trays or accessories when using the wood pellet grill.
When slow cooking, we missed the true smoke production we were able to achieve with some other wood pellet grills. This high temperature consistency comes at a price, as temperature fluctuations produce more smoke and give the proteins a better color and crust.
Conclusion
What do we think overall of the Z Grills 7002C2E Wood Pellet Grill? It’s a very consistent pellet grill that maintains the temperature within a very narrow range, whether you’re grilling at 250 degrees for smoking or at a high temperature for a hot and fast sear.
This wood pellet grill can both smoke and sear and was the most efficient grill in our test group of five units. A 24-pound pellet hopper allows for over 20 hours of cooking time at smoking temperatures. Cooking beef brisket overnight is exactly what this grill is designed for. There’s not much to complain about with this unit, and in the sub-$600 price range, it compares very well with the competition.