From the brand
<img alt=”bs” src=”https://m.media-amazon.com/images/S/aplus-media-library-service-media/d7501450-cf7e-4fab-b2d2-cbf98f75eb8f.__CR0,0,1464,625_PT0_SX1464_V1___.jpg”/>
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- We utilize vast grill manufacturing experience to ensure delicious wood-fired results. Our goal is to make high-quality pellet grills accessible to all. Reach more and more people to enable them to enjoy a truly unique grilling experience and incredible wood-fired taste at a highly affordable price.
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<img alt=”Z GRILLS Full Length Grill Cover for 450 Series, 550B, 550B2 and 550C Pellet Smoker, Black” src=”https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/31c-eY7NTWL.__AC_SR166,182___.jpg”/>
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Grilling Accessories
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Multi-Flavored Wood Pellets
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Bruce Taylor –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love this smoker
I have always been an “old school” type of guy when using a smoker, wood onlyI’m getting up in age, so had to get a pellet this timeBest decision I have made in a whileThis thing is very easy to useSet it and forget itI still have an old wood smoker, hasn’t been touched since I bought this one
3 people found this helpful
michael cormackmichael cormack –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good value
First pellet grill. No issues so far! Burnt some ribs in foil but that was my fault for not realizing where the hot spot is.. best pork chops I’ve ever made! I hope to get a few years then upgrade to a bigger one. It seems worth the money for sure
2 people found this helpful
angie olson –
2.0 out of 5 stars
Works great until HER code. Customer service not great.
This is our second smoker from Z-Grills. The first one was awesome-we used it nearly every day for supper ALL year long (we live in Iowa) and after 5 years with zero issues, decided to gift our old smoker and upgrade to this piece of crap. Bad choices were made and regret has ensued.We had no issues until about 5 months in. The smoker would randomly shut off. After we ruined several family cook outs, had an electrician out, and finally just sat and watched the smoker – we discovered that the temperature read-out would fluctuate wildly (spike from 300 up to 550, and then back down to 400) and then there would suddenly be “HER” instead of a temperature on the panel and the grill would power down.Contacted Customer support May 27th requesting a replacement grill. They sent a new control panel on June 9th for us to install instead… – it didn’t work. Contacted customer support again on June 14th letting them know it still isn’t working and asked for replacement. They were back ordered on the probe they wanted us to replace – we just got it on July 8th.Pretty terrible customer service and haven’t been able to use our smoker all summer – I do not recommend this smoker.
One person found this helpful
Haji –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great smoker
Love the way this smokes steaks. Not the best for grilling burgers or hotdogs as it is slow to heat up to the point of char grilling. Was easy to assemble took awhile but it is intuitive.
Josh MeyerJosh Meyer –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good smoker, bad lid
Everything runs good except lid didn’t fit right. Thought about returning it but don’t want to go through the hassle. Would have given 5 stars if lid fit flush and wasn’t crooked.
BPerkins –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great grill/cooker, but it’s NOT a smoker
I love this Z-Grill 70002C. It’s easy to start up, love it’s set and forget temperature control and I find the temperature probes very useful. It’s easy to clean and it comes with a nice, full cover.It was easy to assemble, (it took me a little over an hour).All that being said, I have to admit I am disappointed with the amount of smoke the cooker produces and that’s why I gave a 4 star rating, instead of a 5. I’ve heard that nearly all pellet grill/smokers have the same problem.I love this cooker, but calling it a ‘smoker’ is a stretch.
6 people found this helpful
Katherine K. –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Perfect size!
I did a lot of research for a compact smoker that uses wood pellets. This grill was highly recommended by outdoor enthusiasts, great for road trips. I just use it at home but it is much lighter than the Traegar one, and less expensive. I just smoked two pork shoulders and spare ribs, baked potatoes and it did fine. It doesn’t come with the probe so I ordered a wireless Meater thermometer with Bluetooth app connection. I love the grill!
Clayton Makinson –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Cooks amazing but damaged
I am in love with the product, but like I saw in other reviews, mine came damaged. The box was perfectly fine clearly happened when it was assembled. Not enough to return it but can tell it’s not perfect in some areas.
Kent Schuette –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Started Off disappointed but was corrected immediately
When I first received the unit and followed all start up options the auger did not work. Called customer service and they had a few troubleshooting items to try. Them did not work either so a new auger and controller was sent out without any questions. Ever since I’ve received them it hasn’t missed a lick. This thing is perfect for on the road and grilling out for a small family. Couldn’t be happier.
One person found this helpful
Bre –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love this pellet smoker
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I love how the simplicity of this pellet grill I’ve done and over night cook for 15 hours and had no problems at all.
Daniel G. KenneyDaniel G. Kenney –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Value. Well Made and works great
Bought through Amazon and arrived within a couple of days. Super impressed by the packaging. Everything is masked and protected by foam so there are no scratches or dents. One WARNING. You can not put this together by yourself. You need 2 people at least for part of the assembly. The legs have to be held in position on the outside of the drum while the bolts are in the inside – you can’t be 2 places at once. My wife helped me here and I did the rest myself. Took about 3 hours but I’m no speed demon at 73yo. Instructions are clear. Easy operation. Works great and holds temperature nicely. Rain cover is better than I expected. 2 Probes are nice to have
3 people found this helpful
J. Yates –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Smoker/Grill I have ever owned…
I had a Traeger smoker worked well but finally gave up. I spent several days price shopping and found this Z 7002C smoker, was half the price of Traeger with MORE options. I got the box and unpacked it, …flawless…packed well, nothing damaged, ALL parts in box, ALL screws/bolts and washers in a clearly marked package…PLUS tools to assemble for those without tools.It went together like a dream, fit and finish was perfect, EVERYTHING fit like a glove….easy to put together. I followed start up instructions and it took off instantly, temp on HI went to 450 plus within minutes, makes smoke better than my old Traeger…I couldn’t be happier and I would advise anyone looking for a smoker/grill ….for about HALF the price of a Traeger…. and I think better built…..BUY A Z GRILL….
One person found this helpful
nom de plume –
1.0 out of 5 stars
DOA
I had high hopes for this grill. Good features, compact, perfect for just the two of us.Alas,that was not to be. I read quite a few of the reviews. I chose to disregard the negative reviews about the auger (heart of the system) not working.Easy assembly, started the pre use burn instructions. OOOOPS, but I encountered a defective auger. I contacted Z-Grills and got a quick response. They wanted me to get deep into the grill and sway wires around in an attempt to get the auger working. I am not an electrician, thus unqualified for this sort of work. Contacted Z-Grills again. They said “not to worry, we have a YouTube video on the issue. This is not exactly confidence inspiring. Z-Grills must have quite few DOA auger failures in order to feel the need to put out a video on it. It also begs the questions of 1) Is this a well designed product if Z-Grills has so many failures of this part? 2) How thoroughly are these things checked before leaving the factory? 3) If so many of these augers fail on arrival, how reliable will they be over time?.Is it either a safe plan or good customer relations to expect their customers to repair a product that is defective out of the box?I opted not to take any more chances and returned the defective grill. But, that was not the end of my problems with Z-Grills. The Amazon return process worked well. However, I did not get my refund in a timely manner. Amazon instructed the return to go via UPS, directly to Z-Grills. When I checked the tracking of the return, it showed that Z-Grills had received and held the returned product over a week without issuing credit. I had to contact Amazon again to get the refund credited to my account.I strongly advise avoiding Z-Grills until they get their act together
5 people found this helpful
Tom PickTom Pick –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Love the grill but quality control could be better…
First of all let me start by saying this is my second Z Grill over the years and I absolutely love them. That being said for whatever reason this one has a warped barrel/lid and it wouldn’t seal when shut it left a 1/4” gap. I contacted Amazon and they offered to give me a partial refund or replace the whole thing. I took the partial refund and just used some bbq heat insulation on the perimeter of the lid, and even tho it looks ugly it works perfectly. The other thing that was wrong was the internal temperature probe where it mounted was slanted towards the wall of the barrel which would give false readings, so I used some washers to level it out. With all of that fixed this thing is amazing and I wouldn’t hesitate to buy another one.
2 people found this helpful
Amazon Customer –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Keeps very accurate temperatures!
Looked at several and read reviews and decided to go with this one. It keeps very accurate temps. For the money I really like it. Only thing I don’t like is no prep table, I use the hopper lid.
onesdman –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pretty nice smoker
Haven’t used it yet but I did the burn in sequence per the manual and it kind of warped the metal in the front. My Treager portable did not do that. Other than that, doesn’t effect it’s use, it’s seems pretty good for the price
Amazon Customer –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great for the money, worth every penny!
I saw some negative reviews for the new PID controller concerning temperature fluctuations, but I went ahead and rolled the dice on this grill, and I’m glad I did. Assemble wasn’t the best (quality control was slightly lacking, but assembly was straight forward and for the money I can’t complain too much) temp control has been consistent for a PID, they all swing, they all hunt and surge, and this one is no difference, but in the initial 3 cooks the temp holds within 10 degrees +/- which is more than acceptable for a long cook, the smoke setting is a little finicky, and I believe that’s due to the hot rod being constantly on, and the fan pulsing, I used smoke for a short period (30 mins or so) and then switched to the 180 degree settings and it stabilized giving off some plumes of smoke every so often (I believe when the auger would dump more pellets into the fire pot) but it was a decent smoke, not too white or sooty. The key to temp control is set it and LEAVE IT ALONE if you’re opening the lid every 15 mins your temps will be all over the place. For the money you really can’t beat this grill with the new PID controller, are there nicer pellet smokers/grills out there? I’m sure, but you’ll being paying triple the price for 150% quality, and to me that’s a losing proposition, it’s a great grill, with a few very minor draw backs, if you’re a weekend warrior looking to dip your toes in the pellet smoker/grill pool this is a great place to start.
13 people found this helpful
Jeff Eberhart –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Nuts and bolts and parts are very well hidden in pellet box.
Very well made heavy product.
AZdezrat –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Works great for me
Going back and forth between this and a Treager. Finally settled on this Z Grill. Have had this grill for 6 months now. I have no complaints on this smoker. Holds temp well even in the wind. Only ding from me is having to vacume out the ashes from previous smoke. Did not read instructions at first (as usual) and had a build up of ash that affected the flame. My fault (as usual). For the money this is an outstanding product that can run head to head with anything that any of my friends have which include Green Mountain, Treager, Pit Boss and Camp Chief.
4 people found this helpful
Dan K –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love it
This smoker is exactly what I wanted. I love the smoke setting and it heats up fast. My only knock on it is the great in the hopper you can get down to clean out the pellets because of it. But I removed it works great. Love this smoker.
William K. SalisburyWilliam K. Salisbury –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great so far
Warning long review in 2 parts. Assembly and then cooking results. Hope you enjoy it and learn from it.Last month a tragedy happened at my house. My old pit boss pellet smoker that has provided many mouth watering meals to the neighborhood croaked. Several ppl found out and we ended up giving it a Viking funeral complete with fire chips in the pellet feeder and pit blazing away. Of course after the beer bottles were put away the question was asked ‘what are you going to do now?’ Frankly I had no idea!The answer turned out to be read a lot of reviews, visit several stores, ponder over the wisdom of Wi-Fi and smoking. Finally I settled on this smoker. I love manual controls and the two temp probes are a must. My old smoker was sadly inaccurate temp wise and caused me to have to make many on the fly decisions based on backup temp gauges and such. Thus was the art of smoking and I adjusted and got very good at it.My goal with this smoker was accurate temp control wise and a large enough pellet feeder to get some sleep when cooking all night briskets for new years. This year I plan to be awake for the game not sleeping in a chair lol. On Friday this big old box was delivered and Saturday a team of friends came to help assemble this monster. Since I’d been injured in an accident the help was quite required as it’s a bit unwieldy to assemble. We laughed and giggled our way through construction till we reached the pellet box assembly. Here our previously simple instructions let use down a bit. While attaching the top box section a nut slipped and fell into the screw housing and refused to come out. After disassembling the control panel and box top we reached and extracted the nut covered the hole with a tissue and tried to reassemble. (After assembly we burned out the tissue) The control panel would not reattach however due to the tap screws widening the hole.During this fix I noticed the control panel cover was not attached fully in a way that could allow moisture into the control electronics. This is bad in a humid place like Florida. After locating the correct size bolts and nuts in my workshop i attached the control panel again and the used all weather caulking to seal it in place. The rest of assembly went off without a hitch. The installation instructions are the best I’ve ever used for a smoker and the whole job took a leisurely 3 hours.Once wheeled into position in the yard I ran through all the priming tests and break in heating so far everything is proceeding as planed the temp is right on and it does in fact reach 450 degree though after testing I’ll never do it again lol. It produces wonderful amounts on smoke on the smoke setting as ran about 160 degrees while smoking. I’m letting the caulk cure before fully filling the large pellet box and cooking pulled pork this weekend and a couple of racks of ribs. Will update the experience soon.Some great hidden features I found were the simple access to the fire box for cleaning. The old smoker was very hard and messy. This one has plenty of clearance for everything you need to remove, grills drip tray and burner cover all remove quick and easy. I certain I could even do it with oven mits on in an emergency.The drip tray is nicely designed to hold a18 inch shell of aluminum foil for easy clean up too. These simple improvements would have made several previous smokes much easier. Can’t wait to put it to the real test this FridayPart 2 weather 80 to 64 degree 0 to 5mph wind during 12 hours cook After a few days of letting the caulk dry I dumped 20lbs of applewood pellets in the smoker ran through the startup process placed a old pork shoulder I found at the bottom of my meat freezer into the smoker. I freely admit struggling with pull pork smokes in the past. Largely cause it’s not my kinda meal and previous smokers temp control was to inaccurate to predict finish times. I started this with the idea this 5lbs hunk of meat would largely go to the dogs as is our tradition with first smokes for the last 5 smokers. That said I learned several useful thing during the cook.1 the temp is rock solid. I set it at 225 and walked away with the fan blowing hard. After a while it slows down and maintains very good control measured with external Bluetooth probe and the cookers probe for the entire cook both consistently agreed it was within 5 degrees2 the fan adjusts quickly when you open the hood to keep the temp. Really like this feature as I like to spray briskets and such. If only opened for a minute or so it held the temp within 5 degrees of target.3 there is a pass through for probes that allows the wires to enter the grill without allowing cracks to let in air and affect airflow over the meat. Nice feature.4 minimal excess smoke. This surprised me and made me believe my flavors would be affected. Only gentle puffs of smoke were emitted every five minutes or so.Results. I was stunned by how good the cook came off. The meat was moist and throughly cooked, smoke rings extended almost a full centimeter into the meat giving the crust an excellent flavor. Hell I ate the missing section from the photo lol. Despite being an old frozen cut of meat this smoker made it be all I believe it could be. While the dogs got the traditional first piece. We ate the rest!Clean up: here is where this smoker shined the most. The next morning I came out with my handheld vacuum to clean it. After 12 full hours of smoking I had about 5lbs of pellets left in the feeder. No refills were required. In 5 minutes I had it grills drip tray and burner cover off and cleaned. Vacuumed out the burner can and replaced all the parts. Almost no grease on my hands and nothing on my clothes.Cook 3 cold weather 50 to 58 degrees 10 mph wind misting off and on.I cooked a pair of baby back rib racks and baked potatoes for a thanksgiving eve meal in challenging weather. The smoker did very well for the conditions especially since I needed to open it several times to wrap and rotate foods. The temp did struggle a bit on 225 with the real temp about 15 degrees lower than the smoker suggested it was. Mostly I suspect due to wind, I had to turn the smoker to 250 for the last two hours to get the meal finished right. FYI I was told by the families who got the food it was perfect and they can be hard graders. I continue to love this purchase.In short this is the best smoker I’ve ever bought and I’ve had two electric uprights, 1 wood offset, and 2 pellet grills. 5 stars. I hope this helps you all.Puppy dog story if you care: on my very first ever smoke I tried to do a similar sized pork shoulder on a cheap little smoker I found at a garage sale. I finish a night of sitting up and filling the wood box and worked really hard. That morning I came out with tin foil pan pulled the meat and promptly dropped it on the ground where it burst into serval large police’s in the dirt. The dogs got the whole thing. As I got new smokers we decided to keep the tradition going kinda like the angels share of a whiskey barrel. We always get surprises anyway on that first cook and it sorta became a thing.
16 people found this helpful
J. G. –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Outdoor Magic!
This grill is AWESOME! I have cooked chicken, ribs, brisket, and burgers so far, and everything has come out great! I admittedly need to improve my brisket game, but I see the potential if I actually knew what I was doing. The temperature stays consistent, the probes are accurate, the controls are simple, and everything feels high-quality. I have not turned it all the way up to cook with high temperatures, but the low-and-slow method has been great for everything I’ve cooked. I was surprised to cook burgers with low heat (250 degrees) for 50 minutes. The smoke is not as intense as I expected, but the flavor is in the food. I’m still experimenting with pellets, and I’ve found the pellet release door to be a great feature.I feel it important to say this is more like an outdoor oven than a bbq pit. This is easy to use with a set-it-and-forget-it technique. This requires little monitoring while you are cooking, and that takes away from some of the fun of cooking outside. With that said, the food tastes SOOO good!
JHJH –
4.0 out of 5 stars
First Impression is Very Good — UPDATED
This is my third smoker. The first two were vertical electric smokers. Personally, I liked them and they had small footprints on my deck but ultimately, they failed. I’ve always been intrigued by pellet smokers after examining one that was being raffled by local BBQ joint.After a lot of videos and reading I went with the Z. Mainly because I’m not an avid smoker who smokes food every week. I also have a ceramic Kamado grill for high temp grilling and I’d never even consider using this as a replacement for that.First things first: Before even using the Z Grills 7002, I’m very impressed with it’s build quality and overall weight. But, the delivery experience is a different matter. Nothing major but it is something that annoys me. First, they ship directly using FedEx and the last couple of years, that company has underperformed (putting it mildly). I received a text with my tracking info and a delivery date of Saturday. Based on recent experience with FedEx, I knew it probably would not arrive on time. However, I received a text at 9:11pm announcing that the Z had been delivered to my front door at 9:05pm. I looked out the front door and there was nothing. I went to the back door and garage…nothing. I got into the car and drove around to inspect neighbor’s doors…nothing. I contacted FedEx and Z. I got the typical response that maybe I just wasn’t looking in the right places for a large heavy box another annoyance. I also got an automated response telling me that the seller would be in touch by Monday evening. The next day, around 3pm, I heard noise outside the front door. I spot the large box and a man walking away to get into a white unmarked van. he drives away and that was that. So Monday rolls around and I get follow-up from both FedEx and Z which was nice. Both indicated that they see my grill was delivered on time and signed for by ME. This is untrue and this is what annoys me most. First, FedEx did not deliver this grill. It was delivered the next day by a man in an unmarked van. He did not ring the doorbell and I was not asked to sign anything. Now the records show this and it makes it appear that the delivery was perfect. I’m setting that record straight here where it counts.This box is heavy. I was sure something would be damaged. But everything was in good condition. I assembled it on Monday afternoon and it was pretty easy. There is a quick assembly sheet which you should just ignore. Locate the hardware blister pack and the manual. That’s where the real instructions are found.I’ve assembled lots of stuff and I’m pretty good at it. This is pretty easy but some parts are awkward. I did it all by myself but if you have someone who can hold parts it can’t hurt. Sometimes I ask my wife to help but even after a lot of years of marriage, she still reminds me that she can’t read my mind. So I just proceed by myself.I do have a couple of suggestions to make assembly easier: First, when assembling the leg side braces, I recommend laying the assembly on it’s side and not upside down as in the drawing. These legs are saw horse style legs that are angled outward for stability. The side braces can easily be screwed in the wrong direction. If you start by laying the leg assembly on its side, you’ll avoid that mistake!.Second, the instructions didn’t mention installing the casters but they’re a simple thing and just screw in.Third, the digital controller is located inside the hopper. The instruction say to screw it to the hopper assembly with self tapping screws. However, it fails to mention that you need to place the control panel on the outside of the hopper. Turned the right way, it will slide through the slot and you can then attach it. It is made of a clear plastic-like material so don’t overtighten the screws or you could crack it. It has a heat gasket on the backside so it is easy to figure out how it should be oriented.Fourth, this is a big one for your sanity! tape a piece of cardboard over the bottom opening in the hopper just above the auger. I guarantee that you’ll drop a screw in the auger assembly if you don’t. I did it twice! You’ll have to carefully roll the hopper assembly over and hope the screw falls out.Fifth, when installing the hopper assembly, you’ll need to locate the temperature probe wires from the smoker and the control panel. You need to attach them before you screw in the hopper to the smoker body. I had to do that part over.Sixth, the heat baffle, it’s a nice well-made piece with cross bracing so it won’t warp when heated. Apparently that is a problem with other brands. It’s easy to install and so well made that I just had to mention it.Seventh, the grease drain pan is covered in machine oil. Go ahead and wipe it with a paper towel. If you have stainless steel cleaner for kitchen appliances, give it a final cleaning with that stuff. The grill seasoning/burn-off phase take care of the rest.I plan to use this later this week and I’ll add my impressions. As long as everything heats up and maintains temp, I think I’ll be happy.December 10, 2022 Edit:I got a chance to smoke a rack of St Louis ribs. First, the smoker did great and it is so nice to not have to constantly babysit the cook. The temperature held within 5f which I confirmed with a separate thermoprobe. When you raise temperature, it will spike above the set temperature. But the PID will get it under control and you’ll hear the blower fan start to change speed. Before I started, I wrapped the drip pan in foil so it is not so difficult to clean.For the cook I did a modified of 3-2-1 method. I added my rub and smoked the ribs on the smoke setting for about 45 minutes. Next, I raised the temp to 180 for the remainder of the first 3 hours. Then the ribs were removed and the temp was set to 225. I wrapped the ribs in foil Johnny Trigg style and smoked them another 2hrs at 225. The foil was removed and a generous amount of sauce was brushed on. After about 45 min, I removed the ribs and have attached a photo of them. They came out very nice. I used Ttraeger pellets which are not the best and I won’t buy those again. I have since ordered a bag of Camp Chef Competition Blend and Z Grills Cherry wood pellets. I chose these because they are 100% hardwood pellets. The Traeger pellets have lots of binders added.OK, one more update. I have now smoked three turkey breasts, two racks of St Louis ribs and a 7lb prime rib (see pics). Super simple and reliable. It is sturdy and the bigger wheels make it so easy to move around. The round steel legs provide lots of strength and I see some more expensive brands with angled steel legs that if braced properly would also be very strong. But I think the round tubular steel legs just look really nice.I’ve built up a nice smoke coating inside and I see very little smoke exiting from the lid. I bought a gasket but have not used it.ANOTHER UPDATE: I decided to see if I could exceed 400f and it actually exceeded 450f. But this is still indirect heat so you can’t sear.
84 people found this helpful
Jeff –
5.0 out of 5 stars
2nd to none – This thing is incredible
I originally purchased another wood pellet grill and smoker only to be disappointed because it was DOA, and returned that unit. Decided to order the Z Grills Cruiser and now kicking myself for not ordering it sooner or in the first place. My family and I have had great success and luck with the Z grills 1000D, but I hesitated to order the Cruiser due to a lack of a second shelf and not too may available accessories. This portable unit is just as good as its full size cousin, and is a robust, functional, portable tank. I am amazed how well the cruiser works. For it’s first run, I actually used a Goal Zero Yeti 1000X to power it for the full smoke without issue (this will be great for camping). As a side note, the Cruiser is basically the same size as a 22″ griddle with hood. I ordered the Samdew 22 Inch tabletop griddle with hood storage case, and it fits like a glove. Part number SD03401. I am not sure if Amazon will let the link stay in this posting, but if anyone needs a case for their Z grills Cruiser, look no further than the Samdew option. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09PYF3RF3?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1
One person found this helpful
glmartin –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very nice grill at a nice discount off of some other brands
I had been researching the different brands of pellet grills and saw that these seem to be very well thought of so we gave this one a try. So far I am very happy with it. It is my first pellet grill so I don’t have much to compare it with except the others that I looked at. I will try to update the review if anything changes.
hammergil –
5.0 out of 5 stars
DOA ***UPDATE
Halfway through the first use procedure, there was an awful sound coming from the grill. The auger no longer works. Going to give them a chance to send me a new one. I’ll edit the review if they make it right. As of now, I have zero confidence in this grill.UPDATE: I had saved the box which allowed for an easy return with UPS. I was not hopeful but was pleasantly surprised to get a notification 2-3 days later that a replacement was on its way! This one was not defective and have since smoked burgers, sausages, chuck roast and today I’m smoking ribs and pork tenderloin. This thing works great! Very easy and meat tastes very good. And the smoke ring on the roast was amazing! I had a Kamado for years but moved to an apartment, so had to downsize, very pleased get it!!!
3 people found this helpful
Df(101) –
1.0 out of 5 stars
2 Dead, no survivors.
Ordered this with high hopes. The smoker came well packaged, and with everything needed for assembly. Assembly took 15-20 minutes. Fit and finish was acceptable, but not great. I couldn’t get the auger to work on this one long enough to get pellets into the fire pot. There were instructions in the manual to order parts and fix the grill, but I was unwilling to start repairing a new item before I’d even been able to use it once, so I returned it for a replacement.A few days later my replacement arrived. Fit and finish was again barely acceptable. The auger worked, and I started the burn off process. At some point during the initial seasoning, the screen quit working. After the process was complete, I unplugged the grill, waited a few minutes, then plugged it back in, hoping that this would reset the screen. It worked, and I started making my first meal. Just as I was about to hit temperature on the probe, the screen went out again. I let the grill cool, cleaned it up, and put it back into the box and shipped it back. A week later, I sent the company a message asking about my refund, which hadn’t been processed 4 days after they received the defective product. They asked for a tracking number, and after a couple more days processed my refund. I haven’t received it yet, but am hopeful.I purchased a Traeger. It works and fit and finish is much better. The handles and feet on the ZGrills were nicer. Also, the screen, while it worked, gave more information. It was also $200 less expensive. I wish the ZGrills would have worked.If you do decide to take a chance on the ZGrills, you can put the assembled grill back into the box, for return, as long as you remove the packing material. According to UPS the grill and box weigh 53 pounds. The box isn’t more than 3 pounds, so I’d say the 40 pound advertised weight is a little overly ambitious. Good luck.
One person found this helpful
Caleb Byrne –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Way better than expected
Bought this at the last minute for a party I needed a separate grill for. Really didn’t expect it to perform well or to survive through many cooks. At this point I’ve smoked dozens of times and the thing holds temps better than it has any right to at this price. I’ve smoked half a turkey, tons of salmon, a chicken, chicken legs, various cuts of pork and beef. Things performed admirably.
Anna Calhoun –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Heavier than anticipated
I bought this for my husband for Christmas. It is well built, although a bit difficult to assemble. Please make sure you have someone strong around the house for delivery and assembly!The only flaw found so far is the difficult angle to screw the electronic panel onto the smoker. My oldest assembled the smoker and dropped the screw about a half dozen times. When you drop it, it falls into the hopper and things have to be taken apart so the hope can be turned upside down to shake the screw out! He finally shoved some paper into the hopper to prevent the loss of the screw, for it assembled and removed the paper. Won’t get to use it until spring/ summer so will have a later update then.
Amazon Customer –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Quality parts
Be prepared to read instructions, but it was very easy to put together. I didn’t like the instruction for the wire heat shield in the top piece of the pellet auger pieces. I figured it out. By the way, the electric control panel goes on the outside of the body with the screws. That part of the diagram and instructions is not clear. I put it all together by myself. Others may need a second person. I like it so far. Haven’t cooked on it yet, just went through the seasoning. It’s heavy duty for sure.
Chris_B_Shopping –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic pellet smoker/grill at an excellent price point
I’ve wanted a pellet smoker/grill for a long time and this product is perfect for the price. I’ve worked with direct grilling with wood charcoal, LP, briquettes, and offset wood-fueled smokers – this is the best of combining all of those worlds.The assembly was easy. I did it myself in about an 1.5 hours. Don’t read the instruction PDF listed with the product – use the manual included in the box. All parts were included and very well packed to protect from scratching the finish.After assembling, I filled the hopper with pellets, went through the initial lighting sequence, and cleaned my grill. Be patient with this process, it takes some time. 6 hours later, I ate the best pork ribs I’ve ever cooked.The attached temp gauge for the chamber held true and fairly steady throughout the entire cooking experience. I placed an hanging oven thermometer from the warming rack and compared when I opened the lit. It was almost basically identical.Pure smoking (the lowest temp) produces a chamber temp of 155F. The highest mine will go is 475F. Some other reviews I read complain that the lid is not completely sealed (and this is true) but I really don’t think it matters, unless you’re smoking pork belly for bacon or other delicate foods that require a low temp. In that case, just get a thermo gasket kit.I couldn’t recommend this more.
7 people found this helpful
Kerri Silvers –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great product so far
We’ve only had this a couple of weeks. So far, it works really well. It’s held the temperature however it hasn’t been cold out so that could change and would be expected if it did not hold temps well. The only negative so far is the holes for the screws with the handle on the lid did not line up so we had to drill them out a little. The bar hides it so no cosmetic or performance defects. There were also some screws that were included that were not long enough. Thankfully my husband had some extra on hand that we could use. We had read about these issues in reviews before purchasing. Otherwise we are happy with the purchase.
One person found this helpful
Roscoe –
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great Pellet Grill But…..
Be prepared to spend a few hours BUILDING this grill. It comes in many pieces and is packaged well. The instructions are good and it comes with the tools to build it.This is their low end product and I was very disappointed that Zgrills do not make a folding front shelf for the 7002C2E. I didn’t know that until I purchased it and built it. I have been searching for an aftermarket solution but have not found one yet.I’ve used it a few times and the temperature is pretty consistent with the contols setting. I also wish it had Bluetooth or Wi-Fi but for this price I can’t complain. There are excellent aftermarket remote temperature monitors available that are very affordable.
John Bartley –
4.0 out of 5 stars
A little disappointed
We ordered the product on 9 th was to be here for Father’s Day , got it on 22nd , that’s my only complaints I think it’s a great product , we have a wood fired smoker , the pellet smoker are definitely faster , the wood fired smoker the taste is more , on 29 our wood fired smoker got destroyed by a tornado
4 people found this helpful
MARVIN BUNDY –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good old Z Grill
I was at Costco and saw a portable pellet smoker on sale by (a well know grill maker) WHAT WAS I THINKING! got it home and it did not work. what a waste of time, so I did what I should have done in the first place and purchased a Portable Z Gill. and of course it worked just fine I love this grill it’s the little brother to my larger Z Gill. HAS NOT LET ME DOWN SO FAR.
elbo –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very happy – at least so far!
Box came a little tattered, but contents were fine. Unit / components very well packed & secured inside. Took me a few hours, woking alone, to assemble.All tools needed were included. (I later found a video with an alternate way to assemble, that might have been easier for 1 person…). *Operator Error*: at first power up I was holding in the “power” button, waiting for something to happen. Nothing did. thought I had a dud. Then realized that you have to press and release!! (It works just fine!!)First cook was a 6 pound Prime Rib, cooked at 225. Went great! Temperature was super constant (thanks to the PID controller). Next time I may give it 1/2 hour on “smoke” setting before the cooking time – to boost the smoke flavor. The 2 meat temp probes also very accurate. Strong Recommendation! (will update if any concerns emerge)
One person found this helpful
Allen –
5.0 out of 5 stars
This is my second in as many years
First one the temp was all outta control. So just didn’t work. They immediately credited me back the money and didn’t have to return it. Great customer service. So when I saw the new improved one. I got it and it works perfect. Just perfect just hit the on button and off she goes. Goes exactly to the temp and maintains it for hours. Never had an issue. It’s much heavier duty then the last and works perfectly. Also has two built in thermometers plus the internal one. I use my wireless and they all match up pretty close but always consistent, meaning if one is 10’ cooler it stays that way due to its location in the grill etc.Wicked easy to put together great for quick bbq or slow slow smoking. Etta big bin so can cook for at “least 10 hrs without touching it. Maybe longer haven’t tried it. If you set 225’ it stays exactly 225Really happy with it
8 people found this helpful
bigbig64 –
4.0 out of 5 stars
When your not in a hurry
When your not in a hurry it does really good chicken wings and thighs, it is heavy and bulky but wasn’t a deal breaker.. good buy !!
One person found this helpful
ScottScott –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great value smoker with PID
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I have about 30 hours of use on this smoker, I rarely write reviews but I thought I had to throw this out to give Z GRILLS some love. For the price this smoker does what some other brands charge twice as much for. Build quality is on par with the top brands and the PID controller locks in the temperature which was important to me as I didn’t want big fluctuations in temp. I always verify with a secondary thermometer.I know there are pellet smokers with more features that cost 3-4 times as much as this one but this is the Toyota Tacoma of smokers in my opinion.
6 people found this helpful
adrian preston –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great smoker
I love this thing. I use it all the time
Amazon Customer –
3.0 out of 5 stars
Some Issues
So I got my new smoker and went to assemble it. It is not easy, a lot of separate parts to put together. After I got is assembled I went to plug it in….. and nothing. I called support and could not to talk to anyone… the only support was by email. I described the problem in the email and they said that they would send me a new temperature probe for which I lost a week. Got it and installed it … same problem. It wouldn’t power up. Then they said that they would send me a new control panel but they were out of stock and it would be a couple of weeks. I finally got them to send me a new augur assembly which includes the control panel. Went to power it up and got a 702 message. I sent them an email and they said that I was holding the power up button too long to just touch it which I did and it worked. So now I have a working smoker and am using it the first time. Because I have them and wanted to test the smoker temperature control I used a couple of my own probes both in the BBQ and in the Tri Tip that I’m smoking. I set the smoker at 225 and the temps in the Smoker have gone from 200 to 250… it generally stays in the range of 215 to 230. I have one probe on the top rack close to the one that is part of the smoker and one on the bottom rack close to the smokestack. There is a generally a 10 degree difference between the two. The prob on the top rack, close to the smokers temp probe says 213 while the one on the smoker says 225 so there is a difference there.I like the pellet grill but have some concerns. We’ll see how the meat turns out before I make a final determination.
James –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Z Grill is great. Packaging not so much.
I’ve used my Weber Smoky Mountain 22 forever. I love the smokiness of the charcoal. At this stage of my life, the thing I don’t love is it’s a lot of work running my charcoal smoker. I needed a change. “Set it and forget it” is what I kept hearing about pellet grills. I was interested and took the chance on Prime Day.I’ve used my Z Grill half a dozen times now. It smokes really well. It holds temperature really well. It’s consistent from cook to cook.I’ve done butts and loins and eavh time everything turns out really nice. My friends with pricier pellet grills are a bit jealous of the smoke rings I’m getting. I’m using Pit Boss Competition Blend pellets. Not expensive pellets by any stretch.My only issue with my Z Grill is cosmetic. After unpacking the parts, I had two legs with big dings and scratches on them. The front of the barrel bottom was also scratched up pretty good. With the packaging and the amount of Styrofoam around the parts, I was not expecting the cosmetic damage.Assembly is not difficult but it’s also not precise and takes a bit of patience. Take your time. My biggest frustration was the damn plastic wheels and axle. Those do need a better design. The threaded post caster wheels on the other legs are super easy.I really like this pellet grill. It’s not going to blow you away with refinement. It’s also not going to break the bank. If you’re looking for a reasonably priced, mid-size, pellet smoker, this might be the pellet grill for you.
3 people found this helpful
David H. Matejka –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Just what I wanted.
Great taste on chicken breast, burgers, and beef tenderloin. I also bought Grill Grates from Grill Grates. On top of being better tasting it’s so much easier than the old Weber. I have an electric starter and a cast iron grate on my Weber but it’s going to be a long time before it gets used again.
Lou K –
5.0 out of 5 stars
First Day Assembly & Burn-In
Don’t normally write reviews but the product quality I’ve seen so far is outstanding. Incredibly well packaged the smoker arrived without a scratch. Individual parts were labeled and the blister pack of hardware was also labeled, so there was no guessing what went where. The metal construction was extremely well done an all parts fit perfectly, a trait that other competitors should learn. Steel thickness seemed robust for this type of unit and there’s little doubt this smoker will last longer than my two previous units. Initial burn-in went according to directions, will try first smoke later this week. Initial impression- very well done; amount of swear words required for assembly- 0.!
One person found this helpful
LK –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Z-Grill/smoker
Really like this grill/smoker. Was not sure at first, then realized you need to use their pellets. Now it’s great and good food comes off it!!
Bob –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Works as advertised
This is my first pellet grill after I sold my offset. It works very well and I like that I don’t have to babysit it like I did with the offset. I went with the Z grill because it had decent reviews on YouTube and a nice price point. I am not disappointed with this ZPG-7002C Zgrill.
One person found this helpful
R1PITR1PIT –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best buy of the year!
While assembly isn’t difficult, it is time consuming; but totally worth the wait.So far the only thing I’ve made is chicken thighs, but they were by far the best I’ve ever made myself.The smell of the pecan pellet blends was amazing even while doing the burn in.
Jonard Soriano –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Item replaced and review updated
I just received my ZPG-200APro tabletop pellet grill. It was “Dead On Arrival”. After the straightforward and simple assembly (the only positive) I began the start up burn off process. Unfortunately, the auger was not functioning. It failed to rotate. I checked the trouble shooting guide and it said to check the fan on the auger motors. That fan was not moving while powered up, so I had a malfunctioning auger motor out of the box. Very disappointed. A second positive to note was the fit and finish was very good. No dents or dings. I scheduled a replacement to be sent out, so I hope to have a more positive experience and a update to this preliminary review.UPDATE to my poor first impression from above. I was sent a functioning grill. Since I had experience assembling the first one, assembly on the second was a breeze. Did my first cook and was very pleased with the results. I decided to do a pork shoulder. Ended up being an 8 hour cook. I only topped off the hooper a second time during the 8 hour cook. If the internal thermometer is to be believed, temps stayed fairly consistent. I followed up with smoking some chicken leg quarters. Again, great results. I’m upgrading my rating to 4 stars. If my out of the box experience with the replacement grill was my first, I would of given it 5 stars.
6 people found this helpful
WoodisterWoodister –
3.0 out of 5 stars
Quality control is non existent
Update: They offered to replace the heat disperser and warming rack. The scratches and barrel I was on my own to fix. They offered two 20lb bags of pellets and a wireless thermometer as compensation. Also sent me a link to purchase the paint I would need: Rustoleum high heat bbq black. It wasn’t until after I started painting that I realized that the paint was a flat black and didn’t match at all. I ended up going with Rustoleum high heat ultra black which had a gloss and was a lot closer but still not a match. I ended up repainting everything that was black. Again for my troubles they sent another 20lb bag of pellets. Support is very responsive and usually responded in 1-2 days. I’m guessing no quality control is cheaper that a higher support burden. I ended up purchasing 3 cans of spray paint, a high heat wool gasket for the lid and some high heat silicone. This got me to the performance I would have expected from the factory.Original review:First off I was surprised so many reviews say “Arrived on time”. I get why now, shipping was a bit sketch. You get a shipping date range and once the tracking number is generated it says it’s arriving at the earliest part of that range. So you are excited and planning your first smoke. It’s your first so you don’t want to experiment with something expensive so you find the clearance pork butt that needs to be cooked tomorrow, which is perfect since the smoker is coming tomorrow. Then you get delivery delayed alert and it is now expected at the end of the range. Frowny face. Mine was delayed again and it did not arrive “on time”. Not the fault of the product just the delivery method. Now that it arrived today and I’m unpacking it, the packing engineer was a huge Tetris fan but the box and styrofoam is all good. Unwrap the first leg and I see the scratch all the way to metal. Guess I need to add touch up pain to the shopping list, don’t want rust. Then I pull out the upper rack and a bunch of paint is missing. Ugh cosmetic I can live with it. Then the heat disperser is poorly welded so that is going to warp and the welds came pre-rusted. I get it all together and go through the burn in process and a bunch of smoke is coming out from the lid and then I see the barrel is bent. I have sent a message to z grills to see what they can do, I’ll update when they respond.
4 people found this helpful
RDRD –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good quality pellet smoker
After experimenting with a hand-me-down charcoal smoker and struggling to maintain temperature over a long cook, I decided to splurge on a new pellet smoker. The online reviews for this brand were generally solid and I obtained a good deal on the price. Assembly was relatively straightforward, and I was able to complete it unassisted in about an hour. The grill is well made, but I plan to replace the screws holding the control panel in place with nuts and bolts. The cooking results so far have been excellent. The temperature control is accurate, and the two included temperature probes take the guesswork out of determining “doneness.” Very happy with the quality of the product and value for money.
2 people found this helpful
Emily Andrews –
3.0 out of 5 stars
Terrible customer service
The smoker is great but the cover completely disintegrated in less than a year and so I wanted to order a new one but wanted to make sure it wasn’t the same one that comes in the box. The chat doesn’t work, you call during office hours and it says to leave a message but doesn’t give you an opportunity to leave a message. I sent and email but have a 2% chance of that getting returned. I have a blackstone that’s older than the zgrill and the cover looks brand new.
texasgal832texasgal832 –
3.0 out of 5 stars
Bad quality – Returning (Edit: Rec’d Replacement Parts) – Marginal response from Z-Grill Support
Part way through assembly and got to the lid install and found that it doesn’t fit squarely. There isn’t a lot of adjustment ability and there was no way to get the lid on correctly. It is skewed far enough to the left that there is a gap on the right side. Made three attempts to contact Z-Grills directly and never received a response. Now I’m dealing with issues on returning the grill since it’s actually a direct return to z-Grill and not the usual ease of an Amazon return for a defective item. Z-Grills lost my business period for both poor quality product and then zero support when I tried to resolve the issue instead of returning.No clue how the game of Tetris will work in trying to get this thing back into the box. Going to be even more annoyed before this is over.
Russ BrettmannRuss Brettmann –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Z Grill pellet grill
Just received and tried for first time. Worked as advertised, recommend this product.
Lars –
4.0 out of 5 stars
I will have to replace cover after 5 months use
I like everything about this grill. The grill is solid and easy to use however the cover that came with it only lasted 5 months, it has 3 rips in it already and I can almost see through it. I was very careful taking it off and I made sure the grill was cooled down when I put the cover back on. My charbroil gas grill, which sits next to the pellet grill, it’s cover is 4 years old and looks to be good for another 4 years.
shanon wallevand –
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great smoker
Love it. I wanted something that operated similar to the Traeger I used to have. The price was right and it cooks the same.
areifenb –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Missing Cover and Casters, Smokes Well
Overall, pretty satisfied.Easy assembly, seems fairly well built. Misleading product description – it said cover is included, and there are two wheels plus 2 casters for easy movement. In reality, there was no cover, so we had to spend an additional $50 to get one, and there are no casters- just two plastic wheels and two plastic feet that don’t fit on the legs snugly.We’ve only smoked one thing so far, and it turned out well. There seemed to be minimal smoke leakage, resulting in a nice smoky result. The temperature fluctuated a bit, at times going more than 20 degrees above the set temperature, but it seemed to come back down quickly. It would be nice if there was an easy way to empty extra pellets out of the hopper after use. With all of the warnings against letting pellets get damp from humidity, this seems like a design flaw. A simple little door on the bottom would be helpful. But that’s probably why it’s under $500!Seems good for an entry level smoker.
3 people found this helpful
Jim Irvine –
4.0 out of 5 stars
Temperature control panel mounting hardware needs to be modified.
Overall, this looks like it will be a very good, long lasting and easy to use smoker. But the temperature control mounting hardware consist of two small self-tapping screws, neither of which hold, resulting in the temperature control panel being loose and easily pushed through. It looks as though replacing the two self tapping screws with two small nuts and bolts will fix the problem. Overall, this is a small problem to fix, but an important issue for a key component of the smoker.The unit arrived a week and a half after the original due date, and the shipping tape seals on the top and bottom of the box were broken. Fortunately, the two shipping straps, while quite loose, were intact and no components were missing.Final analysis:Construction quality: 9.5 out of 10. The temperature control module is a major component and should have better mounting design.Shipping: 2.5 out of 10.
7 people found this helpful
Dong NgoDong Ngo –
4.0 out of 5 stars
I think Amazon delivery service broke it
I bought it with Amazon delivery service, which assembled the grill, thinking it was a time-saving measure. The delivery truck arrived, and they assembled it inside the truck, which took about an hour.The technician then pushed it into our driveway. As he was moving, the grill’s bottom feet — the one without the wheels — fell off. Not a good sign. After they left, I noted that the front shelf was loosely put together, and it fell off as I tapped on it — the screws were barely tightened, if at all.I ended up spending another 30 minutes checking all the parts to make sure nothing was loose — and many were! So much for time-saving! And then I realized that the initial ignition instruction piece of paper and the manual were torn, missing a corner. It seemed the technician put the whole thing together when angry…In the following days and weeks, the grill never worked right. The temperature was always shown too high on the screen, yet the food was undercooked. Other than that, it was a well-designed grill, relatively compact, and easy to use.I tried to like it but had to return it instead, which was a tricky process since Amazon originally asked for it to be disassembled and re-packed, but it didn’t come with the original box…
8 people found this helpful
ellen –
5.0 out of 5 stars
ok
is a good grill
Branden –
5.0 out of 5 stars
My first ever review…
This is probably my first ever review on anything I’ve bought… I’ve done three cooks so far on this a grill. At first, I didn’t think it worked because I’m used to an electric smoker that uses real wood or chips. First thing you should know is that pellet grills release smoke in batches unlike what I’m used to. But let me tell you I can taste the smoke on whatever I’m cooking. I’ve smoke two family packs of wings at once for the first cook and 90% of them were all the same temp. I’ll say that the warming rack actually hold temp higher from what I tested with the chicken wings that I smoked. The back of the main cooking rack seems a little colder but honestly this isn’t too big of an issue since it’s still close to the rest. As for searing… I literally just reverse seared a steak of roughly 1.5 inches thick and I smoked it for roughly an hour. I then took it off and turned this grill up to high and didn’t even let it get to max temp and it did the job as good as I expected it to. And it turned out amazing. I have a good smoke flavor, not too much nor too little. I will say I’ve only had this a short while but between two family packs of full sized chicken wings, 10 hand pressed burgers, and a good sized steak. This thing has honestly impressed me. I was skeptical at first since I was not use to smoke releasing in batches or waves but I can tell that it’s a perfect amount of smoke. My next test will be either pulled pork for 12-14 hour or a 10-14 pound brisket for 8-11 hours. Perhaps after a year or so the searing capability will be limited but for now is has served my needs tremendously. Not to mention it produces a LARGE amount of smoke the whole time it’s above 350-400 degrees which really topped of my steak! So far I’m very satisfied. Will update if that changes. Thank you a grills 🙂
7 people found this helpful