Which Is Better Z Grill Or Pit Boss? [FIND OUT HERE]

There was a time when good BBQing required some expertise. But with the introduction of pellet smokers and digitally advanced grills, it has now become super easy to get the juiciest, tender, and delicious results with just the right amount of flavor you are seeking for your next BBQ extravaganza. When choosing the best BBQers, two of the brands that have grown popular in the pitmaster industry are – Z Grills and Pit Boss.

Both Pit Boss and Z Grills are budget-friendly brands. Pit Boss has an extensive range of products and is more durable, long-lasting, and popular than Z Grills. However, Z Grills is known for its better technology and temperature accuracy. If you are looking for options other than wood pellet grills, then look no other than products from Pit Boss.

Z Grills is best known for smoking, roasting, and baking. But, if you want some added advantages such as open fire grilling, then Pit Boss is a smart and economical option. Multiple factors can help you decide which would be the best choice for you. So continue reading and find out which is better – Z Grills or Pit Boss?

Which Is Better Z Grill Or Pit Boss?

We have compared two of these famous brands based on their performance, line of products, temperature regulation, and some of the other important features:

Versatility Of Products

When it comes to variety, Pit Boss is undoubtedly the clear winner here. Pit Boss specializes in an extensive range of products, including pellet grills, vertical smokers, griddle, gas smokers, charcoal grills, combos, and even fire pits. On the other hand, Z Grills specializes only in wood pellet grills. So, if you are looking for something other than pellet smokers, Pit Boss is the brand to look out for.

Z Grills has a catalog of over 15 pellet grills that come in four types of series (450-550 series, 600 Series, 700 Series, and 1000 Series), WiFi Series, and Portable Series. Their costliest product is the Z Grills 700D3 at $799, while the cheapest available option is the Cruiser 200A – a 200A portable pellet grill and smoker that retails for just $299.

Talking about the line of products from Pit Boss, there are several options and categories to choose from. Among the wood pellet range, the costliest product is The Pit Boss Navigator 1150 for $999, and the cheapest model is the Pit Boss Mahogany 440 for $349. They also have many retailer-exclusive affordable options.

History & Performance

Z Grills claims to have over 30 years of experience in the pitmaster industry, however, they have officially been in the market since 2016. Their innovative designs and affordable price has made the brand popular over the years.

Pit Boss is an old player in the BBQ industry. Ever since 1999, Pit Boss has been producing an extensive range of charcoal, propane, and wood-fired grilling products. Pit Boss is known for its higher quality controls and build than most competitors in the industry.

Like many other companies, units from Z Grills and Pit Boss are produced in China, although the company’s headquarters are located in the USA.

Price

Z Grills and Pit Boss Grills are budget-friendly options. Their best-selling products are:

• Z Grills Pellet Grills – Master 700 E for $729 and 700D for $629.
• Pit Boss Pellet Grills- Pit Boss Sportsman 1100 for $799 and 440 Deluxe Mahogany for $349.

The following is a list of some of the popular products from different categories by Pit Boss:

• Vertical Smokers – Pit Boss Sportsman 5 for $659.

• Portable – Pit Boss Portable Table Top 2 Burner Griddle for $159.
• Griddle – Pit Boss 5-Burner Ultimate Griddle for $899.
• Combos – Pit Boss Sportsman 1230 Pellet Gas Combo Grill for $1,049.

• Gas Grills – Pit Boss 2 Burner Gas Grill for $209.
• Fire Pits – Pit Boss Smokeless Fire Pit for $349.

Note that both these brands provide great discounts on many of their products from time to time.

Temperature Regulation

Temperature regulation is one of the most important aspects to look for in a smoker or a grill. Temperature accuracies can have a profound effect on the end-results of all your hard work. When it comes to temperature regulation, Z Grills have a slightly better edge than Pit Boss grills. This means you get more accurate temperature readings with Z Grills. Their units are made with more precise PID-style controllers, which make their temperature readings impressively reliable. So, here Z Grills is the better performer.

However, it is worth mentioning that some Pit Boss units provide a larger temperature range compared to Z Grills.

Construction

Pit Boss products are made with more heavy-duty materials and are known to be more durable and long-lasting than Z Grills. The former is also easier to clean, and their insulated designs provide good heat resistance, especially in the winters. Pit Boss units also have a better size variety than Z Grills.

Smoking vs. Grilling

If you want both wood-smoking and grilling, Pit Boss is for sure the winner. The units produced by Pit Boss are versatile. They can be put to multiple uses and have a wider temperature control range, which can be used for high-temperature grilling or low-heat roasting. Units from Z Grills are only known for good quality wood-fired smoking.

Warranty & Service

Products from both these brands can be purchased in online and offline stores. Z Grills come with a 3 Years limited warranty and offers to replace or repair defective parts or units. On the other hand, Pit Boss provides 5 years of warranty against defects, workmanship, and replacement of defective and failed components.

Unlike Z Grills, separate control boards and WiFi replacement parts are readily available at Pit Boss online or offline stores. This means fixing damaged, or broken products is hassle-free with Pit Boss and you can keep it running for years to come.

Technology

Both brands provide digital control boards in some of their newest launches. However, integrated WiFi models are currently only available with Z Grills. If you want to upgrade your existing Pit Boss units, you can attach the Pit Boss Legacy WiFi and Bluetooth Control Board and use the SmokeIT app for total control over your grills.

Pit Boss Grills vs. Z Grills – The Top Wood Pellet Smokers Reviewed

Keeping in view the factors such as cost, performance, popularity, and versatility, the top performers from these two brands are reviewed below:

Pit Boss

Pit Boss 440 Deluxe In Mahogany

With 8-in-1 cooking options, the Pit Boss 440 Deluxe Wood Pellet Grill is the most versatile and affordable option from the brand. It also has an innovative Flame Broiler lever that provides instant heating up to a temperature of 500℉. The digital control board helps you to easily adjust cooking temperatures and track fuel. Its deep mahogany color renders the unit a sophisticated look.

Pit Boss Sportsman 1100

If you are a professional pitmaster or love outdoor adventure, then this product is what you should seek. It has a large hopper capacity and the versatility of cooking in 8-in-1 styles – making it the perfect choice for roasting, braising, smoking, searing, char-grilling, and BBQing. The unit is portable and has multiple storage options.

Z Grills

Z Grills Master 700 E

The Z Grills Master 700E is not just a pellet smoker, but a grilling machine. It has the most advanced dial-in digital control with LED-readout, which makes it easy to monitor the food without opening the hopper lid every time. It can be used for both low and slow smoking or fast and fiery grilling.

Traeger Pit Boss Or Z Grill

Traeger is another popular brand in the world of smoking. In fact, it is the oldest brand in the pitmaster industry. They have a more advanced and high quality series of grills and smokers than Pit Boss or Z Grills. When it comes to choosing among these, Traeger is the top performer, followed by Pit Boss and then Z Grills.

Final Verdict

Although neither of the brands is the top performer in the pitmaster industry, Pit Boss grills are affordable, long-lasting, reliable, and durable, and thus seem to have a better edge over products from Z Grills.