If you’re in the market for a medium-sized pellet grill, you may or may not be familiar with what pellet grills are and how they work. If not, the short answer is that pellet grills use wood pellets and electricity to generate your cooking power. For a more detailed description, check out our small pellet grill article for a more in depth description (link). This article will be compare three different mid-sized pellet grills, each at slightly different price point with slight quality differences. Let’s get started!
| Product | Features |
|---|---|
| Z GRILLS Pellet Grill |
|
| Traeger Texas Elite 34 Wood Pellet Grill |
|
| Pit Boss 700FB Pellet Grill |
|
Z Grill 700D Pellet Grill
-
20 lb. pellet hopper capacity
-
513 sq. inches of main grilling area + 183 sq. inches of warming rack space
-
180 degree – 450 degree temperature range
- Smart digital control panel
-
Four caster wheels, two locking
- Grill weight: 146 lbs.
-
Grill cover included
The Z Grill 700D Pellet Grill is a perfect, middle-of-the-road pellet smoker. There isn’t anything too flashy equipped on here, but it covers nearly every possible criteria you’d be looking for in a pellet grill. It is heavy duty (146 pounds) with the largest hopper capacity of any grill on this list (20 pounds), and provides ample grilling space, 513 sq. inches main grilling space with 183 sq. inches warming rack. This grill has a temperature range of approx. 180 – 450 degrees, and with a smart digital control panel for ease of use. The smart digital control panel keeps you temperature within 20 degrees and allows you to adjust the temperature with just a turn of the dial. The cooking grids are porcelain-coated cast iron. One major advantage of the 700D over other options is the locking castor wheels. A lot of grills come with two wheels on one set of legs, but this grill has an extra set of wheels, adding mobility. Another reason I like this grill is the cabinet space below the grill. Most grills have a rack or shelf below the grill, but the 700D’s cabinet offers protection from the elements, providing storage for pellets, gloves, utensils, etc..
-
18 pound hopper capacity
-
646 sq. inches of grilling space
-
180 degree – 450 degree temperature range
- Digital elite controller
-
Four wheels, 2 locking
- Grill weight: 125 pounds
-
Grill Cover Included
The Traeger Lil Tex 34 Elite is at the top of the line in this class of medium sized when it comes to pellet grills. The Traeger name is known for making heavy duty, high quality grills meant to last. This comes at a higher price point, and makes the Lil Tex is the most expensive grill on this list. The Lil Tex come in weighing 125 pounds, has a large hopper capacity (18 pounds) and has spacious grill grids (646 sq.. inches). The controller is digital, keeping the accurate temperature within 20 degrees. It comes with porcelain coated grill grids make cleaning up easier, compared to some stainless steel cooking grids. This grill also have four locking caster wheels, making moving it much easier.
-
18 pound hopper capacity
-
170 degree – 600 degree temperature range
-
700 sq. inches of grilling space
- Digital controls
- 2 wheels
- Grill weight: 125 lbs.
-
Grill cover not included
The Pit Boss 700FB Pellet Grill comes in at the lowest price point on our list, but also offers advantages over the other two. This smoker has the most grilling space (700 sq. inches) and the largest temperature range (170 degrees – 600 degrees). The added range on the high end adds versatility to this grill that the other two don’t provide. The 700FB weighs 126 pounds with an 18 pound pellet hopper capacity. Being the most affordable grill on this list does come with a couple luxury cuts. This grill doesn’t come with a grill cover like the other two. While the other grills also have four wheels, the Pit Boss only has two, causing loss of ease of mobility.
Conclusion
In conclusion, my favorite grill on this list is the list is the Z Grill 700D. You can do it all on this grill. I like the added amenities like a grill cover for cold weather smoking and the wheels. For the price, you can’t beat this smoker. It may not have the Traeger name attached to it, but you’re still receiving a high-quality pellet grill at a reasonable price.
