Customer reviews from Z GRILLS
Z GRILLS - Backyard Warrior 697 sq. in. Pellet Grill and Smoker with PID V3.0 Technology, LCD Screen, Meat Probes and Rain Cover - Bronze
Average customer rating
4.7
(146 Reviews)
Rating breakdown 146 reviews
5 Stars
122
4 Stars
14
3 Stars
3
2 Stars
3
1 Star
4
Customer Reviews for Z GRILLS - Backyard Warrior 697 sq. in. Pellet Grill and Smoker with PID V3.0 Technology, LCD Screen, Meat Probes and Rain Cover - Bronze
Customer Rating
5
Quality Smoker
on September 11, 2022
Posted by: SuperGlide
I was leaning toward Traeger but 1. I didn't want the whole neighborhood marching to my house 2. Quality issues seemed common in reviews. I found this brand on accident, searching big box stores. 3.
A three year warranty and 4. Z Grills has been in business for 30 years. The only negatives I read had to do with shipping damage, not the quality. Mine arrived fully in tact, it's VERY WELL packaged.
Assembly and instructions is very straight forward, wish all products included concise instructions. Flip the screw pack upside down and cut the preferations as you need the screws/washers (they're well labeled)
Ladies should have an easy time assembling because they actually read instructions.
I flipped mine upside down WITHOUT the lid on the styrofoam packaging. Legs are labeled well and all of the holes are precise, no guess work or need for later leveling. **put wheels on after you put the bottom shelf on (remember what I said about reading instructions?) When adding the pellet hopper, loosely put the screws in so you can put the hopper top on (you have to fit your hand between the smoker and the hopper to get one of them in, the other three are easy). Also, the hopper handle screws are small so, I started one a little bit, aligned the other side of the handle, screwed it in, then went back and tightened the first one. Give yourself roughly 1.5 hours to assemble.
The smoker itself is flawless. Quality is evident. I believe my wife and girls bought this for my for Father's Day to get me to cook more. You can order bucket liners on-line in bulk for cheap (or from big box stores to do your first smoke). I wish they'd have included at least one. Pellets can be bought at many stores, big box stores for sure.
When you do the initial firing, it's to burn off any machining oils. That used approx 2lbs of pellets, no big deal. There are TONS of on-line recipes, some really siimple, some more complex, you decide what's best for you. You'll want to get a thermometer to leave in the meat while it's smoking, internal temperature is key to successful smoking.
This entire process from assembly to cooking is SUPER EASY! Absolutely nothing to fear, and you don't have to babysit the smoker either. Best wishes and HAPPY SMOKING!
A three year warranty and 4. Z Grills has been in business for 30 years. The only negatives I read had to do with shipping damage, not the quality. Mine arrived fully in tact, it's VERY WELL packaged.
Assembly and instructions is very straight forward, wish all products included concise instructions. Flip the screw pack upside down and cut the preferations as you need the screws/washers (they're well labeled)
Ladies should have an easy time assembling because they actually read instructions.
I flipped mine upside down WITHOUT the lid on the styrofoam packaging. Legs are labeled well and all of the holes are precise, no guess work or need for later leveling. **put wheels on after you put the bottom shelf on (remember what I said about reading instructions?) When adding the pellet hopper, loosely put the screws in so you can put the hopper top on (you have to fit your hand between the smoker and the hopper to get one of them in, the other three are easy). Also, the hopper handle screws are small so, I started one a little bit, aligned the other side of the handle, screwed it in, then went back and tightened the first one. Give yourself roughly 1.5 hours to assemble.
The smoker itself is flawless. Quality is evident. I believe my wife and girls bought this for my for Father's Day to get me to cook more. You can order bucket liners on-line in bulk for cheap (or from big box stores to do your first smoke). I wish they'd have included at least one. Pellets can be bought at many stores, big box stores for sure.
When you do the initial firing, it's to burn off any machining oils. That used approx 2lbs of pellets, no big deal. There are TONS of on-line recipes, some really siimple, some more complex, you decide what's best for you. You'll want to get a thermometer to leave in the meat while it's smoking, internal temperature is key to successful smoking.
This entire process from assembly to cooking is SUPER EASY! Absolutely nothing to fear, and you don't have to babysit the smoker either. Best wishes and HAPPY SMOKING!
Written by a customer while visiting Z GRILLS
Customer Rating
5
Loving it, with one exception.
on September 11, 2022
Posted by: MikeC
Came really fast. Like 3 days fast. Assembly was straight forward, and had everything required. Packaging was amazing, no scratches or dents. Fired it up and everything worked as it should. Hopefully it’ll last many years.
I’ve had it about a month or so now, and I love it. It works great, doesn’t run though pellets to fast, gives good flavor, ect..
My only complaint is the size of the drum/body. Main Grate size is plenty spacious but with the diameter of the body, you can’t really utilize the top grate. To fit larger items you have to remove it altogether.
Today was Tgiving and my 11lb barely fit. It Only had about 1/2” clearance between the top of the bird and wall of the grill. But otherwise it’s a fantastic unit.
I’ve had it about a month or so now, and I love it. It works great, doesn’t run though pellets to fast, gives good flavor, ect..
My only complaint is the size of the drum/body. Main Grate size is plenty spacious but with the diameter of the body, you can’t really utilize the top grate. To fit larger items you have to remove it altogether.
Today was Tgiving and my 11lb barely fit. It Only had about 1/2” clearance between the top of the bird and wall of the grill. But otherwise it’s a fantastic unit.
Written by a customer while visiting Z GRILLS
Customer Rating
5
So great
on September 11, 2022
Posted by: Cory
What I like about this grill is that it’s a piece of cake to operate. Just fill with pellets and turn it on to the desired setting. I took a long look at the Treager grills before I bought this one and it looks and feels of about the same quality. I read a ton of reviews and felt like taking a chance on a non-name brand grill to save money. I have not been disappointed! The temperature settings work great, but one word of warning: if it’s cold and windy out, it will knock the temperature down a notch or two so you have to adjust the temperature setting up accordingly. Also, I bought a wireless meat thermometer so I could keep tabs on the meat without having to go outside and check. That really has nothing to do with the grill but I thought you would like to know it is awesome to check temperatures from inside the house on a cold day!
The grill took about an hour and a half to assemble. Be sure to follow the startup procedures as there is a layer of oil on the grill and drip pan that needs to burn off. I’ve used the grill 4 times now and it’s worked flawlessly. Also, I'm new to smoking and if you are new to smoking too then there is something you need to know: it takes a long, long time to smoke anything. I smoked chicken wings for an hour and it was not enough time. Yes, you can turn up the heat and get them done quickly but you sacrifice the smoke flavor. Plan on at least two hours for anything that you want a good smoke flavor on. So for this last Thanksgiving I smoked 2 Turkeys (see pictures). We cut the backbone out of the turkeys so they would lay flat and we smoked them for about 4 hours. They got a nice pink smoke ring and tasted awesome! So, if you are a patient person and can wait for some great smoke flavor, then don't hesitate to buy this grill!
The grill took about an hour and a half to assemble. Be sure to follow the startup procedures as there is a layer of oil on the grill and drip pan that needs to burn off. I’ve used the grill 4 times now and it’s worked flawlessly. Also, I'm new to smoking and if you are new to smoking too then there is something you need to know: it takes a long, long time to smoke anything. I smoked chicken wings for an hour and it was not enough time. Yes, you can turn up the heat and get them done quickly but you sacrifice the smoke flavor. Plan on at least two hours for anything that you want a good smoke flavor on. So for this last Thanksgiving I smoked 2 Turkeys (see pictures). We cut the backbone out of the turkeys so they would lay flat and we smoked them for about 4 hours. They got a nice pink smoke ring and tasted awesome! So, if you are a patient person and can wait for some great smoke flavor, then don't hesitate to buy this grill!
Written by a customer while visiting Z GRILLS
Customer Rating
5
Great smoker, for a great price.
on September 11, 2022
Posted by: Mike
To the point: I've had this Z grill smoker 7002F for about a year now. So far it has worked great! No complaints or disappointments. Highly recommend. You MUST follow the smoking instructions, and be PATIENT with the temp, and you will have a great smoker.
Details: I did some research about Z Grills before I bought mine and I found out that Treager and Z Grill are made by the same people who decided to open separate companies. They use the same basic design and features. It's kind of like a GMC compared to a Chevy 🤷. I assembled it by myself. It would have been easier with two people (recommend in the manual). Took me about 30 minutes. The instructions are pretty straight forward. They also have a video on YouTube to help you out. Once you put it all together, you have to burn the oils out before you smoke anything in it. This is very important! It gives you instructions on how to do this. There is also a video on YouTube of a guy who does this step by step. I would recommend burning the oils at least a day or two before using it to cook. When you are finally ready to smoke, there is a "pre smoke" setting you need to use before setting your temperature. Takes about 10 minutes or less to go through the smoke process. Make sure you leave the lid OPEN or else the smoker can catch fire. Once that is over you can set your desired temp and close the lid. Be patient! It will take a while for the smoker to hit the temp you want. And it won't always stay at the perfect temp. It will go over or be under a few degrees. Don't panic. Let it do its thing. I seen some comments saying that it doesn't hold it's temp. Most smokers will not hold temp perfectly during the whole process. Give it time and be patient. Keep in mind that the weather can mess with your temp as well. I've had mine for a year now and I haven't had any problems. If you follow the instructions carefully, it should work great. You can also use this as a grill. Turn the dial to the "high" setting, let it get up to temp and when it's ready you can use it just like a grill. I noticed the manual says they recommend to only use Z Grill brand pellets, cause they work the best with this grill. I decided to get some treager pellets and they work just fine with it. Over all it's a great smoker for a great price compared to it's competition. I would highly recommend buying one.
Details: I did some research about Z Grills before I bought mine and I found out that Treager and Z Grill are made by the same people who decided to open separate companies. They use the same basic design and features. It's kind of like a GMC compared to a Chevy 🤷. I assembled it by myself. It would have been easier with two people (recommend in the manual). Took me about 30 minutes. The instructions are pretty straight forward. They also have a video on YouTube to help you out. Once you put it all together, you have to burn the oils out before you smoke anything in it. This is very important! It gives you instructions on how to do this. There is also a video on YouTube of a guy who does this step by step. I would recommend burning the oils at least a day or two before using it to cook. When you are finally ready to smoke, there is a "pre smoke" setting you need to use before setting your temperature. Takes about 10 minutes or less to go through the smoke process. Make sure you leave the lid OPEN or else the smoker can catch fire. Once that is over you can set your desired temp and close the lid. Be patient! It will take a while for the smoker to hit the temp you want. And it won't always stay at the perfect temp. It will go over or be under a few degrees. Don't panic. Let it do its thing. I seen some comments saying that it doesn't hold it's temp. Most smokers will not hold temp perfectly during the whole process. Give it time and be patient. Keep in mind that the weather can mess with your temp as well. I've had mine for a year now and I haven't had any problems. If you follow the instructions carefully, it should work great. You can also use this as a grill. Turn the dial to the "high" setting, let it get up to temp and when it's ready you can use it just like a grill. I noticed the manual says they recommend to only use Z Grill brand pellets, cause they work the best with this grill. I decided to get some treager pellets and they work just fine with it. Over all it's a great smoker for a great price compared to it's competition. I would highly recommend buying one.
Written by a customer while visiting Z GRILLS
Customer Rating
5
Great for the money, worth every penny!
on September 11, 2022
Posted by: Poly
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.
Written by a customer while visiting Z GRILLS
Customer Rating
5
Great budget Pellet Grill
on September 11, 2022
Posted by: J.S
I got this to replace my gas grill that finally died. I have never owned a pellet grill so this was my budget entry into one. After cooking my first steaks, all I can say is WOW. The flavor difference between this and the gas grill is night and day. Yes I cooked it much slower to let the smoke do it's job and then reverse seared it when it came to temp. I have sense been cooking everything I can get my hands on in this grill. It really adds a nice smokey flavor to things and cooks evenly. My only real complaint is that it does not have any access to the open flame to get a good reverse sear. I know this is available on more expensive models, but for the price this is hard to beat.
Pros
-Easy to use. Throw in pellets, set temp, and enjoy
-Really good flavor
-Cooks evenly
-Easy to clean
-Grill Cover is very nice and the wheels for this thing are so much better than to crappy plastic ones.
Cons
-Takes a little while to assemble
-No access to direct flame to sear like in other models
-Temp only goes to 450 so reverse sear is not easy
Pros
-Easy to use. Throw in pellets, set temp, and enjoy
-Really good flavor
-Cooks evenly
-Easy to clean
-Grill Cover is very nice and the wheels for this thing are so much better than to crappy plastic ones.
Cons
-Takes a little while to assemble
-No access to direct flame to sear like in other models
-Temp only goes to 450 so reverse sear is not easy
Written by a customer while visiting Z GRILLS
Customer Rating
5
Give yourself and a friend about an hour and a half to assemble
on September 11, 2022
Posted by: EugeneD
Assembly is a bit complicated but we managed to get it it right, as for easy of use 5 star, definitely cover the drip tray in foil for easier clean up, over all a great product
Written by a customer while visiting Z GRILLS
Customer Rating
5
Awesome smoker
on September 11, 2022
Posted by: ElisabethK
Used it a lot since we bought it! Everything comes out perfect
Written by a customer while visiting Z GRILLS