Z Grills Pellet Grill & Smoker | Unboxing & First Cook
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 มี.ค. 2024
- There is ONE very good reason why I have a NEW Z Grills 7002C2E but first we need to unbox and cook on the Z Grills 7002C2E Pellet Smoker so I have a few racks of St. Louis ribs ready to go as my first cook. This grill was provided for testing by Z Grills at no cost.
The Z Grills 7002C2E Pellet Smoker is an upgraded model exclusively available on the Z Grills Site at - jo.my/zgrills
Rub from my friends at fury hot sauce - furyhotsauce.com
👉🏼 Did this video help you? Sharing this video with friends, groups, social media etc. helps others find me and is greatly appreciated! 🙏
----------------------------
Resources to Help Make BETTER Barbecue
----------------------------
Take control of your Kamado Joe with My Vent Setting Guide
► Vent placements for popular grilling & smoking temperatures (Daisy wheel, Kontrol Tower & SmokeWare chimney cap settings all included for Jr. & Series 1, 2 ,3 Classic / Big Joe)
► Best practices for setting up your Kamado Joe for hassle free fire management
► Solutions for common issues & Frequently asked questions
👉🏼 www.smokingdadbbq.com/shop
Unlock the FULL potential of your Kamado Joe with my Double Indirect Setup E-Book
✅ Fix dry / overcooked bottoms on long cooks like Brisket, Ribs & Pulled Pork
✅ Improve smoke quality (No more bad smoke/creosote)
✅ Recommended setup for best results on Jr & Series 1, 2 ,3 Classic / Big Joe)
👉🏼 jo.my/doubleindirect
Not all smoke is created equal! Unleash Optimum Smoke Performance in your Kamado grill
► Should you soak your wood? Kiln dried or Naturally Seasoned?
► When & Where to add smoking wood for the best result
► Wood pairing guide
👉🏼 jo.my/woodsmokeguide
FREE resources on www.smokingdadbbq.com
► Written Recipes / Ingredients
► Food temperature quick reference guide (FREE with newsletter signup)
► Quarterly News Letter with insider tips, giveaways etc.
----------------------------
💰💰💰 Gear Discounts💰💰💰
----------------------------
🌡MEATER wireless probes - t.jo.my/meater
🖥 Meater VS Competition - • Meater Dethroned? The ...
🗑️ KickAsh Basket & Can - jo.my/kickashbasket
💰 Use discount code “SDBBQ” to get 5% off any order site wide!
🖥 Jump to 03:51 in my gift guide - • Top 10 Grill Accessori...
🔥 GrillGun and Su-V Gun from GrillBlazer - t.jo.my/grillblazer
💰 Use discount code “SDBBQ” to get 10% off any order site wide!
🖥 Speed test VS fire starters - • Light a charcoal grill...
🥩ChefsTemp instant meat probe - jo.my/chefstemp
💰 Use discount code “SDBBQ” to get 30% off any order site wide!
🖥 Review VS Competition - • The BEST Digital Therm...
🪵 Smoke North offset smokers - t.jo.my/offset
💰 No coupon needed! Just use this link for 25% off all accessories & pit upgrades!
🖥 Why I’ve switched to the Echo - • This Reverse Flow Smok...
🧂 Pepper Cannon (8-60 mesh 10x more per grind) - t.jo.my/pepper
💰 Use discount code “SDBBQ10” to get 10% off any order site wide!
🖥 Homemade rubs - • Are expensive BBQ Rubs...
🕳️ Smokeware drip pans & chimney caps - t.jo.my/smokeware
💰 Use discount code “SDBBQ” to get 10% off any order site wide!
🪨 Fogo Charcoal & BBQ accessories (Free shipping orders over $100) - t.jo.my/fogocharcoal
----------------------------
Gear I’ve used in videos without a discount
----------------------------
💨 FireBoard Drive - jo.my/fireboard
🔪 Tumblr rolling knife sharpener - jo.my/rollsharp
🍕 La Piazza ovens - t.jo.my/pizzaoven
🖐🏿 Nitrile prep gloves - t.jo.my/nitrilegloves
🔪 Dalstrong Knives - t.jo.my/dalstrong
*Some of these links are affiliate links. If you use them, I'll receive a commission and it will help me make more content like this for my channel.
Subscribe 👉🏼 jo.my/subscribe2sdbbq
Join as a channel member 👉🏼 jo.my/memberperks
Rub recipes & DIY table plans shared free on www.smokingdadbbq.com
Did I help make grilling easier for you? Send a “Super Thanks ❤️“ They’re appreciated 🙏
#SMOKINGDADBBQ #zgrills #pelletsmoker - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
I would love to have a stick burner smoker. But, price and the time to set and use one is somewhat harder to do now. I own 2 Weber grills that I hardly use anymore. I also have a Kamado that I got 4yrs ago. I really enjoy it and have more at ease when using it. I still have some temp issues once and while with it. I bought a pellet grill 3yrs ago. Temp issues are non factor. It's holds temps even in the winter time here in MN. It also has a riot mode that gets to almost 800 degrees. Built by Rec Tec and I would stack it up against any pellet grill brand. Thanks for another nice video. I really enjoy seeing your comparison videos too..
I’ve heard good things about them too
I think you nailed the comparison of flavour profiles. I went from gas (many over the years, occasionally with smoke tubes) to pellet (Pit Boss 1150 Pro) to charcoal (Masterbuild Gravity/Weber Kettles) and while I still use them all (including the Blackstone griddle), the difference in flavour between them all IS huge. I've mostly relegated the pellet grill to outdoor oven status, although it's still my go-to for making jerky due to the size and light smoke levels. My wife isn't a huge fan of the heavier smoke from charcoal and finally understands that King of the Hill line about, "Taste the meat, not the heat." LOL Ultimately, you have to figure out how to best cook to your audience. I know I have to dial back the smoke for my wife, if it's something for me I pile it on.
This is why I have a bunch of different grills though, they all excel at different things in different ways. And it's awesome when you want 4 or 5 different things cooking at once at different times, temps, and smoke levels/profiles. :)
Thanks and well said
I recently purchased a Z Grills Cruiser for my RV and absolutely love it. When I want more smoke I add a smoke tube.
I found that really quick lol, you will notice its installed in the brisket clip from the next video
Brilliant video! I just burchased the older Woodwind 36 model because it was on offer in here in the UK. I did my first cook on it Sunday just gone and I really enjoyed. Babybacks came out lovely. In terms of smoke flavour it was quite mild compared to my Masterbuilt 560 but still pleasing. For convenience the WW36 is brilliant and it will enable me to do more cooks as a last minute whim and make it easier for me to cater for friends over the summer. I now have a weber kettle, the masterbuilt and now this, am i an addict??😂 Offset next perhaps??😂
Anyway sorry if that was a bit rambling but thankyou for your content and im really looking forward to your video regarding smoke tubes. Love and respect to yourself and all pitmasters all around thr world.
I love my pellet grills, your Z looks a lot a like to my Burnhard. I cook on them weekly.
I’m thoroughly pleased with my ZGrills
Awesome
Great video as always. I’ve been considering buying one but you’ve successfully talked me out of ever buying a pellet grill. If your wife can’t taste smoke, there is no smoke!! You just saved me at least $500.
It was slightly better with the pellet tube. If you come from a gas grill the smoke is amazing. If you come from offsets it’s not very perceptible… and that doesn’t mean overpowering. Clean offset smoke penetrates yet is mild vs dirty smoke being like an ash coating
Have you looked into the Yoder Smokers? They look very impressive, it’s also a product I can get in Europe. I use a gas BBQ right now but I’d like to get into proper BBQ over fire. Yoder 480 and Connected Joe are at the top of my list.
I have a couple GMG pellet grills. I mainly use the bigger Daniel Boon about $700 now. It came with a rotisserie. I use as a pizza cooker. So I just leave it setup with the attachment oven in place. My smaller Davey Crocket about $400 now is what I cook bbq on. For just 4 people it has enough space uses half the pellets of the larger units. Both have wifi. I got the big one first then found the Davey on Offer Up for $120 so I got another. Wife said we need 2 Right James 😂. She likes the low smoke like Sarah does. She doesn’t like the charcoal on most things from the Kamado Joe. I like B n B lump. I do like the charcoal and the ability to make chicken skin into crispy caramelized goodness.
Bothe my GMG grills are solid units. I have looked at many pellets grills while browsing stores. Most similar size units are much lighter than the GMG units. Max temp is 550 degrees on both.
I have a friend who also likes his GMG
Do you have plans to make any more videos on the Weber Summit? I have been waiting patiently for you start sharing some insights and cooks on it. Thanks in advance and keep up the good work!
Yes. TH-cam sucks in winter and that’s a good grill and a good topic so it’s waiting for spring summer season
Another set and forget temp controlled under $500 option is a Weber kettle with a Spider Grills Venom. Also there are many heat deflectors and slow n sear type accessories.
great option
I have a 2 question about the masterbuilt autoignite.
1. When you was done cooking, did grill continue to burn all fuel in the hopper or does it get snuffed out? ( I read this is a problem on the OJ Tahoma).
2. When will you a long burn, like pork butt on the autoignite?
I have a brisket cook recorded and coming out soon.
The fire box has a draft door that can be shut but the grill is not air tight. It saves most of the charcoal but I have noticed some lost during shut down
My experience with ZGrill PID controller was a joke. So much so they not only sent me a new PId controller but the eventually refunded the total cost of the grill. I was getting 70+° temp swings on two different occasions. I’d be interested to hear your honest opinion of how it worked. Not the “they sent me a free grill to review” review.
If it’s not this video it’s the next which has a temp graph from an independent meat probe. It was pretty erratic but I want sure if it was fused by the smoke tube I added near the internal sensor. But based on that I definitely believe your story and am less confident it’s the smoke tube that caused my issue now
Thank you! I’m excited to hear your opinion on the Weber Smokey Mountain.
I have the WSM 14” and am deciding whether to buy a WSM 18” or a KJ Classic III. I like the WSM but I don’t know if I’m missing out (for smoking) compared to a KJ.
If I get the WSM 18 I was thinking of also buying the slo roller and using in it too (with a custom adapter ring to make it a perfect fit). Unfortunately the full big Joe sloroller doesn’t fit the 22. I’ve got some odd looks in the bbq shops trying this out!
A lot of people run the WSM without water.
The WSM should be less efficient than the KJ. (As you know)
The WSM also has a taller dome. This may be useful when squeezing things in, e.g a brisket over a rib rack.
Thanks again. I respect your opinion and methods. This is an expensive purchase for me and you’re really helping me make the right choice.
i think the WSM has advantages on smoker cooks thanks to being less efficient .... now the trade off is a little less easy on fire management, and can struggle to have a fuel load last a brisket or pork shoulder. The KJ is easier to run a steady temp in all weather conditions but adds some complexity with dividers and deflectors to ramp up the clean fire without nuking the food.
the KJ is like an SUV, it does a little of everything pretty well but its not better than a truck for towing, or a Porsche for sports car or a prius for fuel efficiency. it can do pizza, steak, chicken, rotisserie and smoking all in one unit which is why for me its the if you can only have one grill its the one to have winner.
Not trying to answer for James but I have used a 18" WSM for over 10 years. I bought a KJ Jr after watching this channel. Ive had it 2+ years now. It's easier / smaller to take camping. I use it home as well. I always use the water pan when smoking with the WSM, but not when BBQ / grilling. The KJ Jr is a totally different cooker and provides a totally different finished profile / taste; IMHO. It uses so much less fuel, its unbelievable. Winter cooks are not that much different than Summer with the Kamodo. They really hold the heat very well & consistent. Smoke profile is way different as well. The WSM is very poorly insulated and requires a lot more 'fire management'; especially in the winter. I like them both & they serve 2 different purposes. Just like having 2 different knives.
@@SmokingDadBBQ thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts. Im looking forward to your video(s) on it!
@@herb7877 Hey thanks so much for sharing your thoughts too. Much appreciated.
I wonder if you can fit a smoke box large enough to accommodate some lit coals and wood chunks mimicking what you can do on more expensive pellet grills that accommodate wood chunks for smoke flavor? For instance, there is Cameron's the flit and other large smoke boxes. Might be worth experimenting with.
I did notice one down side of the smoke stack being on the right hand side. This draws air left to right so the ideal placement is on the left so that whatever smoke you add crosses the food… the issue is the pit probe is there and the heat form the tube made the temp control less flat lines
Hey James, I have recently watched your video on deep cleaning the ceramic of your KJ. How do you deep clean your soapstones? Anyways thank you very much for your videos. They are very well made and informative.
I’m normally the stone surface of around 600f is enough to destroy any food. The next day when I remove and flip the bottom is white so I just alternate sides each cook
Pretty amazing what you can get for $500 these days. Great info James!
That’s for sure
Im caught between this model and the 700d3 model. This model (with no wifi) is cheaper by $50 but no cabinet and no twin wall insulated chamber, but the 700d3 is not stainless. I’m more concerned on which model can keep the set temperature. Any recommendation will be greatly appreciated
I will say the PID is not doing very well at figuring out stable temps, i would check the reviews of the other model and if it does better i would go with that one
For ribs I would highly recommend Bacon-ribs. AKA spare-ribs with extra meat.
{I only get these, as they are cheaper than spare-ribs, in price/KG} [Ribs: 7.50 euro/kg || baconribs: 6 euro/KG]
Gonna smoke some for the first time tomorrow [if the weather allows it].
based on my attempt in the oven it takes roughly 1.5-2 hours at 150C. [meater probe]
Have also finally found a stable grill setting for my ceramic grill to keep it at 150C [since it did not have numbers/lines on the top vent, I used a scratch pen to make some shallow lines in the cast iron metal vent].
Can't get much hotter, since my charcoal doesn't flame up as much. it keep smoldering with vents mostly closed.
hey man so im not sure if you have or not but have you used or tried the vision grills? so around the holidays they can get to $500 sometimes less. i think it could be a good video to say if you want a kamado grill that is cheaper
i haven't but i see them in costco often
what gives more smoke constant smoking pellet wood or charcoal with addes woodchunks
First up is this with a pellet tube vs wood chunks in the woodwind
She's a beauty my friend!
thanks Ron
With my pellet grill, I can increase the auger speed, which increases the smoke produced and increases the smoke flavor. Now I'm sure it'll never be to the level of charcoal and wood or a stick smoker, but it is nice.
what model?
@@SmokingDadBBQ Pit Boss Lexington Onyx
You need to get a pit boss if you want to sear. They have direct access to the fire box and the quality has really improved over the last few years
I’ve heard that too
Recteq!!!
What's the durability and longevity like on these lower cost pellet grills? I'd start to have concerns about rust and other factors. Is there any type of weather-resistant coating on these smokers or are people going to be shopping for replacements in a few years? I know a lot of that comes down to where you live and how you care for your gear, but I'd still rather get something for a bit more money that is designed to last a lifetime. Great video, as always, and the ribs really did look good. How was the al pastor rub?
The KJ's in the background are ceramic, no rust. Stainless Steel hardware, no rust. Powder coated metal good corrosion resistance. At low price points, that is hard to do. When you consider the supply chain and middle man profits, it's amazing that the manufacturer makes any profit.
I liked the rub but a pork but would have been even better to make up some tacos.
I don’t know about longevity and my bias is that any electronics isn’t likely to last as long as a manual grill. I know people with green mountain grills that need regular auger replacements, friends with traeger timberlines that have been fighting rust issues and there are comments all over my woodwind videos that they needed complete replacements within a year and I don’t plan to keep this long enough to find out.
The build quality though at this price point from what you can tell assembling it was better than most anything this side of a joe jr which takes the cake quality wise imo.
Surely just cover it up?
I have two recteqs. The 380 bullseye and the rt1250. All 304 ss. Things are tanks and pretty thick. Even the fire pot is stainless steel. Hopefully will outlast me and I can pass down to my son.
I have a large GMG 5 years old, I had a lot of rust problems and GMG replaced the top with a stainless steel, gave me a free upgraded wifi unit, I still have rust on the body which they provided me a paint to clean up. I had to fight for this as we have strong consumer protection in Australia, even outside manufacturers warranty. I bought a BJ3 recently and really enjoying this channel to learn, great stuff.
In the $500 off set group I think the best would be the Old Country Pecos or the Char-griller Grand Champ XD. I've always actually had an aversion to Char-griller as they make some cheap crap, but turns out the Grand champ is a great design. Check them out. Personally I ended up going with the Grand Champ, and it is fantastic.
I just got the old country g2 but it far exceeds the 500
@@SmokingDadBBQ Yeah, the G2 looks pretty good. The Pecos is decent for the money.
Id like to see you review the pit boss titan.
If enough people ping them then things like that normally come together.
What is your opinion on Z grillz vs woodwind pro?
Btw, was your dog excited to see you set this grill up behind the curtains?
She often gets some bbq treats so was waiting to see when the ribs would be ready lol
@@SmokingDadBBQ haha, can imagine. What about Z grillz vs Woodwind?
@@soumynonareverse7807 the brisket video clips are from the next video of this vs the wood wind
@@soumynonareverse7807WWP
I went to the dark side in January, scored a Broil King Crown floor model for $399, it was missing a few parts, sent an email, received the missing parts in less than a week…
Good service
definitely not anywhere near as much smoke as a stick burner. Pellet choice and temp play a big role. Biggest upside to pellet grill is the versatility and convenience.
No arguments … but for the same price things like the mb auto ignite which I’ve tested with real wood splits and or charcoal didn’t exist a few years ago and I think put pressure on the basic pellet form factor
As a fellow Canadian, I think it's called "Zed Grills". LOL!
lol
I'm reminded of a lot of jokes I've heard with "left-handed compliments", things like, "It's a great smoker for people who don't like smoked foods". I think a lot of people want a ~$500 "smoker" because they already have a charcoal grill and occasionally would like to cook something low and slow but don't want to do all the fire management and/or go through the learning curve. So $500 is about what they'd like to spend for something they aren't going to use a lot. Finding something that works well at that price point will be a big service.
Haha I need to remember that one
And agree, as a secondary unit for auto pilot … there’s a lot to like about how this one is put together for the price
Thanks for doing this video on the pellet grill. One of my friends bought a pellet grill and just learning how to BBQ so I will not be shocked when his food is very lean on smoke taste. He does like the fact that you start and forget it until it is done. I going to stay with my Green Egg.
Coming from an egg or offset you will find it mild. If he is coming from a gas grill he will love it. All a matter of experience/ perspective
A smoke tube might have helped.
100%. I added on for the next test with brisket but opted to see how the stock configuration worked for the first cook
I find smoke tubes aren't worth the effort. The problem (in my experience, opinion) is that pellet smokers don't have an issue not making enough smoke, it's that the smoke coming off of burning pellets is not proper wood smoke. Adding a smoke tube doesn't change the intensity / flavor of the end product pushing it toward traditional bbq smoked flavors. Nothing makes proper or proper-like BBQ smoke like real wood & if that's what you're looking for on any given cook, you're not going to get it unless you're burning chunks or splits of real wood. I still use a pellet grill/smoker, a nat gas grill, & a charcoal kettle setups for my cooks. Today I'm cooking for about 10 folks & will be cooking tri-tips on a combo of my pellet grill & the charcoal smoker--point being I'm not a biased stick-burner snob. LoL
I like a smoke tube at higher Temps that pellet grills have trouble generating smoke (T>250)
@@loseerich493100 percent
The best pellet grill for smoke flavor without putting a wood chunk on the fire every 45-60 minutes (at which point you should just use an offset anyway) is the Lone Star Grillz one, but it's definitely not $500.
they make good stuff
The lone star one is still a pellet grill at the end of the day it’s just a placebo if you think it produces offset flavor. The smoke box on the WWP above any pellet grill tbh. No pellet grill will be an offset though
@@whaattheef2169 Nah. There have been head to heads with the LSG and the Yoder YS640 among others, and it wins handily. The LSG can also take a blend of pellets and wood chips with its auger, which I don’t know of any others that can.
There’s another one with a chute for wood chunks (Pits and Spits maybe?) that would probably beat the Woodwind Pro, but if you’re going to put wood on the fire at regular intervals, just use an offset and get the better product for the same amount of work.
@@praetorxyn I wish I could trust the reviews people do on LSG pellet smoker but I just don’t. I had thoughts of getting on but seems like people might say they were worth it to make themselves feel good about spending 3k on a pellet smoker
@@whaattheef2169 The design alone where you can remove the ash catcher to clean it out instead of taking everything out to get to it like every other one I’ve seen is worth that to me. But I need to get the deck rebuilt before I get anymore puts, and that will cost WAY more anyway.
For sub $500 I’d go with the Masterbuilt 560.
me too
or the WSM
I'm telling you the crocs are pink. Lol.
Red. Team red. Only red 😂
F a pellet grill . they need electricity , they're loud , and pellets are expensive .
all reasons i also don't love electronic grills
The picture and this review is strictly Clickbait material. You’ve made it clear in the past that you do not like pellet grills, so I don’t understand why you’re doing this. I own a Kamado and a pellet grill and use both of them, both have their purposes.
and i repeat that in the video... as well as explain exactly why this in the yard as part of the video you missed
That's some of the worst looking ribs I've ever seen. "Just oozing with juice" - no juice seen. "Smoke ring looks good" - no smoke ring. WTH? I've cooked ribs on about every style of outdoor cooker (pellet included) I can think of, and none of them came out looking like I had microwaved them like these god awful things. YUK! I'm blown away that anyone could screw ribs up this bad. You would have been better off boiling them. DAMN!
Well no arguments on smoke which was non existent. As much as I disliked them, too be fair my smart phone camera in direct sunlight washed out the ribs so you couldn’t see either. The juice factor and bite was the only enjoyable part of the rib