Traeger vs Z Grill: Which Is Better? Pellet Grill Comparison
Pellet grills are becoming part of a big trend for outdoor grilling. While gas grills can heat up almost instantly and quickly cook nearly anything put on the grilling rack, pellet grills provide a variety of cooking methods that combine smoking and traditional gas grills.
Smoking typically takes hours or days to accomplish the delicious smoked flavors and tenderness, but a pellet grill can achieve a similar taste in much less time.
Is Traeger Better Than Z Grills? Overall, both brands offer great pellet grills. Z Grills are stable, sturdy, durable, solid, and cannot be beaten for the price.
The temperature control, reliability, cost, and consistent results of Z Grills are well-worth mentioning for anyone looking into a pellet grill. However, if the price tag is not an issue, Traeger is worth the money.
Pellet grills can be used in multiple ways for barbecuing, smoking, roasting, grilling, searing, and even baking.
These grills distribute even heat throughout the cooking chamber like convection ovens to ensure steady and consistent cooking. Gas grills and smokers have distinct flavors associated with finished meats and vegetables.
Pellet grills can easily imitate the smoked flavor by using flavored pellets and trick unaware guests.
Whether you have already decided to switch to a pellet grill or are currently in the debating phase, a big question in the final decision involves knowing what grill the best option is to pursue.
Z Grills and Traeger grills are two brands worth checking out.
Z Grill Overview
Earning their newcomer status, Z Grills started selling pellet grills in 2017. It did not take long for the name to join the ranks of other well-known pellet grills.
Part of the reason for such a rapid success of Z Grills is that the company was not entirely new to the pellet grill industry. Before joining the market, Z Grills had been in the pellet grill manufacturing industry, making grills for other brand names.
Knowing the major selling points for other successful grill companies, Z Grills took a leap of faith and joined the competition.
Like other pellet grills, Z Grills operate similar to Traeger and Pit Boss. Rather than using gas or charcoal, wood pellets are the fuel source for cooking on pellet grills.
The pellets can be flavored and chosen based on personal preference of aroma and final flavor.
There is no one particular pellet that works better than the others. Pellets are stored in the hopper to the side of the cooking chamber.
As more pellets are needed to maintain heat, a mechanical auger will feed the necessary amount into the firebox. This process creates less mess and helps create an easy grilling session.
A sensor inside the grill monitors any temperature fluctuations and serves as a “set it and forget it” approach to grilling. If the temperature goes low or high, the hopper and auger work together to control the temperature to what the grill master sets at it.
When comparing the Z Grills models, there are three to choose from.
The Basic Series is smaller and is known as the 450, 550, and 600. The Middle Series, also known as the 700 series, is the most commonly purchased model and provides a decent grilling size for meals with friends and family.
The 1000 Series are the larger grills and great for larger families or frequently hosted larger gatherings. Each design has a sleek and professional appearance with multiple colors and options to choose from.
Recommended Product: Z GRILLS ZPG-1000D Pellet Smokers
Traeger Grill Overview
Traeger held the monopoly on pellet grills for many years, but once their patent expired, the floodgates opened, and companies that had time to perfect their own designs started to emerge.
The first pellet grill to hit the market was a Traeger in the mid-1980s. The brand stuck with the idea of a smoking grill but installed a pellet hopper in place of the offset box known on the smoker.
The hopper had a rotating auger that released wood pellets into the firebox to be ignited and serve as a heat source for cooking.
The main selling point Traeger used with the first pellet grill was the opportunity to grill food with wood-fired flavor while not having to deal with the flames or the mess of cleaning up charcoal or wood debris afterward.
Soon after being made publicly available, the pellet grill had found its way into many backyard barbecues.
Traeger vs. Z Grills Comparison
Hopper Size and Pellet Capacity
The hopper size should be at the top of the list when comparing pellet grills.
The larger the hopper, the longer the cooking and smoking time you have before needing to refill, which is definitely helpful when smoking for twelve or more hours.
Generally, pellet grills will burn between 1 and 2 pounds of pellets every hour at a moderate temperature. The higher the temperature, the faster the pellets burn and vice versa.
Z Grills will have between ten pound and twenty-pound hoppers depending on the size and model of the grill. Traeger pellet grills are 8 pounds for the portable model and eighteen pounds for most other models.
Cooking Surface
The grilling surface is the next area where size really does matter. Unless you enjoy making multiple trips to and from the grill to cook smaller batches at a time.
A grilling surface that meets your needs and expectations is crucial to happy grilling.
If you have a small family and very few get-together with friends, there is no need to have a larger than needed cooking appliance. The same can be said the other way too.
If you have a larger family and frequently host friendly get-together with multiple people, you will want the larger grilling surface. Z Grills have five grill sizes: 450, 550, 600, 700, and 1000 square inches.
A warming rack is added to the surface area that adds extra cooking space. Traeger grills come in 300, 380, 575, 650, 780, 884, and 1300 square inches of surface grilling area.
Temperature Range
The temperature range of a pellet grill is essential to mastering all the methods of grilling meats and vegetables.
Lower temperatures and longer times are used to slow cook and smoke meats, while higher temperatures and shorter cooking times are best for searing.
Typically, smoked meats are best slow-cooked between 200- and 250-degrees Fahrenheit.
Searing usually happens around 400 degrees Fahrenheit. If a pellet grill does not go below 200 or above 400, it may limit the number of cooking styles available on that unit.
Thankfully, Z Grills and Traeger are well aware of this, and both brands offer pellet grills that can maintain temperatures as low as 180 degrees Fahrenheit and as high as 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Temperature Control
Knowing the temperature range of a pellet grill is handy for knowing when to grill, sear, roast, smoke, bake, or barbecue, but understanding temperature control is what creates a well-cooked and tasty meal.
Consistent and accurate heat is necessary for great-tasting food.
Inconsistent and fluctuating heat can result in a mixture of undercooked and overcooked meats, rough textures, and burnt flavors instead of smoked flavors.
Z Grills have excellent heat retention with actual temperatures within 5 degrees Fahrenheit of the set temperature. Z Grills can also be set to 25-degree Fahrenheit increments.
Trager also has excellent heat retention and maintains actual temperatures within 5 degrees Fahrenheit of the set temperature; however, Traeger can be set with 15-degree Fahrenheit increments making it more precise for temperature control.
Construction, Material, Durability
As the saying goes, the higher up the line you go, the better the product and results are. The same is true with Z Grills and Traeger, but there are already plenty of benefits to choose from, even at the entry-level of pellet grills.
Most Z Grills are constructed with single-layer powder-coated steel and stainless steel.
Grill lids are primarily made from stainless steel, and the grilling grates are porcelain-coated for a rust-resistant and mostly non-stick cooking experience. The grates in Traeger models are porcelain-coated too.
Traeger also use a powder-coated stainless-steel design for their cooking chambers, lids, and frames.
The difference between Z Grills and Traeger grills is the model improvements as you move from the basic series to the mid and top series. Traeger offers a more precise and controlled grilling unit, but Z Grills is not far behind.
The second tier of Traeger grills start to use side-wall insulation in the cooking chamber for better heat retention in colder weather.
At the top tier, Traeger fully insulates the cooking chamber with two layers of stainless-steel grates. Heat retention, consistent results, and product durability are not an issue to be concerned about with either brand.
Price, Value, and Warranty
Z Grills takes pride in its lower and competitive prices compared to other pellet grill brands.
Both brands offer great value for their money, but the cost-saving applied with Z Grills can almost outweigh the desire to own a Traeger if a fully insulated grill is not needed.
Z Grills start around $400 for a basic model and upwards of $900 for larger models. Traeger pellet grills typically start around $800 and can be up to $2,000.
Both brand names have a standard three-year warranty and provide outstanding customer service. Z Grills stands out with a 30-day money-back guarantee for online purchases.
Cooking Performance
Both Traeger and Z Grills offer fantastic cooking performance using indirect heat. Meats are cooked evenly whether grilling, searing, smoking, or barbecuing.
Using different flavored pellets will result in a wide variety of flavored meats for a new mouthwatering experience every time.
With the ability to control the temperature range and maintain a precise heat, the worry of under-cooked and overcooked meat is a thing of the past.
The ease and convenience of cleaning a pellet grill for exceptional grilling each time are also worth noting.
Extra Features
Due to the bargain price that Z Grills start at, there are not many extra features or add-ons other than a waterproof cover that each grill comes with.
Depending on the model and level of model for the Traeger grills, there are numerous add-ons and extra built-in features. Even Z Grill have top and budget models range.
If not into budget shopping, some Traeger models come with built-in wifi, a super smoking mode, downdraft exhaust systems, turbo temp, a low pellet sensor, LED screens, and included meat probes.
Related Questions
Q. Are Z Grills Made at the Same Factory as Traeger?
Traeger grills were first manufactured in the United States but have added a second manufacturing facility in China.
Before Z Grills officially launched as a separate company, the two facilities worked together to produce Traeger grills. In 2017, when Z Grills became independent, they started manufacturing Z Grills in Australia.
Q. How Long Do Traeger Pellet Grills Last?
The average lifespan of a Traeger pellet grill is six to ten years. The more a pellet grill is used, the risk of shortening the lifespan increases.
However, with proper care and storage during colder seasons, Traeger grills do have the potential to last longer than ten years.
Regular maintenance checks, immediate repairs, durable grill covers, reduced elemental exposure, and routine cleaning all play a vital role in maintaining the grill’s longevity.
Q. How Long Do Z Grills Last?
Like Traeger grills, Z Grills should average about ten years before needing to be replaced.
A basic series model may have a shorter lifespan of three to five years, but if properly cleaned and stored, that can easily be extended upwards of ten years.
Routine maintenance, repairs, cleaning, and reduced exposure are necessary to prolong a Z Grill’s time.
Durable grill covers are very beneficial to Z Grills since they are constructed with single layers vs Traeger’s double layers that are more ideal for colder temperatures.
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