Z Grills vs Traeger Pellet Grills Compared Head-to-Head

Our team has tested and reviewed 7 different Z Grills smokers and all the popular Traeger models.

In this comparison review, we break down the differences between Z Grills and Traeger and do a head-to-head review of a comparable grill from each company to help you decide which pellet grill is right for you.

If you want a detailed overview of each brand and their different models, check out our recommendations for the best Z Grills pellet smokers and the best Traeger pellet grills.

Traeger VS Z Grills Key Differences

There’s a common misconception that Traeger and Z Grills are made by the same company. Back in the 2010s, the company that formed Z Grills did manufacture grills for Traeger, but that’s no longer the case.

Z Grills focuses on providing value for money. Most of their grills are priced between $400 and $1200 and are available via their website and Amazon.

Traeger is much more upmarket, with its top-end grill selling for $3800. You can buy it directly from Traeger or via its large dealer network, which includes Home Depot and Ace Hardware.

For this comparison, we decided to compare the Z Grills 700D4E with the similarly priced Traeger Woodridge.

We’ll review the key differences and then compare the two, focusing on build quality, grill grates, hopper, controller, storage, and smoking and grilling performance.

Traeger Woodridge VS Z Grills 700D4E comparison

	Traeger Woodridge	Z Grills 700D4E
Dimensions	50x46x27	48×51×22
Cooking surface area (sq in)	860 (520 main + 340 warming)	697 (504 main + 193 warming)
Hopper capacity	24 lb	28 lbs
Temperature range	180 – 500°F	160 – 450 °F
Cover included	No ($79.99 optional add-on)	Yes
Meat probes	1	2 (2 included)
WiFi	Yes	Yes
Storage and prep areas	Front Shelf sold separately	Enclosed storage cabinet. Folding shelf sold separately.
Pellet purge	Yes	Yes
Warranty	10 years	3 years
Price	Check latest price	Check latest price

Traeger vs Z Grills tested and compared

There’s a lot more to comparing grills than just looking at the specs. In the following sections, we’ll see how these two grills compare across a range of categories.

It’s likely that some features will be more important to you than others, so we’ve tried to present the information in a factual, nonbiased way so you can make up your own mind.

Before we get started, we should point out that the Traeger Woodridge comes in three models. We’ve focussed on the base Woodridge, which is closest in price to the Z Grills.

The Pro and soon-to-be-released Elite offer even more features, but for a higher cost.

Build quality

The Traeger Pro is made from 16-gauge steel. The lid handle is positioned well and feels solid. The smoker weighs 138 lbs.

The Z Grills weighs in slightly lighter at 132 lbs. It boasts dual-wall insulation, although the stainless steel lid feels cheaper.

Cooking grates and configuration

Both the Traeger and Z Grills come with a primary and a secondary grate or warming rack.

On the Traeger, you get 520 square inches on the main rack and 340 square inches on the warming rack.

The main grilling area on the Z Grills is only slightly smaller, although the top warming rack is quite a bit smaller.

Depending on what you are cooking, you may have to remove the warming rack entirely, so it’s worth looking at the main grate size. For example, if you want to smoke a turkey, you’ll want to remove the warming rack.

Both grates feel similar quality, are lightweight and easy to remove and clean.

Controller and WiFi

Both pellet grills have a PID controller with WiFi connectivity, but the Traeger WiFI and digital controller are leagues ahead of the Z Grills..

You can adjust the Traeger’s temperatures via the controller or App in 5° increments up to 500°F. The controller includes a reverse feature in case you ever get stuck.

While the app doesn’t offer as many features as higher-end models like the Pro, Elite, or Ironwood, you can still easily check your temperatures, change the grill temperature, set it to shut off, and set alarms.

Z Grills has only recently added WiFi to its grills, and the app has been experiencing the usual teething issues, with reports of poor signal and connection issues.

You can adjust the temperature in 5°F increments, which we love, and you do get two probe ports and two probes included.

Pellet hopper

Having a large pellet hopper is great for long overnight cooks (our favorite way to smoke a brisket or pork butt). The Z Grills gets the edge here with a 28-pound hopper, although there is no window or sensor for keeping an eye on pellet levels.

The Traeger has a smaller 24 pound hopper. In our cooking tests we were impressed with the fuel efficiency, with a lot of pellets left after a long cook.

Both grills have a pellet clean out feature.

Prep areas, cart and wheels

Both Z Grills and Traeger sell a front shelf accessory that you’ll probably want to grab. Otherwise the only prep area is on top of the pellet hopper. We did find that area a little nicer to use on the Traeger, as it’s lower down at a more natural height for working.

The Z Grills does have a nice cabinet with magnetic close doors where you can store a few bags of pellets.

It also outperforms the Traeger in the mobility department, with four rotating castor wheels that make it easy to slide around.

The Traeger has two peg legs, so you’ll need to lift up one side to move it around.

Smoking and grilling tests

On our no-wrap ribs test on the Z grills, the final color was a beautiful mahogany, and they had a nice smoke ring.

The most memorable cook on the Z Grills was a batch of chicken halves. These came out super juicy, with crispy skin and a great smokey flavor.

The Z Grills doesn’t get hot enough to get a great sear on steak, but I find it works fine for grilling up burgers or brats.

Food we’ve cooked on the Z Grills 700D4E

We found the Z Grills gives you slightly more pronounced smoke flavor than the Traeger, especially when cooking above 225°F.

When you push the Traeger past 225°F the smoke flavor becomes extremely subtle. This is why we recommend starting most cooks at low temperatures, even if you bump them up later on in the cook.

While the Traeger can get up to 500°F, I’ve found it struggles to get good sear marks when searing burgers, and there’s a noticeable difference at the front.

Food cooked on the Traeger Woodridge

The Traeger performed great on the wings and was able to get nice crispy skin.

Cleaning

The Z Grills uses a side-hanging bucket to catch grease. There is also no clever ash catchment system so you’ll need to pull every part out and vacuum with a shop vac every two or three cooks.

The Woodridge has an integrated grease keg which keeps everything nice and out of the way. Some pellet dust falls down into this, although not as much as some other smokers we’ve tested that have a full ash catchment system.

Both companies will try and sell you their own branded liners which you’ll need to replace every few cooks, or you could just buy a bulk no-name brand off Amazon that does the same thing for less.

Deep cleaning each pit is virtually the same. After running them for 2-3 cooks you’ll need to remove the grill grates and heat deflector and vacuum out the chamber and fire pot with a shop vac.

Customer service

Despite owning multiple models of each brand and using some for several years, we’ve never run into any issues that required contacting customer service from either company.

From researching other folks’ experience, though, it seems Traeger gets the edge when it comes to customer support. They are a US-based company that has been around since the 1970s. They also have a vast dealer network so you may be able to get service from where you bought your girll.

They definitely aren’t without their issues as you’ll see if you browse their company’s social media pages.

Final verdict

Z Grills used to be easy to recommend over the Traeger, but in recent years, their prices have crept up to the point that they are only slightly lower. Although Z Grills does include the cover, which will cost you an extra $79.99 with the Traeger.

The new Woodridge really spanks the Z Grills in almost every category we can think of besides hopper size and the fact you get two probes included.

Traeger offers a much better App experience and more reliable WiFi. It also has an edge in build quality.

Both grills are pretty bare bones when it comes to prep areas and extra functionality, although with the Traeger you can spend $200 extra and get the Pro model with Super Smoke mode.

If you think you’ll need the extra room and want to spend a bit less go for the Z Grills, and if the App experience is important for you, go for the Traeger.

Other brands to consider

For a budget option with more features

For less money than the Z Grills 700D4E, you can get a Pit Boss Sportsman which includes side and front folding shelves, tool hooks, a spice rack and a bottle opener. You also get a slide and sear option which opens up the fire pot for direct heat searing.

Check out our full Pit Boss vs Z Grills comparison for the full break down.

If your budget can stretch

If you can increase your budget by around $100 you can pick up the new Weber Searwood which has direct flame searing across the entire grilling grates.

It’s also got a nice integrated grease and ash catchment system for easier cleaning, adjustable smoke levels, better app, plus you have the option to add griddle and rotisserie attachments for extra versatility.

Should you buy a Z Grills or a Traeger?

While the Z Grills isn’t a bad smoker, when you compare it across all the different categories, the Woodridge comes out on top.

Now the price difference is barely anything, it’s hard to recommend the Z Grills over the Traeger.