Z Grills 10002B2E Pellet Grill Review: Best Budget Large Grill?

While it doesn’t have the most catchy name, the Z Grills 10002B2E Pellet Grill is an intriguing grill and smoker.

You don’t usually see a grill of this size (there are 1056 square inches of cooking surface) at this price point.

After spending a few months cooking on this smoker there is a lot to like. In this review, I’ll run through my experience and share all the positives and negatives to help you decide if this is the right pellet grill for you.

Z Grills sent me this grill plus two 20lbs bags of Fruitwood and Competition blend pellets for free in return for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

10002B2E Overview and first impressions

The 10002B2E is one of the most affordable options in Z Grills 1000 series of larger grills. With the open cart design, you save a little money compared to the 1000D3E.

Whether or not the price savings are worth it will depend on your setup. I like to store my pellets in the cabinet so I prefer the model with doors.

This Zgrill contains removable porcelain-coated racks on the top, middle, and bottom. The cooking chamber also has a probe port available if you’re running wired probes into the cooking chamber.

Z Grills 10002B2E Specifications:

Cooking Area	1056 sq in (428 lower + 374 middle + 254 upper)
Pellet Hopper Capacity	20 lbs.
Temp Range	180°F – 450°F
Shelves & Storage	One front and one side shelf with tool hooks
Construction	Stainless steel
WiFi/App	No
Warranty	3 years
Price	Check Latest Price

What I liked:

• Affordable size – If you want a large pellet grill capable of feeding a crowd without spending much money this is an excellent choice.
• Balanced amount of smoke – All food I cooked on this smoker had an excellent, no-where near overwhelming smoke taste.
• Smart design – The hopper clean out, storage areas and tool hooks all make using the smoker a plesent expereince.

What I didn’t like:

• Built-in WiFi – temperature control through an App and built in probes would have been a breath nice.
• Limited mobility – With only two large wheels you need to lift up the grill and then roll it into place. Four wheels would have been better.

The build of the Zgrill is solid. It retains heat well with minimal leaks from the door and cook chamber. It’s not too heavy and doesn’t come off as cheaply built either.

I believe you’re getting what you pay for with this unit as it’s a solidly built pellet grill for an affordable price Z

Be sure to check out our pellet grills reviews for a list of the best pellet grills to consider.

Unboxing and setup

The Z Grills10002B2E came with 2 boxes with a combined weight of 170lbs

The instructions for assembly were easy to follow and well written. The frame of the stand, shelving, wheels, hopper and cook chamber were unboxed and laid out for assembly. 

With the use of just a screwdriver and wrench, the assembly process took about 45 minutes.

They provided a pair of gripped Zgrill gloves for assembly convenience.

I recommend having a second person to help with the build especially after mounting the legs and standing the unit up onto the wheels.

Once built, the Z Grill can be maneuvered with its two large wheels and will stay parked in place without fear of it rolling away.

Cooking on the 10002B2E

After doing the first burn on the Zgrill I was able to get to the real cooking. It’s highly recommended to do a break-in burn with no food in the grill to cook off any machine oil or packing material for about 20-30 minutes at 350 degrees.

You’re able to set the desired cooking temperature via the digital controller and it will display the current temperature of the cooking chamber on the screen.

The controller will then manage the pellet auger to dispense the pellets into the firepot and engage the blower fan as needed to maintain the cooking temperature.

The grill was able to get to the desired cooking temperature within 10 minutes of the start up and appears to be consistent with every cook I did.

Once the cooker was warmed up and the desired cooking temperature of 250°F was set, I was able to conduct my cook with ease.

The Z Grill was able to produce a steady feed of pellets into the burn pot. I was pleased with the flame this grill can produce due to its blower assembly.

The grill was able to maintain a steady temperature through the cook and was easy to get back up to temperature after lifting open the door.

Low and slow smoking

I was able to do some low n slow cooking by smoking a rack of pork spare ribs, beef tri-tip, and Andouille sausage.

The amount of smoke generated was on point. The finished flavor was subtle and complimented the meats properly.

I was pleased with the smoke ring on the tri-tip that I smoked to an internal temperature of 202°F.

With a 20lbs capacity for pellets, I could pour a full bag of pellets for my cook. The design of the hopper interior allows for proper funneling/feeding of the hardwood pellets into the auger. 

Grilling on the 10002B2E

I then ventured into searing on the Zgrill unit to see what it could do.

I set the temperature dial to “high” and I was only able to get a reading of 395°F in the chamber when the website shows it can reach 450 degrees.

Leaving the drip tray in place it evenly distributed the heat throughout the cooking chamber perfect for doing hot dogs, burgers or any kind of grilling.

I was looking to do a reverse sear on a tri-tip so I needed a direct flame to get some char on the roast. To do this I removed the Drip tray and placed the grill grates back into place. I kept the baffle plate in place directly over the burn pot to minimize flare-ups from the fat drippings.

I’m pretty sure Zgrills will recommend not doing any direct flame searing due to the risk of flare-ups. You can also avoid flare-ups by placing a pan onto the grill grate above the flame and searing directly onto the pan if needed.

I was able to get the desired char on the tri-tip I was looking for with this method.

I was averaging about one pound of pellets an hour, but this is based on what temperature you’re cooking at since you’ll burn more pellets at a higher temperature.

I was satisfied with the quality of the pellets for the cooks I completed. Both bags of pellets gave off great flavor, burned well for low n slow and at high heat.

Temperature variance and accuracy

The temperature in the chamber didn’t have a considerable difference from the left side of the chamber to the right or from the top grates and bottom grates.

The worst of it was a 11-degree difference but it would quickly balance out.

I noticed this variance also applied to the temperature reading I was receiving off of my Thermoworks Smoke probes in the cook chamber to the displayed temperature on the Zgrill unit. 

Clean up

Clean up is convenient with the built-in clean out tray with access at the bottom rear of the grill chamber which allows you to clean up any ash or runoff that may have traveled below the drip pan.

This grill also has a grease bucket to catch any runoff from the large angle fitted drip pan. I recommend wrapping the drip pan in foil for easier clean up. 

Pellet removal is pretty standard with scooping the pellets out of the hopper until you reach the cage plate. You’re unable to remove any pellets under the cage plate unless you remove this plate with a phillips head screwdriver. Be careful not to drop any of the screws into the hopper as this may lead to a jam in the auger. This is one of the downsides of the pellet hopper.

Storage and prep areas

The fold-down front shelf and a stationary side shelf make food prep and handling a lot easier.

The lid of the hopper also functions as a small shelf too which is convenient. A bottom shelf under the Cook Chamber allows for bulk storage for anything that you don’t mind being exposed to the elements.

This grill also came with a logo printed rain cover to protect the Zgrill. This is a nice touch to protect your equipment.

Should you buy the Z Grills 10002B2E?

If you want a large grill for well under $1000 there aren’t a lot of other options to consider.

Anything with WiFi is going to set you back around $900-$1200 and won’t be as large.

The build quality isn’t as high as some of the more premium brands, but it’s good enough, especially considering you get a rain cover included.