Z Grills 450A Review
I will provide answers to all the questions you might have about the Z Grills 450A and 450B so you can decide if these are the Z Grills you need.
Z Grills ZPG 450A
This Z Grills updated version is the perfect pellet grill for a smaller size family. The PID technology in the controller is made to control the temperature with minor fluctuations,
Quick Facts
Made from high-quality steel and covered with a powder coating developed for high temperatures will make this Z Grills pellet grill lasts a long time when taken care of.
ZPG 540A Features
- Weight 84 Lbs
- The room between the grate and lid – is 7 inches
- Porcelain-coated steel grates
- Temperature range 160 – 500 degrees
- Dimensions: 57 L × 32 W × 47 H
Pros and Cons
- Digital controller
- Sturdy wheels
- 10-pound hopper
- 459 square inches grate
- 8-in-1 cooking
- Temp up to 450 degrees
- Not that great for searing
- No WiFi
- No hopper cleanout
- pellets sometimes stuck
Z Grills ZPG 450A Review – My Opinion
This was one of the first models the Z-Grills company offered. Now they have upgraded it with some nice features.
Although I like the 450A you have to keep in mind that this is what I would like to call a starter pellet grill. However, it amazes me that Z-Grill can offer this grill at such an affordable price.
Let’s dig a little deeper into some of the features to see how they stand out.
Controller
The controller is the heart of a pellet grill. There is an updated PID controller that offers a more constant temperature and lowers the fluctuations in temperature.
Grill Grates
My favorite is the porcelain-coated grill grates. They are soo easy to clean compared to many other materials and are more or less non-stick.
The used steel is maybe not as thick as you would like to see but I have not found any complaints about that.
What I read is that the lid seals pretty well and there are no significant leaks. However, you can also order some extra gasket material to make it even better than it is already
Unboxing a Z Grills 450A
I found a video of someone who just bought the 450A and here you can him taking it out of the box and trying it. Here are his first impressions.
This video is about a year old and some of the things he mentioned are updated. There is a lot more information available now.
Pellet Usage
Overall at a temperature of 225, the 450A will use about a pound of pellets per hour. Taking into consideration that the pellet can hold 15 pounds you could get 15 hours of usage after filling up the hopper
I areas that sometimes the rack above the hopper will not let the pellets fall through. So, you might have to check this on a long smoke session.
Temperature Range
Although in the description it is mentioned that you can use the temperature range of between 160 and 450 degrees for searing. I think 450 degrees is a little on the low side for searing.
Overall I think that the Z grills ZPG 45A pellet grill can be considered a pretty good deal. If you compare the price with the features and see what some other pellet grill brands offer I think the 450A is a great choice.
Z Grills ZPG 450B
If you like a little upgrade you can opt for the 450B. Although basically have the same sizes I like the 450B because of the added features.
That is also the reason I am not doing a separate Z grills 450B review.
There are a few differences between the 450A and the 450B.
The Z Grills 450B has:
- Pellet view window
- Hopper cleanout
- Manual feed for pellets
With the price just being a little higher I think this is an upgrade you should grab.
The pellet view window makes it very easy to see if it is time to add more pellets.
The hopper cleanout by itself is a few extra dollars worth already in my opinion. That makes changing out pellets a breeze.
The manual pellet feed option makes it easier to get the Z grill back on temperature after opening the lid of the grill.
Eddie van Aken
Eddie van Aken has years of experience in running his full-service restaurant and with this came working with using and dealing with all types of kitchen equipment. With his experience, he can find all the pros and cons of grills and add them to the grill reviews he is doing. You can read more on the about page for Eddie van Aken