Camp chef PG24SG vs PG24ZG (Dick's Sporting Goods)

[NewPelletUser]

Hey guys! New poster here. Been looking at Camp Chef Pellet Grills for about a year. Was all set to pull the trigger on the DLX earlier this week when I saw a new grill on the camp chef site. It was the ZG. No other info listed on their site. Did a google search for it and came up with this site and Dicks site. So excited to get it for $399! Just picked it up last night after extended chats with CampChef. It is the same size as the DLX, and a bit smaller than the SG. Same workings as the SG, but inside ends up being 2 inches shorter. I figure for a few hundred bucks I could go with the ZG from Dick's and order the Searbox and still come out ahead! Can't wait to fire it up this weekend and continue to monitor this site!
Oh.....they also told me that the shelf on the bottom made for the 2 inch legs should work for the ZG to give it a bit of added stability!

Oh....and if you quickly sign up for Dick's emails at the bottom of their page, you get an extra 10% off if you order it online and pick it up in the store! So I ended up getting the ZG for $380 all in!

 

[NewPelletUser]

Bought the ZG.

https://www.smokingmeatforums.com/threads/camp-chef-smokepro-zg-first-impressions.274816/

Hey Dave! Can you tell me if the legs on the ZG come with extra holes to purchase that bottom shelf and install it?

 

[daveverdo]

Can you tell me if the legs on the ZG come with extra holes to purchase that bottom shelf and install it?

There are holes but the legs are not the same as on the DLX or the SG. Check with Camp Chef about what shelf to order. It is pretty stable without the shelf as it is.

 

[NewPelletUser]

What a great pellet grill!
I used it for steaks and chicken breasts over the weekend.
Going to smoke a couple pork butts for pulled pork for Mother's day.
Meat is so juicy. Cooked the steaks to around 135, then pulled the direct flame knob and finished them that way with the grill on high. So good!

 

[daveverdo]

Meat is so juicy. Cooked the steaks to around 135, then pulled the direct flame knob and finished them that way with the grill on high. So good!

Same for me. Made some boneless chicken breasts for fajitas the other day and they were great.

 

[Chef Dave]

Dave, how did you smoke the chicken breasts? Any marinade/brine, what temp setting, how long, final internal temp, etc?

 

[daveverdo]

Dave, how did you smoke the chicken breasts? Any marinade/brine, what temp setting, how long, final internal temp, etc?

I did a reverse sear like a steak.
I marinaded them overnight in a fajita marinade then smoked them at 300° until the IT was around 140°. I then switched to direct heat and grilled them for another 10 minutes or so until the IT was 165°.

When I did them on the grill in the past the marinade would always burn on the outside before the inside was cooked or they ended up dry. That didn't happen with the reverse sear. I guess I could just do the reverse sear on the grill but I think the pellet smoker helped keep them moist.

 

[NewPelletUser]

Dave, how did you smoke the chicken breasts? Any marinade/brine, what temp setting, how long, final internal temp, etc?

I made mine pretty much like Dave.
only I thought of them too late to marinade them overnight. I just took some italian salad dressing and poured it in a ziploc bag for about an hour with the breasts. I too put them on around 300, but didn't direct flame them. Just took IT up to 165 and then pulled them. So juicy on this grill! I can't say that enough! I think I had them on there for about 30 minutes. Because I started it at around 250 for the first 10 minutes, then moved to 300.

And what was nice is didn't have to worry about flare ups with the dressing like i did on my charcoal.

 

[NewPelletUser]

Not sure where to post this, did a search and didn't find anything:
Anybody ever done bacon on the camp chef smokepro? If so...how

 

[heathmd83]

Was it a sale that Dick's had for 399.99 because their website is showing 499.99 right now?

 

[NewPelletUser]

Was it a sale that Dick's had for 399.99 because their website is showing 499.99 right now?

Yes. Dick's had a sale a few weeks ago for $399.99. And if you signed up for the Dick's email on their website, you could get a code for an additional 10% off if ordered online and picked up in store.

 

[gottria]

Yahooo, my first post. How's everyone liking their Camp Chef? Got a coupon for 20% off at Dicks and tempted to grab the PG24ZG for $399. Been looking the used marked here in the Bay Area, Craigslist, Facebook Market, LetGo and nothing close or priced good so I decided to shop new units and this one jumped out at me. Like the Pit Boss at Lowes when it was $399 as it had a sear option but this one seems better as it has the handle on the left to open it.

 

[midderchaw]

Dicks has the 20% off coupon going on today, I just picked up the ZG for $399

 

[CAGE RATTLER]

Hello all, I see this thread is about a year old but am interested in this same grill at Dicks. It's going for $499 and still looks like a good deal. But I'm worried about the serrated drip tray that allows for the slide and grill. Is it worth having that option? Seems like it could allow a lot of grease through.

I'm also thinking about a grilla grills chimp or silverbac but the chimp seems to small and sb a little expensive.

 

[daveverdo]

I have mine for over a year now and love it when it works.

After a few months the heating element went bad so I was starting things with a lighter until the replacement part came. It was covered by the warranty but it took a little time to replace it.

This year the shear pin broke on the auger drive. It is a 20 cent screw but I had to take the thing apart to part in the new screw. After I replaced the shear screw I used it for three smokes no problem. On the forth smoke the auger drive motor stopped. I ordered a replacement from Amazon and just got it today and plan to install it later.

I got mine at FIeld and Stream (a Dick's affiliate) for $350. It was on sale for $400 and they had a offer for a $50 rebate if you openned a Dick's credit card account. I openned the account paid the bill and cancelled the card and used the rebate for a few bags of pellets.

 

[rickp603]

Hey All,

COVID-19 purchase today 4/24/20... Camp Chef Smoke Pro PG24 ZG from Dicks. $449 online. Tried to apply the 10% coupon (new member) and $10 off (opt in text) but would not accept the promo codes. Placed a call, informed that I need to call 24 hours after pick up with an incident report number (they provided) and Dicks will credit me. So $395 w/curbside pick up (the store had 2), not bad. My other option was the DLX 24 and best price I could find was $399 at Sportsman's Warehouse. This seems to be a bit of an upgrade and being from Raleigh area I avoided the drive to Greensboro. Time will tell if the ZG is a better choice then the DLX. Setup tonight and maybe some ribs Saturday! Be well everyone!

 

[jnz]

Just got the PG24ZG at Dicks with the Gen 2 controller. It does not seem to have Wifi or Bluetooth. The Camp Chef app on my phone just keeps "searching" and there doesn't seem to be a "Program" setting like I've seen on some YouTube videos. Am I missing something?

 

[coachin&smokin]

Just got the PG24ZG at Dicks with the Gen 2 controller. It does not seem to have Wifi or Bluetooth. The Camp Chef app on my phone just keeps "searching" and there doesn't seem to be a "Program" setting like I've seen on some YouTube videos. Am I missing something?

I bought the same one and I don't think that it has wifi or bluetooth capabilities. It's the gen 2 controller but without wifi. I just put mine together last night and cooked on it the first time. It's a great little cooker...very impressed.