I need some recommendations

[boston]

I had a Cuisinart Cleremont smoker, and it was ok, but it died, and I have the extended warranty on it.
I originally bought the Cleremont because I had never had a pellet smoker and it was HUGE.
Anyhow, I had bought it on clearance, and got the extended warranty.
Now the Allstate warranty is offering me the choice of

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083STDCGS?ref_=ab_psdp

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09GPYQWLW?ref_=ab_psdp&th=1

​

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H4JD85M?ref_=ab_psdp&th=1

I am leaning towards Pit Boss, never heard of Z Grills before. Also, the options they are offering are 100 under the purchase price, so I don't know if I should just fight for a full refund and go from there.

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[Up_In_Smoke]

I had a Z Grills.
They are not great. Basically a copy-cat knock-off.

 

[Torch&Tone]

I haven't cooked on a Z Grills but my understanding is they are generally kinda meant as cheaper imitations of slightly fancier units, so maybe a little bit of a gamble? Quite the spread of five-star and one-star reviews, including from users who have owned other brands. Supposedly shares a lot of the same supply chain as (at least some?) Traeger units.

Pit Boss *seems* to have the better customer service (and less need of it). Also, that first smoker was chosen as an Editor's Pick over at Serious Eats, fwiw. Not sure if ZGrills has fewer endorsements because of actual performance or just because it doesn't have as much market share.

I think your decision will probably come down to the details - grill area, wall thickness, controller, hopper size, etc. - and what's important to you.

 

[Randy1]

From my experience you want to first decide if you want to just grill, just smoke, or both.
Then look at your budget. They run from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand.
Some even allow you to add would chips orr chunks.
PID controllers are common now except for Oklahoma Joe's.
Wi-Fi is getting more common.
Consider grill material, steel, cast iron porcelain, or stainless.
Ease of cleaning, ease of hopper dump, ease of ash dump.
How does it grill-sear.
How much grill space do you need. Ribs can take up a lot of space.
OJ, and Weber have had their problems.
Watch you tube videos but try to see through the hype.
Will this be stored under a roof or do you need a cover.

 

[uncle eddie]

no help - sorry - but in to see what people say

 

[sandyut]

On quick review, I would pick the first one the Pit Boss 440.

Nice they giving you a choice of replacement. Get the PB run it till it dies, then you can upgrade and you will know what you like and want.

 

[schlotz]

Question: how much money will be spent over time purchasing, and repurchasing equipment? Instead of getting on that train, I'd suggest the buy-once, cry-once approach. This usually is the less expensive route. I'd start by getting a full refund then concentrate on finding a higher level of manufactured smokers, ex RecTeq. There are others as well. Not saying you can can't get great smoked results from these lower priced units, but in the end... you get what you pay for.

 

[Randy1]

This old brain is working slow. I miss read Boston post. He is asking for advice on an extended warranty replacement for his old pellet grill.. My bad,

 

[boston]

Thanks for the replies, I am still waiting for the back and forth over e-mail to get to a resolution.
Pushing to get a gift card or check for the warranted amount and go from there.

 

[DougE]

Thanks for the replies, I am still waiting for the back and forth over e-mail to get to a resolution.
Pushing to get a gift card or check for the warranted amount and go from there.

Be the best outcome since you can pick and choose outside of the given list.

That said, if push comes to shove, I'd also go with #1.

On quick review, I would pick the first one the Pit Boss 440.

Nice they giving you a choice of replacement. Get the PB run it till it dies, then you can upgrade and you will know what you like and want.