Z Grills 1000D Review (2026)

Quick Take

The Z Grills 1000D is an absurd amount of grill for the money. Over 1,000 sq in of cooking space. WiFi. A cover in the box. A front shelf for prep. All for under $600. I kept waiting for the catch during 8 months of testing. Where is the corner they cut to hit this price?

Turns out, the catch is exactly what you would expect: thinner steel, a basic app, and a 450F max temp. Those are real trade offs. But if you cook for a crowd and your budget is firm, the 1000D delivers more cooking capacity per dollar than anything else I have tested. It is not fancy. It is just big, functional, and cheap.

How Hard Is Assembly?

The box is large. Noticeably larger than the Z Grills 700E box I dealt with previously. At 135 lbs, the 1000D needs two people for assembly. The process took me about two hours. Z Grills instructions are functional but could be clearer in a few spots. I had to reference a YouTube video for the front shelf attachment because the diagram was ambiguous. Minor gripe.

Once assembled, the 1000D is a big grill. The cooking chamber is wide, and the front shelf adds useful prep space that folds down when not in use. The included cover is a nice touch. Z Grills includes covers with most of their grills, and it saves you $40 to $50 versus buying one separately. The cover fits well and is decent quality.

My first cook was four racks of baby back ribs. All four fit on the main grate at the same time with space between them. That is the 1000D's calling card. On my Z Grills 700E, I could fit two racks. On the 1000D, four. The ribs came out evenly cooked across all four racks, with good smoke flavor and tender meat. I knew immediately that this grill was going to be my go to for feeding a crowd.

Specs at a Glance

Cooking Area	1,060 sq in
Temp Range	180-450F
WiFi	Yes
Weight	135 lbs
Hopper Capacity	20 lbs
Warranty	3 years
Controller	PID with WiFi
Construction	Steel
Wheels	Heavy duty locking
Grease Bucket	Yes
Cover Included	Yes
frontShelf	Yes

How Does the Z Grills 1000D Handle Temperature?

The PID controller on the 1000D is an upgrade from the 700E. With WiFi connectivity and a slightly refined algorithm, it holds temps within about 10 degrees on calm days. Windy conditions push that to 15 degrees. That is similar to what I see from the 700E and consistent with Z Grills' PID controllers across their lineup. Not as tight as a RecTeq or Grilla Grills, but solid for this price range.

Smoke production is good. Not great, but good. At 225F, I get a visible smoke ring on every brisket and pork shoulder. The flavor is clean and pleasant. It lacks the intensity you get from thicker walled grills that trap and recirculate smoke more effectively. For backyard cooking, the smoke output is perfectly satisfying. For competition, you might want a smoke tube to boost it.

The big story is the 1,060 sq in of cooking space. I have cooked two full packer briskets side by side. I have done a pork shoulder, a rack of ribs, and a tray of chicken thighs all at once. For a family reunion, Fourth of July party, or any event where you are feeding 15 to 20 people, this grill handles it without breaking a sweat. At this price point, the only competitor with similar capacity is Pit Boss, and the 1000D often costs less.

The 450F max temp is the same limitation as the 700E. You are not searing on this grill. Burgers at 450F come out with decent color but no hard crust. For searing, you need a separate solution. If you can live with that, the 1000D's low and slow performance is what you are buying, and it delivers.

Check Current Price at Z Grills

What Features Does the Z Grills 1000D Offer?

WiFi is the big upgrade over the 700E. The Z Grills app connects your grill to your home network and lets you monitor temps, adjust settings, and receive alerts from your phone. The app is functional but basic. It shows current temp, set temp, and meat probe temp. There are no fancy temp graphs, no recipe library, no step by step guides. Compare that to the Green Mountain Grills app or Weber Connect, and the Z Grills app feels like a 1.0 product. But it works, and for under $600, having WiFi at all is a win.

The front shelf is more useful than I expected. It folds down flat when you do not need it, and folds up to give you a prep surface right at grill level. I use it to rest meat probes, stage seasoning, or set down a plate of food coming off the grill. Small feature. Big quality of life improvement.

The 20 lb hopper is the same size as the 700E. On a grill this large, I wish they had bumped it to 22 or 24 lbs. At smoking temps, I get about 8 to 10 hours from a full hopper. That is fine for most cooks, but for a long brisket on a big grill running at full capacity, you will need a refill. The hopper has a pellet cleanout door, so switching flavors does not require scooping from the top.

Grease management is the same rear mounted bucket system as the 700E. It works, but the bucket is small relative to the cooking area. When you are cooking large amounts of fatty meat (which you will be doing with this much grill space), the bucket fills up faster than you expect. I check it after every cook and swap in a disposable aluminum pan for heavy cooks.

Is the Z Grills 1000D Built to Last?

The 1000D is built slightly better than the 700E. The steel feels a touch heavier, the heavy duty locking wheels are more stable, and the overall construction is sturdier. That said, this is still a mid range grill. The steel is not as thick as a RecTeq or Grilla Grills. The powder coat finish is adequate but thin in spots. After 8 months, I have one area near the firebox where the paint shows heat discoloration. No rust yet, but I keep the cover on.

The grates are standard porcelain coated steel. They clean up well with a brush and are holding up after regular use. The lid hinge is solid. The hopper lid closes firmly. The front shelf folds up and down without any wobble. For the price, the build quality is good. Not great. Not premium. Just good. And for what you are paying, good is the right expectation.

The 3 year warranty covers manufacturing defects. Z Grills customer service has been responsive in my experience. I had a WiFi connectivity issue early on that turned out to be a firmware problem. They walked me through the fix over email within 24 hours. Not the fastest support I have experienced, but completely adequate.

Who Should Buy the Z Grills 1000D?

Buy the 1000D if: You cook for large groups regularly and need serious capacity on a budget. You want WiFi connectivity without paying premium prices. You are upgrading from a smaller grill and want more space without spending more than $600. Or you host parties, tailgates, or family events where feeding 15 to 20 people is normal.

Skip this if: You cook for two to four people and do not need 1,060 sq in (the 700E or Camp Chef DLX 24 are better sized and cheaper). You want tight temp control and premium build quality (look at RecTeq or Grilla Grills). You need high temp searing (the 450F max is not enough). Or you want a polished app experience (the Z Grills app gets the job done, but it is not winning any design awards).