Pit Boss 700 Carbon Review

Who this is for

Buyers who need real capacity on a sub-$500 budget and cook at the grill rather than from indoors. 718 square inches feeds seven people in mixed grilling — more than a Traeger Pro 22 costing meaningfully more.

Who it is not for

Overnight smokers. 13.5 lb at roughly 1.25 lb an hour is about eleven hours with no margin. A 12-hour brisket means setting an alarm. If long unattended cooks are the plan, the Z Grills 7002C has a 28 lb hopper at similar money, and that is the single reason we rank it above this grill overall.

What the 700 Carbon gets right

• 718 square inches. More grate than anything else at this price, WiFi models included.
• Porcelain-coated steel grates. Easier to clean than bare steel and less prone to rust.
• A grease bucket, not just a tray. Better grease management than the cheaper Pit Boss barrels, and it takes liners.
• Automatic start-up and cool-down cycles. Fewer flame-outs and a cleaner shutdown.
• Hopper cleanout. Switching from hickory to apple takes a minute.
• Five-year warranty. Unusual at this price.

What it leaves out

• No WiFi or Bluetooth. This is how it affords the grate area. A wireless thermometer covers most of what people want connectivity for.
• No Flame Broiler. Unusually for Pit Boss, this model has no direct-flame slider, so searing needs sear grates. The cheaper 500 FB2 does have one.
• One probe. Z Grills includes two at this price.
• LCD board, not PID. Z Grills again offers better at the money.

Our call

A good grill in a hard spot. It wins on grate area and warranty and loses on hopper, controller and included kit. If capacity is your priority and you cook in daylight hours, buy it. If you want to smoke overnight, spend the same money on the Z Grills 7002C and accept 20 fewer square inches.