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The Pit Boss 700FB Pellet Grill is a moderately-sized grill that’s still large enough to accommodate the largest pieces of meat. This model from Pit Boss also features their innovative design with a flame broiler – but is it any good? Or are all that promises from Pit Boss too much to believe? Today, we’ll do a thorough review of the Pit Boss 700FB Grill to answer this question.
Table of Contents
Pit Boss 700FB Pellet Grill Specifications
- Fuel type: Wood pellets
- Total cooking surface: 700 square inches
- Temperature range: 170 – 600 degrees Fahrenheit
- Hopper capacity: 18 pounds
- Dimensions (assembled): 39 inches tall, 37 inches wide and 22 inches deep
- Weight (assembled): 126 pounds
- Warranty: 1 year
Key Features
- Fully automatic operation
- Precise temperature control from 170 to 600 degrees Fahrenheit using the Digital Control Center
- Includes an innovative flame broiler that lets you sear your meat over direct or indirect heat
- This versatile grill allows to smoke, grill, bake, sear, or broil
Pit Boss 700FB Pellet Grill Overview
The Pit Boss 700FB Pellet Grill is a pellet grill that will satisfy beginners and seasoned grill masters alike. This grill belongs to Pit Boss’s line of 8-in-1 grills which means that this unit will accommodate a variety of cooking methods and cooking styles.
As it is expected of pellet grills, this grill will do all the fine-tuning by itself. All you need to do is load your grill with your favorite wood pellets, choose the setting you need, and the grill will take care of the rest. You can just sit back, relax, and wait for your delicious meal to be ready.
In terms of size, the 700FB grill from Pit Boss is probably the largest grill you can get and still call it a standard backyard grill. If you go any bigger than this, you’ll be getting a huge grill, and it would only make sense to light it up when you’re cooking for a large party.
With 700 square inches of cooking space over two racks, the Pitboss is the perfect grill for cooking for 4-6 people, but it can also feed at least 12, if needed. Just to give you an idea of the size, this grill will fit a whole turkey, 3 whole chickens, or at least 12 burger patties at a time.
The 700FB grill from Pit Boss stands on an open cart which comes with a useful bottom shelf that also provides additional stability. However, if you prefer to have a closed cart on your grill, you can choose the sister model of the 700FB grill – the Pit Boss 700SC. This option is slightly more expensive, but comes with a closed cart and a side shelf. While these can be useful additions, they are really not essential and all the rest is the same like on the classic 700FB model: this is why we’ll review this one.
What We Liked
- Ease of use – This grill is so easy to use that you probably won’t need to read the manual (we still recommend you do so in order to be able to give your grill the best treatment) The digital control center is very intuitive, and so is the cleaning and maintenance of this grill.
- Versatility – This is hands down one of the most versatile grills we’ve encountered. Just like with all pellet girls, you can use this one to smoke meat on low temperatures and grill on a higher temperature. However, the PitBoss 700FB offer much more, offering you the ability to cook over direct or indirect heat at any temperature your heart desires
- Innovative flame broiler – The flame broiler is the addition that makes this grill from Pit Boss more versatile than other pellet grills. There is a moveable heat shield that allows you to switch between cooking on an open flame or cooking on indirect heat.
- Set it and forget it cooking – With an 18-pound hopper capacity, this grill can easily run for 6 to 8 hours on a single load of pellets. This means you can truly just set this grill up and forget it. Even when it comes to low-and-slow barbecue sessions
- Uses all-natural fuel – Wood pellets are the modern substitute for burning hardwood. Quality wood pellets are actually made of 100% hardwood, they just burn slower and more consistently. These pellets are also super convenient to use. It’s also easy to just pick your favorite flavor or even make your own blend.
What We Didn’t Like
- The sliding heat shield is hard to access – The flame broiler feature on this grill is cool because it gives you the option to sear and broil your meat, however, it is a bit hard to access. In order to switch between direct and indirect heat, you’ll need to remove the cooking rack first to find a little knob underneath. This is especially hard to do in the middle of a barbecue session.
- The built-in thermometer can be a bit off – The PitBoss 700FB Pellet Grill features a built-in thermometer that allows the grill to regulate the temperature. However, some users can notice that the thermometer can be off by up to 10 degrees Fahrenheit. This problem can be solved by using meat probes to check the actual temperature of the meat.
- Four rolling casters
- Temperature range 150 - 500 F
- Over 1000 sq in porcelain coated cooking surface
- Innovative flame broiler for direct flame grilling
- Digitally control board with LED read out with meat probe
Last update on 2023-03-14 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Pit Boss 700FB Build Quality
The PitBoss 700FB is a well-built grill that was built to last. The external shell of this grill and the stand are made of heavy-duty steel covered with heat-resistant paint. The stand has wheels on two of the legs and a bottom shelf that gives you extra storage space and keeps the stand more stable.
The body of the grill resembles a large barrel placed horizontally. The barrel can be opened at the top, of course, and the lid on this model has a large handle that is quite comfortable to hold. On the lid you’ll also find a built-in thermometer to help you check the temperature. The lid fits really tight onto the grill, thus keeping the smoke inside when you are smoking meat or making barbecue.
The internal system that delivers pellets and ignites them is also very well made and not prone to breaking down. The porcelain-coated cooking racks are also easy to clean and remove. All in all, Pit Boss really pleasantly surprised us with how well they made this grill. According to many reports, it seems to work flawlessly even two years in.
Pit Boss 700FB Performance
The Pit Boss 700FB Pellet Grill operates on the same principle as most pellet girls. First, you need to load the hopper with pellets. You can get as much as 18 pounds of pellets in there which shoud be enough to keep this grill running for 6 yo 8 hours, depending on how much heat you are using.
From this point on, everything is done automatically. All you need to do is choose the temperature you want, and the Pit Boss 700FB will deliver. The Digital Control Center will calculate the right amount of pellets to send into the firepot. Inside the firepot, an ignition rod will set each pellet on fire and a convection fan will circulate the air inside the grill. This way, the fire stays on without error and the temperature remains equal in all parts of the grill.
The one thing that makes the Pit Boss 700FB grill stand out among other similar models is the fact that it lets you switch between direct and indirect heat as you like. In the middle of the grill, you’ll find an actual flame broiler protected by a simple slide plate.
When the plate is covering the broiler – you’ll be cooking on indirect heat and using the whole cooking surface for this which is quite rare in pellet grills. On the other hand, when you want to sear or broil your meat over direct heat, all you need to do is slide the heat shield plate to the side. This will expose the flame broiler which sends actual flames up to the cooking rack. The flame broiler section is just in the middle of the grill, so you can use direct and indirect heat methods at the same time – perfect for searing a steak and then finishing it on indirect heat, for example.
Overall, the Pit Boss 700FB grill performed great no matter what we tried to do. Smoking, roasting, baking, or grilling, this grill can really do it all. The only downside we found is that switching between direct and indirect heat can be a bit annoying since you need to remove the cooking rack in order to reach the slide plate. Still, it doesn’t change the fact that this is an amazing grill, especially for the price.
Pit Boss 8-in-1 Grills: What Are the 8 Functions?
Pit Boss and many other manufacturers often claim that their girls are 8-in-1. But what does this really mean? Here is everything you can do with your Pit Boss 700FB Wood Pellet Grill:
Grill
First of all, the wood pellet grill will allow you to grill all kinds of meat, veggies, and fruits to perfection. Grilling a steak, some hotdogs, burgers, shrimp, or maybe veggie kabobs? No problem, this grill can do it.
Smoke
Not every grill will allow you to smoke meat with ease. However, with the Pit Boss 700FB smoking meat has never been easier. Just select your favorite flavor of wood pellets, choose the “Smoke” setting on your Pit Boss and let your meat smoke. An added benefit is that you can leave this grill for up to 8 hours on the smoke setting without ever checking up on it.
Bake
Thanks to the efficient convection fan that distributes the air throughout the grill, this unit can actually act like a convection oven too. Just slide the plate over the flame broiler in order to not burn your baked goods, and use your Pit Boss just like you would an oven. If you’ve never tried this before, you will surely be amazed by the flavor you get – just like eating something from a wood-fired oven. Even store-bought pizza will taste amazing when baked using this method (not to mention the fact that it will be ready within minutes).
Sear, Broil, and Braise
Thanks to the innovative flame broiler, you can also sear and broil your meat over direct flame with the Pit Boss 700FB. Searing a steak to perfection is not something many pellet girls can do, but this one does so amazingly well. Since you can switch between direct and indirect heat, you can also braise your meat and then finish it slowly, or use any combination you like.
Roast and Barbecue
Making a roasted pork butt in this grill is really enjoyable. You can have your meal cooking low and slow for the whole afternoon, while you relax and the grill takes care of everything. In addition to this, you can quickly sear your meat and then smoke it long and slow to achieve the real taste of barbecue.
Should You Buy Pit Boss 700FB Pellet Grill?
Do you want a backyard grill that you can also use as a smoker, a convection oven, and experiment with a variety of cooking methods on it? If the answer is yes, you should definitely try the Pit Boss 700FB Wood Pellet Grill. Even if you’ve never tried a grill that uses wood pellets, there is really not much of a learning curve there. This grill is super easy to use while providing amazing results every time with consistency. What else could you ask for?
