Pellet Grill Accessory List!

Hey everyone. With grill season already in full swing, I wanted to share with you all some accessories I have purchased for my Z Grill(buy1get10), which have made my grilling experience much better. I have thrown together a list of extra accessories to buy for just about any pellet smoker. This list is in no particular order btw.

 If I’m missing anything you’d recommend, please comment below! 

1. Gasket sealer– this product is awesome. It creates a nice tight seal so that all of the smoke exits through the chimney. It also helps with ensuring heat isn't escaping through the little gaps when the lid is closed.

2. Extension cord– for $6 at Harbor Freight, this has been super helpful. 10ft is all I need, and this cord wraps up nicely around the Zgrill’s cord organizer handle.

3. Hooks– my wife had a few of these in our closet. I hung three on my hopper side for my tongs, spatula, etc. they have been super helpful.

4. Wireless thermometers—these are a game changer! I have the ChefIQ wireless probes and haven't had any issues with them. Some don't prefer CHEF IQ probes because they are too short for large meats like briskets. But I have the Zgrill thermometers that plug into the wireless PID controller for larger meats. I am typically cooking chicken, steaks, and smaller cuts of meat on my Zgrill, so I use the CHEF IQ 95% of the time. Other notable brands are, but not limited to, RFX Wireless and Ink Bird. Posts on Reddit recommend staying away from the Meater brand. 

5. Instant-read thermometer: These are great for cooks where you don’t typically need the wireless probs. I use this thermometer ALL OF THE TIME. I’ve had a cheap amazon thermometer which broke after a year of use. I upgraded to the Thermoworks which is the best brand for food thermometers. They are always on sale and have an amazing warranty. Super accurate. If the Thermapen one is out of your budget, they have cheaper options on their website.

6. Upgraded cover: My Zgrill, like many other brands, came with a cover, which was great to have when the grill first arrived. Before I moved, at my previous house, I had a covered patio, which the supplied cover was perfect for. But my current living arrangements leaves my grill out in the elements. I still use the Zgrill provided cover but i purchased a thicker (looser) one to put on top of it as well.

7. 5 gallon bucket lids-You definitely want to keep your pellets away from moisture, I live in GA, which is typically a humid environment. i store my pellets in air-tight 5 gallon buckets. I was able to get food-grade buckets from Firehouse Subs (thanks to a suggestion in this subreddit). Granted, the buckets do smell like pickles, but the smell/taste does not transfer over to the food. These lids are great because they have rubber seals making them air-tight. This kit comes with 3 lids. I use two buckets for my pellets, and the third for dog food. This option is much cheaper than the other air-tight containers marketed for pellet grills. 

8. Grease bucket liners– I didn't think I would need these when i first got started because I could simply line the grease bucket with aluminum foil. Well, not a single time was I able to successfully keep all of the grease in the aluminum foil liner. Where the foil was folded inside the bucket always created tiny holes through which the grease would find its way into the bucket. I bit the bullet and purchased some liners.

9. Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil– This is great to have. If you have a large package store, buy the largest heavy-duty foil available. I use these to line my heat deflector/grease tray. I typically have two layers. A base layer and a replaceable layer above the base layer. I replace the replaceable layer once it's dirty enough, and the base layer of foil gets replaced after 5 upper layer replacements. It helps keep the grease tray clean so that dirty grease smoke doesn't taint your cooks.

10. Smoke tube– I learned the hard way that these pellet grills are not necessarily “pellet smokers.” For most grills, once you go higher in temperature, the smoke minimizes quite a bit. Adding a smoke tube at the start of a cook is a great way to add the smoky flavor many are looking for. I achieved an awesome smoke ring and at the price point without having to spend $1500 on a pellet grill.  It would be a good idea to get a torch to light this. Before I bought a torch, I used to soak some pellets (a shot glass worth) with 91% rubbing alcohol and light that to start the smoker tube, which worked on non-windy days, but I ended up getting a propane torch after a little while.

11. Shop-vac: Get a cheap small vacuum to make cleaning out the fire pit and barrel much easier. 

12. Ash Remover: If I need to do a quick cleanout and want to be lazy and not vacuum out the whole barrel, I simply just pull this out to empty the ash. It holds the ash very well. Another good thing about this is that because it pulls like 90% of the ash from the fire pit, it will also help your vacuum’s filter not get clogged as quickly.

13. Thick Stainless Steel cooking grates: I got these from Zgrills because I was given a gift card, and these have been surprisingly a pleasant upgrade. They are easier to clean and are nearly twice as thick as the stock ones. Nothing was wrong with the grates that came with the grill, but I didn't know what else to use my gift card on. Don’t sleep on these.

Some things I don't have but are on my wish list:

– Pellet Chute: My 5-gallon bucket is slightly too large to center under my grill’s pellet hopper hole, so I spill a few pellets, nothing crazy, but maybe adding one of these would be helpful. I am curious if there are cheaper 3D printed ones. I am also not sure if it will snag on the grill cover.

–Grease Bucket Holder– I remember finding a cheaper option elsewhere, but I am hoping to get one of these at some point. Every now and then, my cover snags my grease bucket, tipping the bucket over, spilling grease onto my patio, so one of these will likely give me more of a piece of mind. Also, I have a puppy still growing and having a grease bucket holder, which would also disallow her from getting into the grease, is also a win-win.