Pit Boss 700FB2 vs 500FB2: 21 pounds of pellets against 5

Choose the 700FB2 when hopper reserve and the larger two-tier cooking area solve a regular problem. Choose the 500FB2 when you make shorter cooks, can monitor the hopper, and would rather keep the smaller model's lower entry cost. The controller, 180 to 500°F range, Flame Broiler system and 5-year warranty are shared. The important unknown is runtime: 21 pounds gives more margin than 5, but neither capacity promises a number of hours.

Is the bigger hopper worth the step up?

A pellet hopper is a fuel tank, and the auger under it feeds the fire a little at a time. The controller can hold its target only while usable pellets keep arriving. The 21-pound hopper therefore needs less frequent attention than the 5-pound hopper under the same conditions, but safe supervision and food-temperature checks still apply to both.

The question is how much fuel your regular cook consumes. Burn rate changes with the set point, weather, grill condition and pellets, so do not convert either capacity into a promised runtime. Measure consumption during early cooks while you are awake, and decide whether 5 pounds leaves enough reserve for the way you use the grill.

Compare the current price gap with the value of the extra hopper and rack area. A precise dollar difference printed here would age faster than the rest of the comparison.

What 229 more square inches actually gets you

747 square inches against 518 is 44 percent more room. The badge says 700 and the grate says 747, which makes this the rare grill undersold by its own name.

Both numbers count two tiers rather than a single lower grate. The upper rack is useful for food that suits gentler heat, but it does not expand the lower searing surface. Pit Boss does not list the split, so confirm lower-rack dimensions before planning around a particular pan or cut. If you are still working out which size class you need, what size pellet grill you need covers the process.

Pay for the extra 229 square inches if you are short of grate. Most people choosing between these two are short of patio.

Everything else is the same grill

Both run 180 to 500°F on a digital control board in 5°F increments. Both have the Flame Broiler lever, which slides a plate aside and opens a slot straight to the fire. The searing number attached to that lever is 1,000°F, which describes the fire under the plate and not a setting you get to choose. Both have two tiers of porcelain-coated steel racks, two meat probe ports with one probe in the box, and a solid bottom shelf. Both carry the same 5-year warranty, which is long for the class.

None of that enters the decision. It does set expectations on searing. The control board tops out at 500°F, so a sear here is a lever, a fire and your attention rather than a setting. That is a different thing from a gas grill's sear burner, and if a sear burner is what you pictured, neither of these is the answer.

What either one asks of you

Pellets are the running cost and they are not optional. Keep the bags sealed and off a concrete floor. Damp pellets swell, and a swollen pellet is what jams an auger on the one night you needed the grill to run itself.

Then the ash. Follow the exact manual's cleaning schedule after the grill is shut down, unplugged and completely cold; embers and an ordinary vacuum are a dangerous combination. A suitable food thermometer matters too, because the controller sensor does not report the center of the food.

The 5-pound hopper may add a refill on a cook that consumes more than it holds. Learn that threshold from the grill under your conditions instead of assuming a three-hour or overnight rule.

What goes wrong, and what to check on delivery

Pellet grills fail in boring, repeatable ways. Igniters die. Augers jam. Probes drift, and the grill starts chasing a number that was never the number at the grate. None of that is exotic and none of it belongs to these two in particular.

Delivery day is yours to plan. A gate is a fixed width, and a pellet grill with a full hopper is not a one person carry. Measure the gate and get assembled figures from Pit Boss in writing before you order, because retail listings quote carton numbers, and a carton is a box on a pallet.

Before any food goes on, inspect the grill for shipping damage and follow the manual's assembly, startup and burn-off procedure exactly. Confirm the Flame Broiler operates as instructed while the grill is cold and safe to handle. Report a damaged lid, hopper or grate promptly rather than improvising a repair.

Which one to buy, and when the 500FB2 wins

Get the 700FB2 if:

• Brisket, pork shoulder or anything that goes on the night before is why you are buying
• You want to set a temperature and then go and do something else
• Your ordinary cooks use the additional two-tier rack area

Get the 500FB2 if:

• This is a grill that also does smoke flavor, rather than a smoker
• Your longest cook finishes inside an afternoon
• You are short of patio rather than short of grate

The smaller one is the sensible choice when its grate fits and hopper checks do not interrupt the way you cook. The 700FB2 review and the 500FB2 review cover each one on its own terms. If you are cross-shopping outside Pit Boss, Traeger Woodridge Pro vs Pit Boss 700FB2 sets the 700 against a connected alternative.