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Real Grate Space product guide

Pit Boss PB700FB2 Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker (SKU 11087)

A yard where three feet of clearance on the sides and back is realistic

The 700FB2 gives 519.7 square inches on the main grate and 227.7 above it, a 21-pound hopper, a 180°F to 500°F range and a Flame Broiler lever that opens direct flame under the grates for searing. Its manual asks for 36 inches of clearance to combustibles on the sides and back.

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Published specifications

  • Manual: main 519.7 sq in plus upper 227.7 sq in, 747.4 sq in total
  • Manual: AC 110-120V 60Hz, 250W rated, 21 lb hopper, 180-500°F range
  • Manual: 36 in clearance to combustibles at the sides and the back, outdoors only
  • Manual: 43.7 x 26.7 x 47.0 in, 119 lb; one meat probe included, two probe ports
  • Manual: CSA-listed to UL 2728A-2019 and ULC/ORD C2728-19 per Pit Boss
  • Warranty: 5 years parts and electrical components, original purchaser

Fit and limits

Strengths

  • Maker publishes the main and upper cooking areas separately, not just the total
  • Flame Broiler lever switches between indirect convection and direct flame searing
  • Manual prints a cleaning cheat sheet with an interval for every component

Caveats

  • Manual demands 36 inches of clearance at the sides and back during operation
  • Painted surfaces are excluded from the warranty and treated as normal upkeep
  • Neither the listing nor the manual describes any Wi-Fi or app connection for this model

What arrives, and what the model number means

Amazon lists this as the Pit Boss 700 FB2 Series with model and part number 11087. Pit Boss' own product page carries the same SKU, 11087, under the name FB2 700 Wood Pellet Grill - PB700FB2, and the manual's specification table is headed PB700FB2. All three agree, which makes the maker's manual the right document to read for this grill.

The manual's package contents are the grill and parts, one hardware blister pack, one meat probe, an assembly guide and the owner's manual. Amazon's included-components field just says user manual, and Pit Boss' page shows one included meat probe against two probe ports on the control board. No cover is included; Pit Boss sells a 700FB cover separately and the manual calls a cover the main protection against weather.

Assembly is required and uses a separate assembly guide. The manual warns that parts are packed throughout the shipping carton, including underneath the grill, and asks you to inspect every part against the guide before starting and to contact Pit Boss rather than assemble if anything is missing or damaged.

747 square inches split 520 and 228, with a flame broiler under them

The manual publishes the split that the listing does not: a main cooking area of 519.7 square inches and an upper area of 227.7 square inches, adding to 747.4 square inches. Both are porcelain-coated steel racks. That means the working grate is about seven-tenths of the advertised total, which is the number to use when you are deciding whether a brisket and sides will fit.

Under the grates sits the Flame Broiler: a main plate with slits and a slide plate you move with a lever from outside. With the slits covered you get indirect convection cooking; with them open you get direct flame over the burn pot for searing. The Amazon bullet advertises direct flame searing up to 1,000°F. The manual describes the mechanism but the pages we read do not give that number, so treat 1,000°F as a listing claim.

Stated capacities are a 21-pound hopper and a temperature range of 180°F to 500°F, and Pit Boss' page adds 5-degree increment settings and a P setting. The control board has a knob for the target temperature, a P Set button that changes the auger cycle rate from P0 to P7 at the lowest setting, a prime button, actual and target temperature readouts, a fire intensity meter and two meat probe ports. Neither Pit Boss' page nor the manual calls this a PID controller, so we do not either.

Three feet of clearance is the number that decides where it goes

The manual is unusually demanding here: a minimum clearance of 914 millimetres, 36 inches, from combustible constructions to the sides of the grill, and 36 inches from the back of the grill to combustible constructions, maintained while the grill is operating. It must not go under an overhead combustible ceiling or overhang, must not be used indoors or in an enclosed or unventilated area, and must not be installed on combustible floors unless the authority having jurisdiction permits it.

The manual also tells you to contact your local home association, building or fire officials to get permits, permission or information about installation restrictions and inspection requirements, and whether you may use it at all in your area. That is a real step for apartment balconies and some homeowner associations, not boilerplate to skim.

Assembled, the manual gives 43.7 by 26.7 by 47.0 inches and 119 pounds, which matches the Amazon table within a tenth of an inch. It runs on AC 110-120V, 60Hz, rated at 250 watts, so it needs an outdoor outlet. The manual says not to use the grill in the rain or around any water source, and not to move it while it is in use or hot.

Pit Boss states the safety listing and the fuel rule together

The manual states that Pit Boss pellet cooking appliances have been independently tested and listed by CSA, an accredited testing laboratory, to UL 2728A-2019 for pellet fuel burning cooking appliances and ULC/ORD C2728-19 for pellet fuel burning equipment. That is the maker's own statement about this manual's appliance, and it is worth knowing because the same page ties the listing to the fuel.

The appliance is designed and approved for pelletized all-natural hardwood fuel only. The manual says any other type of fuel burned in it will void both the warranty and the safety listing, and that you should not use pellet fuel labelled as having additives. It gives a fuel heating value range of 8,000 to 8,770 BTU per pound with ash content under one per cent, and notes that at the time of printing there was no industry standard for barbecue hardwood pellets.

Storage of the fuel matters too. The manual says hardwood pellets are highly susceptible to moisture and should be kept in an airtight container, and recommends clearing all pellets from the hopper and auger before a long period without use. If the grill lives outside in a wet season, keep water out of the hopper, because wet pellets swell, decompose and can jam the feed system.

A cleaning schedule you can actually follow

The manual prints a grill care cheat sheet with intervals, which is more useful than most. Cooking grids after each session with a brass wire brush. Grease bucket after each session with cloth and soapy water. Burn pot every two to three sessions, scooped and vacuumed. Grill probe and shield every two to three sessions. Bottom of the main grill, the flame broiler, and the air intake vent every five to six sessions. The auger feed system when a pellet bag runs out. Hopper electrical components once a year.

Two specific warnings go with that. Because of high heat, do not cover the flame broiler components with aluminium foil, and the flame broiler is scraped with the slide plate rather than washed. Separately, the manual says the grease duct should be inspected at least twice a year for grease and creosote buildup, because creosote from slow pellet burning makes an extremely hot fire if it ignites.

Pellets come out through a drop chute on the back of the hopper: put a clean pail under the chute cover, remove the cover, unscrew the plate and slide it out. A long-handled brush or shop vacuum finishes the job. Ashes go into a metal container with a tight lid, stood on a non-combustible surface well away from anything that can burn until they are fully cold.

Five years, tied to the original owner and to following the manual

Dansons, which makes Pit Boss grills, gives a five-year warranty against defects and workmanship on all parts and five years on electrical components, described as running for the length of use and ownership by the original purchaser. The listing bullet says the same five years. Replacement parts are supplied for defective components, and parts returned freight prepaid are repaired or replaced without charge if found defective on examination.

The exclusions are broad enough to read twice. There is no cover without proof of purchase or after the warranty expires. Wear-and-tear damage such as scratches, dents, dings, chips and minor cosmetic cracks is excluded, and the care section states plainly that all painted surfaces are not covered and are treated as general upkeep. Rust or oxidisation is excluded unless a component loses structural integrity.

Coverage also ends if the product has not been installed, operated, cleaned and maintained in strict accordance with the manual, if it is used commercially or for rental, if the damage exceeds the cost of the product, or if it has been serviced or repaired by an unauthorised Pit Boss dealer. Enlarging the igniter holes or burn pot is called out separately as something that voids the warranty. Keep the receipt and keep to the cleaning schedule.

Check the current listing

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Primary sources

  1. Pit Boss product page for the FB2 700 Wood Pellet Grill, SKU 11087
  2. Pit Boss owner's manual for PB700FB2 (document 11087, 602240611UMV)

Primary sources checked .

Compare with

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