pitboss classic vs 700fb

Pit Boss 700fb vs Classic Pit Boss – What’s The Difference?

There are a lot of grills out there, and all of them also have many different models. As a consumer, it can be hard to know which model to get. That’s why in this article, we’ll be comparing the Pit Boss 700fb to the classic Pit Boss to help you get to the bottom of things. First though, here’s a handy comparison chart to help you see the differences at a glance.

Pit Boss 700fb vs Classic Pit Boss
Pit Boss ClassicPit Boss 700fb
Cooking Space700 square inches700 square inches
Hopper Capacity21 lbs21 lbs
Temp Range180-500 F180-500 F
BTU Value20,70040,000
Control TypeH1 Control Center *V1 Control Board *
Meat Probes20
Check Price On AmazonCheck Price On Amazon

* Note: The controllers for these grills are very different! Keep reading for a description of these differences so you know what you’re getting before you buy your grill!

Pit Boss Classic vs Pit Boss 700fb – What’s the difference?

Okay, so there are three main differences between these two grills. The first, and most important differences is in the control board. The Classic Pit Boss has a much bigger and more robust control center.

H1 vs V1 Digital Controller

The Pit Boss Classic comes with two meat probe controllers.

The Classic Pit Boss also comes with two meat probe controllers, which the 700fb seems to be lacking, unfortunately. This control board features a “prime button” for quick heat recovery as well, and a knob to quickly dial in your desired temperature for your cook.

Pictured: The much more simplistic Pit Boss 700fb controller

In comparison, the 700fb control board is much more simplistic. It doesn’t feature any meat probes, and it has only a simple knob for temperature adjustment, which is honestly, a bit disappointing. So, we’re gonna have to go with the Classic Pit Boss on this one.

BTU Value

The second major difference between these two grills is the BTU value. There’s a big discrepancy here when comparing them – 20,700 BTU for the Classic Pit Boss vs 40,000 BTU for the Pit Boss 700fb.

That means the Pit Boss 700fb is better right? Not necessarily. In fact, in many cases, an exaggerated BTU rating could mean that the grill is less efficient. These grills are pretty much identical in construction, so what’s going on here? Why the huge difference in BTUs?

The fact is, both of these grills operate at exactly the same temperature range. BOTH grills will cook at between 180 and 500 degrees regardless of what the BTU value says.

In short, getting a grill with a higher BTU rating does not mean that grill is more powerful. It might just mean that it will burn up more of your fuel for the same result. So, don’t base your entire decision on it.

Wheels and colors

While there are a couple more differences, they aren’t really significant. The Classic Pit Boss comes in a bronze color, and the 700fb comes in black. The wheels of the grills are also slightly different.

The 700fb has all steel wheels, but they look.. odd. Almost like they’d be very hard to roll. While the Classic’s wheels look to be a robust plastic, they at least look like they would move. So, I guess this one is up to your personal preference.

pitboss classic vs pitboss fb700
Classic wheels (left) vs fb700 wheels (right).

In closing, the Pit Boss Classic just comes with much better features than the 700fb. While this grill has a better BTU rating, this is not the most important thing when choosing a new grill.

The Classic’s more advanced controller and included meat probes are far more valuable, because performance-wise, these grills will be equal to each other. Their construction is identical in pretty much every other way.

You can check prices on the Pit Boss Classic on Amazon, and take advantage of free shipping if you decide that this is the grill for you.