How To Install A Diffuser Plate On A Pit Boss 700FB

With gas grills being the most popular in today's market, many people struggle to achieve and maintain the right temperatures when grilling. Heat diffusers make managing your grill much more enjoyable, boosting them to their full cooking potential.

If you’ve got yourself a brand new Pit Boss 700FB and you’re wondering how on earth to install the diffuser plate, it’s your lucky day, as our team upgraded our 700FB only a few weeks ago.

In this article, we’ll show you how and where to install your diffuser plate, as well as a few alternatives to keep that flame burning bright.

Quick Summary

Diffusers - An Overview

Diffusers - also known as heat diffusers or flame diffusers - are an accessory designed to prevent flames from coming in direct contact with the food, while also distributing the heat across your grill evenly.

In order to avoid flare-ups and food drippings clogging the burner, you’ll need to install a diffuser plate on your Pit Boss.

Heat diffusers come in all different shapes, sizes, and materials.

Choosing the right material for you and your grill is essential for a good and steady cook.

Installing A Diffuser Plate On A Pit Boss 700FB

Installing a diffuser plate on your Pit Boss Grill is rather straightforward, but you should always check the user manual in case the grill you have at home is a little different.

When assembling your Pit Boss grill, you should get to the point where the barrel is fastened to the legs and skirt of your grill.

Next, you’ll want to install the diffuser plate directly over the firepot.

You should find four screws on each corner of the firepot. Unscrew them, place the diffuser plate over the pot, and screw them in tight again.

Continue to assemble the rest of the grill and there you have it, your Pit Boss 700FB is ready for cooking.

3 Alternatives to Heat Diffusers

The diffuser plate that comes with this wood pellet grill will be a sheet of metal, separating the flame and the food.

These metal diffuser plates can be made from stainless steel, cast iron, or porcelain-coated metal.

According to Butter Pat Industries, cast-iron plates are great for retaining heat, and stainless steel ones are great when you need something corrosion-resistant [2].

With porcelain-coated metal, you get the best of both worlds.

However, there are a few heat diffuser alternatives if you aren’t a fan of the metal.

1. Lava Rocks

Lava rocks are formed from fragments of igneous rocks, made when lava cools down over time.

These rocks are formed with tiny little holes on their surface that help your gas grill retain its heat.

You can place these rocks between the grill grates and burner using a cast iron rack.

Lava rocks are the original and first heat diffusers to be used. Many people still utilize them today due to their many benefits.

Lava rocks will last you a long time and they are the most cost-effective alternative to metal plates.

Read More: 3 Reasons Why Gas Grills Don’t Use Lava Rocks

2. Flavorizer Bars

Also referred to as heat shields or heat tents, flavorizer bars are used to replace metal diffuser plates.

The metal diffuser plates which come along with your Pit Boss grill sometimes have problems of uneven heat distribution.

Flavorizer bars eliminate this problem due to their shape.

The tent-like shape helps the flame remain consistent thanks to the distance between the fire and metal surface along the bars.

The v-shaped bars sit inside the grill, on top of the burner. This makes them easier to handle, as well as deflecting food particles away from the burners.

The v-shaped bars sit inside the grill, on top of the burner. This makes them easier to handle, as well as deflecting food particles away from the burners.

3. Ceramic Briquettes

Ceramic briquettes are heat diffusers shaped like a small brick, great for getting your grill to a higher temperature, all the while consuming less fuel.

These ceramic briquettes are perfect for gas grills as they are very heat efficient.

Ceramic Briquettes are on the more expensive side of life, however since they maintain a steady heat while still being efficient, they’ll last you a long time.

Therefore, in the long run, they may be more cost-effective.

You can find ceramic briquettes in all different shapes and sizes. Sometimes they are fixed on briquette trays and others on a charcoal fire rack.

Heat Diffuser Comparison Table

References:

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38108413/
2. https://butterpatindustries.com/blogs/the-standard-edition/the-science-of-cast-iron