They do have some units which are basically identical to several Z Grills models. However, it was the introduction of the Woodcreek and Twin Oaks which were the two first unique Cuisinart pellet grill/smoker offerings. And for their price as you can check out in my article above, I actually think they are pretty impressive. Hence, with CGWM-081 Clermont Pellet Grill & Smoker Cover the Clermont coming in at just under $800, I’m not sure it offers that much more over the Woodcreek. Furthermore, at $800 the Clermont is also in direct competition with another Walmart exclusive, the Pit Boss Lockhart. “LOW PELLET” will illuminate on the controller and it will start beeping once the pellets are below the sensor.
The cover is UV protected, wind and water-resistant and the dual-sided vents dissipate excess heat and prevents condensation. Buckle straps around the wheels and adjustable drawstrings on the sides anchor the cover to your grill cuisinart pots and pans set in even the strongest winds. When it’s time to grill, the dual-sided grip handles allow for easy removal of the cover. I also provide tips on how to get the best deal when buying BBQ wood pellets and how to test pellet quality.
However, the Pit Boss Lockhart provides a total cooking area of 2,136 square inches, hence quite a bit more than the Clermont. Some may be what are commonly referred to as ‘Traeger clones’, but many others are offering their own unique designs and features. Well, Cuisinart state that a cooking area of 1,400 square inches is provided. However, with cooking areas on pellet grills/smokers, you always have to take the figures in context.
So the previous pellet grills/smokers from Cuisinart the Woodcreek & Twin Oaks featured a 30lb pellet hopper. Well, now the Clermont comes with a 40lb pellet hopper with a pellet sensor to boot. A 30lb hopper is well above the industry average, but a 40lb hopper is really far larger than you actually need.
From this point forward, I pretty much think any pellet grill/smoker over $500 should feature a PID control panel. Though as I’ve said above, I do like the general functionality of the control panel with its easy to read screen, control dial and high location on the grill. I do also like the built-in surrounding work surface, that could be very handy for food prep and the sear zone is a good feature to have. So the good things first, I do like the large screen on the Clermont providing clear temperature information etc. I also like the large temperature dial, very similar to the temperature control panel on the Cuisinart Woodcreek and Twin Oaks. Also, while as I discuss above that I don’t think a very large 40 lb pellet hopper is really necessary, placing the control on top of the hopper makes it easier to read/use.
Register your Cuisinart products today to receive new product information, recipes and exclusive offers. No one should be leaving their pellet smoker unattended for 20 hours even with WiFi functionality, more on that below. First off, there are very few cuts of meat which would require a 20 hour+ cook time. Furthermore, even if they CGWM-081 Clermont Pellet Grill & Smoker Cover did, without attending the meat over that period of time there is a chance the pellet smoke could dry out the meat. So in general, most pellet cookers will use between 1-2 lbs per hour when smoking. With insulated pellet cookers such as the Kamado Joe Pellet Joe, pellet consumption while smoking could actually be under 1lb per hour.