However, some brands are hardwood blended pellets whereas others are 100% single wood species. As the Clermont has only just been released there aren’t any customer review videos I can add into the article. Right, I don’t think its a ‘bad’ product, I just don’t think its worth just under $800. At that price, as an overall package, the Pit Boss Lockhart offers pretty much the same package and more for under $750. Once the Clermont is on sale for below the price of the Lockhart, that could make it more appealing as direct competition.
Going ‘low and slow’ and high-temperature grilling are two very different things. Its basically a cross between a horizontal/vertical smoker with an upright cooking cabinet with two french doors. There is a benefit to this approach over say a typical horizontal pellet grill in that you can watch the cook through the doors.
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 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.
I’ve gone into detail in my previous article on pellet usage/consumption, but I’ll briefly explain here why a 40lb hopper is overkill. So how much of that 1,400 square inches of the cooking area is actually the main cooking grate, hence can be used for grilling? I’ve checked the Cuisinart sales literature/manual and the size of the main cooking grate is not stated. As I’ve referenced above, the Pit Boss Lockhart is the main competition for the Cuisinart Clermont.
’ Well, the thing is, if you were using the pellet grill constantly every day, sure, the larger the hopper the better. This is a residential grade product that will likely be used at weekends etc. If the pellets start to absorb moisture from the air, you’ve potentially got problems. Hence, in most cases filling a 40lb hopper means if you want to keep the cuisinart griddler elite pellets in a good condition you are going to be emptying it pretty frequently. I’ve previously done a Pit Boss vs Cuisinart comparison article where I reference that Pit Boss also doesn’t state the main grate size on the Lockhart. From the look of the two grills, I actually think the main cooking grate on both products is probably very similar in size.
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.
However, the Cuisinart Clermont is not the first pellet grill/smoker to follow this design, as you can see from the image below the Pit Boss Lockhart has a very similar design. Pellets can hang up in the pellet hopper after cooking for a long period of time. It’s important to monitor the pellet level and mix the pellets by hand to ensure they flow into the auger. A pellet grill/smoker is only as good as the BBQ pellets you put into it. The type/quality of the BBQ wood pellets you use will impact temperature performance and smoke flavour. There are many pellet flavours including Apple, Hickory, Mapel, Oak and Walnut to name but a few.