Always allow the auger tube to fully load with pellets to ensure proper lighting of the grill. Always use a meat thermometer to ensure food is cooked to a safe temperature. NEVER use gasoline, gasoline-type lantern fuel, kerosene, charcoal lighter fl uid, or similar liquids to start or “freshen up” a fi re in this appliance. Keep all such liquids well away from the appliance when in use. Unplug the grill from the power source and allow the fi re to burn out on its own.
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.
This grill from Lifesmart is a charcoal grill and a smoker all in one. According to the brand, you can use it to grill, smoke, roast, sear, braise and even bake bread and pizza. It can heat up to 800 degrees Fahrenheit and can be used to smoke for up to 8 hours at a time on the lowest setting. We’ve tested many Weber grills over the years, but they’ve never sold a pellet grill until the Weber SmokeFire. We tested both the first- and second-generation Weber SmokeFire grills . Pellet grills are powered by wood pellets that are similar to the ones used to fuel indoor pellet stoves.
Cuisinart generously throws in a large cast iron griddle. It’s big and heavy with a 15 x 12 inch griddle surface and a trough at the back for scraping grease and gunk into while cooking. Woodcreek has a 30 pound capacity pellet hopper to feed fuel to the fire pot. A sensor at the bottom warns when pellets run low.
They’re made by compressing wood that’s ground into sawdust, and grill pellets are usually made with 100% hardwood or contain food-grade oils to add flavor. Next up, we wanted to know how the pellet grill worked with high-heat temperatures. We cranked the dial up to 500°F (or the highest setting if the grill didn’t have that setting).
However, the Pit Boss Lockhart does feature a PID temperature controller, where it doesn’t appear that’s the case on the Cuisinart Clermont. However, that’s not really how most owners will be using the Clermont. Cuisinart is still a relatively new player in the pellet grill/smoker game. When selecting a temperature setting, the auger will feed pellets for several minutes.
That said, it lacked a smoke ring or robust smoky flavor . We weren’t as impressed when using the grill at higher temperatures, though. When set to 450°F, the right side of the grill was significantly hotter than the left side, burning the wings on part of the grill before the other side cooked.
So let’s presume the worst-case scenario and say it will consume 2lbs per hour when smoking. Cuisinart has recently released a new pellet grill/smoker into their range, the Clermont. As with their previous offerings the Woodcreek & Twin Oaks, Cuisinart are selling this cuisinart griddler elite pellet grill/smoker exclusively through Walmart. As I’ll discuss below the Clermont does have some advantages over the Woodcreek, however, its also currently priced quite a bit higher. I also think the Clermont has some missed opportunities in terms of features.
Turn the 3 burners of the gas grill section at Hi and let everything burn up for about minutes. You should be all good to start grilling cuisinart griddler elite immediately after. Instead of a fixed open flame like gas or charcoal grills, pellet grills use a hopper and firebox system.
Most notably, the open design is ripe to start grease fires after smoking fatty meats like brisket or pulled pork one day and cranking it up to 500°F to sear the next. While we were happy to see that Weber improved the pellet delivery system in the second generation model , we wish they had also updated the control panel. It doesn’t display an accurate grill temperature, instead displaying the same number as the grill’s set temperature most of the time. That meant we had to rely on our ambient probe to trust the actual temp. Like all outdoor cookers, pellet smokers must be cleaned periodically. Ash collects in the bottom of the smoke box and the fire pot.