Another company is licensed to make the grill for Cuisinart. Now, I bought this grill for a few reasons but an important factor was that I trusted Cusinart as a brand that cuisinart griddler elite makes solid, reliable, affordable products. What I learned is that I am not buying a Cusinart at all but Grill made by another company that slaps a Cuisinart name on it.
This is where the Cuisinart Clermont actually has a one-up over the Pit Boss Lockhart which only currently features Bluetooth connectivity. However, the Pit Boss Lockhart does feature a PID temperature controller, where it doesn’t appear that’s the case on the Cuisinart Clermont. Back in 2007 when I first become aware of pellet grills and smokers the only brand I was really aware of was Traeger. Traeger is really where this whole concept of cooking with pellets started in the 1980s.
Unfortunately, we weren’t able to fully test the Louisiana Grills LG 1000 Black Label Series Grill. After building the pellet grill, we proceeded with the initial burn-off process without any issues. The next day, we fired up the grill to smoke a brisket, and that’s where the trouble started. The auger continuously fed pellets into the fire pot, but they never caught fire.
They are 17″ tall and 15.25″ wide with 13.5″ x 10″ windows and long sturdy handles. After a few cooks, there will also be some ash residue inside the bottom interior of the grill. This is because the internal fan blows the light stuff around.
Unfortunately you are never going to get a lot of smoke flavor from a pellet grill, it’s just not inherent in the technology. However, some brands are hardwood blended pellets whereas others are 100% single wood species. However, in the case of the Cuisinart Clermont 1-2 lbs per hour is more realistic. So let’s cuisinart pots and pans set 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 pellet grill/smoker exclusively through Walmart.
I had some issues with the pellet sensor going off when I still had pellets…but I have a beta model. If you still have problems, you can disable that feature. I love that the 12″ control panel has bright, bold numbers. When I’m not using the app, I can view the readings from across the backyard, which gives me peace of mind. The pellet hopper holds 40 pounds of pellets and includes an interior light.
I mean, I can’t remember ever seeing a such a tall pellet smoker before, and the design of this high-end unit is stunning as well. Despite the great features, this is a large, big-box pellet grill that sells for $700USD. Despite the 233 pounds that this grill weighs, the quality is limited.
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. The Platinum Lockhart is a superb mid-range wood pellet grill and smoker. It has one of the largest cooking spaces for any pellet grill under $1,000. It comes with 4 probe inputs, a double-door smoking box, a large hopper, ash cleaning system, touch screen display controller, and Bluetooth connectivity. Finally, I discuss the new kid on the block, charcoal pellets and their special attributes compared to all other hardwood BBQ pellets.