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 CGWM-081 Clermont Pellet Grill & Smoker Cover 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.
Where the Cuisinart Clermont is now competitive with the Pit Boss Lockhart unlike the Cuisinart Woodcreek is with offering direct-flame access. Hence, while the control panel on the Clermont maxes out at 500 degrees, higher grilling temperatures around 650 degrees should actually be possible above the Sear Zone. The direct-flame access on the Clermont works in a very similar fashion to Pit Boss grills with a leaver used to open/close groves on the grease tray. Cuisinart is still a relatively new player in the pellet grill/smoker game.
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 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.
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 CGWM-081 Clermont Pellet Grill & Smoker Cover 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.
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.
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.