If the hopper runs out of pellets or your fi re goes out while cooking, let the grill completely cool and follow the Initial Lighting Instructions. We’ve rounded up some of the best pellet grills on the market, based on performance, power and ease of use. When it came to performance, the SmokeFire produced the best brisket in the group. The grill did experience wild temperature cuisinart pots and pans set swings, though (about 50°F at low temperatures and as much as 80°F when set to higher temperatures). Activating the SmokeBoost function helped the grill maintain low smoking temperatures, but it did require constant attention and monitoring. This SmokeBoost setting also filled the barrel with a robust amount of smoke, creating the best smoke ring in the group.
For the price, we were fine with these discrepancies, but it’s an indicator that you get what you pay for. The build materials also feel and look cheaper than other grills we tested, so we’re not convinced this grill will last as long as some of the others in the test group. Heavy-duty components and high-end design make this pellet grill long-lasting. The sear feature is easy to activate by just sliding the lever so that the food can cook directly over the flame. I liked the sensor system that alerts you to refill the hopper and the external hooks for hanging my grilling tools. The windows on the double doors also help you view the food without opening the smoking cabinet.
The Traveler is about as stripped-down and simple a pellet grill as you can find. That’s good news, because we found it to be a very nice little grill, capable of smoking low and slow, as well as grilling burgers and chicken. When we did crack it open, we found that the “High” setting, above 450 degrees, helped keep constant temperatures on the cooking surface. We were initially wary of the small hopper and expected to be constantly filling it, but that wasn’t the case. We smoked for about six hours before having to top it off—and it probably could have gone a little longer.
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. The Rider 900 has a three-piece, porcelain-coated, cast-iron grate that has plenty of mass and helps maintain a steady temperature. We smoked brisket in the lower range and grilled chicken in the low end of the grilling range.
This grill can handle almost everything you want to throw at it. The cooking chamber is accessed by two large ‘french’ doors with built-in windows. You can monitor cooking and meat temperatures, watch the process, and never open the cooking chamber. If you’re not sure what a PID control panel is, and importantly, why you want one, my article linked above explains more. Put simply, a PID control panel can regulate the temperature inside the pellet grill/smoker much more precisely.
Our chicken wings cooked evenly throughout the grill and resulted in a perfectly crispy exterior when set to 500°F. Unfortunately, the Cuisinart struggled a little with holding low temperatures, and we had to set the grill to 210°F to maintain an even 225°F for the brisket. It didn’t produce as much smoke as some of the other grills, either, but it did result in a juicy and flavorful brisket. The 1,400 square inches can fit 12 rib racks or an 18-pound brisket.
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At the very least, all of the pellet grills named in this article would give you 20 hours of slow cooking (225°F) at a rate of 1 pound of pellets per hour. So the previous pellet cuisinart pots and pans set 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.