CUISINART BBQ
Woodcreek 4-in-1 pellet grill
Whatever season it is, an excellent smoker/grill at home should be a part of your “must have list”, but it’s hard to know exactly how to choose the perfect grill for you as there are many options to consider such as, propane, pellet or wood logs? Does size really matter? What is a BTU? Well, over the past few years, I have had the chance to try, test and review many different grills, so I think I am in the right position to help you choose.
Today I am reviewing the Woodcreek 4-in-1 pellet grill by Cuisinart. The Woodcreek is not an ordinary pellet grill; it can grill, smoke, sear, and griddle with the use of traditional charcoal, ceramic briquettes, and of course, wood pellets.
4-in-1 cooking versatility
Most backyard cooks only grill, which is okay. However, if you are like me and want to smoke and make some real low and slow barbecued meats, like brisket, pork shoulder or ribs, I firmly feel that the Woodcreek 4-in-1pellet grill is the way to go if you are going to invest in just one grill to do it all. It provides different ways of cooking everything from competition-style slow smoked pulled pork to searing some ribeye and to baking a lasagna.
The hopper capacity is probably one of those things that might not sound like a big deal, but it certainly can be an inconvenience to always have to refill. We don’t have that problem with the Woodcreek thanks to its huge capacity (it can hold up to 30 pounds of pellets). Yes, I was able to smoke for hours without having to refill it. The other great thing I liked about the hopper is its unique window that let you see the pellets without lifting the lid. There’s also a sensor which alerts you when the pellets are going low.
Like I mentionned earlier, searing is not a problem with the Woodcreek pellet grill as it comes with a ceramic briquette rack and a charcoal tray that you can place right under the grill grates. It’s super useful and always next to you, hanging on the side of the grill when needed.
One of my favorite accessories is the cast iron griddle that comes with the grill. I am the kind of guy who likes to take advantage of both direct cooking on the grill grates and the griddle at the same time. The griddle is also a perfect morning tradition to make an amazing breakfast for the whole family.
Cooking surface
The main surface space offered by this large Woodcreek 4-in-1 pellet grill consists of 648 square inches and 214 square inches of flip-up stainless steel warming rack area. The total cooking area is huge, indeed with a total of 862 square inches of cooking rack surface area, it makes it one of the largest pellet grills on the market.
The cast iron grill grates are a huge advantage as their heat retention is highly effective, which allows for cooking at a lower temperature rather than super high heat used in grills with stainless cooking grates. Also, if you are a fan of grill marks, you’ll be served as cast iron is ideal for searing.
Bluetooth connectivity
The Bluetooth feature is quite convenient especially in the slow cooking process. I could monitor the internal temperature live from both probes without worrying and while watching my two very busy young kids inside. The range is around 120ft but can vary with obstructions such as interior and exterior walls. The Cuisinart Easy Connect BBQ app is intuitive and easy to navigate. You can find inspiration with the integrated recipes and you can also set cooking timers. For perfectionists, I love that you can save your best grilling session.
Pellets flavors
You can find two Cuisinart pellet flavors at your local Walmart. You can choose Maple Bourbon which is crafted from aged bourbon oak-aged barrels and maple wood or Cherry Rum, crafted from aged rum barrels and cherry wood. These two flavors are pretty basic, you can use both for almost everything you need to smoke or cook, but I would have love to have more options by Cuisinart, like hickory or apple wood, maybe they will come with more options soon. But it’s not a problem as you can always use other brands pellets.
High end features and cons
The grill has a large appliance-grade viewing window and 2 interior halogen lights for better viewing during the day or late evenings without having to open the lid and lose your precious heat and smoke.
When the lid is closed, the commercial-grade gasket seal completely locks in the heat and smoke.
Here are some additional Pros :
- You can control and monitor the cooking temperature and meat temperature on the very large LCD screen. The blue screen also makes it easier to read even on very bright sunny days.
- Easier to bring the party to the people rather than the opposite? Move the grill wherever you want with no sweat thanks to its four mobile wheels.
- There’s an internal storage inside the pellet hopper lid to neatly put away your two meat probes.
- Hooks on both sides of the unit to hang the ceramic insert, charcoal tray and griddle.
Another cool feature is the ash clean-out tray that makes cleaning so much easier. There’s also a grease container for express cleaning.
- The pellets release function is very cool too as it let you change your wood flavors at any moment.
There’re not many Cons but here’s a few I have noticed :
- It’s difficult to set the ideal temperatures. The control is limited as setpoints are in increments of 25°F. It starts at 200°F and goes to 225, 250, up to 500°F, so if you are like me and love to smoke below 200°F, we are unlucky with this grill.
- It Would be nice to be able to remotely change temp right on the Easy connect app during middle of cook without going outside like some other smart grills.
Assembly
This is a big BBQ so you can expect it will take a few hours to assemble. The good news is that it is easy to assemble. The instructions are very well explained, and there are pictures along with the instructions which makes it more visual. It can easily be done alone.
Availability
You can purchase the Woodcreek 4-in-1 at Walmart both for pick-up and for delivery in the United States.