Blackstone Griddle

[sdynak]

The girl I talked to at Blackstone told me that she prefers the models without hoods. Maybe that's why .

Likely.. it is very tinny & kinda cheap feeling.. But so worth having it to hold some of that heat in. I think it makes a world of difference

Certainly not like a Weber or Recteq hood.

 

[AlphaPapa]

If you guys don’t stop talking about this, I am going to end up buying one. And then, you two will have to answer to my my wife! Did I mention she is a redhead?

 

[sdynak]

If you guys don’t stop talking about this, I am going to end up buying one. And then, you two will have to answer to my my wife! Did I mention she is a redhead?

Do it.. she will love the cooks that come off it. Promise!

 

[Uncle Bob]

As with so many things, it's the details that make a difference. It's what makes price shoppers different from value shoppers when prioritizing.

Blackstone is the Traeger of flat tops, decent enough quality, but heavy on marketing presence that makes it appear to be more than it is functionally. They are okay, and have been an easy way for many to get into using them. If you look at resale sites like FB marketplace or craigslist, whatever, you'll see lots of them for sale, often with rusted griddles and other deficiencies that result from abuse or neglect from casual users who bought on a whim.

None of that is to condemn them, and a conscientious user will get reasonable service from one. The most common complaints/concerns are the rear grease dump port, wind issues with the flame, uneven heating of the surface, and some of the "flimsy" concerns voiced above. Warping shows up regularly, but that and, to a degree, the uneven heating are user error or misunderstanding. Uneven heating is going to occur to a degree on all flat tops, and is actually a positive if understood and used as a cooking tool, if not too out of bounds. Warping is almost always user error, caused by starting from cold at too high of a heat setting instead of creeping up on surface temp.

My preference for a patio unit is the Camp Chef. Made from slightly heavier gauge materials overall. The griddle surface is far better because of how it is reinforced on the backside. Most griddle manufacturers I'm aware of weld angle iron braces to the underside to add support/strength. CC has a large multilayer diffuser welded to the bottom that both functions as bracing and heat distribution unit. Once heated, it gives a better, more even heat zone, and with lower fuel use on longer cooking sessions because of heat retention. There is also a skirt welded on the underside that acts as a wind break that Blackstone users who need one have to buy separately. There are some complaints about griddle top warping and the diffuser "popping" loose, but again, that's from improper usage, not design defect. The grease catch and drain is in the front which some think is a bad thing, but if you watch "pros" using a flat top they prefer it as they don't have to reach over to manage the going into a catch device that is unseen in use.

BTW, if you want to get some valuable tips on usage there's a YouTuber by the name "The Flat Top King" who has some good tutorial/info vids.......highly recommended.

 

[WinoGrillinPrincess]

As with so many things, it's the details that make a difference. It's what makes price shoppers different from value shoppers when prioritizing.

Blackstone is the Traeger of flat tops, decent enough quality, but heavy on marketing presence that makes it appear to be more than it is functionally. They are okay, and have been an easy way for many to get into using them. If you look at resale sites like FB marketplace or craigslist, whatever, you'll see lots of them for sale, often with rusted griddles and other deficiencies that result from abuse or neglect from casual users who bought on a whim.

None of that is to condemn them, and a conscientious user will get reasonable service from one. The most common complaints/concerns are the rear grease dump port, wind issues with the flame, uneven heating of the surface, and some of the "flimsy" concerns voiced above. Warping shows up regularly, but that and, to a degree, the uneven heating are user error or misunderstanding. Uneven heating is going to occur to a degree on all flat tops, and is actually a positive if understood and used as a cooking tool, if not too out of bounds. Warping is almost always user error, caused by starting from cold at too high of a heat setting instead of creeping up on surface temp.

My preference for a patio unit is the Camp Chef. Made from slightly heavier gauge materials overall. The griddle surface is far better because of how it is reinforced on the backside. Most griddle manufacturers I'm aware of weld angle iron braces to the underside to add support/strength. CC has a large multilayer diffuser welded to the bottom that both functions as bracing and heat distribution unit. Once heated, it gives a better, more even heat zone, and with lower fuel use on longer cooking sessions because of heat retention. There is also a skirt welded on the underside that acts as a wind break that Blackstone users who need one have to buy separately. There are some complaints about griddle top warping and the diffuser "popping" loose, but again, that's from improper usage, not design defect. The grease catch and drain is in the front which some think is a bad thing, but if you watch "pros" using a flat top they prefer it as they don't have to reach over to manage the going into a catch device that is unseen in use.

BTW, if you want to get some valuable tips on usage there's a YouTuber by the name "The Flat Top King" who has some good tutorial/info vids.......highly recommended.

I agree blackstone is big on their marketing and certain parts of the overall grill are cheaply made for what you pay. Pitboss has some decent priced ones that I think are pretty good quality. (Without that flimsy hood).

 

[Greg Jones]

The most common complaints/concerns are the rear grease dump port, wind issues with the flame, uneven heating of the surface, and some of the "flimsy" concerns voiced above.

As bad as the rear grease dump port is, it is much nicer than the front grease port that proceeded it. It was somewhat unsafe as you are pulling hot grease towards your body without a significant lip to keep it on the griddle, which at times also could result in the food hitting the ground, and worst of all the drain sent most of the grease down the leg of the grill instead of into the cup. I bit the bullet and purchased the rear drain griddle when it became available separately.

The wind issue is a problem, although the addition of their optional wind guards fixed that for me. Should have been included with the grill. Mine heats evenly enough, but then the 36” has 4 burners. I can easily see where a 28“ model with only two burners would not heat evenly. As to flimsy, I agree but on my model I attributed it mostly to the fact that it was designed to be foldable and portable. I replaced the connector pins with stainless bolds to make the connections solid, and it made a big difference.

Nice write up, as always you are spot-on with your observations.

 

[BethV]

As with so many things, it's the details that make a difference. It's what makes price shoppers different from value shoppers when prioritizing.

Blackstone is the Traeger of flat tops, decent enough quality, but heavy on marketing presence that makes it appear to be more than it is functionally. They are okay, and have been an easy way for many to get into using them. If you look at resale sites like FB marketplace or craigslist, whatever, you'll see lots of them for sale, often with rusted griddles and other deficiencies that result from abuse or neglect from casual users who bought on a whim.

None of that is to condemn them, and a conscientious user will get reasonable service from one. The most common complaints/concerns are the rear grease dump port, wind issues with the flame, uneven heating of the surface, and some of the "flimsy" concerns voiced above. Warping shows up regularly, but that and, to a degree, the uneven heating are user error or misunderstanding. Uneven heating is going to occur to a degree on all flat tops, and is actually a positive if understood and used as a cooking tool, if not too out of bounds. Warping is almost always user error, caused by starting from cold at too high of a heat setting instead of creeping up on surface temp.

My preference for a patio unit is the Camp Chef. Made from slightly heavier gauge materials overall. The griddle surface is far better because of how it is reinforced on the backside. Most griddle manufacturers I'm aware of weld angle iron braces to the underside to add support/strength. CC has a large multilayer diffuser welded to the bottom that both functions as bracing and heat distribution unit. Once heated, it gives a better, more even heat zone, and with lower fuel use on longer cooking sessions because of heat retention. There is also a skirt welded on the underside that acts as a wind break that Blackstone users who need one have to buy separately. There are some complaints about griddle top warping and the diffuser "popping" loose, but again, that's from improper usage, not design defect. The grease catch and drain is in the front which some think is a bad thing, but if you watch "pros" using a flat top they prefer it as they don't have to reach over to manage the going into a catch device that is unseen in use.

BTW, if you want to get some valuable tips on usage there's a YouTuber by the name "The Flat Top King" who has some good tutorial/info vids.......highly recommended.

Great information thank you! I will do some additional research on Camp Chef and Pitt Boss. I would rather get a griddle that is long lasting and built well.

I have discovered that using natural gas vs propane limits my choices but they are out there.

Thanks for the video recommendation. I watched the review of the Camp Chef. He has lots of videos out there that would be very helpful to anyone with a griddle!

 

[Uncle Bob]

Great information thank you! I will do some additional research on Camp Chef and Pitt Boss. I would rather get a griddle that is long lasting and built well.

I have discovered that using natural gas vs propane limits my choices but they are out there.

Thanks for the video recommendation. I watched the review of the Camp Chef. He has lots of videos out there that would be very helpful to anyone with a griddle!

You may already have griddle experience from your professional life, but if not, or just curious, he has a couple of "how to use....." vids that are also very good. His clean as you go advice is probably a revelation to some.

 

[BethV]

You may already have griddle experience from your professional life, but if not, or just curious, he has a couple of "how to use....." vids that are also very good. His clean as you go advice is probably a revelation to some.

Many years ago in my first house I had a large commercial wolf griddle built into my outdoor kitchen. Just loved it. The commercial kitchens I rented didn't have stand alone flat top griddles so I used large cast iron griddles on the burners.

He has some excellent videos. I could spend a whole day watching these. And I probably will . I love that he was a cook in the Navy. Great training!

 

[Roaniecowpony]

Great information thank you! I will do some additional research on Camp Chef and Pitt Boss. I would rather get a griddle that is long lasting and built well.

I have discovered that using natural gas vs propane limits my choices but they are out there.

Thanks for the video recommendation. I watched the review of the Camp Chef. He has lots of videos out there that would be very helpful to anyone with a griddle!

Beth,
There's a large restaurant supply, Chef's Toys, that carries commercial equipment. I've been to the one near the 110 and 405 fwy many times. I know I've seen flat tops there.

 

[MikeyB]

One complaint I did have was that when the 2 end burners are on high the heat was so intense it burned the hair on my arm when I would be using the side shelves. I took temps and was well over 700 degrees.
Called Blackstone and said there’s an issue with the regulator over gassing and something will catch on fire.
They sent me another regulator no questions asked. Good customer service.
Need to install it when the weather gets nicer.

 

[hogan1953]

If you still own a gas griddle, why not just use grill grates flat side up? That has been my economical alternative.

 

[BethV]

If you still own a gas griddle, why not just use grill grates flat side up? That has been my economical alternative.

If you meant this for me, I don't have a gas griddle. I'm looking to buy a flat top gas griddle.

 

[hogan1953]

Sorry, Beth, my comment was just meant to be a general observation and wasn’t addressed to anyone in particular.

just seems to me that many on this forum may have migrated from gas to pellet grills.

 

[Partimewages]

I have a sear grate on my gas grill and it works great as long as you are doing larger single items. Not so good for anything like pancakes, rice or any food with chopped veg or onion and garlic. Whole reason I'm looking at a bullseye .
If I get another grill I will really be in trouble!

 

[C. Keeper]

I feel bad selling my Camp Chef flat top grill.

 

[Greg Jones]

Great information thank you! I will do some additional research on Camp Chef and Pitt Boss. I would rather get a griddle that is long lasting and built well.

I had not heard of the Pit Boss griddles before, so I took a look at their offerings this weekend. While they have a pair of the ‘conventional’ griddle tops, their focus is a line of ceramic top griddles. The idea of a ceramic coated griddle for no-seasoning and easy clean up sounds appealing, but I cannot imagine that I could cook on one. Using steel tools on ceramic will damage the surface, and a large part of how I cook on a griddle is using a pair of griddle spatulas to chop, fold, scrape, etc., but especially to chop. All tasks that would be more difficult, if not impossible with silicone spatulas. Something to keep in mind…

 

[BethV]

Sorry, Beth, my comment was just meant to be a general observation and wasn’t addressed to anyone in particular.

just seems to me that many on this forum may have migrated from gas to pellet grills.

@hogan1953 no worries! Many of us have multiple cooking units that we use for a variety of different applications. Just when you think you got all you need, you discover something new.

My gas grill is used about 15% of the time now, and I only use the small sear side of it. My 590 and the Bullseye seem to cover all the other bases. And when I'm not using one or both of those grills, I'm using my pizza oven.

I've read so many comments on this and other forums about flat top grills that they find so useful. Now I need one of those.

 

[BethV]

I had not heard of the Pit Boss griddles before, so I took a look at their offerings this weekend. While they have a pair of the ‘conventional’ griddle tops, their focus is a line of ceramic top griddles. The idea of a ceramic coated griddle for no-seasoning and easy clean up sounds appealing, but I cannot imagine that I could cook on one. Using steel tools on ceramic will damage the surface, and a large part of how I cook on a griddle is using a pair of griddle spatulas to chop, fold, scrape, etc., but especially to chop. All tasks that would be more difficult, if not impossible with silicone spatulas. Something to keep in mind…

@Greg Jones I noticed that. I spoke with them yesterday because they have a really nice model with a cabinet below. Unfortunately, Pit Boss grills are propone only. They have no plan for any type of gas conversion. We have natural gas and I would much rather use it.

I've been doing a lot of research on flat top grills. I was going down the path of a Blackstone but I did have a couple of concerns based on comments. @Uncle Bob provided me with a lot of information in his post and that got me moving in another direction. The videos he suggested helped with my decision as well.

Unless someone tells me otherwise, I am going to get the Camp Chef 600. I also spoke with them and it can be converted to Natural Gas. They only have fabric covers but are working on a hard cover. Blackstone has hard covers that can work. But I will probably wait for Camp Chef.
https://www.campchef.com/flat-top-grill-|-camp-chef/CC-FTG600.html.

 

[Greg Jones]

Nice! I’d give the Camp Chef serious consideration as well if I were in the market today. Different cooker, but I have a Camp Chef 2-burner cooker that I use primarily in canning season and occasionally for deep frying chicken, and it’s a beast.